The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-12

sociation with the great men of the past. Only twelve miles to the south of Wood bridge lies the Constable country, where the painter chooses the scenes that he immortalized-often exchanging the pro- ducts of his are for receipted trades mans account
 1 But Fftzgerald's pen is far better known there than Constable's brush. and many of the humble folk whose cottages dot the pleasant countryside cherish as their most precious possession copy of | Omar though, so f4r as their under standing of Fitzgeralds masterpiece in | connection is concerned it might as well be printed in the original Persian.
 Visits Fitzgerald's Home 1 The recent discovery by American scholar of four previously unpublished Omar quatrians aroused, of course, no end of interest in this country-though equally, of course, there have been no end of literary bigwigs with half the alphabet after their names to denounce them as purious, and this discovery led at least one Yankee exile to rollow in the foot steps of host of his countrymen and take advantage of the recent Easter holiday to pay first visit to Fitzgerald's birthplace.
 Woodbridge, a sleepy" typically rural and typicaily beautiful town to some 1000 inha habitants, is slightly over two
 
 gerald's lifetime there he was unknown to the outside world. thodgh Thackery and Tennyson admired and appreciated his work to the full, but since his death many buildings in the village have be- come Mecca for our travelling country men. and other literary pilgrims. A tablet on the uninteresting looking stone house on the market hill records that the poet lodged here, while winding lane will lead you past the Boulge churchyard. where he lies under the shade of a rose tree-grown from the very rose that blooms above Omar Khayyam's resting place is far away Naishapur. On your way you will pass Farlingaye Hall-that most beautiful of old Suffolk farmhouses, which was tenated by Fitzgerald for seven years Near by IS Bredfield house the poets birthplace. and Little Grange, his last home.
 Fortunately for the traveller who loves his Omar there remains alive in Wood bridge lifelong friend of Fitzgerald in the person of John Loder. a local magis- trate and man of substance. who is sell don weary of talking of the poet 1n- cidentally Loder, who Is Ss. Is one of the most wonderful old men living. and cele- brated his S6th birthplace by going for swim in the North Sea.
 New Anecdotes Told By Friend ''I was only IA when first I met Fitz-
 
 from Boulge cottage with a friend. MT. Crabbe--the son of the poet-and I would listen to him talking 10 my father. As grew up we became more and more intimate. and latterly l visited him three times week and more. Fitzgerald never saw newspapers, and 1t was through me that he learned of the doings of the out side world One day l went down to the Quarter Deck neay the almshouse. which was his favorite walk. l told him that his friend had passed away, and then left him to his thoughts, for it was obvious that the sad ;idings came a great blow to him. Tall and dark, Fitz- gerald resembled Spanish grandee as he paced along, weas.ns, a red boating cloak. Perhaps he had Spanish blood in him-it was a fancy oA mine that he was descended from someone who had wreck ed in the Armada.
 He was comfortable situated He wrote entirely for his own qualification. and he did not want to be bothered by the out side world. His work was little appre- ciated while he was alive I think he was disappointed with the reception of the few copies he had printed of the Omar In- deed, He never breathed the word Omar to me. For all that he was always writ ing. and used temporarily to blind him self with overwork. "Fitzgerald was very reserved man,
 
 street. Of an extremely outspoken na- ture, he once snubbed Tennyson. He did not like something that the latter wrote, so he suggested that Tennyson should compose something more suited to the pen If there was one person that he really liked it was Posh, the boatman, who is, l believe. still living. Posh was to him little god. and he was extremely fond of the river. where he would cruise in his yacht Scandal Once while reading Tacitus on board he become so engrossed in the classic that he got knocked over board by the boom. However. he escaped with a ducking.
 Lived Very Simply He was a most simple-living man, and | ate practically nothing. Indeed. an oc- casonal burn was enough to keep that brilliant brain active. Every Christmas l the master of Trinity college sent him | some Trinity ale, and he would get some oysters in that he might have a little | supper. 'As for his other literary activities he 1 once inten0ed to publish a revised version | of Suffolk Words and Phrases. but 1 nothing ever came of nis idea. He was !