The Portland daily press., 1876-11-18
Recent Publications.

availed himself. Of the universal birthrght of
mankind, to have and set forth views UPON
Shakespeare. So brilliantly did the many
faceted genius of the great dramatist reflect
every phase of human nature that whoever
reads MS works Is surprised and delighted to
ind his own impressions confirmed and made
tangible, his own face confronting him from
Shakespeare's glance, like the mirrored sba-
bies in the eyes" that an old time poet sang SO
quantity. tits, therefore impossible for one read
er of Shakespeare to object with ASSURANCE
Mr.. Richard Grant White always excepted-
to the views of another upon Shakespeare's
work or intention. Even If the tsxt do not
| verbally justify the comments made or fancies
built upon it, who can say how far the fire spun
rootlets of thought extend into silent datknes.
and depth. Mr.. Weiss essays are very ori2in-
| al, bright and expressed with wide range OF
| diction, the latter sometimes poetic, sometimes
| epigrammatic, and at other times affected and
| not agreeable. There is fantastic alertness
| OF thought, curious inconsequence that a
times nearly resembles wit out is rather inter.
estlng than satisfying The cha piers especially
devoted to wit and humor show elaborateness
and vivacity rather than perfect and delicate
appreciation of those traits. Deprecating over
learned criticism of Shakespeare, and the fatal
desire to find in his works corroboraton of
special theories and dogmas, Mr.. Weiss, with
much ingenuity and devotion. endeavors to ex-
tract so far as may be the intention Of Shakes
peare in his plays. The study of Lady mac
beth is perhaps the most suggestive in the vol
ume, and the hint given of Macbeth'S probable
power of second-sight throws light on several
passages of the drama. The notes on Hamlet
are written with feeling and care, but seem
rather to complicate than disentangle the sob
ject; the paragraphs devoted to Ophelia are
very delicate and tender. Mr.. Weiss utterly
scouts the theory of Hamlet's insanity, calling
it the CRITICISM which issues from insane asy-
lums to wonder why Hamlet if not an inmate;''
but this violence of epigram will not convince
as much as the more quietly expressed phrases
that point out a consistency of irony in Ham
let's behaviour that proved at least extraordiu-
ary method in his madness. "Troilus aud
Cressida' is considered by Mr.. Weiss the direc.
prophecy of the opera bouffe modsru:iDsttu-
ton which he deprecates in paragraph, if not
precisely refined at least honest and vigorous
in its protest. MIR. Weiss talent is peculiar,
restless and sparkling. 1t ltters rather than
tences leap and fash like rapiers and il they
fail sometimes TO draw blood, Que admires his
rapid aud 1.-THE fencing. His essays are ire
sponsible but suggestive, aff ording fresh mate
rial for comment Iatber than setting doubt at
rest; they are the sincere expression OF thought
of which the present existence does not eusure
the future, Of feeling that is the passion of the
brain rather than of the hesrt-but the volume
will be fouud full of interesting aud Ingenious
theories, and nimble, sparkling fancies. Itis
pleasant, and in certain degree, q valuable
addition to tha immense mass of Sbaksperian
comment, to which it briggs not only its liter
airy and critical merit, but grace, lghtness of
touch, and good temper too often absent from
the solemn, Eebulous aud acrid discussions
which by distorting and oveIturniug the France
work of Shakespeare plays, see N to come under
the ban pronounced against whoever should
"move his bones.'
MICHAEL SrRoeoFF. BY Jules Verne. Part first
is received from Frank Lsslie's Publishing House,
New York. cheap edition, small type, paper
covers.
Michael Strogoff is Russian imperial cour-
! ier whom the Gear has sent with dispatches to
| the Grand Duke in Siberia, which is invaded
by Tartars who have bIosen the communica-
| tions. A Russian officer who has joined tho
| Tartars has planned to betray the Grand Duke
| into their hands. The dispatches will warn him
/ against the traitor. The courier like all of
| Verne's heroes is an imperturbabe fellow who
| performs the happy dispatch" upon savage
| Siberian bears of the grizzly species with one
| stroke of his knife, swims rivers amid storm. of
bullets, and like Banquo's ghost comes up smil-
| ing with forty mortal murders on his head, and
| he is matched with two newspaper reporters,
one English and one French, of that peculiarly
| cool and resolute type which all readers will
recognize as distinguishing the fraternity with
| the exception of Mr.. Russell who mlde such
| good time from Bull Run and lately from q
Servian battlefield, in the latter case frighten.
| ing all chrstendom with tale Of imminent
carnage which somehow failed to corroborats
| him by happening; but this Frenchmsu did
not hesitate to seize a smoking shell and throw
| it out of the window, so that his dispatches
might not be interrupted by The bursting. Yet
we smile with Cervantes at those authors who
| make their champions ''cleave assunder two
| fierce and monstrous giants with single back
| stroke" and describe damsels who "rsmole
| from mountain to mountain and from valley to
| valley and at the age of fourscore years, with
| out ever sleeping during all that time benealh
| roof, go to the grave virgins as spotless as the
mothers that bore them," but those authors are
| old-fashioned. One of that kind of damsel, en-
| counters and accompanies the courier in his
| Journey; she is captured by the Tartars, who ..
| the close of Part also gobble up the courie
and the two correspondents.
| CoNsrANcE's FATE. By Violet Fame. New York:
For sale by Bailey s. Noyes.
A smoothly written poem, at times eviden-
ciug originality and strength of feeling, togeth-
| er with much ease and grace Of expression. 1t
| is clearly the work of cultivated and refined
| woman, who enjoys writing and Is acquainted
| with a wide range of poetic work from the in
| tellectual and elevated style of Mrs. Browning
| to the tragic cries Of Adah Menken. The plot of
| this novel in verse is not healthful one, and
except the ambition of the author, there is no
special reason why Constance's Fate should
have been wIitteB. 1t is curious to note The
| difference between The average wOmaD's lit r
| ary work 10 England and in America. The
| fault Of the EDgljshwOman's work is apt TO be
| want nf matter: Of the American want Of man
| ner. Ii is the cullivated aud unemployed Eng
| llshwoman who usually writes because the
| couctty is tedious if one doesn't ride 10
hounds. 1t is the rrepressible and over-busy
American woman who rushes into pT ut, be-
cause she has very mucn t, say, however cruds
or commonplace 1t NAV be, and must Iinmedi'
diately have an audience As whole Con-
stances Fate is poem of mcrs than svera ge
merit and deserves neither grelt praise or de-
cided blame.
The RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER By Samuel
Taylor Coleiidge. Illustrated by Gustsye Dore.
New York: Harper s. Brothers: Fer sale by Lor-
ing Short s Harmon.
Harper & Brothers have brought out for the
holiday season the tnest edition of the ''An.
cient Mariner" ever published in this country
if not the firest riit-nook. 1t is an imperial
folio with full page designs, ard is exquisite in
printing, binding ard finish. The volume ia
illustrated by Gustave Dore. who 6uds 10 this
weird poem ample opportunity for the display
of his powerful ana sombte genius The line,
hasten to lend themselves to the uses of hi,
pencil, and one who knows no. word of Enslist
can easily read the story in the pictures
Nearly every couplst is made the subject oi
illustration. The theme is one exactly suited