The Omar Khayyam Club (article 31 march 1897): Difference between revisions

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''The Omar Kháyyàm Club'' is an article published in [[The Sketch]] on 31 march 1897.  
''The Omar Kháyyám Club'' is an article published in [[The Sketch]] on 31 march 1897.  


Report of a dinner of The Omar Khayyam Club attended by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] on 25 march 1897 at the Restaurant Frascati (Oxford Street, London).
Report of a dinner of The Omar Kháyyám Club attended by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] on 25 march 1897 at the Restaurant Frascati (Oxford Street, London).




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The Omar dinner at Frascati's last week again illustrated the magnetic attraction of this club for every lion that may be roaring. Viscount Wolseley, Sir George Robertson, the hero of Chitral, Sir Mountstuart Grand-Duff, Mr. Justice Barnes, Sir Courtenay Ilbert, Professor Michael Foster, Sir Brampton Gurdon, Mr. [[J. M. Barrie]], Sir Harry Johnston, who, as Mr. Gosse happily remarked, rules an Empire about the size of Russia, and, when he leans back on the padded velvet of his vice-regal chair, opens a volume of verse; Professor Ray Lankester, Mr. Alma-Tadema, R.A., George Frampton, A.R.A. — such an array of guests made a leonine uproar that was positively deafening. Moreover, the Club rejoiced in the acquisition of three new member, Mr. Austin Dobson, Mr. Alfred East, R.I., and [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Dr. Conan Doyle]]. Mr. Alfred East designed the charming picture on the menu, and Mr. Austin Dobson read a poem, which was heard with universal delight. Mr. Austin Dobson is no mumbling bard. He delivered his lines with a skilful modulation that any professional elocutionist might have envied. The poem will be published by-and-by. Meanwhile, here are some of its most felicitous lines—
The Omar dinner at Frascati's last week again illustrated the magnetic attraction of this club for every lion that may be roaring. Viscount Wolseley, Sir George Robertson, the hero of Chitral, Sir Mountstuart Grand-Duff, Mr. Justice Barnes, Sir Courtenay Ilbert, Professor Michael Foster, Sir Brampton Gurdon, Mr. [[J. M. Barrie]], Sir Harry Johnston, who, as Mr. Gosse happily remarked, rules an Empire about the size of Russia, and, when he leans back on the padded velvet of his vice-regal chair, opens a volume of verse; Professor Ray Lankester, Mr. Alma-Tadema, R.A., George Frampton, A.R.A. — such an array of guests made a leonine uproar that was positively deafening. Moreover, the Club rejoiced in the acquisition of three new member, Mr. Austin Dobson, Mr. Alfred East, R.I., and [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Dr. Conan Doyle]]. Mr. Alfred East designed the charming picture on the menu, and Mr. Austin Dobson read a poem, which was heard with universal delight. Mr. Austin Dobson is no mumbling bard. He delivered his lines with a skilful modulation that any professional elocutionist might have envied. The poem will be published by-and-by. Meanwhile, here are some of its most felicitous lines—


'Tons Swift who mid that people "view In Homer more than Homer knew.' I can't pretend to claim the gift Of playing Bentley upon Swift But I suspect the reading true Is "Omar mom than Omar bacon,"— Or why this large assembly net Lest we this Omar should forget? (In a parenthesis, I note Oar Rust= here, without red coat;  
: 'Twas Swift who said that people "view
: In Homer more than Homer knew."
: I can't pretend to claim the gift
: Of playing Bentley upon Swift
: But I suspect the reading true
: Is "Omar more than Omar knew,"—
: Or why this large assembly met
: Lest we this Omar should forget?
: (In a parenthesis, I note
: Our Rustum here, without red coat;


Where SAW?. sits I 'tn, not aware, But that,. Firdausif in the Chair I my then that ore now are-met Lest see this Omar should.forget, Who, .ages back,.remote, obscure, Wrote.verses once en Noidiip(ur,—Verses which, as I understand, Were merely copied out by hand, And now, without etched plates, or aid Cl India paper, or handmade, Bid fair Parnassus' top to climb, And knock the Classics out of time.  
 
Well, Omar Khiyyim wrote of Wine, And.all of us, sometime, must dine; And Omar Klittyyttni wrote of Roses, And all of us, no doubt, have noses; And Omar Klifiyyiim wrote of Love, Which some of an are not above. Also lie charms to this extent, We don't know, always, what he meant, Lastly, the man 's m plaint). dead We into heap honom-s on his head. Mr. Gosse, with great felicity, drown distinction between the two ford Wolseleys. the Comnianaer-in-Chief and the biographer of Marlborough; and to this the literary Wolseley responded in a nuwt modest and unaffected speech, exalting the poet above all men, and expressing, the belief that, generations hence; there would be an Austin Dobson Club, the members of which would diligently read the verses that had delighted the Omarians that evening. The soldierly taste for poetry was further exemplified by- Sir George Robertson, who remarked that men of action were really dreamers and sentimentalists," and that his chief pleasure in the mountains of Chitral was the reading of Omar Kliyvtim. MountstuartGrant-Duff. by was of being " in the movement.' told amusing anecdotes of Persian dignitaries. The late Shalt drank a great deal at a banquet in Berlin, and the French Ambassador whispered to his English colleague, "thin Slajestv drunk!" Lord Ampthill replied, " Ah ! teats dans la math les chats sont  
: Where Sohrab sits I'm not aware,
: But that's Firdausit in the Chair!)—
: I say then that we now are met
: Lest see this Omar should forget,
: Who, ages back, remote, obscure,
: Wrote verses once at Naishápúr,
: Verses which, as I understand,
: Were merely copied out by hand,
: And now, without etched plates, or aid
: Of India paper, or handmade,
: Bid fair Parnassus' top to climb,
: And knock the Classics out of time.
 
 
: Well, Omar Kháyyám wrote of Wine,
: And all of us, sometimes, must dine;
: And Omar Kháyyám wrote of Roses,
: And all of us, no doubt, have noses;
: And Omar Kháyyám wrote of Love,
: Which some of us are not above,
: Also he charms to this extent,
: We don't know, always, what he meant.
: Lastly, the man's so plainly dead
: We can heap honours on his head.
 
Mr. Gosse, with great felicity, drown distinction between the two ford Wolseleys. the Comnianaer-in-Chief and the biographer of Marlborough; and to this the literary Wolseley responded in a nuwt modest and unaffected speech, exalting the poet above all men, and expressing, the belief that, generations hence; there would be an Austin Dobson Club, the members of which would diligently read the verses that had delighted the Omarians that evening. The soldierly taste for poetry was further exemplified by- Sir George Robertson, who remarked that men of action were really dreamers and sentimentalists," and that his chief pleasure in the mountains of Chitral was the reading of Omar Kliyvtim. MountstuartGrant-Duff. by was of being " in the movement.' told amusing anecdotes of Persian dignitaries. The late Shalt drank a great deal at a banquet in Berlin, and the French Ambassador whispered to his English colleague, "thin Slajestv drunk!" Lord Ampthill replied, " Ah ! teats dans la math les chats sont  
• Fteld•linnbnl Right Hon. Viscount %Volsci, note. Edmund Gr.,  
• Fteld•linnbnl Right Hon. Viscount %Volsci, note. Edmund Gr.,  
This high Persian tone was not maintained by Mr. Augustine Bit-melt. who expressed a wish that he might speak in rusty Latin, no as to be quite unintelligible to the company. lie had to propose "the Guests of the Menthe.," and he stood aghast at the distinction of these visitors. How they had been induced to come he could not imagine._ There was Mr. Barrie, whom Southron renders professed • to understand. Them was Mr. Kenneth Grahame, who had made all fathers realise how charming their children were, and how greet was the stupidity of parents. More especially, therc.was " Dr. Conan Doyle's guest,' Whom name forsome mysterious reason MIS not mentioned, and who was probably ti detective engaged in fathoming some hideous secret in Mr. Birrell's life. There was Sir Mountstuart Grant-Duff, who had made the mistake of writing "a really good-natured book," a fault which Mr. Birrell hoped to sec amended in a future edition. Let down from the Persian altitudes, the company laughed without restraint at Birrell's pleasantries. Among the members of the Club present at the dinner were Mr. Edward Clodd, Dr. Robertson Nicoll, Professor Thischon Dver, Mr. Arthur Ilacker, A.R.A., Mr. NI. Pemberton, Mr. Coulson Kernalian, Mr. Moncure Conway, Mr. William Sharp, and Mr. Frederic Hudson. To Mr. Hudson, the secretary of the Club, Mr. Gorse paid a very warm tribute, the sentiment of which has been engrossed on vellum and signed be the members. More than that, Mr. Hudson has received a piece of plate from his brother Omarinns on the occasion of his marriage.  
This high Persian tone was not maintained by Mr. Augustine Bit-melt. who expressed a wish that he might speak in rusty Latin, no as to be quite unintelligible to the company. lie had to propose "the Guests of the Menthe.," and he stood aghast at the distinction of these visitors. How they had been induced to come he could not imagine._ There was Mr. Barrie, whom Southron renders professed • to understand. Them was Mr. Kenneth Grahame, who had made all fathers realise how charming their children were, and how greet was the stupidity of parents. More especially, therc.was " Dr. Conan Doyle's guest,' Whom name forsome mysterious reason MIS not mentioned, and who was probably ti detective engaged in fathoming some hideous secret in Mr. Birrell's life. There was Sir Mountstuart Grant-Duff, who had made the mistake of writing "a really good-natured book," a fault which Mr. Birrell hoped to sec amended in a future edition. Let down from the Persian altitudes, the company laughed without restraint at Birrell's pleasantries. Among the members of the Club present at the dinner were Mr. Edward Clodd, Dr. Robertson Nicoll, Professor Thischon Dver, Mr. Arthur Ilacker, A.R.A., Mr. NI. Pemberton, Mr. Coulson Kernalian, Mr. Moncure Conway, Mr. William Sharp, and Mr. Frederic Hudson. To Mr. Hudson, the secretary of the Club, Mr. Gorse paid a very warm tribute, the sentiment of which has been engrossed on vellum and signed be the members. More than that, Mr. Hudson has received a piece of plate from his brother Omarinns on the occasion of his marriage.  

Revision as of 00:16, 3 December 2021

The Omar Kháyyám Club is an article published in The Sketch on 31 march 1897.

Report of a dinner of The Omar Kháyyám Club attended by Arthur Conan Doyle on 25 march 1897 at the Restaurant Frascati (Oxford Street, London).


The Omar Kháyyàm Club

The Sketch (31 march 1897, p. 398)

The Omar dinner at Frascati's last week again illustrated the magnetic attraction of this club for every lion that may be roaring. Viscount Wolseley, Sir George Robertson, the hero of Chitral, Sir Mountstuart Grand-Duff, Mr. Justice Barnes, Sir Courtenay Ilbert, Professor Michael Foster, Sir Brampton Gurdon, Mr. J. M. Barrie, Sir Harry Johnston, who, as Mr. Gosse happily remarked, rules an Empire about the size of Russia, and, when he leans back on the padded velvet of his vice-regal chair, opens a volume of verse; Professor Ray Lankester, Mr. Alma-Tadema, R.A., George Frampton, A.R.A. — such an array of guests made a leonine uproar that was positively deafening. Moreover, the Club rejoiced in the acquisition of three new member, Mr. Austin Dobson, Mr. Alfred East, R.I., and Dr. Conan Doyle. Mr. Alfred East designed the charming picture on the menu, and Mr. Austin Dobson read a poem, which was heard with universal delight. Mr. Austin Dobson is no mumbling bard. He delivered his lines with a skilful modulation that any professional elocutionist might have envied. The poem will be published by-and-by. Meanwhile, here are some of its most felicitous lines—

'Twas Swift who said that people "view
In Homer more than Homer knew."
I can't pretend to claim the gift
Of playing Bentley upon Swift
But I suspect the reading true
Is "Omar more than Omar knew,"—
Or why this large assembly met
Lest we this Omar should forget?
(In a parenthesis, I note
Our Rustum here, without red coat;


Where Sohrab sits I'm not aware,
But that's Firdausit in the Chair!)—
I say then that we now are met
Lest see this Omar should forget,
Who, ages back, remote, obscure,
Wrote verses once at Naishápúr,—
Verses which, as I understand,
Were merely copied out by hand,
And now, without etched plates, or aid
Of India paper, or handmade,
Bid fair Parnassus' top to climb,
And knock the Classics out of time.


Well, Omar Kháyyám wrote of Wine,
And all of us, sometimes, must dine;
And Omar Kháyyám wrote of Roses,
And all of us, no doubt, have noses;
And Omar Kháyyám wrote of Love,
Which some of us are not above,
Also he charms to this extent,
We don't know, always, what he meant.
Lastly, the man's so plainly dead
We can heap honours on his head.

Mr. Gosse, with great felicity, drown distinction between the two ford Wolseleys. the Comnianaer-in-Chief and the biographer of Marlborough; and to this the literary Wolseley responded in a nuwt modest and unaffected speech, exalting the poet above all men, and expressing, the belief that, generations hence; there would be an Austin Dobson Club, the members of which would diligently read the verses that had delighted the Omarians that evening. The soldierly taste for poetry was further exemplified by- Sir George Robertson, who remarked that men of action were really dreamers and sentimentalists," and that his chief pleasure in the mountains of Chitral was the reading of Omar Kliyvtim. MountstuartGrant-Duff. by was of being " in the movement.' told amusing anecdotes of Persian dignitaries. The late Shalt drank a great deal at a banquet in Berlin, and the French Ambassador whispered to his English colleague, "thin Slajestv drunk!" Lord Ampthill replied, " Ah ! teats dans la math les chats sont • Fteld•linnbnl Right Hon. Viscount %Volsci, note. Edmund Gr., This high Persian tone was not maintained by Mr. Augustine Bit-melt. who expressed a wish that he might speak in rusty Latin, no as to be quite unintelligible to the company. lie had to propose "the Guests of the Menthe.," and he stood aghast at the distinction of these visitors. How they had been induced to come he could not imagine._ There was Mr. Barrie, whom Southron renders professed • to understand. Them was Mr. Kenneth Grahame, who had made all fathers realise how charming their children were, and how greet was the stupidity of parents. More especially, therc.was " Dr. Conan Doyle's guest,' Whom name forsome mysterious reason MIS not mentioned, and who was probably ti detective engaged in fathoming some hideous secret in Mr. Birrell's life. There was Sir Mountstuart Grant-Duff, who had made the mistake of writing "a really good-natured book," a fault which Mr. Birrell hoped to sec amended in a future edition. Let down from the Persian altitudes, the company laughed without restraint at Birrell's pleasantries. Among the members of the Club present at the dinner were Mr. Edward Clodd, Dr. Robertson Nicoll, Professor Thischon Dver, Mr. Arthur Ilacker, A.R.A., Mr. NI. Pemberton, Mr. Coulson Kernalian, Mr. Moncure Conway, Mr. William Sharp, and Mr. Frederic Hudson. To Mr. Hudson, the secretary of the Club, Mr. Gorse paid a very warm tribute, the sentiment of which has been engrossed on vellum and signed be the members. More than that, Mr. Hudson has received a piece of plate from his brother Omarinns on the occasion of his marriage. A REMINISCENCE OF OMAR KHAYYAM. I sometimes wonder, when I see the rose Rest on Iier bosom, where my head has lain, Whether, when She is dust, that rose's seed, Will find its nursery there, and hlootn I sometimes wonder if the jessamine, Which added fragrance to her fragrant hair. Will with it later make a common cause And bloom again to make another fair. But most I wonder if the Bower of love, Which lay upon the soul I could not see, Will find ito fellows in Elysian fields And bloom again to bless and welcome me. Ah, yes, methinks the God who loves the nose, And loves the jessamine in my lady's hair, Will love the love that decorates her soul, And will not fail to make my heaven more fair. GEORG)1 SOMES OMOR KHXYYXM CLUB DINNER.