THE GREAT LOVERS IN HISTORY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 34, 4 November 1919, Page 4

THE GREAT LOVERS IN HISTORY

FEW ENGLISHMEN,

A recent issue of tho "Ladies' Field discusses in an interesting fashion the question put by Mrs. Glyn, "Why havo tho great lovers of history seldom been Englishmen?" Several wellknown men of letters and artists have expressed their opinions upon the matter Mr. W. L. George, one of the subtlest psychologists of tho day (especially whore women are concerned) writes:—"lf there are in English history few great lovers, it is not because our lovers failed to love entirely; it is because tho Englishman hates rhetoric, becauso ho does not advertise his feelings. No Englishman of the class of Abelard would havo allowed his affairs to attain to such a degree of publicity. He would have' thought it indecent. AVorse. be would have thought it bad form. I charge Abelard, de Boufflers, and Cophetua with posturing, with showing off, .with listening to their own songs, ostensibly designed (or their lady. Apart from Nelson. I think that men liko Shelley like Byron, like Browning, knew, the quality of historic love, just as did the couple who the other day committed suicide rather than part. . . . Jno Englishman may hide' under a. bushel the light of his love instead of letting it radiate over the 'whole world. It is a charming idea this lovclight radiating over the earth, but the woman privileged to dwell within the bushel is best iliuminated if tho rays aro confined to her romantic residence." '. Augustus John, tho famous painter, in discussing the question, . writes :- "Will it be necessary to interrogate one's English friends on this point? I think it would be indiscreet. The English are a proud and resentful race, ana deplorably indifferent to the claims of scientific research. Reviewing it cursorily, it certainly does seem to.be the case that few English personalities. in history stand out as lovers- One immediately thinks of Henry VIII, but he was a Welshman. Dr. Jonns?n._but he was all snuff and talk; Perkra Warbeck, a mere name. Who else is there? Mrs Glvn speaks of Nelson and us Ladv Hamilton. A scandalous example which the nation very properly discourages. For similar reasons wo will avoid the loves of the great literary and artistic personalities of our history-even Shakespeare was too universal ano promiscuous. We have, I fear, to fall back upon tho Celtic fringes for our grand protagonists of lovo. Ireland provides us with Daarmiud, lover of Grama and he who perished with Deirdree of tho borrows: Charles Stewart Parne 1- and Sheumas O'Sullivan. Scotland contributes Charles 11, William Wallace, and Bobbie Burns. Wales yields fe r Lancelot of tho Lake, Dafydd ap Gwllvn, Twm, and' Shon Catty. We arc indebted to Cornwall for instan of Lyonesscc, and Mr; Arthur Symons; as, of course, to tho Isle of Man for Mr. HaU-Caine. The explanation of the comparative poverty of England in outstanding lovers is not far to seek Ihe Englishman is shy when he is not doggy, and neither attitude lends itself to the purposes of tho historians. Iho Mglishman is not spectacular, or at least not pleasingly so; but though he may hide his light under a bushel, or, indeed turn it out altogether, wp must still 'give him credit for authentic, if hidden, ardours. The fact is, -Englishmen generally end .when, indeed, they do not begin, by getting married, and this habit puts the lid on high romance. Ihe "Great Lovers of History," if you examine them, aro all irregular, uncomfortable and unfortunate,, and one must conclude that Englishmen have just hod the. common sense to avoid such regrettable entanglements, or, when not, that thev have had, at any rate, tho accretion to keep them dark."

Mr T. H. Brown and Miss Annie Brown, of Johnsonville, returned last night from a holiday spent at Dannevirko.