MASSEY

massey, gerald (1828-1907), english poet, was born near tring, hertfordshire, on the 29th of may 1828. his parents were in humble circumstances, and massey was little more than a child when he was set to hard work in a silk factory, which he afterwards deserted for the equally laborious occupation of straw-plaiting. these early years were rendered gloomy by much distress and deprivation, against which the young man strove with increasing spirit and virility, educating himself in his spare time, and gradually cultivating his innate taste for literary work. he was attracted by the movement known as christian socialism, into which he threw himself with whole-hearted vigour, and so became associated with maurice and kingsley. his first public appearance as a writer was in connexion with a journal called the _spirit of freedom_, of which he became editor, and he was only twenty-two when he published his first volume of poems, _voices of freedom and lyrics of love_. these he followed in rapid succession by _the ballad of babe christabel_ (1854), _war waits_ (1855), _havelock's march_ (1860), and _a tale of eternity_ (1869). many years afterwards in 1889, he collected the best of the contents of these volumes, with additions, into a two-volume edition of his poems called _my lyrical life_. he also published works dealing with spiritualism, the study of shakespeare's sonnets (1872 and 1890), and theological speculation. it is generally understood that he was the original of george eliot's _felix holt_. massey's poetry has a certain rough and vigorous element of sincerity and strength which easily accounts for its popularity at the time of its production. he treated the theme of sir richard grenville before tennyson thought of using it, with much force and vitality. indeed, tennyson's own praise of massey's work is still its best eulogy, for the laureate found in him "a poet of fine lyrical impulse, and of a rich half-oriental imagination." the inspiration of his poetry is essentially british; he was a patriot to the core. it is, however, as an egyptologist that gerald massey is best known in the world of letters. he first published _the book of the beginnings_, followed by _the natural genesis_; but by far his most important work is _ancient egypt: the light of the world_, published shortly before his death. he died on the 29th of october 1907. see an article by j. churton collins in the _contemporary review_ (may 1904).