The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-09-01
NEW JERUSALEM.
Milton and Nova solyma--Milton the
Author of This Great Work or an I'm
known Poet Wrote It--Gossip About
a Great Book Of Romance---Miltonic
Chltchat.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, d. g., August Z5.-Nova
Soiyma, the New Jerusalem! DO not be
charmed, dear reader.-I am not sitting
down TO pea i SWedenborgian essay. In
the first place, l have not the technical
leaning; IN the second, | am deficient III
psychological inspiration for the task; IN
the third, l prefer usually to talk to the
gencralIty'-the public-and not to the
chosen few-Wheni ] ave anything to say
III the columns OF the News and observer.
Perhaps, with the exception OF the find
ing of the laws OF Hamurabu, an early
King OF Babylon, no literary revelation
OF the past two or three years has
cCualed in interest to the thoughtful
person the bringing to light alter two
hundred and fifty years OF a Latin work
Of high artistic aud critical value attrI-
buted on strong internal evidence by the
dlscoyercl to the most sublime OF modern
poets and one OF the most eloquent
writers OF modern prose. But the laws
Of Hamurabu chiefly interest the Biblical
and Oriental student or the writer on
government, while Nova Solyma' pos
sesses a special value for both these
classes of scholars and, besides, tor the
whole large class of readers who delight
IL romantic and In philosophical htera-
ture.
Rev. Walter Begley, Of England, says he
has two printed copies of this work, a
fac simile of the title page Of which IS
given. He found it, covered with dust,
in each Of several libraries, bearing the
dates of 1913 and i649. In his appended
"Autocriticon" the anonymous writer
states that he intends inditing another
work if the one thus submitted to the
public is we'll received. Mr.. Beglcy
translates the two small volumes, with
learned notes and appendices, following
an extended introduction OF 10 or 70
pages. He parallels various passages and
words with similar words and thoughts
in Millions prose and poetlcai works, re
citing photographed. historical and
critical facts to sustain his contention
that John Milton wrote Nova 5olyna,
the Ideal City" either at Cambridge Uni
v~crsity or lust after he took his degrees
ard settled down for study IN literature
and philosophy at Horton Seventeen
miles from London) his fathers country
scat The book was revised between the
dates Of his return from Italy and 1913
when the 'hutocriticon" was pcnned.
The prose and poetry N the volumes
amount to about gu hundred Closely
printed pages octave. The GATOR ms
made the most of his case apparently ex-
cept that he fails to note the similarity
between the passage IN the last ereat
poem in the romance where the Wcalth
If Ind" is spoken of and that notable
| dcscr:ption in the account OF Pahde-
monilm in "Paradise Lost" whore Kings
| barbaric" scatter "pearls and Sold Il l
remember correctly. Certainly Tess III
e;.torco would nave given Mr.. Begley S
discovery an equal standing IN the court
OF criticism.
Whether Milton or another wrote
.xova colyma," it was the workman
min Of a great Latinist OF supreme
,,nni,s. As the editor maintains, II john
Milton did not write the book there was
somewhere in Europe IN that DAY .,
scholar and a poet of equal power anu
,1oreotilifv. Was there such a person
milton and Grotius were the two great
est geniuses of that age. The after; ia a
great publicist and general Scnolal: ~
IN 16d5-threc years before the Au.o-
criticon, was dated, october, 1918 me
claims OF half a dozen poets ana N''i"