New-York tribune., 1870-09-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NEW POETRY.


B. HAYDN AND OTHER POEMS. BY the Author OF
" Lie Below" l2mO. PIP. l6l. Hurd Houghton.
We do not often receive, at the same time three
volumes of poetry, presenting such positive and
papabe characteristics and such marked contrastsof
design and poetic capacity, as these. All works of
the kind, which rse above the level of mechanical
performance, the touching yet hopeless effort OF
taste forever divorced from talent may be cassiheu
according to the r perfection of Form their power
and earnestness of Spirit We do not expect TO ma
the two intimately and equally blended; for wheh
we do the result is a great poet But il is refresh
ment in these DAYS TO fall upon either separately
and the reader will not easily find better liusu-
tion of Spirit without Form than IN Mt Ic'cI'on
yoIr,,o M ~ Form without Spirit than IN that OF
Mr.. MYERS In the third work neither qual'y Is
predominant hut the author claims our attention
by the theory which he sets forth IN advance anu
upon which his work appears to be ito the extent oIhs
abitvl conscientiously constructed In tins respect
he distinguishes himself from either Of the other
two, representing very diheItht ana hu0A S"i''0i
class of writer's.
"The Modern job" comes TO us with printed slip
which the aut thor takes pains to us is not IN
tended for publication, since it contains passages
from letters apparently meant to be private, ana
which should therefore not be exposed to the chance
of being printed. We have grave doubts as to the
propricty of employing even this method of calling
attention to literary venture to say the least IL Is
anything but complimentary to the reviewer Inc
author is mistaken in supposing that such letters
Of introduction" will be of any service to the chd
Of his affections. They prcsuppose an eagerneSS 1or
favorable reception. which may be entirely natural
hut which we would rather not exhibited III such
a form.
Job is Pennsylvania farmer, blessed with fields
and focks sons and daughters ,-aniuprght benevo-
lent man. whose Quaker descent manitests itself in
areliance on the Spirit. and indifference to ex-
ternal forms and symbols. He lives in peace with
all men, and is beloved 10y all, except few who look
rpon the perfect integrity of his character as mo-
ralty." and deny him the attribute of religion. In
Wild glen upon the borders of his farm there dWels
a deformed dwarf, Judas by name, whose nature is
a compound Of the btterest misanthropy and the
boldest atheism. Notwithstanding he has rescued
Jobs Youngest daughter Miriam, from drowning, he
repels all gratitude with brutal ferceness of speech
He shocks and drives away the Rev. Paul Prater
twhO. by the way, is the weakest representative of
his creed whom we have ever encountered) by an
extension of the Darwinian theory and threat OF
cannibalism. In short, he is very undramatlc type
OF unbelef He is too brutal for the amount of his
intellect and has studied history and science enough
TO be less illogical in his rawlings. His personal de-
forInity is the basis from which he builds the con-
cuson that Satan is the ruler of the world, and he
attributes Jobs faith and goodness 10 the sole CIT
cumst ance of his prosperity.
The next scene is an interview between the dwarf
aud Miriam in which the former though with rather
less ferceness repeats his doubts and his arTaign-
ment of the Divine Government. Miriam gives him
cross attached 20 a chain of her own hair, and an
swers in prophetic strain, the effect of which is
marred 10y astonishing instance of selfconsciOus-
ness
Judas, dwarf, man have message for thee
LO0k my fdce-dOes IL not shine Ike Moses,
When he came dorm from Sinai 2"
Judas however with all his natural mistrust, is
impressed by the message which could thus coolly
calculate its effect on the features in advance of the
utterance. He even says. after Miriam leaves;
Ave- her white face did shine as il had been
An angels, and her hair glory seemed"
Our modern Job now undergOes the experience of
his ancestor of Uz. His wife and children, his hocks
and herds, swept away by pestence, his farm is
ruined by drouth and blight. and his body is COW
cred from head 10 foot with gIievous bos. In this
extremity forsaken by his neghbOrs and attended
only by Judas who has helped him TO bury his last
child he still retains his faith and trust. Two cler
gymen the Reverends Paul and Calvin, call upon
him and a doctrinal discussion ensues in which the
latter are easily discounted by Joh, for they only
advance such views as he is prepared TO answer
The physician, who interrupts the discussion, steps
between with materalistic view Of Jobs aiictiOn
- The GoOdmans. as a race, their cattle too
Have been TOO richly fed, from sire 70 son,
Come typhus fevers, rank distempers too,
For one extreme OF diets Just as bad
As the other. And in this whole region round.
And fine white bread and pies and take no care
For vegetables and for cooling fruits,
For berries and the salads OF the Spring,
Why, mark my words they every now and then
Will have plague rage through tden-which their
May say is sent them from the angry Lord,
But which viii simply be tine SAD result
OF their own folly"
The next scene is a vision which comes TO job in
his sleep. The Archangel Michael as the Divine
Vcegcrent TO whose especial charge is ntrusted this
planet the Earth. appears to him. in answer
10 Jobs prayer for knowledge, he reveals to his
gaze a small portion of the immeasurable
universe, and bewilders him with its splendor
Job then asks how ne shall best live and worship
God Michael answers by perfecting Gods design
in Man, making him complete and harmonious in the
development of all his powers He illustrates this
statement, first by symbols-the Triangle, Square,
Cube, Cross and Circle; then by historical sketch
of the Races and Crecds, from the ancient Hebrews
down to our late civil war Satan is called up to tes
tify at once his importance and the necessity of
his existence; but when the great problem which un-
derlies all is touched upon, Michael is forced TO an
swer:
"whether an Evil thus the Ohspringis
OF Free-Will working wrOnCy-and would end
II Sin and blind Unwisdom ended-or, .ad thought,
A part Of Natures laws, which would endure
Even II men and angels all were good
And wise know not"
Job is comforted, however by the assurance that
an infinite and incomprehensble Wisdom governs
the laws of Life and that the final secret of the
Truth rests only with God. He awakes restored re-
covers, and lives, doing good, in company with
Judas now calling himself JUDAH who has also
been converted to Faith by Jobs vision
The interest of the book is not diminished by the
fact that the questions discusses are as old as hui
man Thought. The boldness and earnpstness with