. Devonshire characters and strange events. m generation to generation. Theleaves of poetic expression, graceful diction, fade andwither. It is ideas alone that are the fruit of the treeof mental life that will survive. Of such we find nonein Caperns volumes. His verses are very creditable to the man, consider-ing his position, but he is not to be named in the samebreath with Robert Burns and Edwin had the poetic faculty, but he trod wrong paths,with the result that nobody henceforth will read hisverses, which are not likely to be republished. EdwardCapern was born at Tiverton on
. Devonshire characters and strange events. m generation to generation. Theleaves of poetic expression, graceful diction, fade andwither. It is ideas alone that are the fruit of the treeof mental life that will survive. Of such we find nonein Caperns volumes. His verses are very creditable to the man, consider-ing his position, but he is not to be named in the samebreath with Robert Burns and Edwin had the poetic faculty, but he trod wrong paths,with the result that nobody henceforth will read hisverses, which are not likely to be republished. EdwardCapern was born at Tiverton on 21 January, 1819, wherehis father carried on business as a baker. WhenEdward was about two years old, the family removedto Barnstaple, and his mother becoming bed-ridden,young Edward, then about eight years old, foundemployment at a local lace factory, toiling often, for ascanty wage, twenty out of the twenty-four hours. Thelong hours and the trying nature of the work perma-nently injured his eyesight, and seriously affected hisafter EDWARD CAPERN, THE POSTMAN-POET OF DEVONSHIREFrom a painting by IVilliavi Widgery, in the Free Library, Bideford EDWARD CAPERN 327 Compelled to abandon his work in the factory in 1847,he ultimately obtained the post of letter-carrier fromBideford to Buckland Brewer and its neighbourhood,distributing the mail through a discursive walk ofthirteen miles daily, and receiving a salary of half aguinea per week. Caperns first book of Poems was published in Mr. W. F. Rock, having seen his verses, thoughtthere was merit in them, and undertook to collect sub-scribers ; and by worrying certain noblemen into takingfour, five, or six copies, and canvassing through thecounty, he succeeded in getting enough subscribers toenable him to publish. But Capern wanted to have all he had writtenincluded. Mr. Rock had to be firm. What! exclaimed Capern. Exclude my Morning, and the Apostrophe to the Sun ! Why,sir, I wrote those pieces when I had but four shil
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