From Round the World in Any Number of Days by Maurice Baring (he was English), 1914. Specifically, pages 48 & 49...
What has the poet Crabbe got to do with the Indian Ocean? Nothing. But it can do nobody any harm to be reminded of the poet Crabbe, although he was born in 1754 and died in 1832. He may not be read by the modern generation, but he is not forgotten. A Frenchman wrote a long and excellent book about him not long ago. He is safe in the Temple of Fame, which once you have entered you cannot leave. It goes round and round, and sometimes some of its inmates are in the glare of the sun, and sometimes they are in the shade, but they are there; and they never fall out. This is comforting. It also teaches us not to laugh at the taste of our fathers, because that taste which we despise may be the rage once more in the days of our grandchildren.
How we used to despise everything connected with the Early Victorian period. Now people have their rooms done up in Early Victorian style, and Early Victorian furniture is collected; rep sofas are precious, green tablecloths and antimacassars. They have passed the period of being like an out-of-date fashion plate; they have reached the hallowed moment of being picturesque and Old World. It is Late Victorian art that is now despised -- William Morris and Burne-Jones. But they are safe in the temple, too, and a day will come when people will admire Burne-Jones's pictures and collect Morris designs as a great curiosity, and say, "This is a very fine specimen of 1880 chintz."
- Jason
Fun literary passage - probably obscure
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General Discussion thread on victorianforum.com · started February 26, 2008 by 1881victorian · 1 post · discussion in 2008.
From Round the World in Any Number of Days by Maurice Baring (he was English), 1914. Specifically, pages 48 & 49... What has the poet Crabbe got to do with the Indian Ocean? Nothing. But it can do nobody any harm to be reminded of the poet Crabbe, although he was born in 1754…