The Express.
London, England, 1858-06-21 00:00:00

LITERATUBB.

Lvends and Lyrics, a Book of Verses, by Adelaide
Anne Procter. Bell and Daldy.
This is a very beautiful book : earnest, wise, and
true: fall of thought and piety and poetry. Very
deep feeling there is in it—very deep, though sub-
dued passion; a life of emotion, and a discipline of
sorrow. These " Legends and Lyrics" are not
more versified expertenoes, but real rhythmical
uttamases. They have taken vital !shape in the soul
of the lyrist, and there is an inward necessity
for their being in expression what. we find them.
Helios one great charm—the charm of artist truth,
the sense that the thing, and the form of the thing,
are essential parts of one whole--a mind made
manifest in melody, not thoughts draperied in
metre. Again, this poetical daughter of a poet has
thought, and suffered, and felt for herself. They
are own thoughts, and sufferings, and feelings
that she tells us, and not those of others. Hence
another great charm—the charm of spiritual truth—
the sense that one speaks to us, not with the fluency
of • trained culture, but out of the abundance of a
full heart. Therefore, if we are not mistaken, many
who turn instinctively from the overwrought spas-
modic vents of the day with impatient disgust, find-
II::falsehood, glare, exaggerados--so oath, no
end se repees--will reap rust phase* pad
mach profit hem these humble Legends aad
Lyrics." There is high. enjoyment, especially to
tired and world-worn spirits, in free commune with
a beautiful soul—with one, too, who has herself had
part in the struggle, but has come out of it with
clear victory—not ignoring the evil and the sorrow,
bat serene in noble hope, and placid with a lofty
sesiguation. They are very simple the subjects of
those verso: familiar matters of today—echoes of
"natural sorrow, joy or pain, Which, having been,
may be again i" but that is what we want. We ask
of those who work in the ideal—whether poets
with language, or punters with colour—that
above all things, they should beautify sad moralise
daily life for us. The art that achieves this sue-
surefally is the art we of this sge moat prize. Miss
Procter bee a great gift this way. Take as a
ample this :

• WOMAN'S (mums.
Bare I treat -y Fate to thee,
Or plea my bend In thine,
Darn I let thy Future give
Weer sad form to mine,
Die I peril all for thee, question thy soul to-night for me.
I break all slighter bonds, nor feel
A skailew ef rivet
Is thee are Irk within the Past,
That belie thy epirit yet ?
Or is thy Fsidi as clew and free as that which I can pledge
le lase?
Does taw within thy dimmest dreams
A pendbie future shine,
Wherein thy life could henceforth breathe,
17assesissil, unabated by mine?
Nee, sit say pain or cost, oh, tell me before all is lost.
Look &ppm siM. If thou =net feel
Widds thy homer gout
That them heel kept • portion beck,
While I lam staked the whole
Let no rho pity spire the blow, but ia true resrey tall mew.
Is than within thy beset a need
That rim emir ?
One chard that an other hand
Could barer wake or still ?
Speak now—ler at some future day my whole life wither and
dray.
Lives then within thy nature hid
The demon-spirit Change,
Shedding a paring glory still
On all things new and strange
It may not be thy fault alone—bet shield my heart against
thy own.
Ca da! then withdraw thy hand one day
And rawer to ray rube.
That Firs, sad that so-day's mistake,
Net thers,—had bees to blame ?
lass assais their erwrissre thus but thou, 0, surely, thou
wilt went me sew.
Nay, NNW! sea—l den not hear,
The weeds meld enure too late ;
Tr I would span thee all remora,
fle, order thee, my Fate
Whessese on my hart may fell,--remember, I would risk
it all!
A besetting temptation of the time has been felt
asd trampled on by the poet, who can thus write of

A PAIAZ O!MIUS.
Assn as Spirit by thy side,
winged and
like a Heavenly guide eagle-eyed.
.
Though he seem so bright and fair,
Ire thou trust his proffered care,
Panes a little, and beware I

If ha bid thee dwell ►part,
Tendiag some ideal smart
In a Ma and coward heart;
In seU-worship wrapped slaw
Drearotag thy poor griefs are grown
More than Mbar men have known;

Dina* In some cloudy sphere.
TUnsti God's work is waiting bore,
And God &Agnelli to be new;
If his torch's Menem glen
Show them evil everywhisr,
Tidating all the wholesome sir;
While with strange distorted choice,
Still disdaining to rejoice,
Thou wilt hear a wading voice ;
If a simple, humble heart,
Seem to thee s meaner part
Than thy noblest elm end art ,
If he bid thee bow before
Crownid Mind end nothing more,
The rent idol men adore ;
And with stony veil enfold
Sin, the trailing serpent std,
Till his melee shine out like gold,
his words amen true and wise,
Soul, asy to thee, Arias,
He la a Demon in disguise 1
What a pretty fanciful wisdom, and how exqui-
site a rhythm, is in this lay of

When ma the swallows dad ?
Frown sad dead,
rellallelle wpm some bleak and stormy gore.
o louring heart I
Far over purple seas,
They wait, in sunny sum,
The balmy southern bream,
To bring them to their northern home otos lIICCO.
Why must the dowers die?
Primped they U.
In the cold tomb, headless of tears or rain.
0 doubting heart I
They caly sleep below
The soft white amiss meow.
While winter winds shall ►ow,
To breathe and smile upon you soon *pin.
Thu stm has bid its rape
These many days •
WM dreary hours never leave tits earth I'
0 doubting beast
The stormy donde on high
Veil the some sunny sky,
That soon (for spring le nigh)
Shall wake the summer Into Olen mirth.
Fair hope is dead. sad light
Is quenched in
What monad osa break the lam of &repair ?
0 doubting heart!
Tby sky is overcoat,
Tel Mara shall this at lost.
Brighter for darkness post,
And silver yokes stir the air.
- - - - _

Thu, too, entitled "A Shadow," has the same
rhythmical felicity :
What leek the Taller end aeoaat►ioe
That sane we armee sad gay ?
What lark she babbling tostatalna
Their voles is sad to-day.
Only the sowed eta velem,
Tender eel sweet and low,
That sande the earth *aim
A year ago!
What lack the t titter flowers?
A shadow is on the sea
Wh►t led the merry hours.
That 1 long that they were done P
Only two smiling eyes,
That told of j,ty and mirth ;
They are obtain, in the skies,
1 amours on earth I