VI. OPPORTUNITY. His Sonnet "Opportunity" is the chief stone, the "head of the corner", in the monument of literary fame builded by Ingalls. Indeed, alone, it would entitle him to immortal glory and renown. In discussing it, the charge that he copied it from a similar effort by an Italian must be considered. Dr. Nicoli Gigliotti, an inhabitant of Erie, Pa., set up claim to this poem, saying that he wrote the original of it in Italian in 1887, and published it in La Sveglia and Mignon, of Naples, Italy; in Flora Mirabilis, of Turin; and in Le Conversazioni Della Domencia, of Milan. He also claims to have published it in La Giustizia, Denver, Colorado. After the last publication he sent, so he says, a copy of his poem to Ingalls, together with a translation into English made by Martin Battle, a disciple of Henry George. Dr. Guiseppo Coloni, editor, furnished a certificate to the effect that he had published "Il Fato", the poem of Gigliotti, in Flora Mirabilis, in 1887. Dr. Gigliotti published three volumes of poems, but his "Il Fato" is not found in them. As a reason for this strange omission the learned doctor says that he was not satisfied with the form of the poem. If even this were true it is difficult to understand why he sent a copy of it to Ingalls. And it fails to appear that he was an acquaintance of Ingalls. To his most intimate friends Ingalls never spoke of an acquaintance by the name of Gigliotti. It is very improbable that he ever heard of the Italian poet. The matter was the subject of much newspaper controversy, and the foregoing is written mainly from a statement of the case made by the Kansas City Star at the time. The poem which the Italian claims to have published in 1887 is given: IL FATO Arbito io sono dell' uman destino, Fama, grandezza, amor mi son vassalli, Se in letargo, ti desta. Se nel vino Gioie, grandezza, onor, donne e piacere. Solo una volta io batto alle tue porte. The English translation which Dr. Gigliotti says he furnished Ingalls follows: THE FATE. Master I am of human destinies. Fame, greatness, love are my servants. Cities and fields Foolishly I walk. I knock at every door but once, and I run to new pathways. If sleeping, wake. If feasting You try to kill your troubles with wine and sin: Rise and follow me. I am the fate. Woe To whom does not follow me. I give him [who does] horses, Gold, fame, honor, women and pleasure. He will conquer every foe save death. Rise; hang to the opportunity which I offer to you. I am revengeful. I knock unbidden but once at every door. Ingalls was accused in the public prints unfriendly to him of plagiarism on another occasion. Senator Vest of Missouri and others interested in the justice or injustice of such a charge against a public man of brilliant parts gave the subject much attention. All acquitted Ingalls. They could detect no literary theft by comparison of the Ingalls production with the original from which his detractors alleged it was taken; and Senator Vest said so over his signature. Now, the truth is, Ingalls never was guilty of plagiarism. If his compositions bore resemblance to the cast of another it arose from the fact that human expression is limited in form. Philosophic contemplation of the mysteries of our existence begets emotions which must reveal themselves along only certain lines. Similarities must often occur in productions of this nature. Many of the friends of Senator Ingalls were perturbed when Dr. Gigliotti made his claim, some believing that the Italian had made his case at least that Ingalls had seen the poem, "Il Fato", before giving final form to his "Opportunity". This did not imply that the brilliant sonnet was not the product of the genius of Ingalls, but only that the power of suggestion is sometimes sufficient to be responsible for the unintentional use of an alien expression for an idea in the most honest and original of men. Dr. Gigli otti was of this opinion, and he distinctly says that he does not accuse Ingalls of plagiarism. For a time the writer held this to be the reason for the resemblance to be found in the two poems. But notes in reference to conversations had with Ingalls in 1884 when we were thrown much together in an exciting political campaign in Wyandotte County bring to memory that even at that time he had in mind the composition later expressed in elegant and perfect diction. He had reduced it to writing, but it is not recalled that it was in the form of verse - rather, that it was not. Doubtless many of his friends saw it as early as that, for opportunity was a favorite topic with him. Such a poem is not struck off at a sitting, but is the result of years of meditation and experience. The author remembers to have taken issue with the Senator as to the sentiments of his production. Mrs. Ingalls says he wrote it and re-wrote it for years before its publication over his signature in Truth in 1891. And this agrees with his known habit. He was, in literary work, ever over-cautious. This was shown in the preparation of his Kansas Magazine articles, which he re-wrote many times. His standard was |