Gleanings from the Harvest-Fields of Literature: A Melange of Excerpta

by Unknown

ACROSTICS.

The acrostic, though an old and favorite form of verse, in our own language has been almost wholly an exercise of ingenuity, and has been considered fit only for trivial subjects, to be classed among nugæ literariæ. The word in its derivation includes various artificial arrangements of lines, and many fantastic conceits have been indulged in. Generally the acrostic has been formed of the first letters of each line; sometimes of the last; sometimes of both; sometimes it is to be read downward, sometimes upward. An ingenious variety called the Telestich, is that in which the letters beginning the lines spell a word, while the letters ending the lines, when taken together, form a word of an opposite meaning, as in this instance:—

U	nite and   untie are the   same—so say yo	U.
N	ot in  wedlock,  I ween,  has  this unity  bee	N.
I	n the  drama of  marriage each  wandering gou	T
T	o a new face  would  fly—all  except you and	I—
E	ach seeking to alter the spell in their scen	E.

In these lines, on the death of Lord Hatherton, (1863), the initial and final letters are doubled:—

H	ard was his final fight with ghastly Deat	h,
H	e bravely yielded his expiring breat	h.
A	s in the Senate fighting freedom’s ple	a,
A	nd boundless in his wisdom as the se	a.
T	he public welfare seeking to direc	t,
T	he weak and undefended to protec	t.
H	is steady course in noble life from birt	h,
H	as shown his public and his private wort	h.
E	vincing mind both lofty and sedat	e,
E	ndowments great and fitted for the Stat	e,
R	eceiving high and low with open doo	r,
R	ich in his bounty to the rude and poo	r.
T	he crown reposed in him the highest trus	t,
T	o show the world that he was wise and jus	t.
O	n his ancestral banners long ag	o,
O	urs willingly relied, and will do s	o.
N	or yet extinct is noble Hatherto	n,
N	ow still he lives in gracious Littleto	n.

Although the fanciful and trifling tricks of poetasters have been carried to excess, and acrostics have come in for their share of satire, the origin of such artificial poetry was of a higher dignity. When written documents, were yet rare, every artifice was employed to enforce on the attention or fix on the memory the verses sung by bards or teachers. Alphabetic associations formed obvious and convenient aids for this purpose. In the Hebrew Psalms of David, and in other parts of Scripture, striking specimens occur. The peculiarity is not retained in the translations, but is indicated in the common version of the 119th Psalm by the initial letters prefixed to its divisions. The Greek Anthology also presents examples of acrostics, and they were often used in the old Latin language. Cicero, in his treatise “De Divinatione,” has this remarkable passage:—“The verses of the Sybils (said he) are distinguished by that arrangement which the Greeks call Acrostic; where, from the first letters of each verse in order, words are formed which express some particular meaning; as is the case with some of Ennius’s verses, the initial letters of which make ‘which Ennius wrote!’”

Among the modern examples of acrostic writing, the most remarkable may be found in the works of Boccaccio. It is a poem of fifty cantos, of which Guinguenè has preserved a specimen in his Literary History of Italy.

A successful attempt has recently been made to use this form of verse for conveying useful information and expressing agreeable reflections, in a volume containing a series of acrostics on eminent names, commencing with Homer, and descending chronologically to our own time. The alphabetic necessity of the choice of words and epithets has not hindered the writer from giving distinct and generally correct character to the biographical subjects, as may be seen in the following selections, which are as remarkable for the truth and discrimination of the descriptions as for the ingenuity of the diction:

GEORGE HERBERT.

G ood Country Parson, cheerful, quaint,

E ver in thy life a saint,

O ’er thy memory sweetly rise

R are old Izaak’s eulogies,

G iving us, in life-drawn hue,

E ach loved feature to our view.

H oly Herbert, humble, mild,

E ’en as simple as a child,

R eady thy bounty to dispense,

B eaming with benevolence,

E ver blessing, ever blest,

R escuing the most distrest;

T hy “Temple” now is Heaven’s bright rest.

DRYDEN.

D eep rolls on deep in thy majestic line.

R ich music and the stateliest march combine;

Y et, who that hears its high harmonious strain

D eems not thy genius thou didst half profane?

E xhausting thy great power of song on themes

N ot worthy of its strong, effulgent beams.

REYNOLDS.

R are Painter! whose unequall’d skill could trace

E ach light and shadow of the changeful face;

Y oung “Samuel’s,” now, beaming with piety,

N ow the proud “Banished Lord’s” dark misery,

O r “Ugolino’s” ghastly visage, wild,

L ooking stern horror on each starving child;

D elights not less of social sort were thine,

S uch as with Burke, or e’en with Johnson shine.

BURKE.

B rilliant thy genius ’mongst a brilliant throng;

U nique thy eloquence of pen and tongue;

R ome’s Tully loftier flights could scarce command,

K indling thy soul to thoughts that matchless stand

E ver sublime and beautiful and grand.

HUBER.

H ow keen thy vision, e’en though reft of sight!

U sing with double power the mind’s clear light:

B ees, and their hives, thy curious ken has scanned.

E ach cell, with geometric wisdom planned,

R ich stores of honeyed knowledge thus at thy command.

CRABBE.

C opyist of Nature—simply, sternly true,—

R eal the scenes that in thy page we view.

“A mid the huts where poor men lie” unknown,

B right humor or deep pathos thou hast thrown.

B ard of the “Borough” and the “Village,” see—

E ’en haughty Byron owns he’s charm’d by thee.

WALTER SCOTT.

W ondrous Wizard of the North,

A rmed with spells of potent worth!

L ike to that greatest Bard of ours

T he mighty magic of thy powers:

E ’en thy bright fancy’s offspring find

R esemblance to his myriad mind.

S uch the creations that we see—

C haracter, manners, life in thee—

O f Scotia’s deeds, a proud display,

T he glories of a bygone day;

T hy genius foremost stands in all her long array.

WORDSWORTH.

W andering, through many a year, ’mongst Cumbria’s hills,

O ’er her wild fells, sweet vales, and sunny lakes,

R ich stores of thought thy musing mind distils,

D ay-dreams of poesy thy soul awakes:—

S uch was thy life—a poet’s life, I ween;

W orshipper thou of Nature! every scene

O f beauty stirred thy fancy’s deeper mood,

R eflection calmed the current of thy blood:

T hus in the wide “Excursion” of thy mind,

H igh thoughts in words of worth we still may find.

IRVING.

I n easy, natural, graceful charm of style,

R esembling Goldy’s “Vicar,”—free from guile:

V ein of rich humor through thy “Sketch-Book” flows.

I magination her bright colors shows.

N o equal hast thou ’mongst thy brother band,

G enial thy soul, worthy our own loved land.

MACREADY.

M aster Tragedian! worthy all our praise.

A ction and utterance such as bygone days

C ould oftener boast, were thine. Need we but name

R oman Virginius? while our Shakspeare’s fame

E ver ’twas thy chief joy and pride to uprear,

A nd give us back Macbeth, Othello, Lear.

D elight to thousands oft thou gav’st, and now

Y ears of calm lettered ease ’tis thine to know.

LONGFELLOW.

L ays like thine have many a charm;

O ft thy themes the heart must warm.

N ow o’er Slavery’s guilt and woes,

G rief and shame’s deep hues it throws;

F ar up Alpine heights is heard

“E xcelsior,” now the stirring word;

“L ife’s Psalm,” now, onward is inviting,

L ongings for nobler deeds exciting;

O ’er Britain now resounds thy name,

W hile States unborn shall swell thy fame.

SOUTHEY.

S erenely bright thy life’s pure stream did glide,

O n sweet romantic Derwentwater’s side.

U nder great Skiddaw—there, in Epic lays,

T hou dream’dst a poet’s dreams of olden days,

H ow Madoc wandered o’er the Atlantic wave,

E astern Kehama, Roderic the brave,

Y ears cannot from our fondest memory lave.

MACAULAY.

M asterly critic! in whose brilliant style

A nd rich historic coloring breathes again—

C lothed in most picturesque costume the while—

A ll the dim past, with all its bustling train.

U nder this vivid, eloquent painting, see

L ife given anew to our old history’s page;

A nd in thy stirring ballad poetry,

Y outh’s dreams of ancient Rome once more our minds engage.

OLIVER’S IMPROMPTU.

Oliver, a sailor and patriot, with a merited reputation for extempore rhyming, while on a visit to his cousin Benedict Arnold, after the war, was asked by the latter to amuse a party of English officers with some extemporaneous effusion, whereupon he stood up and repeated the following Ernulphus curse, which would have satisfied Dr. Slop[^[4]] himself:—

B orn for a curse to virtue and mankind,

E arth’s broadest realm ne’er knew so black a mind.

N ight’s sable veil your crimes can never hide,

E ach one so great, ’twould glut historic tide.

D efunct, your cursed memory will live

I n all the glare that infamy can give.

C urses of ages will attend your name,

T raitors alone will glory in your shame.

A lmighty vengeance sternly waits to roll

R ivers of sulphur on your treacherous soul:

N ature looks shuddering back with conscious dread

O n such a tarnished blot as she has made.

L et hell receive you, riveted in chains,

D oomed to the hottest focus of its flames.

ALLITERATIVE ACROSTIC.

The following alliterative acrostic is a gem in its way. Miss Kitty Stephens was the celebrated London vocalist, and is now the Dowager Countess of Essex:—

S he sings so soft, so sweet, so soothing still

T hat to the tone ten thousand thoughts there thrill;

E lysian ecstasies enchant each ear—

P leasure’s pure pinions poise—prince, peasant, peer,

H ushing high hymns, Heaven hears her harmony,—

E arth’s envy ends; enthralled each ear, each eye;

N umbers need ninefold nerve, or nearly name,

S oul-stirring Stephens’ skill, sure seraphs sing the same.

CHRONOGRAMMATIC PASQUINADE.

On the election of Pope Leo X., in 1440, the following satirical acrostic appeared, to mark the date

M C C C C X L.

Multi Cœci Cardinales Creaverunt Cœcum Decimum (X) Leonem.

MONASTIC VERSE.

The merit of this fine specimen will be found in its being at the same time acrostic, mesostic, and telestic.

Inter cuncta micans	Igniti sidera cœlI
Expellit tenebras	E toto Phœbus ut orbE;
Sic cæcas removet	JESUS caliginis umbraS,
Vivificansque simul	Vero præcordia motV,
Solem justitiæ	Sese probat esse beatiS.

The following translation preserves the acrostic and mesostic, though not the telestic form of the original:—

In glory see the rising sun,	Illustrious orb of day,
Enlightening heaven’s wide expanse,	Expel night’s gloom away.
So light into the darkest soul,	JESUS, Thou dost impart,
Uplifting Thy life-giving smiles	Upon the deadened heart:
Sun Thou of Righteousness Divine,	Sole King of Saints Thou art.

The figure of a FISH carved on many of the monuments in the Roman Catacombs, is an emblematic acrostic, intended formerly to point out the burial-place of a Christian, without revealing the fact to the pagan persecutors. The Greek word for fish is Ιχθῦς, which the Christians understood to mean Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour,—the letters forming the initials of the following Greek words:—

Ιησους	Jesus
Χριστος	Christ,
Θεου	of God,
Υιος	Son,
Σωτηρ	Saviour.

NAPOLEON FAMILY.

The names of the male crowned heads of the extinct Napoleon dynasty form a remarkable acrostic:—

N apoleon, Emperor of the French.

I oseph, King of Spain.

H ieronymus, King of Westphalia.

I oachim, King of Naples.

L ouis, King of Holland.

RACHEL.

Rachel, on one occasion, received a most remarkable present. It was a diadem, in antique style, adorned with six jewels. The stones were so set as to spell, in acrostic style, the name of the great artiste, and also to signify six of her principal rôles, thus:

R uby,	R oxana,
A methyst,	A menaide,
C ornelian,	C amille,
H ematite,	H ermione,
E merald,	E milie,
L apis Lazuli,	L aodice.

This mode of constructing a name or motto by the initial letters of gems was formerly fashionable on wedding rings.

MASONIC MEMENTO.

The following curious memento was written in the early part of last century:—

M—Magnitude, Moderation, Magnanimity.

A—Affability, Affection, Attention.

S—Silence, Secrecy, Security.

O—Obedience, Order, Œconomy.

N—Noble, Natural, Neighborly.

R—Rational, Reciprocative, Receptive.

Y—Yielding, Ypight (fixed), Yare (ready).

Which is explained thus:—

Masonry, of things, teaches how to attain their just	Magnitude.
To inordinate affections the art of	Moderation.
It inspires the soul with true	Magnanimity.
It also teaches us	Affability.
To love each other with true	Affection.
And to pay to things sacred a just	Attention.
It instructs us how to keep	Silence,
To maintain	Secrecy,
And preserve	Security;
Also, to whom it is due,	Obedience,
To observe good	Order,
And a commendable	Œconomy.
It likewise teaches us how to be worthily	Noble,
Truly	Natural,
And without reserve	Neighborly.
It instils principles indisputably	Rational,
And forms in us a disposition	Reciprocative,
And	Receptive.
It makes us, to things indifferent,	Yielding,
To what is absolutely necessary, perfectly	Ypight,
And to do all that is truly good, most willingly	Yare.

HEMPE.

Bacon says, “The trivial prophecy which I heard when I was a child and Queen Elizabeth was in the flower of her years was—

When Hempe is spun

England’s done;

whereby it was generally conceived that after the sovereigns had reigned which had the letters of that word HEMPE, (which were Henry, Edward, Mary, Philip, Elizabeth,) England should come to utter confusion; which, thanks be to God, is verified in the change of the name, for that the King’s style is now no more of England, but of Britain.”

THE BREVITY OF HUMAN LIFE.

Behold, alas! our days we spend:

How vain they be, how soon they end!

BEHOLD

How short a span

Was long enough of old

To measure out the life of man;

In those well-tempered days his time was then

Surveyed, cast up, and found but threescore years and ten.

ALAS!

What is all that?

They come and slide and pass

Before my tongue can tell thee what.

The posts of time are swift, which having run

Their seven short stages o’er, their short-lived task is done.

OUR DAYS

Begun, we bend

To sleep, to antic plays

And toys, until the first stage end;

12 waning moons, twice 5 times told, we give

To unrecovered loss: we rather breathe than live.

WE SPEND

A ten years’ breath

Before we apprehend

What ’tis to live in fear of death;

Our childish dreams are filled with painted joys

Which please our sense, and waking prove but toys.

HOW VAIN,

How wretched is

Poor man, that doth remain

A slave to such a state as this!

His days are short at longest; few at most;

They are but bad at best, yet lavished out, or lost.

THEY BE

The secret springs

That make our minutes flee

On wings more swift than eagles’ wings!

Our life’s a clock, and every gasp of breath

Breathes forth a warning grief, till time shall strike a death.

HOW SOON

Our new-born light

Attains to full-aged noon!

And this, how soon to gray-haired night;

We spring, we bud, we blossom, and we blast,

Ere we can count our days, our days they flee so fast.

THEY END

When scarce begun,

And ere we apprehend

That we begin to live, our life is done.

Man, count thy days; and if they fly too fast

For thy dull thoughts to count, count every day the last.

A VALENTINE.

The reader, by taking the first letter of the first of the following lines, the second letter of the second line, the third of the third, and so on to the end, can spell the name of the lady to whom they were addressed by Edgar A. Poe.

For her this rhyme is penned whose luminous eyes,

BRightly expressive as the twins of Lœda,

ShAll find her own sweet name, that nestling lies

UpoN the page, enwrapped from every reader.

SearCh narrowly the lines!—they hold a treasure

DivinE—a talisman—an amulet

That muSt be worn at heart. Search well the measure—

The wordS—the syllables! Do not forget

The triviAlest point, or you may lose your labor!

And yet theRe is in this no Gordian knot

Which one miGht not undo without a sabre,

If one could mErely comprehend the plot.

Enwritten upoN the leaf where now are peering

Eyes scintillaTing soul, there lie perdus

Three eloquent wOrds, oft uttered in the hearing

Of poets, by poets—aS the name’s a poet’s, too.

Its letters, althouGh naturally lying

Like the knight PintO—Mendez Ferdinando—

Still form a synonym fOr Truth. Cease trying!

You will not read the riDdle, though you do the best you can do.