Perhaps the chapter of English history fullest of romantic interest, is
that containing the life of Thomas à Becket. In fact, the great struggle
between Becket and Henry II.,--between individual genius and sovereign
power, between a subject and his king, between religion and the sword,
between the Church and the State, is scarcely equaled in the annals of
the world. And nowhere do we find a parallel to the strange story of
Becket's life, beginning in Oriental legend, ending in heroic tragedy.
By an accident of position, he questioned with the terrible power of
genius the divine right of kings, and the grateful people of England, a
hundred thousand at a time, flocked as pilgrims to his tomb.
The biography here presented has been taken from Dean Milman's great
history of Latin Christianity. The style is at once dignified, terse,
and eloquent. The learning of Milman is abundant and accurate, his
judgment singularly sound and free from prejudice. One of the gems of
his history is this life of Becket. A biography of the biographer is
part of our plan, and we gladly transfer to our pages, from the English
Cyclopedia, a sketch of Milman's life.
* * * * *
The Rev. HENRY HART MILMAN, D.D., Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, was
born February 10th, 1791, in London. He is the youngest son of Sir
Francis Milman, first baronet, who was physician to George III., and is
brother to Sir William George Milman. He was educated at Dr. Burney's
academy at Greenwich, at Eton College, and at Brazenose College, Oxford,
where he took his degrees of B. A. and M. A., and of which he was
elected a Fellow. In 1812 he received the Newdegate prize for his
English poem on the Apollo Belvidere. In 1815 he published "Fazio, a
Tragedy," which was performed with success at Covent Garden Theatre, at
a period when theatrical managers seized upon a published play, and
produced it without an author's consent. Mr. Milman could not even
enforce the proper pronunciation of the name of "Fazio." He took holy
orders in 1817, and was appointed vicar of St. Mary's, Reading. In the
early part of 1818 he published "Samor, Lord of the Bright City, an
Heroic Poem," of which a second edition was called for in the course of
the same year. The hero of this poem is a personage of the legendary
history of Britain in the early part of the Saxon invasions of England.
The fullest account of his exploits is given in Dugdale's "Baronage,"
under his title of Earl of Gloucester. Harrison, in the "Description of
Britain," prefixed to Holinshed's "Chronicle," calls him Eldulph de
Samor. The Bright City is Gloucester, (Caer Gloew in British.) In 1820
Mr Milman published "The Fall of Jerusalem," a dramatic poem founded on
Josephus's narrative of the siege of the sacred city. This, in some
respects his most beautiful poem, established his reputation. In 1821,
he was elected Professor of Poetry in the University of Oxford, and
published three other dramatic poems, "The Martyr of Antioch,"
"Balshazzar," and "Anne Boleyn." In 1827 he published sermons at the
"Bampton Lecture," 8vo., and in 1829, without his name, "The History of
the Jews," 3 vols. 18vo. A collected edition of his "Poetical Works,"
was published in 1840, which, besides the works above mentioned, and his
smaller poems, contains the "Nala and Damayanti," translated from the
Sanskrit. In the same year he published his "History of Christianity
from the Birth of Christ, to the Abolition of Paganism in the Roman
Empire," 3 vols. 8vo., in which he professes to view Christianity as a
historian, in its moral, social, and political influences, referring
to its doctrines no further than is necessary for explaining the
general effect of the system. It is the work of an accomplished and
liberal-minded scholar. At the commencement of 1849 appeared "The Works
of Quintus Horatius Flaccus, illustrated chiefly from the Remains of
Ancient Art, with a Life by the Rev. H. H. Milman," 8vo., a beautiful
and luxurious edition. Mr. Milman's Life of Horace, and critical remarks
on the merits of the Roman poet, are written with much elegance of
style, and are very interesting.
In November 1849, Mr. Milman, who had for some years been Rector of St.
Margaret's, Westminster, and a Canon of Westminster, was made Dean of
St. Paul's. Dean Milman's latest publication is a "History of Latin
Christianity, including that of the Popes to the Pontificate of Nicholas
V.," 3 vols. 8vo. 1854. This work is a continuation of the author's
"History of Christianity," and yet is in itself a complete work. To
give it that completeness he has gone over the history of Christianity
in Rome during the first four centuries. The author states that he is
occupied with the continuation of the history down to the close of the
pontificate of Nicholas V., that is, to 1455.[1] Besides the works
before mentioned, Dean Milman is understood to have contributed numerous
articles to the "Quarterly Review;" and his edition of Gibbon's "Decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire," presented the great historian with more
ample illustrations than he had before received. This edition has been
republished, with additional notes and verifications, by Dr. W. Smith.
Dean Milman is destined to become a household word in historical
literature, and we are glad to present the many with this favorable
specimen of his work.
May, 1859.
O. W. WIGHT.