The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-19

AS there has been for thirty or forty
years a steady reaction against the stand
ing of Lord Byron as poet purpose of
fering a view / entertain that will proba-
bly, strike some who have adopted the
critical dehverances of many writers as
decidedly absurd, Anticipated and extrava-
CANT l began to read Byron when a lad
OF probably fourteen. l remember that
between my sixteenth and twenty-hfth
year 1 was constant reader, and an un-
faltering admirer of poet that possessed
for me such exquisite, commanding
charm. l recall that l had a very init
mate friend at the University, older and
more advanced than / was, the late Judge
Victor Clay Barringer, of the Internation-
al Court of Alexandra, Egypt, who used
to laugh at me because of my Byronic
enthusiasm and intense love of his. to me
then. incompatible poems. / remember
how absolutely fascinated l was with his
"Childe Harold and "The Bride of
Abydos," and 1.-The Corsair," and THE
Prisoner of Chillon" and Hebrew Melo-
dies" and Manfred" and Cain" ana
''Sardanapalus. and 1.-The Dream" and
some others. l did not specially take to
Foscari'' and others. At about twenty
five began to read more carefully
Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, Cole
ridge, Shelley, Keats, and others. Byron
grew to be neglected more or less, but l
never changed my opinion of his great
ness in the least, always placing him with
seven or eight greatest English poets OF
all time-Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton,
al OIL.
Tennyson. Tt is not popular to say so, but
/ believe the three greatest poets are
Shakespeare, Milton and Tennyson Read
ing only Byron now and then, at last
determined to read all he had written
again. 1t was a great pleasure for the
most part that 1 received, and | rose
at some sixty-five years from the delight
full pursuit with confirmed judgment of
his great genius, and splendid, almosI
unequalled. eloquence.
I purpose to glance at this singularly
gifted English letter-writer and poet and
to tell what he is; what there is in him
to justify such exalted estimate of his
gifts. / found perhaps rather diminish
ed admiration of some of his poems /
liked so much in my youth, and with
higher estimate of others, | then failed 70
appreciate properly. Il believe Don
Juan to be his greatest work of genius,
however Objectionable its immortal faint
and vitiating influence. I would not
commend it to a youth as a fit poem to
read. 1t is Shiny and foul But it is
OVERLOOKING with interest with unflag-
ging fascination, with splendid daring,
with genuine pathos, with wonderful hui
NOR, with dash and fire and yet with mel
ancholy. The noble Scotch poet and
romancist, inimitable and perennial Sir
Walter Scott. the Great, wrote of its
wonderful power and ease, and said "the
stanzas fall off as easily as the leaves
from the autumnal tree" Like Chaucer
Spenser. Milton and other eminent poets,
George Gordon, Lord Byron, was born in
London and on 22nd January, 1888. He was
the son of Capt. John Byron, and grand
son of Admiral John Byron, who was a
brother of William, fifth Lord Byron. the
poet was born with some deformity of
cine foot, but it did not really amount to
something serious. He mad a slight limp
in walking. He was much of an athlete,
and loved games. He was a great swim
mer. He went to the then great public
school at Harrow, one of half dozen He
spent irregularly three years at Trinity
College, Cambridge University. He took
his degree in 1908. He was incnned to
fairness in bcyhood. At twenty he was
a very handsome youth. When of age he
took his seat in the House of Lords. He
made one speech | read more than half
century since. 1t was bright, and witty,
of gifted youth no farther advanced. He
was not. however, another Charles James
Fox, the most precociously gifted youth
IN English history as a debater, orator
and well read public man. Byron had a
small income, great expectations to use
the name of one of Dickens's greatest
novels, and much early indebtedness from
borrowing. At twenty one he is reported
to have owed 500, 000-a bad start for
financial prosperity. He began authorship
In his teens, and was vigorously attacked
by critics. / shall refer farther on to
his poems, and at some length. He made
a tremendous impression before he had
passed his twenty-first year when he Wis
tied Europe. He went in style, having
three servants, and was accompanied by
his warm personal friend, John Cam
Hobhouse. later Lord Broughton, who
died in 1859 He wrote rapidly began TO
publish many poems, and soon awoke to
find himself famous. as he said. In fact,
he rapidly became the most popular poet
In England. In fact, so greatly popular
was Byron that one of his periinacious
and cock-sure detractors, Prof. Saints
is certainly Matthew Arnold. He greatly