GRAY'S "LEA."

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18410, 17 June 1925, Page 10

GRAY'S "LEA."

SAVED FOR THE NATION. THE PERFECTION OF THE ELEGY. (YBOU orR OWS COEEESPOXDES7.) LONDON, May 8. Every English-speaking person the world over is familiar with the line:— "The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea." This particular 'Mea" is situated at Stoke Poges, in Buckinghamshire, adjoining the churchyard made famous as the scene chosen by Gray for his "Elegy," and not very long ago its existence was threatened by the devastating hand, of the builder. Hence a world-wide appeal was inaugurated by the parochial church council of Stoke Poges for funds to purchase ten acres of land which adjoin the churchyard. During the past year about £3400 has been received in response. Before that general invitation a sum of £IIQO had been raised locally. Of the total of £4500 the parochial church council has expended £2200 on the threatened land, and almost an equal sum on repairs to the church. About £IOO remains as the nucleus of the steeple fund. This success, as. it. is well said, is a wonderful tribute to the affection of thd - English-speaking race • throughout the world for the finest things of the language and for the spirit of rural England. Gray's "Elegy" is known in every quarter of the globe, and visitors to this country from all : parts of the Empire and from America usually contrive to see the churchyard which inspired so peaceful a picture of the English countryside. Last year there were at least 50,000 ■ visitors. During the year subscriptions to the fund for preserving the "solemn stillness" of Gray's .churchyard have come from all parts of the world. Between £3OO and £4OO came from New York. There were contributions from America, Australia, New Zealand—one lady sending £4O, and there were other subscribers there as ! well —and, indeed, from almost every country wheTe English is spoken and where Englishmen have memories'to cherish. Two years ago the land came into the market as part of the estate of the late Sir Bernard Oppenheimer, who, with Mr W. A. Judd, another local resident, had presented three acres of land near the church to the National Trust. Mr..Judd and.the vicar bought the remaining 10 acres at £220 an acre, and held the land jointly in the hope that it might .ultimately be purchased from them at the same price, for preservation to, the public. In' the period that has elapsed tempting offers have been made by builders. One speculator besought ■ Canon .Barnett to sell his holding at £4OO an acre, and more recently land near it has been bought at £SOO an acre. The area has now been acquired by the parochial church council at Cost price, and the vendors have refused even to accept the interest? on their capital. Gray's churchyard is accordingly secure against encroachments which, would halve robbed it of its character. Had houses crept up within sight of its lychgate it could no longer 'have Eretended to that isolation which justied the "Far- from the madding crowd's ignoble strife." - N

This Week's Ceremony. On May sth the ceremony was performed on the famous "lea" of handing the:-.title deeds -to- Viscount Grjey pS ;i JTalloden, who accepted them on*behalf of the National Trust, and.he declared the land open to the public. A number of people interested in the preservation of spots, of historic. moment, were present, including Sir Honald Ross, the Earl of Ranfurly, Sir D .Prain, Dr. P. Norman. Lord Lottesloe, Colonel and •Mrs Shaw, (who live at the adjoining Manor House). Prior to the actual ceremony, most of those present visited the church, the churchyard, .the) famous yew under which the "Elegy' was supposed) to have been inspired, and the tomb of the poet. The poet was buried in tbo churchyard under a tombstone, where he touchingly recorded the death of his mother, but* which has no mention of; himself. The church of St. Giles is very interesting, its oldest part being the northern wall of the chancel, which is Norman; many of its oak beams are the original wood, and in the windows are preserved fragments of Flemish glass which have been collected and put together as the pieces would allow. The church originally had a spire. Thiswaa rebuilt; of wood, nearly a oeutury ago, but last, year it had. to be removed because it was getting unsafe. But tue "ivy mantVd tower" is more splendidly grand than would be a painted- 6pire, though it is the intention to''rebuild this when funds will allow. The churchyard was. gay with early flowers of spring, and the expansive "lea" wasi carpeted with buttercups and daisies.

A Triple Aim. The Rev. Canon A. T. Barnett mentioned that their aim in. trying to secure tho field h.id been threefold: (1) To safeguard Gray's "country churchyard" ; (2) to supoprt'the 6plendid work "done by the National Trust, up> and down the 'country, in securing for th 9 public places of historic interest and natural beauty; arid last, but by no means least, to draw still closer the English-speaking # world—Americans, Canadians, Australians. New Zealanders, South Africans, Scottish, 'Welsh, Irish and English—for everything which helped to secure the shrines of our common literature helped to promote that better understanding, and eventually that closer co-operation on which, perhaps more than anything else (more perhaps than in the League of Nations itself), the future peace, welfare, and progress of the human race depended. No one more fitted to the occasion than Lord Grey of Falloden could hanre "been selected to accept the title deeds. He is a very interesting man, widely read, of considerable culture and possessing a quietly distinguished personality. In accepting the document he made a delightful speech. A Fixed Star In the .Firmament of literature. Lord Grey felt sure he was expressing the sentiments of the whole Englishspeaking world when giving voice to their great appreciation of what Canon Barnett and the promoters had done in securing for the future the surroundings and the amenities of Stoke Poges Church and churchyard for the nation, for the English-speaking world, and for everyone who cared for English literature. The church and churchyard were typical of the most attractive form of restful beauty and quiet human life. There were many churches and churchyards also typical of these same aspects, but tho distinction of Stoke Poges was that it was associated intimately and for ever with one of the most perfect poems in- all literature. Gray's "Elegy" was a fixed star in the firmament of literature. Not a star of the first magnitude, as great epics or great dramas are, but a star that shone with a ray which was peculiarly bright, clear, and serene.' Their confidence that its place was assured for ever in literature was- due in no small degree to that epithet "serene," for serenity was one of those qualities to which, in all the ages, humanity, itself so little serene, was most prone to attribute what was eternal. .'.'The very great and the perfect," Lord Grey continued, "havethis

much in common, that they render us silent. Shakespeare, you may say, reduces us to silence. A perfect thing like Gray's 'Elegy' predisposes us to silence. ■"* You cannot read it without feeling-at.the.end an absolute content, which you are unwilling to disturb, even by praise of it. Gray'* 'Elegy' stands as a perfect and complete thing, and to-day we are bearing witness, not merely to our appreciation of it, not merely to its perfection, but to the power and influence which it exercises. The Bond of Affection. "It lias brought together to-day-repre-sentatives of the United States and of the British Dominions, as well as ourselves at Home. You may say that we aro all English-speaking, and it is the common language which brings us together. A common language is, indeed, a bond to. a certain extent. It enables people who speak the same language to understand - each other; but it also gives them special facilities in provoking each other' and for expressing differences with each other. You want more than a common language to bring peoples together in a united feeling. Something which unites people more than any language is admiration of the same thing. But there is more than that in. Gray's 'Elegy.' Germans are noted for their admiration of the greatest English poet, but that common admiration has not done much to draw two peoples together. I think" that Gray's 'Elegy' united us not' merely in admiration for the same thing, but -in affection for the same thing. Admiration for Shakespeare is Mot the same thing as affection. It is like. admiration for a continent, something so great that you are not sure what it is exactly ybij,admire or whether you admire the same thing. Gray's 'Elegy' is so easy to' cover that everyone who, cares for it is familiar with the whole work, and that unites us .in 6omething more potent than admiration—the bond of affection for the same thing.

A Spot Consecrated by Literature. "Gray's 'Elegy'- js the possession of the English-speaking world. TII3 United' States has its own separate history since the separation. It has its own separate traditions, of which.it.is justly proud. Our self-governing Dominions within the. Empire, they, too, have developed a history of their own, of which they are justly and severally proud. Gray's. 'Elegy.' was written before any of these divisions or divergences had begun, and when all tbe. English-speaking -people • belonged to one nation and were under the.nam6 flag. Now that they are separated' by vast oceans, and even by different flags, under whatever flag they may be and in whatever part of the world-they may be, they all have an equal right' and title to claim their share in the inheritance .of. the 'Elegy.'- That is" the bond of common affection and possession which brings us together here this afternoon. This alone I would add. The poem is more indestructible than any material things. It- will never change, and it cannot die. But the material things—the church,, the church yard, the natural surroundings that are so intimately associated with it—are liable to destruction and are exposed to change. Wo should like to see them preserved from that as far as possible. We should like each generation as in turn it appreciates and loves the 'Elegy', to be able to come here arid see undestroyed, and as far as possible un-. changed and unimpaired, the same things that Gray saw; to draw from them the same impression and the same influences as inspired by the 'Elegy.' That is the object, and, as I trust, the achievement, of the proceedings which are completed here to-day. In that, hope and that desire I have had the great privilege on behalf of the National Trust of receiving from Canon Bafnett v the deeds which will preserve the amenities of this spot so consecrated by literature." (Cheers.) Mr J. Bailey, chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Trust, moved a vote of thanks to the-represen-tatives of the United States and the British Dominions for the help they have given in the acquisition of >the property. He read a letter expressing the regret of Princess Louise at not being able to bo present. " Sir A. Griffith-Boscawen said they were grateful that this beautiful spot had been preserved from the depredations of the builder and had been handed over to the National Trust to be acquired for ever for the public.

The Spirit of Democracy. Mr A. Boykton A. Beal, Counsellor of the Unit* States Embassy, expressed the regret of the Ambassador that he could not be present. He spoke of the great regard winch America had for Jihe "Elegy," and said that first" editions were almost as much sought after as First Folios of Shakespeare. They all learned Gray's verses by heart as soon as they could understand the words, and much sooner than # they could understand their meaning. In this poem they recognised the spirit of democracy, equality, and liberty, which was the basis of their institutions. It was the universal ap-peal-of the "Elegy" which touched them. ' The lover of Nature, freedom, and poetry returned again and again to the poem and found' in it satisfaction and peace. But it was not only thoughts of poetry, history, and romance that brought them to Stoke x'og-.'s. This country churchyard represented to'them something they expected to find here, for which they felt deep affection and reverence. "By keeping intact this meadow," he added, "you are doing more xor the understanding of England by my countrymen than either you or they can perhaps now realise." Colonel Shaw, of the Parochial Church Council, moved, and Mr B. C. Norman, vice-chairman of the National Trust, seconded, a vote of thanks to Lord Grey.

At the Manor House. At the conclusion of the ceremony Colonel and Mrs Shaw entertained a number of people at tea at their historic home, overlooking Stoke Park. It was from this park, famed' for its deer, as many New Zealandera will remember, that the Bakaia herd was formed, by the importation of nine red deer, in 1898. Canon Barnett had been reading Captain T. E. Donne's "Bed Deer in New Zealand," and he. was

much interested there to find mention of these deer. Canon Barnett told me, too, that Landseer had painted many of-his,famous pictures in a small room in the Manor House, and that, while he had gone to Scotland to paint Scottish pictures, the deer -which he introduced into these were tho deer of Stoke Park, whose characteristics and ways he had closely studied near at hand! Queen Elizabeth was magnificently entertained at the Manor House by Sir Edward Coke (author of "Coke upon Littleton"), who'"owned it from 1591-1634. King Charles I. was a prisoner at the Manor House, and other owners since 1647 have included SI. J. Villiers, Viscount Purbeck, the Gayer family, Lady Cobham (poet Gray's friend), the Penn family (formerly Quakers), and Henry. Labouchere.