The Portland daily press., 1878-03-09
Recent Publications.

Mr.. William Morris's ADDRESS upsu INV -sa,..-
tion of the Decorative Arts to Modern Life and
Progress recently delivered to the London
Trades Guild Of Learning Boston: Roberts
Brothers; Portland: LoriDg, Short & Harmony
is a model of artistic feeling, practical theory
and poetic expression. In its sensitive and
rhythmic choice of words, in its directness of
Eoglish idiom, in delicate ancient SAVIOR of
speech that penetrates it, the poet of the
Earthly Paradise makes himself known. One
traces clearly in the exquisite cadences of Mr..
Morris's pure prose, the recurrent rhyth m and
powerful charm of the alllterative measure that
he has brought back and adorned for our enjoy
ment. The beauty of this address, the happy
choice of terms, the clsar-cut outlines of the
design, woven and wrought with delicate and
fine blending of words-makipg effects wholly
suitable to prose yet keeping the charm of verse
the rich, leisurely, harmonious flow of ex-
preston, here and there reiteration that
points some strong or fortunate fancy-in brief,
again, the beauty Of this address holds aud
pleases the eye that reads while the ear imsg-
ines sound. The whole aim of the work is
noble. brotherly and generous wish to widen
the pleasure taken in art. 1t is not the selfish
the puffedup conceits Of an airy clique, that Mr..
Morris would strengthen in their hold of art.
1t is such Influences as these that hasten the de-
cay of art by cutting it at It's healthfu root in
use, by making it the plsything of the few, ths
money-getter of many, and the daily pleasure
of none. Those who imagine Mr. Morris fol-
lower after strange household gods will be
happily undeceived by such words as these:
. I beg you to remember as explaining exactly what
/ mean e ssat nothing can be nd wGIf q Of art & which
and there (out of the kitchen) that you can find in
wel-to-do house things that are of any use at all;
as rule all the decoration $50 caledl that has got
there is there for the sake of show not because
body likes it. | repeat this stupidity goes through
all classes OF society the sik curtains in my Lords
drawin2room are no more natter of art to him
than the powder ia his foo mans hair; the hi chen
in country farmhouse is most commonly pleasant
and homeike place, the parlor dreary and useless.
The beginnings of beauty were in use, in suit
ableness or in allusion to myths and old forms.
of worship, Mr.. Morris tells US. In the house
of the family or the house of whatever gods
men prayed to, work of hands shaped ITSELF
Idleness, greed for money, fancy run riot, have
gone far to spoil such work. Mr.. Morris, poet
and artist, with sinsulsrly clear and fresh un-
derstanding of good things-writng especially
for his own country (whose nature he describes
very fairly ana weil1 wrshUs to give to to feel
ing of the worthiness of work that is useful and
nleasant to the user. honest ard full of lively
interest," to the maker and the seller. Above
all, is the burden of his speech, do not set
bounds about il, let the plain kitchen table be
made of good wood aud foursquare and let the
esrthern cup and saucer be a fair round shape,
even If we have less time to work silkeu dra-
gons and carve KNOBS and flowers on the rich
mans hangings aud chairs. The strength,
earnestness and soundness of Mr.. Morris's ad-
dress ara beyond praise The speech is indeed
ar unblemished sample of the art it upholds
and ceebrates-nothng could be more beauti-
full in thought or in words than this address,
delivered before the fellow-workmen of the
poet, who so far as any man may, wishes and
works toward the making of an Earthly Para
disc where work, once called Sc is changed
Into blessing, and SO bitter things are made
sweet.