[Hardy-l] Fwd: What they did to Thomas Hardy

[Rosemarie Morgan]

>Back again:

>I have been asked to post this (below) for the delectation of all fellow 
>Hardyans.

Cheers,
Rosemarie

>PS the link is to the newspaper direct which features a phtograph of TH

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>The writer Thomas Hardy died, eighty years ago, in January 1928.
>Here’s what we said at the time
>
>
>
>Primarily this journal is an organ of political propaganda. As such, any 
>attempt to appraise the work of the late Thomas Hardy would be somewhat 
>out of place. But there is one feature connected with his death which 
>needs underlining and emphasising. We refer to the attitude of that old 
>enemy of mankind, the Church. Here was a man who throughout most of a long 
>and thoughtful life, had no use for the Church and its teaching whatever. 
>Although at one time an orthodox Churchman, he has since confessed he 
>found no happiness therein. As an artist in life, he truthfully portrayed 
>the part played by the Church in rural conditions. He recognised its 
>utility to certain primitive, immature minds. But, as a man, he had no 
>need of it. He saw men and women as the puppets of circumstance. He saw 
>life as a
>
>“Chequerboard of Nights and Days
>Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays."
>
>And to Destiny he imputed an almost impish irony. Throughout his works, 
>like a theme, there runs this thread of cynical frustration.
>
>But it seems there are heights of irony of which even Hardy never dreamed. 
>For hardly had he breathed his last, before the Church, whose teachings he 
>had repulsed in life, claimed his corpse for her own. Apart from the fact 
>that he was a known Agnostic, Hardy had specifically recorded in the 
>opening sentence of his will, his desire to be buried with his own folk at 
>Stinsford. No matter, he was a great man, too great for the Church to 
>attempt to belittle, so they annexed him. There was a further difficulty : 
>Hardy was known to have opposed cremation, and cremation is necessary 
>before burial in the Abbey. The way out of that dilemma was easy. Ignore 
>it. Hardy was dead anyway. What of his relatives, his friends? Yes! they 
>were opposed to the old man's last wishes being trampled on. The Daily 
>News correspondent interviewed his brother Henry, his sister Kate, and a 
>cousin, Teresa Hardy. He records :—"They were all very emphatic in 
>declaring their disappointment at Hardy being taken away from them. . . . 
>Teresa Hardy, when I asked her if she did not appreciate the honour done 
>to her cousin, said : 'There is nothing in honour. He wanted to be buried 
>in Stinsford Churchyard, and I think it is cruel not to do as he wished.' 
>" Even the Mayor of Dorchester, Mr. W. F. Hodges, said the proposed Abbey 
>burial would leave a sore feeling in the town.
>
>No matter! The Church must have its poppy-show. An ingenious expedient was 
>suggested. As they could not have Hardy's body buried with his ancestors, 
>the local Rector suggested they might have a piece of him, and it was 
>hurriedly arranged that poor old Hardy's heart should be cut out and 
>buried at Stinsford. As all the world knows, this was done. What Hardy 
>would have thought of the whole proceeding, one can imagine. It is 
>difficult to conceive anything more repulsive and disgusting, in an age 
>which so constantly claims to be "enlightened," and the comments of 
>posterity should be worth reading. Sentiment still plays an important part 
>in human affairs, and possibly will so continue for many years to come. 
>But it is hard to imagine the sentimental majority of people viewing the 
>barbaric mutilation of gentle old Hardy's body with any feelings other 
>than loathing.
>
>WTH
>
><http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/jan08/page19.html>http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/jan08/page19.html
>
>Needless to say, agreement is not expected and feedback welcomed.
>
>
>Yours for a world of free access,
>
>Robert Stafford
>
>Internet Department
>
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