The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-16
A book Of BIunders.

4 Ncr library Of Poetry and Song. said
to he edited by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT
is a revision OF a Library Of Poetry and
Song" published in 1871. with the sumo hon
orcd name upon its title page a. editor. The
enlarged work is the bulkiest costliest ana most
prctentious collection % poetry ever published
in one volume. Tho old edition was an octave
Of 7sg pages illustrated with an elaborate siccl
portrait II Mr.. Bryant and numerous woolcut
yignettes on inserted leaves. 1t contained a
great deal 81 good poetry. considerable more
that would have been good II il had been cor
rectly printed and noticeable admixture Of
trash, The new edition contains S3i pages.
Tho number OF portraits has been increased TO
twenty - Mr.. BNants yielding the place Of
honorto Shakespeare other illustrations.
some old and some new. have been added We
are told in the Publishers tPrcince that about
onc-itth of the material Il the former volume
has been eliminated. and twice us much new
matter added"
In comparing the two editions. 10 see what
has been omitted. the first thing we miss is
Rossitcr W. Raymond's Song ~ the Ichihy-
osaurus. which we are sorry 20 lose. Mr. Ray
mond Is n gcologist as we'll Ms a poet and with
its predatory note this WINS one a The gems Of
the collection. The science was quite as re-
mnrkabe rs the poetry the note placing tho
LAS formation NJ the close 81 the Jurussic sys-
tom. wAero 10 geolosist ever found II before.
1t is some consolation. however. 10 find that. in
spite Of this omission the number 81 selections
from Mr. Raymond has been Increased from
four IN the Old edition 10 seven In the new
about the number given To- Dryden. Gold
smith. Mrs. Hemans. and sydney Dobcll. and
more than nre given 10 Beaumont ana Fletcher,
Cowley Crrlbe. Gray. Collins. Hartley Cole
ridge Browning. Cunningham. Hervey. Hogg.
tho Howitis. Keats. Kehe. Lander. Locgcr.
Quarlcs the Rosscttis Matthew Arnold. Marycn.
Swinburne Il. +. Taylor, Mrs. ThaAter Waller.
Watts. Willis. or Young. This seems a littie
singular: for though MIR Raymond uudouht-
edly ranks above all these poets WHO have been
assigned SO much less space than he. tho fact
has not generally boen recognized by the pub
lie. But on turning to the preface we read:
The work has had the advantage ~ the nice
critical discrimination Of Prof. Robert r. Ray
mond Of Brooklyn. y. Y. who has made it his
care to revise all the copy before sending It 20
the printers" Prof. Raymond Is the father Of
Rossiter W. Raymond and it appears that criti-
cal discrimination. like charity begins at
homo
The preface also informs us that Mr. Bryant
was assisted by Mr., Edward II. Knight This
gentleman IL the author Of a Mechanical Diction-
ary. and was probably employed TO consider the
no,tcv fr,r, -, r,cchori,ol ,oir, ~ ,io,v while
M.ssrs pry,nt ami Raymond nt,,pdsd a. tho
more ethereal considerations.
In discussing work of This character. tie
nrst question to be considered is what solec-
tons have been made? Mcssrs. Bryant ltny-
mond, and knight had so many earlier anthol-
oglos e. guide them, that thoy could hardly
have failed 20 make q considerable portion II
the sols.tions in nee,rdan,e with cri. ,ul tn.tc
and popul,r denund for they Ind only IA cony
thoir rrnloces.ors which thov bovo donn
Thu. far tho hook has Of course mo- snecl,l