The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-30

"a severe az she Is beautiful. and must b.
loved with an exclusive and solitary love
In October, 1890, John Murray the pub
Usher, told our author Of diverting Incl /
dent which had happened at his fathers
house A lady, Whose name he did not
mention, was taken down 10 dinner by a
gentleman who was a stranger 70 her.
Presently he asked II she knew who he was.
mo- she replied, L did not catch your
name when we were introduced 'Oh,
eaid her companion. Il am Mr.. Browning,
the poet. some Of whose works, dare say,
you have read yes replied the other
with some hesitation You wrote The
Jacl<daw Of Rheims did you noti'
To Matthew Arnold all Of the few illusions
In these volumes are cursory and uninter-
estinR, except one under date Of June 10.
1899. At a club dinner on that day Prof
Jebb mentioned that he had ventured to
ask Dr.. Temple. Archbishop Of Canterbury
whether the story was true that he had
taught Matthew Arnold the amount Of logic
necessary In order 10 obtain an A. B. degree
at Oxford In. an almost continuous sitting
Of ak and twenty hours, and that the pupil
had acquitted himself eXcellently. DIT.
Temple said that II was quite true. The
references TO Macaulay have more sub
stance. In October, 1898. our author was
talking with friend about George Dem
man, who had just died, and who had been
a supremely good scholar Of the Cambridge
type, beating even Munro in the classical
Tripos Some Of the Greek verses made
by Denman when he was an undergradu-
ate at Cambridge were shown TO Macaulay'
Time passed, and the great historian met
Denman in London. You, said Macaulay,
ARE the young man who writes such good
Greek verses Il have" was the reply,
written Greek verses pretty often" oh,
reioined the other. but am talking about
a particular set Of Greek verses. You trans
lated such and SUCH Il dare say / did,
answered Denman, but it has quite escaped
my memory 'Ohl But it hasn't mine,
said Macaulay, who then and there repeated
the whole,
A passage from Maoaulay's History Of
! England" which is here quoted, deserves
| 70 be reproduced because it explains why
! Tennyson, when be wished to depict typical
! feminine aristocrat, called her Lady Clara
| Vele de We're. In the summer and autumn
Of 1906 our author occupied Rockingham
| Castle in Essex, the keep Of which, built
toward the end Of the eleventh century, is
/
the lands Of Rockingham were given by VIII
liam the Conquerer to Alberto, who bore the
title Of Count Of Guines in right Of his wife
| This Alberto founded the greatness Of the
De Veres, and his grandson was made
Earl Of Oxford by Henry !. The family
must have had great staying power for
from 1897 to 1908 Il continued to be in the
first rank Of the English nobility. The
/ q - hi .
gether by Macaulay in the following SEN
fences: THE noblest subject in England,
and, indeed, as Englishmen love to say, the
noblest subject in Europe, was Aubrey
de We're, twentieth and last Of the old Earls
Of Oxford. He derived his title through
an uninterrupted male descent from Tins
when the families Of Howard and Seymour
we're still obscure, when the Nevilles and
Peroys enjoyed only a provincial celeb
rity, and when even the great name Of Plan
tagenet had not yet been heard in England.
One chief Of the house Of De We're had held
high command at Hastings; another had
marched with Godfrey and Tanored over
heaps Of slaughtered Moslems TO the sepul-
cher of Christ The first Earl Of Oxford had
been Minister Of Henry Beauclerc. The
third Earl had been conspicuous among the
Lords who eItorted the Great Charter from
John. The seventh Earl had fought bra vely
at Cressy and at Poictiers. The thirteenth
Earl had. through many vicissitudes Of for
tune, been the chief OF the party Of the Red
Rose, and had led the van on the decisive
day Of Bosworth. The seventeenth Earl
had shone at the Court Of Elizabeth. and had
won for himself an honorable place among
the early masters OF English poetry. The
nineteenth Earl had fallen in arms for the
Protestant religion and for the liberties OF
Europe under the walls OF Maestricht.
His son Aubrey. thetwenteth Earl. in whom
cloaed the longest and most illustrious line
Of mobiles that England has ever seen a
man Of loose morals, but OF inohensive
temper and OF oourtly manners, was Lord
Lieutenant OF Essex and Colonel Of the
Blues. His nature was not factious, and
bis interests inclined him TO avoid a rupture
with the Court. for his estate was encum-
hered and his military command lucrative
He was summoned 10 the royal closet
and an explicit declaration Of his intentions
was demanded from him. Sir answered
oxford, I win stand by your Majesty
against all enemies 10 the last drop OF my
blood. But this il a matter Of conscience,
and l cannot comply He was instantly
derived Of his lieutenancy and Of his
regiment On the death OF the eighteenth
Earl in 1925. the esrldom was contested
between Lord Wiloughby de Eresby, son
OF the sister and heiress Of the seventeenth
earl, and Robert de We're, cousin Of the
deceased. Our author recalls that Chief
Justice Cruise gave Judgment in favor Of
the latter, who claimed descent in the male
line. and in doing 30 used some memorable
words not unworthy Of Sir Thomas Browne
himself: And yet Time hath his revolu-
tons: there must be a period and an end to
all temporal things, fnis rerHm, an end Of
names and dignities and Whatsoever is
terrene. And why not Of De Vere1 For
where is Bohun9 Where is Mowbrayi
Where ia Mortimer? Nay. what is more,
and most Of ALL where il Plantageneti
They are entombed In the urns and sepul-
obres Of mortality. And yet let the names
and dignity Of De We're stand 80 long as II
pleaseth Cod
VIII
The name Of Mr,w. E H, Lecky IL en-