The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-13 00:00:00

NEW POEMS.

"Poetic Hours and Musing Moments" (1) is a
volume of that sort of poetry which we read without
any emotion whatever. Like water to the palate,
though tasteless, it is not unagreeable, and the apho-
risms at the end show that the author has laid to
heart the wise maxim of antiquity, which states that
it is the second best thing a man can do to listen to
other people's wisdom.

" Poems by Alastor " (2) have more pretence than
the above, but we doubt if they contain more real
power. They are dedicated to the author of " Childe
Harold," and cont•iin a good deal of the spurious
sentiment which the imitators of that poet do him
the honour to consider peculiarly Byronic. The
versification is at times flowing, but the sound no-
where rises above mediocrity, and the sense is
usually below it.

"Legends of the Channel [lslands" (3) is a col-
lection of pieces, which, if they have reason—an
assertion not to be made rashly—certainly betray
the very strangest notions of rhyme. As "an
"elegant amusement for a leisure hour" such trifles
may be well enough, but we think the author had
better learn crochet.

" Gwendoline and Winfred " (4) is a poem of
which we do not clearly see the purpose. Tne versi
fication, however, is correct, and the sentiments
unimpeachable. The author in the last few lines
deprecates the critic's sneer, and we are really very
su►ry we cannot say more in his favour, but it' he is
a man of sense he will not be offended becaase we
do not rank him with Milton and Dryden.
"The Pleasures of Home" (5). We admire this
writer for his enthusiastic patriotism, more, perhaps,
than for his poetic genius. His view of the ills of
the State is strong, and far be it from us to say mis-
taken ; but idle regrets fur the days of Gorge
will not help us to mend matters in the days of
Queen Victoria. If Mr. Campbell really believes we
are a God-forsaken people, and deserve to be

JUNE 13,1857.

tedttced under the dominion of some foreign
potentate, the sooner he leaves the sinking ship
the better. If, on the other hand, he does not go so
far as this, he had better give us some practical
advice, and, if possible, in prose.

The collection of poetry edited by Mr. Shirley
Brooks (6) is well adapted for its purpose—that, we
suppose, of introducing a certain class of parsons to
the pleasures of literature. He has chosen a
pleasant variety of subjects, and, we presume, has
been actuated by the motive of gathering together as
much as possible that was simple and easily under-
stood.

" The Statue Shrine, a Greek Legend " (7), is very
crude, and very indistinct; the xersification is imper-
fect, and the story opaque. At the same time we
think it contains more evidence of originality, how-
ever slight, than any of those above noticed. The
language is occasionally vigorous ; and the thoughts
occasionally, if not new, not offensively trite. We
could not assert that the author of the " Statue
Shrine " was destitute of poetic genius.
" Job Morbid's Pilgrimage " (8) is a farrago of
stale stupidity and clumsy coarseness, which ought
never to have been published at all.
Mr. Mac Carthy's two volumes (9) are a great deal
too good to be ranked with the class of works we are
now noticing. They breathe a true poetic spirit, and
evince great command of language and rhythm. The
inexorable " want of space " must be our excuse on
this occasion for not noticing him at greater length.

Blur Books for the People. No. I.—Army Education.
Edited by Edward Walfurd, M.A. London :
Hardwicke.
WE are surprised that so good an idea as this was
not adopted long ago. It is impossible for persons
to arrive at a fair conclusion on the public questions
of the day without a knowledge of facts which can
only be gleaned from those heretofore ponderous
tomes, the study of which was usually almost suffi-
cient of itself to stamp a man as a red-tapist. Mr.
Walford has entered on the task of abbreviating and
condensing these volumes of official evidence, and
presenting them to the public in a readable shape.
His undertaking deserves success from its usefulness,
and is likely to obtain it from its able execution. To
judge from the present number, we shall not be
wrong in recommending all our prmtical readers
this valuable series.