Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Bertie Wooster quotes a poem

I always wondered where Bertie Wooster found this statement, which he made< I believe, about Aunt Agatha's country place: "Where every prospect pleases, and only man is vile."
What though the spicy breezes Blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle; Though every prospect pleases, And only man is vile; In vain with lavish kindness The gifts of God are strown; The heathen in his blindness Bows down to wood and stone.
Author: Bishop Reginald Heber
Source: From Greenland's Icy Mountains--Missionary Hymn


Turns out it is, as they say, from a missionary hymn, by a Bishop, no less.

I don't know why I am surprised--Bertie did win a Scripture Prize (a statue of the Infant Samuel at prayer) when he was a boy. He waas obviously well informed about things ecclesiastical.

4 comments:

  1. The poem does not express the sentiments of the management of this blog--so no indignant e-mails, please.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll send you an indignant email.

    ReplyDelete
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