428 THE ART OF

merit, but, on the contrary, a personal concern whichrested solely with the sovereign’s individual choice.Nevertheless, though it was inconceivable that Morriscould ever have consented to occupy the post, his friendsand admirers will gratify themselves with the thought ofhis having had that much recognition that the laurelwreath was placed within his reach if he had chosen toopen his hand and take it; and that in any case the honourwas assigned him in the consensus of a very large numberof his fellow-countrymen. When he died the suggestionin various public ways was made that the Poets’ Cornerin Westminster Abbey was the most appropriate place forhis remains to be laid in; nor, perhaps, the pomps andvanities of this world over, crowned heads and his un-laurelled head alike stricken low by the universal levellerDeath, would William Morris, Socialist as he was, havedisdained for his own dust to mingle with the dust ofkings, within the walls of that hallowed shrine for whoseinviolable preservation he had, in his lifetime, pleadedagain and again. But it was not to be.

Several persons who professed to know have takenupon themselves to assure the public that William Morriswas not musical. Now, although superficially the state-ment might be true, in its fullest sense nothing could bemore false and misleading. With the graphic arts indeed—with all those which appeal to the eye, Morris had acloser affinity than with the art, or science, rather, whichappeals to the ear; and, as may be noted, it came naturallyto him in describing a musical performance, to borrow animage of his own craft. Thus the metaphor of the loom isused for harp-playing in the poem of “Sigurd the Volsung”:

“ She ceased, and no voice made answer save the voice of smitten harps,

As the hand of the music-weavers went o’er their golden warps.”

In one of his earliest published utterances, “ A Nightin a Cathedral,” (1856), Morris dwelt with passionateearnestness on the exquisite delight afforded him byancient music as heard in some venerable cathedral of theold faith. Nor, albeit later years had brought revision of