The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-05-27

P"eSiou VI pltyj loving MS
iand' ne knew the shame of it-and his song
was strong as sword to bring back its glory.
Later, when the sacrifice of thousands of lives
had been crowned by the death of the beloved
chief, Abraham Lincoln, when the fields that
were torn by battles were healed with green
grass, and peace had been won for free coun-
try-the poets song took on a new color. new
beauty and melody. His sterner work is over.
now is the time of his singing, that the words
that were fire to kindle and burn may be
flame for gladness and light In his late wears,
MS verse has richness of imagery, a music
and grace that, keeping pace with the bril-
liant manner OF modern singers, does not OBJ
scure the clear, grand outlines of this poet,
who more than any other has identified him
self with his country, with liberty, not only of
the slave in the south, but of sect, of party, In
brief, of all mankind.
SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY. Edited with
notes, by William j. Rolfe. With Engravings.
New York: Harper & Brothers. For sale by
Loring, Short s. Harmon.
The carefully arranged editions of some of
Shakespeare's plays and Goldsmth's poems by
Mr.. William j. Rolfe, formerly head master of
the High School at Cambridge, have eyery
where commanded warm praise because of the
knowledge AID taste displayed. and the expla-
nations and references needful for a critical
study OF the author and language furnished ia
the excellent notes. These editions give pre-
cisely the assistance that the general reader
desires, and for school purposes they are of
the highest possible merit. This edition of
Gray amply sustains the high repute of the
series, and will be found of great benefit as
assisting to critical comprehension of that
poet. The notes and illustrations are OF much
interest and value, the text has been rieidly
revised, and the Introductory matter comprising
Robert Carruthers life of Gray, HOwitt's pa.
per on Stoke-Pogis &c, is welcome preface to
the edition. Not the least entertaining feat
ures OF the notes are the "parallel passages
given from other poets. The volume is embel-
lished with profusion of engravings.
The Mo UNTAINs. A collection of poems. Boston:
Roberts Brothers. For sale by Lorine, Short &
Harmon.
Roberts Brothers have published one or two
admirable collections of poems, and to these
they add the present volume which will be
very welcome to all readers of poetic taste and
sensibility. Over hundred mour tain hymns
are comprised within the covers of this neatly
printed and tastefully bound little book. and
the handy volume ought to be favorite with
the frequenters of mountain resorts this sun-
mer. Indeed those who linger on the lowlands
can gain not a little of the sentiment and feel
ing OF the hills by dip into its pages. The
selections are made with fine taste. Among
them may be mentioned Coleridge's Cha
mounix, Byron's Night in the Alps, Words
worth's Trosachs, Emerson's Monadnoc. Joa-
quin Miller's Shasta, Lowelps Pine Tree.
Whittier's Mountain Pictures, Samuel Rogers's
st. Bernard, Matthew Arnold's Vision of He'll
coz, Mrs. Hemans' Cavern of the Three Tells.
Browning's Two on the Mountain, Petrarch's
Lover Among the Hills, Helen Hunts In the
Pass, Adelaide Proctor's Over the Mountain,
and Aubrey De Vere's Benediction.
GERMAN POLITICAL LEADERS. By Herbert Tuttle
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons For sale by
LoringShort & Harmon.
This is the fourth volume in the series of
Brief Biographies of European Public Mea,
edited by Col, Higginson. The series has
gained for itself large and deserved popularity
for it presents in attractive and compact form
information not readily accessible, and tells of
men who are and who promise to be for much
time to come foremost in the thoughts of the
world. Information in respect to German
statesmen is especially scanty, aud the present
work for this reason has even more value than
its predecessors The author, an American,
has long lived in Berlin, is Thoroughly familiar
with European politics, aud is master Of q
nlaasinO litararv etula A he 4
scrbed, some to American readers for the first
time, are Bismarck, Won Arnim, Hohenohe,
DR.. Falk, President Delbruck, Herr Jacoby,
Herr Windthorst, and those scholars in poll
tics" Professors Gneist, vrchow, Treitschke,
and Won Sybel.
ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INpUsTRy Eop
1875 Edited by Spencer F. Baird. New York:
Harper & Brothers. For sale by Loring Short q
Harmon.
The present is the fifth volume of the Annu-
al Record, and is fitted to command even more
favor than its predecessors. In each of the
successive numbers already published new
features have been introduced and this is no
exception. As now presented the Record has
two distinct parts; the one devoted to the his
torical summaries of progress during the past
year. and the other communicating in brief the
results of Investigations byispecial scientists or
respecting certain subjects. The paragraph
method, so generally in vogue in analogous
publications in the English and other languages
is combined with the historical method, the
latter appearing in the present volume more
prominently than in any of its predecessors.
Among the contributors to the Record for the
ba or a.
uent scientific men of the country and age.