Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-05-13
SW|NBURNE THE POET
RecoIIections Of EngIand's Fa-
nous Master of Song.
LAST OF GREAT WCT0RIANS.

LAST OF GREAT WCT0RlANS.
Ardent Student Of Shakespeare In His
Childhood Days-An Instance Of His
Winning PersonaIity-Two Odd Es'
capades-Great Lover Of Children.
Algernon Charles Swinburne, the
poet who recently died at his home,
The Pines, at Putncy, near London
and upon whose shoulders all England
expected Tennyson's mantle Of poet
laureate to fall, was born on April 5,
1887. so that he had just entered on
his seventy-third year when death
came. He was descended from an an
Gent family which runs back to the
days of Edward II. for its pedigree.
He was the last leaf on the tree that
bore the group Of great Victorian poets.
The poet was the son of the late Ad-
miral Charles Henry Swinburne and
Lady Jane Henrietta, who was the
daughter of the third Earl of Ash
burnham. AS child he was extraor-
dinarily precocieus, and at the age
when children think only Of their play
he was an ardent student of Shake
speare, taking, as his parents often re-
lated, copy Of the plays Of the i'm
mortal bard to bed with him. SWIM
burne's boyhood was spent at his par
ents home in the Isle Of Wight, and
It was there that his great love for
the sea grew. for the poet knew and
loved the sea in all its moods. His
two favorite recreations were swim
ming and cliff climbing, ip both Of
which he excelled.
In 1918 he was educated by q tutor
in the Isle of Wight and after a years
study was sent to Elton, where, how
ever, be led lonely life.
AS an instance Of Swinburne's Pc
culiarly winning personality, when DR..
Hawtrey, the head master at Elton,
once sent for him to demonstrate with
the boy on his love for poetry; the in
terview ended with the conversion Of
the master and promise that his
pupil should have access to DR.. Haw-
trey's own library and the understand
ing that he should be allowed to take
away any of the works Of the old Eng
lish dramatists he desired.
In 1856 Swinburne entered Ballot
college, Oxford, but did not wait for a
degree. BY this time the muse was re-
ceiving his respectful attention, and
instead Of waiting to graduate with
his class he started of on visit to
Florence with the late Walter Savage
Lander. ~
Swinburne's birth was contempora-
neous with the coronation Of the late
Queen Victoria. 1t was in 1881 that
Swinburne published his first volume,
'"The Queen Mother" and 'Rosamond,"
and not a year has passed since then
that he has not contributed to the
world Of letters one or more books Of
prose or poetry. :"
Swinburne was strong in his likes
and dislikes. He appeared to care lit
tie for the opinion or criticism Of Lon
don and the world outside. He was a
devout worshiper at the shrine Of Rob
ert Browning, and some years ago he
caused all England to shake with
laughter when he brought footstool
to public banquet ut which Brown
ing was the guest Of honor and, SOL
EMMY placing it at Browning's feet
sat upon it-at the feet of the "mas-
ter"
Another Of Swinburne's escapades
occurred after q dinner at the London
Art club when he showed his disap-
proval Of his fellow members by pill
ing up their hats on the floor Of the
hall and dancing on the mod
est headpieces This made substantial
grist for the comic papers, and one
publication burlesqued the affair by
a travesty of Swinburne's own 1mfta-
tons Of the Greek form Of drama The
burlesque was put on the boards, and
the club members made up the cast.
Policemen who were called in to bride
the poets rage made up the chorus.
Hats were sent flying about the stage,
and the members walled: ~
Al forests with temrests that wrestle
From the hatracks our hats are torn
down. ~
Then the chorus Joined the tumult
by shouting:
The Englishman's home IL his castle;
The Englishman's hat is his crown. 1
And SO the buriesque continued true
to the traditions Of Aristophanes when
he amused the Athenians by ridiculing
Aeschylus. r. H.
SwInburne was frank and cordial
with his friends and, aside from being
a noted leader in conversation, was
fond of reading his own poetry. He
was a bachelor. He amassed q rare
Of literary curios. The poet
never mingled much in general society,
as he was somewhat deaf. 1t was his
habit to take long cross country jaunts,
and as he trudged along with DOWN
cast head, seldom lifting his eyesl
from the ground, he was a welcome
Lord Bountiful to the children whom
be met on the way. He gave them
cakes and candles and was pleased
with their demonstrations. No mat
ter how hard It rained or severe the