IN HONOUR OF MILTON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 414, 25 January 1909, Page 6

IN HONOUR OF MILTON.

BANQUET AT THE MANSION HOUSE. I ''WE PRAISE HIM AS WE WOULD A . . -STAB." ■-.'■■■ Seldom have the'walls of London's historic Mansion House held.such a gathering as met on Decomber 9-on the invitation of tlie Lord Mayor to honour the memory of John Milton. : Among the comp'any, which, as Sir George Truscott remarked, included; men of,, light and leading in every walk .of life, were the American, and Italian Ambassadors, the Bishops of Ripon and Salisbury, Drs..Fairbsim and Horton; Mr. Augustine Birrell,' Mr. Thomas Hardy, Sir W. B. Richmond, Sir Hubert Parry, Mr. Piriero, Mr. Binyon, Lord Tennyson, Sir William Anson, Sir H. C. Maxwell Lyte, Dr. Fortescue, Dr. Furnivall, Mr. Sidney Colvin,- Mr. Anthony Hope : Hawkins, Professor Manly, of Chicago,, the Alaster of Peterhouse,;the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Lord Burghclere; Mr. 6. W. E. Russell, the .Masters of the Scriveners', and Stationers' Companies, Mr. Quiller Couch, Dr. Percy Ames, Mr. ComynsCarf, Dr. D. Gγ. Hogarth, Professor W> L. Sorley, of Cambridge, Dr. W. Garnett, Sir William Collins, M.P., Sir Robert Hobart, M.P., Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir Frederick Bridge, Sir J. A. H. Murray, Sir George. Martin, Sir, J. Crichtou Browne, Sir. William Richmond, 1 R.A., Sir W. S.. Gilbert, Mr." Sidney Lee,: Mr. A. G. Gardiner, Sir Ernest Clarke, Mr. Letonann, M;P., Mr..R. Whiteing, the Rev. Russell Wakefiold, Mr. J. A.-: Spender, Mr. William Watson, Mr. Mas' Pemberton, Mr. Austin Dobson, Professor GoHancz,.Mr. H. Belloc, M.P.; Mr. Sidney.Low, and the High Master of .St. Paul's School.and many others distinguished in art, literature; and scierice... Lord Mayor's Speech. : . Immediately after dinner'the Lord Mayor I said:—"My_ first duty as chief magistrate of this ,city, in which. John. Milton lived and moved _and. had. his being, is ..to express to this distinguished _ company my grateful thanks for their kindness in.rallying round me in such numbers on this-historic day: The character of this assemblage is as remarkable as its numbers'. Men of light arid" ■leadhiE in: all walks of life-eminent statesmen, divines, University doctors, -poets, historians," dramatistsi musicians, painters, and representatives of art and letters 'geheraHy-reach' and all animated with the self-saine desire , of doing .homage to the genius" of our greatest .city poet, who was honr within' a: few: yards':of this spot ■300 years ago ; to-day, : .'■', :: , : '' ■ . . : "In.the presence of so.many distinguished men ;who have made Milton's prose and verse the. study_ of ..their lives, it would be -impertinent in mej who in the 'exercise of'my mayoral: functions have to 'scorn delight's and:_live .laborious : days,', to attempt any •reflections on the.influence:and power of Milton's writings. '. I-shall only;:, remind you that one of- the most earnest' of his efforts, at .refprmin.the sacred cause of liberty was in connectibn witli the/branch of industry with..which,l am, most.intimately connected.: His '"Areopagitiea' contains . one passage which, seeins to me to',have a peculiar signi-: ficance this evening^. arid you will therefore excuse my quoting it: — '. ' V; '-..- . ..- . Behold.now this vast city, : a' city of-re-. fuge,.the mansion -house .of liberty.. : What wants 'there to -such a:towardly( '.' and pregnant soil but wise, arid faithful -.- labourers to. make: a; knowing people, a'■.'■ ■"-. nation of prophets, of. .sages .'and • of .worthies? .',- .'.,■'.;;•>'•. : .'■'■ '■'':.'"■'■ .'.■■■'■-. '' ■ Much "water ; has '.flowed; under ". London Bridge since, these words, were written in the "year 1644; -but, however much things have otherwise, altered;in .the interval, orie : phrase 'of Milton's-is still true,, that this grand old I City of.London of ours is.still the Mansion 'House of Liberty.- And long may- it ; remain : -.-:■'.■ Honoured In'Sllence. :; ' ; ; "The ;toiis't i -of i ""Tife ; fcins''Mvmg ! 'beeri loyally/honoured, the toast, ,I'The ImmortaL Memory ,of John Milton,"; was": proposed 'by Canon Beeching., He said'.'they'praised Milton not •as . they .praised : Shakespeare, who showed human nature as in a mirror.- '.Milton had little love, for' : our;, common humanity. , , They praised Milton 'because he was. : so 'far above them; they-praised him asthey would' praise a star. If the English.tongue shouldever• die out future -generations 'would, have" tolearn English as a dead.language, in order that they might-read : Milton.; v :i/ : . ;.'.'■•■ ..-••:■ . -The toast was honoured in-isilerioe... ■ The Italian Ambassador proposed the toast "Poetry." and;,the.'Poet'Laureateßeplied. . '■llr. Austin said: the foundations of the ■British >Empire' were : widei -and '■■:. deep; : -antf he -thought" that ..Chaucer. Spenseri- Shkkesand Milton had' snarM in an eaual degree j. with Chatham, Olive;' -and ■ Nelson-in' extending the -faine of this great city and Empire, , in increasing its wealth, - and carry-' ing the:name 1 of England to'.the' uttermost; parts of the earth. : ■ ".'": ■■■■';' .: . ~

Mr. Justice Darling gave , '"Music andvthe Drama," arid Sir Hubert PaYry , and •■'•'Mγ:'. Pinero responded. .. "' '....,. ■-.-.■■. \The American Ambassador, proposing '"The Lord /Mayor," said .they coiid not fail to acknowledge the indebtedness of inanlrind'to : the author of \ "A Plea :■ .for Unlicensed Printing."■' (Cheers.):. That was":the begin-' ning;qf: the long struggleVfor:.'one. of'the most liberating and most'elevating influences of modem civilisation—the' Freedom of the Press. ; . .:. '."'■. .■■-. :.:..'.:';■' '■" ■; '.-'.■: : '-.' '.-■.-.

Lord Reay supported, the; toast.■■:. : . {v After dinner' the students'of, the Guildhall School of Music, 'under, the -direction of Dr. W. H. Cununings, ■ gave : a.' performance, - the ■ items in the programme being music eetty.-words, from the works: of the poet.'.■ The first was the ode, ! "At a> Solemn Music," the. setting being by 'Sir Hubert Parry; ,and ; the other . selections. included compositions by ,' Handel; Dr. Arne,, Dr. Cummings,: and others.,. ;' ■■•■ ■ ■': ■ A telegram of homage to' the'memory, of. Milton, received from Monsieur; Rostand, was-read' by the Lord Mayor. '. • ' '

At Bow Church. ; In the fins old church of St. Mary-le-Bow, Cheapsido, almost within a stone's throw of Milton's birthplace, was held the commemoration. service arrange'dby a number of prominent city men. Among those present were the Lord Mayor.of London: the sheriffs, the. aldermen of the city (all these attended/ in ' state) ,' the', master warden and;, clerks of several city;companies, and many men wellknown in literature', art, and science... -Two descendants of- the poet, Sir: Robert :H. Hobart,: M.P.; and Mr; R. H., Hobart Ctist, were included in the,list of those invited, j The Bishop of Ripon delivered the ser- 1 mon. With his accustomed eloquence he described, the tragedy of Milton's life, ','a man of shattered dreams who lived m an age ■of reconstruction." Yet the progress of Dr. Boyd Carpenter pointed out, was helped alike by dreams and by the shattering of dreams! Milton's dreams were. noble ones, and noble dreams are never wasted. His message" was of .threefold- import. It urged upon us the sanctitvo] personality, the , seriousness of life, and finally the"reality of things-spiritual.'.; ' '.'.. ■■,