New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-17

events, and renowned pcrs0nageS. WINE lie SaN'S
two giant spirits soar past one of them utters the
word "Fatalityr the other the word God" he
wall crumbles and falls everything becomes vague
and obscure except that there is "A pale giiinmerng
as of dawn. rising out of a cloud wherein, with
out seeing thunder God was felt" Then, as close
we have a description Of the impression produced by
this vision upon the poet dated Guernsey APRIL
1857. and the final declaration:
This book 'tis Babcl's fearful relic left
Tho dismal Tower OF Things. the edihce
OF evil good, tears, sacrifice, and woe.
Proud yesterday, and lord OF distant realms,
To-day but dismal fragments IN its hands,
Thrown. scattered, lost, os in a vale OBSCURE
The Human Epc, harsh immense, and-faiFn.'
The whole work is as curiously mixed as the in
gradients of this pToGn. 1t reSounds with cres, tor
lures, and agonies, some keen and powerful, some
unpeasantly constrained; but between them we
come upon clear, joyous and exquisite strains OF
song The opening hymn: "The Earth" is one OF
these; and give few of the best stanzas, III inc
form and meter of the original:
Glory to Earth to the Dawn where God Is seen!
To tingling eyes that ope in forest green,
To flowers and nests the Day makes bright!
Glory to nightly CLEANS Of snowy hills
TO the blue sky which, uuexhaustcd, spills
Such prodigal mormngiight!
Earth shows the harvest though she hides the gold
Aud in the flying seasons doth she fold
The germs OF seasons that shall be-
Sends birds in air that carroll " Let us love"
Sets founts in shadow, while on hills above
Quivers the great oaE-tree
She PAYS to each his due. to Day Nights hours
To Night the DAY. the herbs rocks, fruits flowers;
She fcedeth all she doth create;
When men are doubtful, trusts in her the tree
o, sweet comparison, shaining Destiny,
Nature, holy, great!
Cradle Of Adam and of Japhet she,
And then their tomb: she ordered Tyre to be-
Now sborn Of empire and Of kings.
In Rome and Sparta, Memphis Of old fame,
Wherever Man spilSc-and the silence CAME
The loud cicala sings.
And whyl To quiet a. who sleep in dust.
And why! Because the apotheosis must
Succeed ae rum and the wrong;
After the "No!" the "Ycs"' be spoken then,
After the silent vanishing OF men
The worlds mysterious song.
Earth's friends are harvestmcn: when evening falls
She fam would free ner dark horizon-walls
From the keen swarm OF ravenOus crows;
When the tired OK says: Home, now, LET us fare"
And in the farmers hands, returning there,
The plowshare-armOr glows.
Ipcessant transient blossoms bears her sod;
They never breathe the least complaint to God:
Chastc lilies, vines tina; rp,n free
The sbvering nyrtlcs never send Il cry
From winds profanc up 10 the sacred sky,
To move with innocent plea.
We cannot pass in review all the poems drawn
from the ancient themes. Those which are purely
philosophical, such as "Thc Titan" have a vague
and shadowy meaning, but no tangible outlines
"The Three Hundred" (of ThcrmopyIl, on the
other hand contains a description of the army OF
Xcrxcs which is so brilliant and full of movement
that we do not stop TO inquire into ts historical cor
rectness One Of the longest and most satisfactory
poems in the first volume is the story of the Cid,
which is told in admirably clear and liquid verse.
But we presently come upon a singular dramatic
fragment. called "Welf, the Wardcr of OsbOr" which
seems 10 he an arbitrary unhistorical invention.
The characters are Welt, the German Emperor Otto,
Pope Sylvester, "The King Of Aries" "Cyadmis.
MARQUIS of 1huringia" o., and a chorus of soldiers
and people. Welt lGuelD is represented as the in
carnation of the spirit of Freedom, although his
family name denotes the Papal party in the MEDIEVAL
wars Where the castle of "OsbOr" is, we are not
Informed. IT is not necessary, in such matters. for
the author to confne himself to strict historical
truth but he should at least not violate all historical
features in such grotcSque wise. In the division
called "After the Gods, the Kings there Is q
stiIring little chansop in Victor Iugos old manner.
it is called Les RdHes (Icter?-" troopcrs' and is
evidently meant to describe the mercenaries of Che
Middle Ages. 1t is hardly possible to translate its
short lines and two only rhymes; 50 we give two
stanzas of the original:
S0nDez, clarons,