The Portland daily press., 1866-11-10
Recent Publications.
LAUs VBNERIs, and other Poems and Ballad
By Algernon Charles Swinburne. Ne

LAUs VBNERIs, and other Poems and Ballads
By Algernon Charles Swinburne. New
York: Carleton, Publisher.
1t is difficult to imagine what could have
been the impelling motive ofMr. Swinburne in
offering this collection of his writings to the
public. He ought to have been aware that it
could in no way enhance his reputation as
writer worthy of his age and time But indeed
it may very safely be said that if he had stop
ped short after the publication of the "Atalan-
| ia in Calydon," he would have stood much
higher as poet than he now does. Everything
which he has since given us, "Chastelard,'
"Rosamond," and now the volume before us,
has been step downward This it is true, is
a literary history not sufficiently uncommon to
excite our SURPRISE but it is none the less a
matter of regret.
1t is somewhat hazardous undertaking
nowadays, to speak unfavorably of the moral
tone of any book. Mr. Charles Reade has late
ly taught us to what volley of vituperation
we may expose ourselves by venturing to ar
raign new work on such grounds. We are
fully aware therefore of the danger we may
possibly incur in declaring as we most emphat-
ically do that this new volume of Mr.. Swim
burne's contains scarcely a single poem which
is not open to the charge of gross and shame
less sensuality. One thought, one sentiment
runs through them all-sensuality in this
world is the chief good, and the only pleasures
which can fill the soul of man are the pleas
ures of sin. BE sings perpetually the praises
of love, but love without guilt has no charm
for him whatever. The cup of pleasure has no
,s~s% ,rn1s. l, .
guilt and shame. He recognizes no virtue in
woman except physical beauty, and his ideal
is a creature of whom he tells us that
GAN her body was more virtuous
Than souls OF women fashioned otherwise
and he says:
40 Sin, thou knowest that all thy shame in her
Was made goodly thing:
Yes, she caught Shame and shamed him with her
With her fair kiss, and lips much lovelier
Than lips of amorous roses in late Spring"
His whole theory of life, as we gather it
from this volume, is very well summed up in
the following stanza from the poem entitled
Before Dawn"
.eTo hunt sweet Love and lose him
Between white arms and bosom,
Between the bud and blossom,
Between your throat and chin;
70 say Of shame-what is it?
VI virtue-we can miss 1t;
VI sin-we can but kiss 1t,
And itsno longer sin. ," ss
His descriptions are absolutely nauseating;
they sound depth of lewdness of which we
would not have believed that any man of brains
could be capable. Occasionally, by way of va
riety, they are relieved by touch of blasnbe-
my. He seems to gloat over details which are
too disgusting to be quoted-we will not pollute
our columns with them,-and he shows kind
of depraved pride in the very foulness which
should make his cheeks Jingle with shame.
But perhaps the very worst feature of the
DOCK is thatithere is nothing genuine init. Mr..
SwinDurne offers us these poems as the utter
ances OF vehement passion, when in fact they
are only the foul froth of prurient imaeina.
ton. He does not write in the least ,;Ie
ibertine, but only like poor creatnro ,,,,,o
wishes to be one,-or to be thought ono G..
uine passion has strength of its own vh;a,,
despite its grossness, may, at times, invest :.
with sort of dignity. But here we have onIv
a weak and feeble nature seeking to achieve
sensation by the indulgence of a polluted fans