New-York tribune., 1908-12-10
COLUMBIA HONORS POET.
addresses by George L. Rives and
Prof. Trent-POem by Mr. Glider.

Columbia University celebrated the tercentenary
Of the birth OF John Milton with exercises in Earl
Hall last night More than five hundred persons
were present. The trustees occupied seats on the
platform with the professors Of the department Of
English. President Butler, who presided, wore the
scarlet robes Of an honorary degree OF Cambridge,
AIilron's alma mater
The exercises consisted Of addresses by George
7. Rives IS, chairman of the board Of trustees.
and William P Trent, professor Of English at Co
iurnbia on the Barnard founda ton, and the reading
OF a poem in extollaton of Milton, written for the
occasion by Richard Watson Glider, editor OF me
Century Magazine"
Nr RIves who spoke on Millions Influence on
the Movement for Liberal Thought anleng other
things said.
IN the course Of the twenty years in which MI Nil
his opinions underwent very considerable changes
Altho1gh origtrally a member GL the Iiars si
against prelacy- He then fought side by sQe
Iished Church. Ten years later he was appealing
% Cromwell to save free conscience from the hlre IRE
advocating disestabLshment and liberation He be
s5re-TirnaI measure directed against tyrant. He
ended by q demand for a free coIn1non7yealth. -,
5oTr Sen afrer cromwell died and the restoration
Of the monarch was almost universally desired and
predicted, Milton never lost faith IN the triumph
Of reason. and almost 10 the last day continued ms
appeals against the inconveniences and dangers Of
readm!tting kingship in this nation; - s
pamphlets. however. there often
gross Misrepresentation and scandalous assertions
adversarles- Nor Is this relieved by sense or
humOr. for Milton. being q thorough bred English
man, had one Scottish peculiarly He 1Oked Win
difficulty
While Milton was CromvelTs Secretary Of State
the real business was done as II IS done now oy
word Of mouth The instructions from minister
Of foreign affairs 10 MS agents abroad are the real
documents IN which country pOllCy Is ulSCLOSeH'
such letters were not in MilJOn's hands IN
the present case single exception Is found to the
general rule. There IS series Of letters to for
eien sovereigns which Milton penned ana which
embodied CromweiHs fervent protests against the
massacre Of the Waldensian PrOteStantS III the
valleys Of Savoy. that historical documents Of
genuine importance It was this same unspeak-
able aITOcIly which inspired the noble sonnet
'.Ayenge. . Lord. Thy Slaughtered Saints.
Certainly Milton Is no light companion Tor an
Idle hour but there are many Otl-E reasons W!lF
his works more admired than read The
twentieth century reader y weaTleu by the heaEy
sixteenth century Trose-the tiresCme heapinE Jp
Of citations from quaint volumes OF forgotten
lore the heat and violence about things no long
remembered. which If remembered. now seem
utterly trivial And finally I am sorry 10 say
there is amount of irrelevant PERSONA abuse
be gone through with
Professor Trent gave an estlmate.o Of the meaning
and value OF Mit0ns writings 40 the world Of to-
day. closing with this sentiment
The centuries roll by. and many names fash into
glory only sink into oblivion, but his name shines
even as the Alps abide. the seas, 10 the
sound OF which Wordsworth compared his voice
President Butler brought the exercises TO q close
by reading the closing chapters of Macaulays es-
ssv on Milton