from a draft of a Historical Note
If
indeed Melville came across "The Age of the Antonines" among his
papers rather than writing it afresh, his copying it out [on 31 March 1877] may
have inspired him to try to get it (or perhaps another poem) into print. On 17 June 1877 his sister Fanny wrote to Kate
Gansevoort Lansing: "Ever so much love for Abe. Did he receive the paper containing those
lines by Herman? 'Why I am A Churchman'
has arrived; many thanks for sending it on, I wanted to read it." The context, members of the family passing on
reading material, suggests strongly that Fanny or someone else had sent Abe a
newspaper containing some poetry by Herman in it, but no such publication has
been found.
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