New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-23
APRIL MAGAZINES.
ATLANTIC.

critical paper on "Coleridge as Man anu
Artist by George Parsons Lathrop, presents u oa
fully weighed estimate Of the renowned hhs'sh poo'
containing several original ana strlkihe suSso"'
which will throw light his mind ana charHcer' M
Ithrop attaches good deal Of Importance to the inhn
erce NJ heredty on the genius Colerdge tracing 1t
back TO remote Celtic ancestry the remains OF WHICH
are pointed out with plausible ingenuity " not Win con-
yincing evidence Bard he certainly was, the writer to
marks in the supreme quality OF his inspraton' wuc"
was akin TO OF the harpers whose voices anciehty
ounded along the legendary valleys Of Wales or IN tne
heroic courts of Among his earlier verses are
found lines I'm imitation OF OssiaD, besides lovesong
from the Welsh which indeed has more OF modern ancy
than OF antique bardio sentiment; but Its nativity Is sig
n,fcant He WAS moved by the Ossianc chants, WHICH,
as well the Welsh are Cetc ana the pecu
liar tone both OF the "Christabel" and 1.-The Ancient
Mariner is Of purely Celtic type Although the sug
gesions OF this note found in old Scotch ana Ehes
ballads Mr. Lathrop cngs TO the belief that there was
something deeper than this-a VEN OF ancestra sym
pathy which produced the TRANSPORTED beauty OF ola
Celtic genius which is In the poetry OF Coeruee
After his visit TO Germany the Celtic element gave way
10 the Saxon and hence the prevailing tone OF his later
poems is German Engsh softened with gentle melodies
and touches of classic grace but with rarely CLEAN OF
the old fire VIII Oh at first glOwed on the altar OF MS &c
MUS Mr. Latbrops heartfelt recognition OF the pre-
eminence of Colcrdge though 1t may not be widely ac
cepted is expressed in terms OF singular force ana
beauty "Colerdgc was above all. poet-a poet OF rare
Imagination and OF musical powers ndoscrbaDe whose
chants Of Wordsworth In spoDtane
business aud artistic deay. He had no novel purpose no
theory to enforce special Interpretation OF nature
which would suffice to form school or TO influence
modern Poetry so directly Wordsworth has Gone nut
his melodous and imaginative inspiration has passed
into the air that all poets breathe, and viii long AFFECT
them to their advantage. He not Titan, IKE
Byron He was not well balanced, like Wordsworth,
nor did he attain to the exalted spirituality OF
calm ike Emerson's But nevertheless, grandeur and
beauty are in him. have vision of man looking up
In anguish at the sky, and beating his breast aud at
svery stroke upon his breast sweep of music sad ma
delicious issues forth Such is COlcrdge Beautiful
are the formed secure, and reverend lives OF sere-
specting men, beautiful Also and precious, is the
life that like breaking spills its elixir In such
rls as those of Coeridge, with such wild perfumeV
The "reminiscences of Washington" offers a third
chapter OF political gossip describing the Kitchen Cabi
net and the social saturnaa of the capital during the
admin stration President Jackson There Is another
chapter of political speculation, by an anonymous
writer on Republican Candidates for the Presidency ";
T. b. AIdricn gives the commencement of new story,
entitled the saltwater Tragedy; Madame Henrietta
Paalzow, German woman Of rare mental endowments
and great celebrity novelist is the subject OF an III
terestng sketch by Miss Harriet Preston; Mrs. Rose
Terry Cooke contributes characteristic New-EnGand
story; Mr.. Howes gives new iDstalment OF The
Undiscovered Country; Mr.. Grant White furnishes a
scene from English travel relating his adventures on
"a Canterbury Pilgrimage u and there Is poetry by j.
6. Whittier, Christopher Graz ch, and others.