New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-14

osophy regarding Nature TO drop to his knees In
simple love of her to thank God that she was bead
tifui Keats was Rossetti's fayOrite among modern
English roets and Of him he never tired OF writing
and talking. He thought him. Among all LIS coh-
temper aries who established their names, the one
true heir of Shakespeare and Of the boypoets Work
he naturally preferred La Belle Dame ssIs
Merci."
1t is worth while In this day of sonncts to repeat
the convictions in regard to them OF the writer OIL
~ many rich and finished ones. special orlg-
nality and even newness of thought and picture ID
Individual lines ne thought the very first quallnca-
ton of q sonnet-otherwise 1t put forward no rght
to be so short, but might seem severed passage
from longer poem depending on development
lie once took fie from mistaken notion that Mr..
Watts's canons concerning the sonnet-form were
much more inAexible than they really proved.
"Sonnets Of mine." he wrote 70 Mr.. Game, could
not appear in any book which contained such rigid
rules ~ TO rhyme. neither follow them nor
agree with them as regards the English language.
Every sonnet-wrlter should show Iull cupability
OF conforming to them III many instances but never
to devate from them in English, must ptnion both
thought and dctiOn, and mastery once proved) a
series gains rather than loses by such varieties as
do not lessen the only absolute am-that OF beauty
The English sonnet too much tampeIed with De-
comes sort of bastard madrigal Too much, lnNa-
rably restricted il degeneIates into ShlbDoieth'
| would not DO too anxious, were you, about
ANYTHING in choice OF sUnncts except the brains and
the music" AT another time he wrote to MS
friend: conception. my boy fundamental brain-
work, that is what makes the difference in all ART
Work your metal as much as you like, but hrst take
care that it is gold and worth working. snake
speare sonnet is better than the most perfect III
form, because Shakespeare wrote 1t" The young
poets of the time may reflect upon these sentences
with advantage.
One of the most powerful of Rossettis conceptions
was that of story which he left unfinished ana
which dealt in mystic way with the doctrine OF
tn transmgration of souls. 1t is the story says
Mr.. Game, d" of a young English painter who be-
comes the victim of a conviction that his soul has
had prior existence IN this world. The hallnci-
nation takes entire possession OF him, and so I'M
settles his life that be leaves England in search OF
relic or evidence of his spiritual double IL
nally in picture-galery abroad, he comes face TO
face with portrait which he instantly recognizes
as the portrait of himself both as he is now and as
he was ia the time of his antecedcnt existence.
Upon inquiry. the portrait proves To be mat Oh
distinguished painter centuries dead, whose work
had long been the young Engshmans guiding
beacon in methods of art. Startled beyond measure
at the singular discovery OF coincidence Which,
superstition apart, might we'll astonish the most
unsentimenta he sickens to fever Here the rag
ment ends Late one evening, in August. 1881,
Rossetti gave me full account of the remaining
incidents but find myself without memoranda of
what was said ut was my habit
to keep record of his or of any mans
CONVEX sation. and my recollection Of what passed
is too indefinite in some salient particulars to at
tempt to complete the outlines of the story. con-
slider the fragment in all respects finer than Hand
aud Soul and the passage descriptive OF the art
lists Identification of his own personality in the por-
trait on the walls Of the gallery among the very
finest pieces Of picturesque impassiOned and ORA
matte writing that Rossetti ever achieved"
Mr.. Caine tells an amusing story concerning
visit once paid by Longfellow to the painter of
"Dante's Dream" The venerable American was
charmingly courteous and complimentary, but he
had fallen into the Of thinking that Rossetti
the painter and Rossetu the poet were different
men. As they parted lie said Il have been glad
IN meet Won and should like to have met your
brother; pray tell him how much ] admire his
beautiful poem, The Blessed Damozel'" Giving
no hint Of the error Rossetti answered. will tell
him."
Mr.. Gaines work Is more bulky than edifying. If
he had condensed his material into the limits Of
dainty and compact monograph, it would have
gained in force and clearness. Much of his work is
merely padding of the semi-cntical sort. He has
not yet taken position in letters which justihes
the putting forth of his opinions poets and poetry
as authoritative. Nor have these opinions the merits
of originality and beauty of expression. His ac-
count of Rcssetts most fruitful years is necessarily
vague and incomplete, having been derived mostly
from the conversation Of the poets earlier friends
richer biography viii doubtless be written by
and by by some one qualified for the task by a life
of intimacy with Rossetti and his work; mean
while this strange personality, this rich, refined
end spiritual genius should not be judged by the
Pickering and uncertain light displayed by Mr.
Game.