The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-30
NEW JERUSALEM.
Milton and Nova So'yma---Milton the
Author of This Great Work or an I'm
known Poet Wrote It-.-Gossip About
a Great Book of Romance -Miltonic
Chitchat.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, D. c., August 25.-Nova
Solyma, the New Jerusalem. Do not be
alarmed. dear reader.-I am not sitting
down to pen a Swedenborglan essay. In
the first place, l have not the technical
learning; IN the second, | am deficient III
psychological inspiration for the task; IN
the third, l prefer usually to talk to 1.-The
generaity'-the pubhc-and not to the
chosen few-when l have anything to say
in 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
coualed In interest to the thoughtful
person the bringing to light after two
hundred and fifty years of a Latin work
of high artistic and critical value attri-
buted on strong internal evidence by the
discoverer to the most sublime Of modern
poets and one of the most eloquent
writer's 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, for the
whole large class of readers who delight
in romantic and In philosophical litera-
tUre.
Rev. Walter Begey. of England, says he
has two printed copies of this work,
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 f649 In his appended
"Autocriticon" the anonymous writer
states that he intends inditing another
fho hr1c 10
public is well received. Mr.. Beglsy
translates the two small volumes, with
learned notes and appendices, following
an extended introduction of rs or rs
pages. He parallels various passages and
words with similar words and thoughts
in Millions prose and poetical works, re-
citing photographed. historical and
critical facts to sustain his contention
that John Milton wrote Nova Solyma,
the Ideal City" either at Cambridge Uni
versity or just after he took his degrees
and settled down for study in literature
and philosophy at Horton seventeen
miles from London) his fathers country
seat. The book was revised between the
dates of his return from Italy and 1913
when the "Autocriticon" .was penned.
The prose and poetry in the volumes
amount to about tour hundred closely
printed pages octave. The editor has
made the most of his case apparently ex-
cept that he fails to note, the similarity
between the passage in the last great
poem in the romance where the wealth
of Ind is spoken of and that notable
description in the account of Pande-
monium in Paradise Lost" where Kings
barbaric" scatter pearls and gold''-if /
remember correctly. Certainly less in
sistence would have given Mr.. Begley's
discovery an equal standing in the court
OF criticism.
whether Milton or another wrote
Nova Solyma," it was the workman
ship of great Latinist of supreme
genius. AS the editor maintains, if John
Milton did not write the book there was
somewhere in Europe in that day a
scholar and a poet of equal power and
versatility. Was there such a person :?
Milton and Grotius were the two great.
est geniuses of that age. The latter,
great publicist and general scholar died
In 1645-three years before the Auto
critlcon" was dated, October, 164S The
claims OF half dozen poets and Latin
scholars are dismissed by Mr. Begley on
apparently satisfactory grounds They
were Englishmen. and they were not
equal to the double or treble task of in