SAMUEL BUTLER AND KEATS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21436, 30 March 1935, Page 17

SAMUEL BUTLER AND KEATS

LITERARY RELICS IN NEW ZEALAND RESEARCH WORK SUGGESTED 'sikui/ to ra« rniss.) TIMARU. March 29. Stating that he feared that unless active steps were taken by the association precious material might be irretrievably lost, Dr. S. Allen suggested at the annual conference of the New Zealand Libraries' Association at Timaru to-day that a compilation should be made of a catalogue or bibliography of the historical written documents, letters, and diaries in the libraries of the Dominion. Some of the research work, he said, could be done by honours students in English and English literature, and the executive could get in individual communication with professors at the four university colleges, letting them know that material for research was to be obtained in the public libraries. Dr. Allen went on to sav that New Zealand had a close association with the poet Keats, as, erected on Marshland Hill, New Plymouth., was a simple stone slab bearing the inscription. "Charles Armitage Brown—the friend of Keats." Brown, said Dr. Allen, was Keats's closest friend. Brown had remained with Keats till the death of the poet, when he came' to New Zealand and settled in New Plymouth in 1840, bringing with him probably the greatest of Keats's relics.

He understood, said Dr. Allen, that a part of Brown's collection had been destroyed when his house in New Plymouth was burned. A great deal of the material had been sent back to London to Lord Houghton and Sir Charles Dilke during the lifetime of Brown, and after his death it went to his son. who had come to New Zealand before his father. This son married twice, and there were living in the Dominion to-day four grandchildren of Charles Armitage Brown in two groups. The younger group, who lived in Auckland, retained the bulk of Brown's relics, and it was well known that Miss Osborne, of Auckland, had generously given to "Lawn Eank" some personal relics of

ing grandchild, a lady of 80. whose own possessions in that regard were meagre. They were a replica of the sketch of Keats by Brown, which was in the National Portrait Gallery in London; an ivory miniature painted by Brown; an old-time cookery book consisting of printed recipes and dozens of others on the blank interleaving in the caligraphy of Brown. The living descendants of Brown in New Zealand were probably the most important contacts with one of England's greatest poets. Unpublished letters oi Robert Browning to Alfred Domett had been found by Mr C. Stuart Perry among documents in the libraries in Wellington, continued Dr. Allen, who also referred to the association of Canterbury with Samuel Butler. He stated that Christchurch possessed an autographed letter from Charles Darwin in regard to Butler. Although the work which Butler did in London subsequent to his leaving Canterbury was fully recorded, there was. so as.the speaker knew, no record of his association with people in New Zealand. He was an intimate friend of James Edward Fitzgerald, once Superintendent of Canterbury and founder of "The Press." Could any trace of letters which Butler must have written be found? he asked. What correspondence had he with the Lands Office and lawyers in regard to h:s run on the Rangitata? Nearly all of his literary work was conceived in Canterbury-, and it would be interesting to determine how far his surroundings influenced his writing. As Christchurch possessed probably the largest individual Butler collection extant, the nucleus already existed to form a complete bibliography of this remarkable : .an. A complete record of the "Erewhon" dinners that had been held from time to time in London should be secured, and search would surely discover more relics of him. Dr. Allen reminded those present that the Butler country was just at the back door of Timaru and said that the additional material collected might form the subject of another "Erewhon" dinner in London. Keats, which were among :he mo-', interesting exhibits of the Keats Memorial. Dr. Allen stated that he had recently interviewed the eldest surviv-