The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-05-16

Lecky's History" 'sThe Natural History OF
German Life: Riehl;" "Three Months in Wei
mar, and an Address to Working Men, by
Felix Holt" In these essays which, as one
perceives from their titles, are chiefly critical
reviews and analyses Of personal character, the
| writer fully meets the expectations OF those
who have placed her among the very highest
| OF the moderns in the inches Of the temple OF
Fame. Full, flowing, yet clear and brilliant,
| with gentle humor and spice of wit, one en-
| joys George Eliot more, perhaps, in these
short and fugitive pieces than in her more
| elaborate and studied efforts, in which many
profess, with reason we think, to see the rather
ponderous influence of George Henry Lewes,
| the friend and companion of her maturer
| years. OF her "Leaves from a Note Book,
| the views upon authorship appear to us more
valuable than any others, and are good Tor any
| number OF our contemporary book-makers to
| learn by heart or cut out aud paste in their
hats.
Miss Robinson's biography of Emily Bront e
| was SO excellent production that much inter-
| est has been felt in her forthcoming volume OF
| verses "The New Acadia and Other Poems"
| Now that the book has appeared we confess
| that it is disappointment, and that we prefer
| the author prose to her poetry. Net that the
latter is without interest--and indeed it is so
| good that We wish it were little better-but
| the faults are of so decided a character that
| strength and cleverness of the poems. In aim
| ing at vigor and originality Miss Robinson has
| sacrificed harmony and grace Of form. She
| has poetical ideas, thought and feeling but her
verses lack smoothness and finch. Occasion
| ally word or phrase is introduced which gives
1 an almost grotesque effect. For inst ance,
nothing could be more commonplace than the
1 wording OF the two opening verses of the poem
| entitled "Loss." And the last eight lines of
| the same poem quite overlaap the space be-
| tween the sublime and the ridiculous. On the
| other hand some of the shorter poems have
| much merit, and would have more were it not
that the measure is so imperfect that the mu-
| sic of the poem is constantly marred, and the
| ear is so annoyed by Irregularities of metre
that one thinks chiefly of the mechanical de-
| fects, and loses the beauty OF the poetical
| thought. On the whole woman with so
| much talent as Miss Robinson has should not
write such bad verses; and we hope we do her
| no injustice in saying that we think her chief
| faults are Alterations Of style.
/ "My "reminiscences by Lord Roland Cow
| er, r. S. A, is handsome book. The author,
| who is a very young man TO be writing is per-
sonal history-having been born in 1876
| frankly confesses that he wanted this work
| done, and did not dare to leave it to others,
| citing in his preface the remark of the italian
| noblemsn who, being asked why he built his
| own monument instead of leaving it TO be done
| by others, said he had "little confidence in
their taking the trouble or going to the ex-
|
| Of Carlyle: "All men are interested in any
man If he will speak the facts OF his life for
| them; his authentic experiences which CORE
| spond, as face to face to that OF all other sons
| OF Adam" And SO we have this chatty and
complaisant, but, on the whole, entertaining
and valuable personal history. The writer is
| child of fortune, "born literally in an Art
Palace, as ne styles Clifford Honse, the home
| of his family, trustee of the National Portrait
| Gallery, and a patron of the arts and literature
1 He ua he fa 1iar
accounts and estimates of the notables of Brit
| alD, as peer of the realm may well be enabled
to do, and goes jnst as Familiarity over bis
whole life at home and abroad. 1t is not great,
it is not impressive; indeed it has some quail
ties that seem forward and hippant, and in
| rather poor taste; but it has frank and health
full tone and is pleasant aud rather satisfactory
| reading.
''.Ehe United States Art Directory" has come
| to us in new and enlarged form this second
year OF its issue, and is an extremely valua-
BILE book for all who are interested in art and
| artists, whether from an artistic or business
| standpoint. 1t opens with summary OF the
exhibitions, prizes and works of art of the past
year, followed by brief but sufficient account
OF all the Art clubs and associations of the
country, with their officers, objects, term of
membership and instruction. There ia also
| history OF artists and art teachers, and some
| fifty pages of illustrations of pictures from the
principal exhibitions of last season, reproduc-
| "a III LuOSb INSTANCES from Llo arTi6tS sketches
and extremely well done. & bout sixteen
| pages are devoted to illustrations and plans of
the museums and club houses of oar different
cities, among which is to be fonnd cut of
our little home Society of Art, and in the list
of Art clubs will be found mentioned several
Portlaud societies. The work is compiled by
Mr.. s. II. Koehler the well known art writer
and critic and is handsomely printed in octave
form ard bound III light covers. The book is
the only one OF the kind published in such a
m n 10 0nun frt,o Aaor.
be strongly recommended.
"The Amateur Photographer" by Wallace
is one of those elementary publications which
We should think might be of good deal of
assistance to the beginner in photography or
10 the amateur. This very attractive pursuit
has become quite common within a;year or
two, and now small camera with its box of
prepared plates is a frequent appendage to
| the traveller. While the ordinary amateur
does not often follow his work into the diff
| culties OF development and printing, and turns
that part OF it over to his professional co.
iaborer, yet with practice may come increased
interest," and the desire of knowing how to
perform, If not of following out, the processes
in full; aud to such this little book would be
OF interest and material assistance. 1t explains
quite fully the different apparatus used with
The several methods and processes usual or
possible, giving many practical formulas and
suggestions, together with hints on choice of
subjects and the conditions necessary for the
production of good work. The book is neatly
gotten up with flexible covers, and a pretty
Photographic frontispiece
"Francis Bacon" by B. W. Church. is the
latest of the English Men of Letters SERIES
and will be more eagerly taken up by the read
ing world than any of the recent volumes The
| interest the world has felt in Bacon is grow
ing rather than lessening We know more of
| philosophy than any generation before US has
known, and hence we turn to the philosophy
learned more of the terrible fate of ambitious
politicians than earlier years had taught and
so we turn to the strange history of this great
example of what political intrigue and official
corruption inevitably DO for the government
and the individual. We have never before
met SO clear and just recital of the events of
| Bacon'S fall, and the causes and results of that
era of political perfdy and judicial weakness
and corruption. The last years, with all their
terrible tragedy, of the brightest and strongest
man except Shakespeare the world OF
letters has seen, as here depicted, will have
new interest for the reader, for the picture is
drawn with surprising skill and force.
National Academy Notes'is essentially The
illustrated Art Catalogue of the National
| Academy OF Design of New York, the annual
exhibition OF which is held each year in Nav,
| The size and arrangement of this issue has
been changed from these OF former years, and
materially improved. The illustrations, 100 in
number, are very well done, 115 of them being
| reproductions of sketches of the pictures bV
the artists themselves, and being much more
finished in detail than is usual in modern cata-
logues. Appended to each illuf tration is a
brief notice of the artist as we'll as of the pic
| ture, and brief comment on the color and the
| scene portrayed. The work is published under
the sanction of the Academy and is complete
catalogue of the exhibition. We would make
one recommendation to the compilers of art
catalogues now, when these works have be-
come SO desirable for library and reference
purposes, and that is to retain one uniform
| size if possible for each publication The ad-
vantages Of so doing will easily be seen.
"The Entailed Hat, or Patty Cannon's
Times,' is the striking title of George Alfred
Townsend's Gath new romance. The scene is
| laid along the eastern shore of Maryland"
which is rather an indefinite and extensive To-
cality. The story opens in Princess Anne, San
old seat Of justice, and gentle-minded town."
| and the book ia dedicated to certain distin-
| guished Marylanders. IL is claimed that it is
| "not only romance and a local episode but
the story of large region comprehendng three
| State jurisdictions, and also of that period
| when modern life arose upon the ruins of old
| colonial CASTE" 1t is graphically told story,
| full of incident and blossoming with bright,
fresh sayings. To tell familiar story which
| SO impressed him that it broke the confines of