The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-29

| Inc DOcn1, III lIS OIlSlliehI
Senator ingalls,, was presented by
Mrs. ingalls, to Mr. Roosevelt several
wears ago. and it now rests in a gilt
| frame on the mantel of the Presidents
| office.
1t is noted by all visitors. This is
| the sonnet:
Opportunity.
Master Of human destines am |;
Fame, love and fortune on my foot
steps wait.
| Cities and fields / walk; 1 penetrate
Deserts and seas remote, and passing
Hovel and mart and palace, soon or
late,
I knock unbidden once at every gate;
If sleeping, wake; if feasting, rise be-
fore
/ turn away; it is the hour of fate,
And they who follow me reach every
state
Mortals desire, and conquer every foe
/ Save death; but those who doubt or
hesitate
| Condemned to failure, penury and
woe,
Seek me in vain and uselessly i'm
plore-
i answer not, and I return no more.
John J. ingalls,.
| Dr. Gigliotti says in his letter: 81
am sorry to affirm in the most en-
phatic way that Opportunity was not
written by Senator Ingalls,. The pa
ternity of that sonnet practically be-
longs to me. In June, 1887, | wrote a
sonnet entitled The Fate, which was
printed in La Sveglia of Naples, Italy,
a newspaper owned and edited by r.
de Casare. The same sonnet was
printed eonsecutively in the Mignon
of Naples, the Flora Mirabilis, of
| Turin and lie Conversation della
1.-THE poem by Senator ingalls, is,
for the most part, a translation ad
literatim of my sonnet, which | did
not include in any of my books of
poems because I was and am not par
ticularly satisfied with it's literary
polish. Ny poem differs from that of
Mr.. ingalls, sonnet only in the con-
| clusion.'
Mr.. .Gigliotti gives the poem in
Italian, with this English translation;
The Fate
Master I am Of human destines;
Fame, greatness, love are my servants.
Cities and fields foolishly | walk,
l knock at every door but once. and
/ run to new pathways.
If sleeping, wake. IF feasting,
You try to kill your troubles with wine
and sin,
Rise and follow me. / am fate. Woe
TO whom does not follow me. l give
him horses,
Gold, fame, honor, women and pleas
ure.
He will conquer every foe save death.
Rise. hang to the opportunity which |
offer to you.
/ am revengeful I knock unbidden
but once at every door.
I stay here. Leave me alone / an
swered.
i Thought
And thought alone makes every man
happy and strong"
Despite my poor English" says Dr..
Gigliotti, everybody can see more
than easily to whom the paternity of
Opportunity does belong. l am far
from accusing the late Senator ingalls,
of plagiarism. He had, | was told
by himself, the habit of making free
TRANSACTIONS of things that appealed to
him. and it may be that more than
one of his poems are not original, as
his loving widow collected together,
without discrimination, all of the
things he had written, translated or
arranged.
MY sonnet was known to Senator
Ingalls,. / reprinted it some years ago
in an Italian paper which / edited in
Denver. Col, and sent him a copy with
a rhythmic translation made by me
and revised for the English part of
Martin Battle, a distinguished follow
er of Henry George. | am sorry that
/ can not find at present the original
of that translation