| Show 0 0 A. A Ii I I Odd Quirk of Nature in Recognized Genius The annals of ot literary forgery have no more pathetic instance e than the called so-called Rowley poems poems' of Thomas Chatterton n. n When Chatterton ton perhaps the most shining e example of oC precocity to be found round In literary history was twelve years old he conceived the time Idea of ot fabricating the time literary relics of n monk to whom he gave tile the name Rowley und and whom he ascribed to the Fifteenth century By the time he was seventeen se he lie had aroused some Interest in the poems poems of 01 Rowley but not enough h to satisfy his imagination So he be wrote to le Inclosing inclosing In closing some sonic pages of ot manuscript and Inferring he lie had harl other papers and poems wrote asking to see whatever documents doru he lie might have and Chatterton sent SO BO many as os ro o arouse Walpole's suspicion and cause him to cull call In the poets Mason und nail Gray They y pronoun pronounced jibe the poems n a forgery Walpole n a letter of admonition to Chatterton Three months later he be returned the manu manu- scripts which with Ih th the tho exception of or one po poem m. m never nevet v i print until after Chatterton bad en In taken his life n a moment of ot d despair II Ho tit wa way was not mint yet c t eighteen when he died So Sn t so eo versatile was hi hr that even tho those e j who whim condemned him conceded that in ninny respects h he was waso wasa n o greater grenter genius n By some scale queer quirk of ot nature he had chosen ho n to act ort the Imposter Impostor where he ml might ht with every e pro prospect pet of renown have hu produced d his work as his own Dearborn Dearborn Independent eat ent nt |
