The New York herald., 1879-11-24

Mr.. G.. II. Boxer, who writes the preface to
Houghton Osgood's new household edition Of
''rhe Poetical Works of Bayard Taylor" brings us
the rather surprising intelligence that the late Mr..
Taylors great aim was to be poet "To this" says
Mr.. Boxer "a other efforts and all other ambitions
were subjected vassals to sovereign and to sue
in which he gave more thoughtful labor. and
held its fruits in higher esteem than all the world
and all the other gories thereof" Surely such
travagaut not to say confused efusiveness is inju
dcious. The good wine of the late Mr.. Taylors
does not need Mr.. Boxers bush gush. Good
it is. 1t is not the best part of Mr.. Tayors work.
We are willing, however, to admit that it Mr..
Taylors pet avocation. Mr.. Boxer, who speaks OF
the bustling. expansive sturdy Mr. Taylor though
he were only saved from ga crust OF cynical
misanthropy' by his poetical tendencies, is surely
mistaken in the of his friends buoyancy,
however correct he may be in describing the depress
ing influences that beset Mr.. Taylor in business.
Among these, says Mr.. Boxer was coming 'into
daily contact with stupidity, ignorance. grossncss
and with the consequential vulgarity of conceited
dolts." Mr.. Boxer, one of those "who knew him
Intimately" may think this good description OF
the people Mr.. Taylor in the habit OF meeting.
and have no doubt he thinks it piece of '.fne
writing" but what will Mr. Taylor's other friends
and associates say of such wholesale admissions? :?
For their sake, and guided well by general report
We shall venture to deny the imputation. In good
truth Mr. Boxer has written very bad preface full
of silly vaporng and mawkish cultured" cant.
The omission of several long poems is noted. but
note reason why one Of the best pieces of
satire Mr.. Taylor wrote-his blank verse critque
in perfect Browning style, OF BrowLing's "Inn AL
bum"--is left out.
Mr. Taylors place in poetry it is not easy to define,
that he is not in the first rank. lie was too
many sided for that. He travelled, edited, lectured,
diplomatized, wrote plays and novels and travel
books, and in not one Of these walks he in the
first rank, though excellent in all. AS traveller
would imagine he could describe things in
poetry as they met his gaze. He did SO fairly. yet
not hnely--that is minutey-in prose; in verse.
however. he generally looking at his expert
ences. as well his imaginings. through the eyes
of other poets. This is why he il difficult to
place. He was always passing under the influence
of poets original than himself. and he
changed mind ged style. form and choice
of subject In his earliest days he was bithe bal
lad singer of strong voice. like Scott then stray
breaths of Byron and warm, sensuous pulsings from
Moore; then came the Tennyson era, which lasted
longest; then the Rossetti the Goethe era the
Morris era. Swinburne modified by Browning
in the Mysticism of his later days. Perhaps in his
search for expression he found 1t too fatally easy to
adopt the latest measure, and then buffeted with
his poetic wings to try to escape the tolls. This
change of masters resulted in strange surprises 1t
Is what makes final judgment difiicult; but in this
volume, open it where you may, masculine mind
is found in whose varied utterances many noble
thoughts. much vigorous fancy and capable crafts
manship of verse unite TO charm or to interest.