New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
DIR. FRoTHTNGHAms LAST VOLUME.

OOiAtciN pllQtcu Noitt. - las l''tI''.S i'N''
The venerable man Of whose heart and mind and
Hfoit is an authentic however limited, record, lies
bereft of sight and strength and almost of reason,
tbrou-h tine slow and sad cncrOachmentS of age and
disease: but IN these pages he comes before us III
the freshness Of his scnsbilitCs in the rehnemens
of his tastes in The trophies of his scholarship? ana
the beauty of his affections Such is the benign
conservative miracle of pure literature; 1t emOodles
and cmoa'ms individuality; 1t Keeps vital record
of the better moments Of life and il Is the most I'M
obtusive. vet living and gracious memento
of love and character There are two
offices which genuine Verse fulflls; 1t is the vehicle
of elaborate art and It's the modest casket Of per-
Eonal emotion and experience Many comparatively
NEGLECTED. minstrel Is the cherished Interpreter OF
some private experience, the oracle OF few kindred
spirits The man of culture able to mold language
into forms of enduring beauty may have neither
the ambition nor the ability to soar 10 the nights of
Parnass1s, and vet prove an endcared household
muse Wrist who gracefully preserves what IS most
significant and dear in experience English htera-
ture abcuuds with instances OF this modest but Genu
Inc po-tical development. Or. rockingham calls
this collection Of his later poems-mado just before
his mind and vIcor failed" MetTical Pieces, Trans
lated and Original = AID it was a parting me-
meuto FOR his friends that he gathered these scat
tered leaves of SONG. We welcome them for their
pleasing and plaiutivo assocatols-fOr the purity
and qety of their sentiment-lor their frequent and
rare felicity of expression and for certain flavor
quantity tender rent and thoughtful. character
istc of their author. Ho is one Of the few American
scholars and writers Who thoroughly appreciates the
language and literature of his vernacular; fine
German scholar, the mysticism of that lore never
overlays his pure Anclo-saxou: from his youth he
studied and loved the old English authors; with
Charles S.ague and Joseph Buckingham, years ago,
As discussed The Elizabethan writers and those
Of Queen Anne's day. sought and priced original edi
tons thereof, and reished the neglected gems of
English Uudcflcd." This loyal taste was evident
In Dr. Frotbinghams style in the pulpit, in his en-
phatic quotations in conversation and in the clear
tcrse. MelolOUs verse whCrcwith he loved to eXer-
else his muse. We remember The first simple, earn
est words of his pray r. at the obseqmeso Of Lafayette
in Boston" We come, Lord, not to lament that he
Is not but 20 thank thee that he trqs'-a phrase
which told at the true meaning Of the occasion
The volume before D, opens with a few memorials of
Travel: i'm words fifty chosen, the author sums up,
as il wcre tnc essential points OF interest in city or
a scene; that entitled The Cathedral Of ST. Ste
phCu's at Vienna notes, with melodeous concise
ness mo historic and local associations; and, when
the author leaves Austria his farewell verse betTays
not only the genuine Indignation of an American at
despite wong but the liberal sympathy of
scholar in all that is auspicous in perverted sys-
ten:
There IS no student and no seer,
80 SON Of i..-at and Light
or made the earth more bright
Yet De ercets tho
Land of Che mountains sleepy crest,
Irr gaH"r, eos MYERS Cow,
w.. st.ayc- Of plenty ON her breast
a.t ElDs-.caycs ON her brow,
Alrr~dv ai. parting wish is beng realized under
tie ue., a.1 more liberal regime:
Though given TO priests aud dospot kings,
liI Iy refuse,