New-York tribune., 1908-12-10
HONOR MILLIONS BIRTH
LITERARY MEN SPEAK.
s,y-1ces Here C0incident scith Those
m Poets Natire Citg.

-.s saaeh anniversary of the birth Of John Milton
= celebrated yesterday afternoon At the Church
= .,e Ascension. Fifth avenue and 10th street
- u literary and academic prominence made ad-
80 The ceremony was similar 10 that being
- s+ the same tine IN the Church or St. Mary
: BOW IN London. within sound OF whose bells
=. poet was born More than seven hundred
Is were present by invitation. Ex-Judge Henry
: HOWARD g warden OF the church, read q letter
-, AMBASSADOR Jemes Bryce snd selections from
,-71s." .-- 10 music By the English composer,
sz.--v Iaues contemporary q Milton, and others
-, L Alleg-o.' composed By Handel. who lived
ra-s-a-sor -aTer were rendered by the church
"a sunday school chorz. augmented by the choir
49,, .he chapel os the Comforter, in Horato
s-aet. aid supported BY a string orchestra COM
So q members of different symphony orchestras
: ne city
-bs ceremony was opened by q procession from
.-s pa-ssh house OF the Ascension through the
-~---gs and into TIE church This was led by a
FER ca-5ad n red. followed by the choir OF the
mare of the Comforter, made Up OF little girls
crossed as Quake-esses. Behind these came the
s-5ssv school choir O. cider girls. and then the
1a- ~esre5 church choir Of mixed voices. These
80 followed BY the members Of the church ves-
-~ 5-E then = order by the academic and literary
,-ss-s q the occasion including the speakers,
hamilton Wright Mabie. President Butler Of Co
--rHia and Richard Watson Glider and President
Ty1Iev Of the College O. the City OF New York.
zzaa-n Dean Hove-ls. Mrs Riggs CF1ate Douglas
W5rg1nl Butler Duncan and Professor Z. r. A
ssHE7-a1. of Columbia; Governor Hughess mill
~ aid. Colonel Treadwel. the consuIs general
n Germany and Italy, cergyTnen OF several Episco-
al and other Protestant churches, the srchblshOps
n The Russian. Greek. Armenian and Syrian de-
-orl-st0rs II tie city. and Bishops Greer and
-r----e~. The -uarshals were Professors Mitchell
e-5 Fletcher. OF Columbia, and Dr. Raymond Knox
N- Ea1ie. who made The first address owelt on
he qualities IN Mton's poetry and il the man him
ss-E which assured him an everlasting fame Link
ing Aiu with Dante. he said that the structure Of
--rrEhr i1 Paradise Lost and IN The Divine
T-r1a5y" had Cr-llLled 10 q large extent IN the
zs- three centuries but that the grand style and
MAJESTY OF IDEA contained IN both would continue
% appeal 10 al fut2re generations Ml-tons poems
HsEs been raised he ssid- "CEt Of region or TACT
--.r region Of fancy. he the high priest OF
heavenly mysteries to EIs own time eloquent
and PASSIONATE apostle OF freedom In genius, n
language and il service he and viii remain a
peel Ile wears greatness as a garment
President Butler. who spoke next, said
--1,.nz hack over three centuries. We see only
ne --- - - -.5l- .cl --9 - - % ,ca,-1aJ bv
re many sided spirit Of his time, 1hs innumerabe
ss--.--s -e-eqI-ors and irs5s.Ifs. and set them I'm
t=s- --e weight gt an epic poem which speaks 10
Te are zpt 70 forget The heroic simplicity OF the
ef't-i.7--.-. = - si,yL-ss-7-p,
7-ets because ne aEt-cla-.Jy o- ne 4
s----- stands between i and Is 4lxlqn on slooq S
ne beginning cf 2 new era E-s ralI7o MS SOU,
Is SE---- ---1! =, ser - .---zj -llsr bfs +art
vas 10 csu--5e TO the moral architecture Of man
s55- Is -=rrvzor So aT55iv called him [ know OF
r5 be--e- quotation ta which TO close my remarks
han Ills -1e from '-aE--Ls Love virtue SAe
Richard watson Glider said II was q fun genera
r5- after sELtous death that he was received into
--s rails 1r The great Fame IS q flower Of slow
r----T lie continued '-Euton's has been
s---se5 l-- three centuries q understanding Il
vi 1ot De- diminished the years 60 on. Con
---zg- be said
VI e-.r his life. Her his art. Milton devoted 70
- ~ - - --sla-- -z--a y-bfrh
ELu-z doctrine vas uCple--
TIE Rev PercF Sllckaey Grant. rector Of the
C1--5E q -1e Ascension. preached a short sermon
z--z Nixon 1ae modern preachers poet He
-rsz be said. -le TWO great ends o. religion and
7os--r a-I added
Mzse--= problem vas that q the modern
-sscte-. n r-e modern Ua1-to find The harmony
zE==1 -=-- -E-g- and a--- He had the conscience
zz5e art ~ lE-CEs because he insisted tLsL Lle
s-t-t governing art must be consecrated- Plu-
1E--h Ea-.E have given much 10 have had such q
aE-e add MS gallery Milton was a stern.
~ powerful. loving and brilliant son q God
AMBASSADOR Bryce's letter read IS follows
" Der ST. I am very sorry 70 say that il
- be impossible f0r me TO be- IN New York on
ss1ss-aT as nave an ne 3z,, -. @ g
~-7 l----z--g- alG beg YOU VIII express my regret
Z. NJ absence. and add q fe" mes regarding me
I Is zzT that This OCCASION Of the annversarv
lzz Il America NOT ONLY because Ee the friend
q rT--=--Gr5r 81 earr7e OF those who planted the
Eu-u-1us at England UPON these western shores,
--zz-5 f- -s-sa az r-rer-raSseI beauty and in
E-z5 = ---r-zuara--e strength those Ideas OF ths
E-Elz- Puritan IN Lhe seventeenth century which
.z7e SO profoundly affected TIE American spirit
q -Ast ris geuius has given Us. and these tIlIgs
v.5a s5ftened and re6ned the scerner features OF
- Puritan life English literature mas no gI@lcer