The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-10

ago that a work written in Latin by John
Milton, the sublimest of all poets, had
been discovered, ii was a surprise, and
was received with almost general in
credulity. But it is now accepted by
critics and scholars as genuine and au-
thentic, a veritable production by the
great poet who put the world under such
obligations to him by his Paradise Lost
and the best of his lyrical poems and
minor inspirations generally. 1t is in
deed literary event and a discovery of
positive interest and value. 1t is called
Nova Solyma,' and has been translated
into English by Rev. Walter Begley, of
England. 1t is regarded as IAN Anony-
nous Romance" was written in the time
of Charles l., was first published in
164S, and is the workmanship of Milton
when he was young man. probably not
more than thirty. 1t has obscurities. i'm
projections, absurdties and other
blemishes, it would seem, and yet it con-
tains not little of power OF excellence.
OF true interest 1t is a romance in prose
and verse. The able, scholarly Professor
T. w. Hunt, of Princeton University,
discussing with much of interest this
discovery" in the New York Book
Lover" says at the conclusion: ''Imper-
feet and inferior as portions of it are,
no careful student can pursue
these pages without intensest interest in
the author and the teaching, nor can any
one rise from the reading without the
conviction once again renewed, that take
1t all in all, English literature has no
nobler name than that of Milton, and
hn ~ In ~. nd "a AL
had no worthier defender in his day"
The extracts in prose given suggest at
once the long known prose essays of the
great poet that no man of culture and
parts can afford to be ignorant Of His
ideas of teaching. character, duty find fit
confirmation in this newly discovered
book now published in two volumes in
this country. Some of the verses quoted
are eminently Miltonic in thought, tone,
structure, expression and impressiveness
/ copy a few of these:
"Oh. when shall these poor longing eyes
OF mine,
Behold thy blessed Face. thy Form d.
vine?"
Read this from an inspiring Ode upon
the Sabbath:
Hail sacred day, forever blest:
Great type Of our eternal rest.
Great gift of Christ, our Lord.
On Heaven this day our hopes we fix;
Though earth oft claims the other six,
To-day is God adored.
One more selection from "Joseph's Ode
to the Angelic Choir:
20 young eyed choir of angels blest,
Who neer by sin or pride possessed,
Have perfected your Heavenly Rest,
But kept your first estate.
Come raise your joyful songs on high,
Let all the morning stars draw nigh,
Let antiphons of praise reply,
Our God alone is great"
Prof Hunt carefully discusses the pre-
cious ''fnd' and shows its character
quality and interest. He says it has in
one place "a distinctive dramatic ele-
ment." and In the treatise there is IAN
exalted poetic element"
The multiplication OF Children's books
Is enormous. Some are said by compe-
tent judges 20 be clever and good, while
a large majority are very poor. / am
sorry for the child with brains who is
forced to feed upon trash for children. /
was interested recently in what several
British editors and authors wrote of the
books they read In childhood / suppose
all these were very bright children, far
beyond the ordinary children around us.
They were not prodigious but endowed
with fine natural gifts. Some children
have been marvels of precocity. You will
ind in English literature such examples.
John S. Mill read Latin and Greek when
but seven. Thomas De Quincy could
harangue a Greek crowd in Greek at
about eleven or twelve years of age, such
was his astounding proficiency in the best
of all languages. But to the recent
writer's as to the books they read when
little boys. Joseph Conrad tells first of
himself, and then says that his little son
but five years old has read Grimm's tales,
and even Lear Max Pemberton says
he read Robinson Crusoe and Grimm.
Strachy, who edits the great London lit
says his childish readings were the Bible,
Shakespeare, Scott, Milton. Popes trans
lation of Homer, Waverly, etc. Rev. DR..
w. r. Nicoll, the well known Non Con-
formist editor in London. read Don
Quixote, Arabian Nights, etc. Clement
Scott, before he was six. had read Ara
bian Nights, Don Quixote, Heir of Red
clyffe, and Jane Eyre. The novelist, his
torian and Member of Parliament, Justin
Mccarthy, read Arabian Nights, Robin
son Crusoe, Pope's Had, when quite
young Arthur Morrison read Pilgrims
Progress, Grimm and Guy Mannering.
Henry Newman read Sanford and Muir
ton. Andrew Lang, poet, critic, historian
and novelist read Arabian Nights, SCOTS
Poems, Shakespeare, when a little fellow.
Conan Doyle read Robinson Crusoe, Alice
in Wonderland and so on. You can see
from this something of the reading of
little fellows in Great Britain who came
to something in manhood, and Were sue
cessful authors. My observation is that
when you meet with people of really cul-
tivated and refined tastes, who love good
literature, who read the greatest living