Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06
Morqan's Collection in Column
bia University invaluable.
HIsART TREASURES ABROAD
"Auld Lang Syne" Was Not Written
by Robert Burns.
FAMOUS ORIGINALS PRESERVED
Tasso's Handwriting, Keats Last
Letter, Byron's and Burns
Drafts Are All There

BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
| Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record-Herald.
NEW YORK, December s. 1908
J. Pierpont Morgan, who has a larger
and more valuable collection of manu-
| scripts and autographs than any other
private individual or any public institu-
ton, except the British Museum, is very
generous in sharing his pleasures with the
public. and keeps the library at Columbia
| University. on Riverside Heights, sup
piled with attractions of this kind. The
last time I was over here the case I'M
der the great dome were filled with the
finest specimens of early printing that
were ever shown in this country, and
now any visitor may see about 125 speci-
mems of the handwriting of famous men,
from Tasso. the great Italian poet who
lived from 1o44 to 1895, to Abraham Lin
coin, whose first and perhaps only poem
lies beside the manuscript of Paradise
Lost"
Burns Did Not Write "Auld Lang
Syne."
Mr.. Lincoln's poem Is an amusing dog
gerel, entitled THE Bear Hunt" and was
written while he was clerking and study
ing law at Salem, Ill. The first stanza
runs as follows:
"A wild bear chase didst never see?
Then thou hast lived in vain
The richest bump of glorious glee
Lies desert in thy BRAIN"
Although the collection now on exhibi-
ton is remarkable and in many ways
superior to those in the great museums of
the world the larger part has never been
on exhibition before. and it comprises
only a small portion of Mr.. Morgans
collection. Some of the autographs are
not only unique. but have great signfi-
canoe. as. for example there is letter
from Robert Burns in which the poet
explains that the immortal words of
Aud Lang syne" were not original with
him. Everybody in the world, I suppose,
has been under the impression that Burns
was the author OF that familiar song,
which ranks next to rHome. Sweet
Home in popularity. and it appears as
original among the collections Of his
poems. But in an undated letter to
George Thompson which lies on exhibi-
ton at Columbia University Library to-
day Burns writes:
"One more song and have done-'Auld
Lang Syne. The air is mediocre, but the
following song. the song of the olden
times. and which had never been in print,
nor even in manuscript until l took it
down from an old mans singing, Is
SiouSi W ISCOIlIleUO any air.
Then follow in the clear, distinct pen
manship Of Burns the lines beginning:
''Should aud acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind"
Lying beside this surprising commune
cation. Inscribed upon large foolscap
page in the hand of Burns. are the words
OF The Cotter's Saturday Night-A
Scotch Poem. Humbly Inscribed to W.
Robert Aiken In Ayr
Original Manuscript of Tasso.
The first example in this incompatible
collection. whose value cannot be ex-
pressed in dollars, is the manuscript Of
Torquato Tasso, so archaic in it's con-
struction that 1t may not be read by the
ordinary student of Italian. It looks like
a volume of cipher characters, but. de-
spite its age, the ink has not faded and
the paper upon which 1t is written has
retained its color for nearly three hum
dred and fifty years.
The lines Of the original manuscript Of
Paradise Lost" are equally clear, and
every page is neatly and delicately done
by the hand Of one Of Millions daughters
or by some other ananuensis who wrote at
his dictation. There are a few interlinea-
tfons and corrections. Most of the sheets
are perfect. 1t is not certain who wrote
them. There is no doubt that the two
daughters of the poet frequently took his
dictation, but there is no evidence to
prove that either of them or any other
particular person wrote these lines
| They are In striking contrast with the
| manuscript Of 1.-THE Corsair". of Lord By
| ron. which lies beside Milton's work. Ry-
| ron's poem Is written in his own hand.
but the manuscript is SO interlined and
! pieced out and f1,led with erasures and
| corrections that 1t is almost as difficult to
read as the ornamental italian text of
| Tasso. Every page of "The Corsair'' is
| filled with corrections, which indicate
Byron's methods. For example, the line:
Over the glad waters of the dark blue
! sea-
seems to have been rewritten half a dozen
| times. and 1t requires considerable study
| to make out what the poet finally intend
| ed. Some previous owner of the manu-
script. or perhaps it was the printer, has
written the line clearly on the margin.
| Keats Last Letter.
| Nearby is Keats last letter, perhaps
| the last lines he ever wrote. It is little
| note OF two sentences inscribed upon a
slip Of paper to Fanny Browne. a young
woman that he happened to be in love
with at that time. 1t reads as follows:
1.-THE passport arrived before we start.
ed; don't think shall long be NJ
The prophecy in the last sentence was
soon fulfilled. He was dead before the
note reached its destination.
The manuscript Of "Endymion, his
| eueetacf poan lieS heSida tho vote