Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1883 — Swinburne Mistaken for an Idiot [ARTICLE]

Swinburne Mistaken for an Idiot

Chicago Tribune. Wilde told an interesting story of Swinburne. He is a famous swimmer, and delights in the water as Byron did. One morning he went bathing at the Isle of Man, where he stopped at the swam directly to the east, the glorious sun in his face. After swimming an hour he suddenly came to his senses,and found himself very tired and nearly out of sight of the island. He turned about and was almost in despair of reaching land, when a fishing smack was hauled to, and he was pulled aboard, breathing hard. He jumped up on the prow, swung his arms to keep the blood in circulation, and broke out into a declamatory recitation of the “Ajax” of Sophocles, in the original Greek. As the fishermen turned landward with their naked passenger he hurled the tragedy at them with all his force of elocution and gesticulation. They stared at him and were awe-struck. When they had gained the pier the master of the boat recovered voice, shouting to those on shore, “Here we come agin, and we’ve fetched a jibberin' idjit for yous