Charles Lamb tells us that "Prose hath her harmonies no
less than Verse," and we know that the speech of every true
orator is rhythmic. It was eminently so with Colonel Inger-
soll, who, like Dickens, often fell unconsciously into blank
verse. Here are a few examples taken at random; and first
this bit of what we are now calling "nature poetry:"

"The rise and set of sun,
The birth and death of day,
The dawns of silver and the dusks of gold,
The wonders of the rain and snow,
The shroud of winter and
The many-colored robes of spring;
The lonely moon with nightly loss or gain,
The serpent lightning and the thunder's voice,
The tempest's fury and the breath of morn,
The threat of storm and promise of the bow."

Nothing could excel in beauty and metrical grace this de-
scription of the old classic myths :

"They thrilled the veins of Spring with tremulous desire;
Made tawny Summer's billowed breast the throne and home
of Love;



IN RE COLONEL INGERSOLL



37



Filled Autumn's arms with sun-kissed grapes and gathered

sheaves ;
And pictured Winter as a weak old king
Who felt, like Lear, upon his withered face,
Cordelia's tears."



This on Shakespeare, reveals the poet in the orator :

"He knew the thrills and ecstasies of love,
The savage joys of hatred and revenge.
He heard the hiss of envy's snakes
And watched the eagles of ambition soar.
