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Few of the prose writers of this century have attended to Carlyle's advice that "all those who can speak their thought should never sing it," and his maledictions upon "rhyme that had no inward necessity to be rhymed, pieces of prose cramped into jingling lines, to the great injury of the grammar, to the great grief of the reader." Most prose writers have begun with poetry, and only a small percentage have had the persistence to avoid all kind of writing but that in which their special vocation lay. Emerson is the chief among these prose-writers who venture into the realms of verse, and after him perhaps the next in importance is the writer with which this article proposes to deal. George Eliot's poems are certainly far less widely known than her novels; but anyone who is as much interested in the novelist as he is in the books cannot afford to pass over the most valuable guides to her character and the works in which she discloses herself with far less reserve than in any others.

Perhaps the leading characteristic of her poems is their want of spontaneity. There are no signs of the natural flow of great poetry; there is a want of the fortuitous cadences and the true melody which the poets seem to attain naturally and without

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effort. This is perhaps the first thought that strikes a reader of George Eliot's poems. The words often rise into the imagination of poetry no doubt, but the writing seems strained and laborious; there is but little pure inspiration; she overloads her poems with heavy striking lines, of the kind which a reader instinctively marks in the margin with his pencil out of a feeling of pure gratitude for the laborious compression which has concentrated a recondite idea tersely and epigrammatically into the scant space of a few short lines.

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The soul of man is widening towards the past. No longer hanging at the breast of life, He spells the record of his long descent, More largely conscious of the life that was. are innumerable throughout her poems. They make it striking and original, but at the same time somewhat heavy, forced, and unnatural, and create a general impression of want of ease. Perhaps this is more especially the case in the prelude to the Spanish Gypsy.

It is not only in the diction that the somewhat prosaic character of the poems makes its appear

ance. Coleridge remarks in one of his works that wherever you find a sentence musically worded there is something deep and great in the meaning besides. Except in a few isolated cases there is little of this musical depth and passion in George Eliot's poems. Most of her subjects seem to us scarcely better fitted for poetry than for prose. The intentional homeliness of Agatha and Armgart would have read better, for instance, in the scene of some novel; and it is an open question, we think, whether the Spanish Gypsy-her longest piece of dramatic writing, where she tells the story how Fedalma led the gypsies out from Spanish bondage-would not have been better written simply in prose; after all it is but a novel in verse, and the elaborate preludes, interludes of description, and stage directions constantly serve to remind a reader of the fact. There is but one scene where the rhythm and modulation of the blank verse is distinctly needed-the scene where Fedalma consents to leave her lover and join her father's enterprise. This passage

is indeed the centrepoint of the whole drama and its elevation and grandeur was, we suppose, the reason for translating the whole verse. But in the early portions of the book the verse is really not required and spoils we think to great extent the effect of the descriptions of the scenes in the tavern. In the same way we prefer the first volume of the "Mill on the Floss" describing the childhood of Tom and Maggie Tulliver to the scenes of the eleven sonnets called Brother and Sister, dealing with the One feels instinctively that same kind of subject. the writer is at home in the novel, but strained and ill at ease with the verse. Perhaps this feeling is least distinct in the lines called a Minor Prophet, where the writer approaches most closely to the language of prose, and drops into the sarcastic vein prominent throughout her novels in describing the prophetic rhapsodies of the vegetarian seer, by name Elias Baptist Butterworth' and his visions of the perfection of men and animals that is to come through diet vegetarian.'

Somewhat forced and unnatural writing is then the dominant characteristic of her poem. Wordsworth said of Goethe's poetry that it was difficult to believe it was inevitable.' However true the remark may have been in his case, it is certainly applicable to George Eliot. It is difficult to believe that her poems were the natural outpourings of her mind;

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Father they appea to be due to the occasional desire for a more sublimated form of expression than prose could afford, when the writer was under the influence of unusually elevated ideas. What that impulse was must be obvious to every reader. She chose to throw into the form of poetry the writings in which she wished to disclose without reserve or disguise the religious ideas which underlie the novels. Through. out all her poems especially perhaps in the fine legend of Jubal the religious idea is the dominant note of the whole, and finds its culminating point in the lines beginning "O may I join the choir invisible," the most elevated and purest piece of true poetry tha: its authoress ever wrote. It might perhaps be said that there are more fine pieces of poetry in the novels than in the poems, but nowhere, not even in the recently published articles, does she display more of those direct ideas, which in most of her prose writings are ingeniously dressed out and disguised, until they are scarcely recognized at all by a casual reader. As revealers of her character and exponents of her philosophy the poems cannot be passed over but we do not think them very valuable additions to the poetical literature of the century.

SILCHESTER.

Unnamed, unannaled city! like a ghost

From history's grave thou risest, in whose train Throng evanescent spectres, with a host Of thoughts that leave light impress on the brain; Now liest like some black and bare-ribbed hull, That shivers at the warm touch of the day, And seem'st to hate the hand that seeks to cull Mementoes from thy winding-sheet of clay. Even as a wreck submerged, that long has wept, In watery solitude, her state forlorn, Until the silent-ebbing tide has swept

Far back, and left an eyesore and a scorn;
So to the saddened and distempered brain,
Thou seem'st a spirit struggling for release,
An image of the death that waits in vain

Its consummation and its goal of peace.
Away with such sick fancies! we have eyes
Can clothe these bones with re-created grace,
Can bid the spirit of the past arise,

And draw her veil and look upon her face.
What tho' these cold and crumbling relics show
A shrunken skeleton of wasted wealth ?
Tho' all the sap be drained that long ago
Ran pulsing in the veins of vigorous health?
Tho' on the drama of this city's fame

Fate's black inpenetrable curtain falls,
And not a wandering whisper breathes the name
Of those who lived and wrought within these walls ?
What tho' the heavy hand of time has shorn

All good, all evil, weeds alike and flowers; And night that wrapt thee heralded no morn To rain fresh lustre on thy ruined towers?

Yet is there life in death; for standing here
By these memorials of a vanished day,
We feel a power evoked that brings us near
To sympathies we fancied far away;
A power that makes a present of the past,
Lends feeble echoes a more ample tone,
Colours each fading shadow, binds it fast,

With something of the warmth that is our own. Bound to the letter, o'er our books we pore, To realise the dream the poet dreamed, Fathom the treasures of the thinker's lore, Rebuild the system that the statesman schemed; In books it may be, which we spell with toil, The words engross us while the life escapes; Not here; here fancy ranges on free soil, Peoples this city with a thousand shapes; Erects once more the sculptured capital

Upon the column wrought with simple grace;
Stands by the banker's or the merchant's stall,
And joins the traffic of the market-place;
Again rears up the judgment-hall, and sees

Rome's Right and Law impersonated there,
Plead with the pleaders, hears the stern decrees
From high tribunal and from curule chair;
Or wanders where beneath the massive wall
The legionary stands beside the gate,
Keeping his watch, and listens for the fall

Of steps along the roadway, broad and straight;

Or where the British Colisseum plays

Its parody of sport, Rome's worst disgrace;

Or if Serapis draws the crowd to gaze

Upon the sculptured mildness of his face;

Or seeks the shrine of some forgotten god,
Circle enclosing circle in its bound,
Where reverential steps whilom have trod

And hushed their footfall on the hallowed ground;-
And ever, 'mid this change of sight and sound,
Like mingled melodies that rise unsought,
And sink, and shift, and eddy round and round,
There rings the constant burden of this thought;-
His work is best who sacrifices fame

To fixity of purpose, and ensures This nobler epitaph than any name, "None knows the workman, but his work endures."

THE CHAPEL.

Y.E.W.

In the last number of the Marlburian it was announced that the last Sunday services in the present Chapel would be held on June 29th. Since then several Old Marlburians have expressed their wish that the demolition of the old Chapel might be deferred till after the O.M. Cricket Match, when a good many are likely to be present.

As the architects and builders consider that their work will not be materially hindered by such delay, it has been arranged that the last services shall take place on Sunday, July 6th.

The Holy Communion will be celebrated and the sermon will be preached by the Bursar.

The seats and other furniture of the Chapel will be transferred to the Upper School, which will be

appropriated to the Sunday and daily services until the new Chapel is finished.

The boys who have used the Upper School as a day room and for preparation will be accommodated in an iron building to be erected in the Court.

As the Upper School will be thus occupied, the usual observance of Prize Day will be dropped for this year, and the School will go home on Monday, July 28th.

EXPEDITION TO SILCHESTER.

But

On Thursday, June 12th, by the invitation of W. B. Hall, Esq., the father of a member of the school, the VIth visited the interesting Roman remains at Silchester. The majority of the VIth availed themselves of Mr. Hall's kindness; and the party left Marlborough at 12.30, accompanied by the Bursar and Mr. Upcott, and graced by the presence of Mrs. Bell and other ladies. The distance from Marlborough to Aldermaston is under 30 miles, and by the arrangement of the G.W.R. the party were enabled to cover this distance in two hours, as well as to enjoy the beauty of Savernake Station for half-an-hour. when we did arrive, Mr. Hall's kindly welcome made us forget the journey, and packing into breaks we drove into the village of Aldermaston, and sat down to luncheon. While thus pleasantly engaged we were joined by Mr. Raynor and other adventurous spirits, who were not to be deterred by the tremendous heat from riding over on their bicycles. Then entering the breaks again we drove to Silchester through scenery, which was looking its loveliest on this perfect summer's day. The first part of the city we were shown was the amphitheatre. The sides of this amphitheatre were not cut into seats as is often the case, but Mr. Ferguson, the eminent antiquary, told us the seats were in this case of wood, built up tier on tier. From the amphitheatre the party proceeded to view the excavation of a villa, the most noticeable feature of which was the system of flues, both horizontal and vertical used for warming the house and bath. Close to this villa a museum has been erected in which the antiquities discovered are deposited. Prominent among these are two iron rings described as having adorned the aerarium, or We also noticed with attention the treasury. drawing of a very fine specimen of tesselated pavement, the original of which is in the possession of the

Duke of Wellington. Leaving this very interesting excavation we passed on to visit the Forum. Round this ran four streets, and outside these last, houses. On the west side lay the curia and south of it the aerarium. Some capitals of the pillars of the curia are lying on the ground: they are wonderfully well preserved, and the carving is exceedingly beautiful. The houses on the east were butchers' and poulterers' shops. In the south west corner a Roman eagle had been found among the rafters of a burnt house, in which it had been concealed by the standard bearer to preserve it from capture. The south gate was next visited, to inspect the walls some 20 feet high. At the present time it is completely overgrown with trees and bushes, that is where it is visible at all, as in places it has entirely disappeared. The last part of the old city we visited was the Thermae. The party then returned to Aldermaston for tea, after which the Master expressed the thanks of the party to Mr. Hall, and we started for the station with loud cheers for our kind entertainer.

O.M.'s.

MARRIAGES.

May 15th, at Rudby Church, Hubert Edward Braddyll, only son of the late E. S. R. G. Braddyll, Esq., Scansbrick House, Southport, to Mary, ouly daughter of J. M. Lennard, Esq., Leven House, Hutton Rudby.

On the 28th instant, at Holy Trinity, Paddington, by the Reverend Daniel Moore, Vicar, Chaplain in ordinary to the Queen, assisted by the Reverend Henry George Baily, Vicar of Swindon, Wiltshire, father of the bridegroom, Cornwall Stuart Baily, of Glenside, St. Leonard's on Sea, to Marion, younger daughter of John Underwood, M.D., of Hastings. ARMY.

Royal Artillery-Brevet Lieut.-Col. Henry de Grey Warter, to be Lieutenant-Colonel.

Capt. Robert S. O. Hewitt, to be Major.

Liverpool Regiment - Lieut.-Col. A. A. Le Mesurier, to be Colonel.

The Essex Regiment-Major T. E. Stephenson has been seconded for service on the staff.

Staff in India-Lieut.-Col. D. M. Strong, to be an Assistant Quartermaster-General, Bengal Establishment.

CAMBRIDGE.

Classical Tripos-2nd class A. W. Yeatman, Pembroke, D. Tait, Trinity Hal

Natural Science Tripos-Third class-H. M. Leaf, Trinity College.

PASSED THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE
INCORPORATED LAW SOCIETY.
Hugh George Goodacre.
Archer Moresby White.

To be Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George :

George Smyth Baden-Powell, Esq., one of H.M.'s Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Revenue and Expenditure, &c., of certain of the West Indian Colonies. ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS.

Rev. E. Forward, Vicar of Longparish, Hants.

The Rev. H. A. Sherington, Vicar of St. Peter's, Great Windmill Street, has been appointed Priest-in-ordinary to the Queen.

The Rev. Thomas Leslie Papillon, Fellow, Dean, and Lecturer of New College, Oxford, has been appointed Vicar of Writtle.

Occasional Notes.

HOUSE Matches came to an end on Wednesday, June the 13th. In the semi-final ties Gould's (Star) beat Way's (Crescent) by a total of 20 runs after a good match; and themselves succumbed to Ford's (Maltese Cross) in the final game after a most exciting finish. Gould's headed their opponents on first innings by 16 runs, and got them out on their second trial for 40, and finally when the game seemed theirs, collapsed for a total of 20 and were beaten by only 4 runs.

This was quite the closest Cock House match that we can remember here. The game was further remarkable for two bowling analyses; Bere, for Ford's, took eight wickets for 10 runs in the second innings; and perhaps a still better performance, Hayhurst took 18 wickets for 50 runs in the two innings of Ford's; and it must be remembered that he had no "rot" to help him.

THE School Eleven has not as yet met with wonderful success. Three matches have been played up to the present date; two lost, and the one that was drawn would have been probably a tremendous beating if it had been finished. In the Liverpool match, played on Whit-Monday and Tuesday, we scored 165 against 208 and 351 compiled by the visitors, the game not being played out.

LAST Saturday June the 14th, we played East Somerset and were beaten by 30 runs, the visitors making 175 to our score of 145. There seems to be a grievous want of good bowling; there are plenty of fair bowlers, but no one nearly equal to Buckland of last year's eleven.

The ties of House Ground Matches, the only games which now remain to be decided, have been drawn for; in the first ties

Way's (Crescent) play Gould's (Star).
Preshute play Cotton House.

Baker's (Fleur de Lys) play Hart-Smith's (Mitre).
Ford's (Maltese Cross) play Littlefield.

Horner's (Cross Arrows) a bye,

THE Shooting eight has shot off three matches already: The first, a simultaneous match against

Glenalmond ended in our defeat by two points, our eight being handicapped by bad weather. On May the 31st we beat Rossall in a simultaneous match by 68 points; and on June 5th at Reading, we defeated Winchester by 14 points, and Wellington by 65, and thus won the Hunter Cup, which we are glad to see once more in the Adderley Library. Marlborough has won the cup 14 times to Winchester's 6.

Ar a recent Council meeting it was decided to use Upper School for religious services while the new chapel is being built. To supply its place an iron shed will be erected in front of Hall. We have also to note that at the request of several Old Marlburians it has been decided that the last service in the present chapel will take place, not on June the 29th as was originally announced, but on July the 6th, the Sunday after the O.M's match, in order to enable as many Old Marlburians as possible to attend.

As Upper School will be devoted to the uses of a chapel, the arrangements for Prize-day are completely dislocated. The School, it is said, will break up on Monday, as no suitable room can be found either for Mr. Corney Grain's entertainment or for Prize giving; we shall not be very sorry to dispense with the forms of the latter ceremony.

Two novelties have lately made their appearance in court, Upper School seats have been restored, no longer in front of the new buildings, but round the trees in court; they have already become very popular. B. House has received an addition of two handsome iron gates, as substitutes at night for its wooden doors; they are in admirable harmony with the prison-like air of the rest of the building.

A Lecture on "Manitoba and life in the far West " was to have been given on Saturday, June the 14th, by Canon Cooper, of the S.P.G.; unfortunately the lecturer missed his train and did not put in an appearance; the lecture had therefore to be given up at the last moment.

THE examination for the various June scholarships was held last week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; the names of successful candidates will be found in another column.

THE only Penny Reading of the term will be given on Saturday, June the 21st; we understand that one of the scenes in "Henry the Fourth" is to be acted.

LAST Sunday, June the 15th, the sermon was

preached in the College chapel by the Rev. I. Gregory Smith. Text Matthew xxv. xi.

THE Sub-Librarian of the sixth form begs to acknowledge the receipt of "Paley's Complete Works," presented to the sixth form library.

WE are glad to notice that the sixth and last series of Artists' Proofs of Doré's pictures was received in the Easter holidays, and that the complete series now hangs in the Reading Room. We are indebted for these to the liberality of Major Mesham, O.M., who is also the giver of the Science prizes.

WE are requested to repeat our notice that the annual ball of the Marlborough Nomads will be held at the Kensington Town Hall, on the evening of June the 30th next (the first day of the Oxford and Cambridge Cricket Match). Marlburians who wish to attend should apply for tickets before June the 20th, to any of the following:London-C. M. Wilkins, Esq., 76 Belgrave Road, S.W. Oxford-W. M. Tatham, Esq., Vincent's Club. Cambridge-H. M. Leaf, Esq., Trinity College. Marlborough-J. A. Bourdillon, Esq., Manton Grange. Prout's band will be in attendance. Single tickets price 10s. 6d. each; sets of six price £2 10s.

:

WE publish in another column a letter giving notice that the Old Marlburian Triennial Dinner is fixed to take place at Willis' Rooms, King Street, St. James's, on Wednesday, the 30th July (the first day of the Rugby Match). The Rev. Dr. Wace, Principal of King's College, will act as chairman. Tickets price 21s. each.

ON Thursday, June the 12th, the greater part of the sixth form under the auspices of some of the Common Room made a most successful trip to Silchester, and spent a very enjoyable afternoon in seeing the remnants of the old Roman settlement. The expedition was owing to the kind invitation of W. B. Hall, Esq., to whose kindness and energy the thanks of the whole party are due.

We have to record the fact that S. T. Fisher, Esq., O.M., who has served Marlborough College with a devotion which few can claim to equal, has suceeded H.R.H. the Duke of Albany on the Council.

THE match against M. P. Lucas' eleven has fallen through; in its place a game will be played on Thursday and Friday of this week against the Hampshire gentlemen.

WE understand that the team to represent M.C.C. and Ground against us on the 25th and 26th of

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