The sun., 1880-12-12

bell-like sweetness OF his tones Educated as
we now are to higher standard OF melody. we
perceive that his productions are rather pic
tureful than tuneful that what We took for song
was often but softly moduated speech. Beside
tho consummate aptitudes ofhis successor. Ten
nyson seems but tyro in the management OF
metrical structure and convolution. OF rhythm
and cadence. Of rhyme and assonanco-lndeed.
n stranger to n whole realm OF harmonies and
cuphonics in which Swinburne is not only pio-
nccr but sovereign. This dethronement OF
Tennyson as an artist is q more palpable phe-
nomenon than the growing indifference to his
speculative and ethical point OF view.
or course. when mon compare Tennyson with
Browning. or with Swinburne they have in
mind his strongest and brightest work. 1t
would be unjust to measure him by the occa-
sionnl performances Of very recent years
which have becn collected under the title OF
Ballads and Other Poems U II. OsGood Col
There are examples in this volume OF almost
every kind OF poetic composition previously es-
sayed by tho author. and everything Is stamped
with the hall mark OF Tennyson. which Is still
a guarantee OF careful craftsmanship and ster-
ling value. Buteverythng seems paler. fainter;
the conceptions are less bold tho drawing is
less firm and fine; the coors arc less vivid.
There are studies in dialect. for instance.
The Northern Cobbler" and the Village
Wife," but there Is in them less attention to the
projection OF quaint character and more pot
tering over the provincial idiom. which Is the
mere medium OF expression, than In earlier
ventures OF the writer In the same direction.
Again. The Defence of Lucknow" and The
Revenge" regarded as ballads OF war; are but
sorry successors to such Pindaric strain
as The Charge OF the Six Hun
dred." In the Voyage OF Maeldune"
thAra In IA i,l, tba IN
have fallen into the mood In which he wrote THE
Lotus Eaters" and in which he seeks to paint
| once more the luxuriant splendors OF tropical
nature; but tho sketch Is relatively dim and
| cold. There are two attempts at dramatic por-
| traiure. in the form OF monologues ascribed to
| Sir John 0ldcastle and to Columbus. as to
| which we venture to say the uppermost feeling
in the readers mind will be a wish that Brown
Ing had written them. The De Proiundis" is
interesting. rs indicating tho last stage of Ten
| nysons philosophy whose first hating place Is
disclosed in " In Memoriam." and whose inter-
mediate station might perhaps be found In
"Lucretius." The poem which exhibits the
| most sustained power Is The Sisters" mar
rative in the vein OF "Aymer's Field" We
maketw excerpts which will indicate the story:
Icould not free myself in honor-bound
| Not by the sounded letter OF the word,
TSt cunt sur ,.r q, ne St ysidea % hand
| cSlueu ihIIe,
we2e e es %S nn soes Ss nH s S @ S could we'd her
| LOVING the oherf do her ilat great wrongi
Had not not Known S where tG Love, S at ffs tear,
S s'H %9Fatf IH ss.nt ;%s@'
| Unlawful ana disuyai b-othe rhood-
what end d b9t ds,kpes; eoa d 81 cp;9e ;Y rom thi,
T$e, Iays s%a IL iisqSr iaind ioTsi:e sSe ah
FSt S" Fas s15s n'fGi e. cur %"T1fS
In that assumption o; the bridesmaid she
Muh oyer acting, acting, ti,l she rose , and, and fed led
FSTSS ,S "a. pst rush SS OF , aaiGmn rain
F, Before 1at Titar-sa la i mink And there ,-,
She died aud she buried ere we knew.
| The best lines In Columbus are the follow
ing. which ascribe to the great navigator not
uncarned remorse:
| shn for all that my lord,
Cast "a, put by, secuted by court and king
Hun hS nr'i 5, 'SITss 'SSMess Al
MHSont 'S root 'Sf sSat hat can @ cali Gi mine own
WIN scarce a com 70 70 ony meal witl,a;
IoPcnd to the West thro' which the lust
vIllany, violence avacice, OF your Spain
TSsi 9srd in en- all 1 those 9Snny siN nased :s
!Rsil SSe; wives aud % cSIfss 'a Spanish @ 9 s9%sGsiae,
m s uSss oms S%a m hs s cSrse
some oyer.lasord; some BY theiy own hapas-
Their habie. At the breast toT hate d snSin-,
| An. 70 ~, lnt narlnlck- peonle NhOm we iOunu
In Hispanolas island Paradisei
WnS 9"E Us for .s very Coo; A. TSm , s
| And / n,ws,lf M Yssii III nnt mo- hi ,m"l"ss ~ ''
Could sometimes wish Thsd never led the way.
And here is what Sir John Oldcastle is made
to say OF Henry v. in whom most OF US see only
the large and genial lineaments which Shake
speare gave him. Tennyson reminds us that
this iocund roysterer was scarcely seated on the
throne when no began a friGhtful persecution
OF the Wicklifites and bounded to doath his
old eomrade Lord Gotham. for insisting that
the Bible might be lawfully translated into Eng
lsh. and for denying tho authority OF the Pope:
., Rose Of Lancaster
S"is rsais.s Vim the 6Iogd holy nen, ""'
Redder to be. red rose OF Lancaster
NV friend washe.
Tf1s "s TsRa aSS s,SsG my '
| To save h.. soul. lie might have come to learn
" kas " On %S sis snssa and
SS@FstHsSS stricken lu:iy:IqSs i.rGm,
BS B"Sf Se to Mo s mS an" s Sh"i e aaw
y his thrones utle make him igs.l so lrail
lie leans on AnuCGrist, , OF that his mind
iH Hastsr; ?, i Ike ia$; a%:, ,s %s,'sl 81. ,,
Nuns Nuns T06 Ss sp f".%% H' world
pnrn d" ny f Ffss A' i SytS, MY GSs 'nd
Lord. give thou power to thy two witnessesI
~Sns .S 1a'% tT SI!y fysI "S% stand
@ Before Thy lsht an! cry continually
lin VII" Should bear the sword
site 6S Mal he he snsy M s9Iy Ssy'
" boon con,pS9idr,, yernlcliow|him
Mnt ss5 sSos @%n our psa %aaS Yy in
fri.rs, nnsolnuCn sellers, mG,gkegig' ,,," ,
Had set the wits ahamG; =, voo,non,,
Or Amursth of the Eastf
Thy a,ur.aei. Po''ST I@ !%s ;S ~ ,tSS and fling
thy royalty back into me rio,ouE Hts