The Washington herald., 1911-01-15
STORIES OF FAMOUS POEMS
"CASABIANCA."
MRS. FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS

I perceived his father. and how badly he
was wounded, he threw himself upon
him and held him in his close embrace.
The father tried to explain to him that
he was mortally wounded and was dy-
| ing and entreated the boy to go with
the men and try and save himself. But
entreaties and even threats were of no
avail.
| An old sailor who stood by and who
| felt strong attachment for his dying
commander offered to assist in saving
the boy. The child heard him. but his
only reply was. Il must die: l will die
with my father When the sailor saw
it was no use to prevail longer. he said:
! There is but moment remaining: 1
Twill have a great difficulty in saving my
self: adieu.
| The flames finally reached the pow
der: the vessel blew up. with the young
Casabianca. who in vain covered with
his body the mutilated remains of his
father as if to keep them from being
deSecrated.
The old sailor was able to get away
| befor. the explosion. but he was the
last one to leave the ship. Upon reach
! ing the land it was he who related to
Cen Kleber and to Louis Bonapairte at
Alexandria the story Of the heroic do
| votion of the young Casabianca- whose
memory will always be preserved in the
| undy!ng poem of Mrs. Hemans. When
| Louis Bonaparte returned to Paris. it
| is related that one of the first things he
did was to hunt up the wife of the ad-
miral so that she should hear from hi1
own lips the most pathetic incident OF
! the battle of the Nile.
Mrs. Hemans was one of the most pop
ular of the English poetesses. and while
to-day much of her pastoral poetry IS
passed unread. yet it is recognized "a
I nd
chiva lrors affection. Byron admired her
greatly. and Wordsworth lamented her
death in verses which contain a line Of
almost unbounded praise:
! As if but yesterday departed
| Thou who art gone before: but Why,
| Der rire fruit seasonably gathered.
| Shall frail survivors heayc a Sgh2
| Scott also revered the powers Of Mrs.
Hemans. while yet he happily defined
her failings by saying that her poetry
had too much foliage and too little
wood And lastly Landor admired her:
| Gone is she
! Who shrouded Casabianc2, she who cast
| The iron mold Of Ivan; vet whose song
| Was soft and varied as the nigatinGale'S
And heard above all others.
| The poetess was born on September
25. 17gS, and was only five years old when
the battle Of the Nile was fought Her
first printed poem appeared when She
was but eleven. Her maiden name was
| Felicia Dorothea Browne, and she mar
ried Capt Hemans. Of the Kings own
regiment, in 1sl2- They separated after
six years. Mrs. Hemans died on May
16 1885. A tablet IN St Anne's Church.
Dublin, marks the spot where this gifted
woman lies. and in the Cathedral Of St.
Asaph her brother erected similar
stone, with this appropriate inscription:
| in memory of Felicia Hemans. whose
character is best portrayed in her writ
| ings."
The battle Of the Nile, in which Casa
blanca met his death, was fought Au-
gust 1, 1928. The French admiral with
thirteen ships of the line. and four
| frigates, was anchored in Aboukir Bay.
Nelson, with thirteen line-of-battle ships
and one fifty-ton ship. penetrated with
half his squadron between the French
line and the shore, while his remaining
Iships engaged them on the outside. Thus
! caught between two fires. the French
were utterly routed. only two of their
| vessels escaping capture or destruction.
| This battle is also known as the battle
/ OF Aboukir.