New-York tribune., 1884-03-08

are divorced they are ruined. The production Oh
poetry is necessary to the well-being OF mankind
Yet poot is regarded generally sort Of inspired
idiot. II man is known only as poet ne suhers
In our respect and il is only after nc has passed
away. when only his work remains to save MS
name from oblivion that we call him great. Ihls
nonular estimate extends TO all producers OF ltera-
ture. Yet poetry has been the universal soace OF
all people who have been lifted from barbarism."
The late venerable Arnold Guyot, shortly before
his DEATH prepared for publication in a compact
shape his popular exposition on the Biblical cos
mogony as seen in the light of modern science
This has Just been published, with illustrations oy
Charles Scribners Sons.
There is an interesting drawing of Iennysoh III
the current number of Hdrper's Weekly. Inc poo'
is represented as seated in his AdWorth h"'NS
with his cherished books about him.
The same number Of the Weekly contains poi-
trait of Captain Mary Miller. Mrs. Miller iS
gentle and clever face thoroughly womahiy III eA-
preston.
The Revised Version of the Old Testament is
likelv IN he out in less than six months. me o.
Jdmess Gazette hopes that it may be minus the 'hu
ginal notes. Indispensable as these are IL says
from the scholars point of view, to the gencral
reader they present the serious drawback Oh coh-
slant interruptions. Many persons, indeed may
have been reminded by them of Macaulays crit-
cisn on a famous edition of BOswelPs Lie oil
Johnson: MIR Croker is perpetually stopping us
in our progress through the most denghtul mar
ratiye IN the language to observe what is not
always worth observing. Six stoppages' loI III
stance, occur in the parable of the Prodigal Son:
one for the sake of informing that the 'husks
eaten by the swine were the pods of the carOO tree
and another to remind us that servants might also
be translated bond servants Doubtless 1t should
not be forgotten that the conditions OF domeSuc
service in ancient Palestine were dissimilar rom
those which obtain in modern England; but IL Is
surely little trying to be reminded OF the TACT AT
| least twenty-siX times i'll the Gospel o1 ~. Luxe
alone. 1t may be answered that no one Is obHged
to refer to the notes; but the truth Is That the eye
nvoluntarily turns aside, on being, as one may say
| requested to do so Comte's is not exactly name
| of authority in question of this sort; out the
founder of the sect of Positivists knew what he
was about when he enjoined his followers to read
! the masterpieces of human eloquence III editions
without notes. 1t is impossible TO enjoy any book
with man pulling your sleeve every ten seconds to
! ask you if you are quite you understand It,
! The original editions of Keatss three volumes,
which once lay like drug upon the market, have,
il is said increased in value until there is perhaps
no modern English poetry except some OF Shelleys,
which is SO hopeleSsly out of the reach of colec-
! tor with a slender purse MIR. Forman intends to
follow his bulky and costly annotated edition with
one consisting Of the text alone, without notes.
| Mr. Forman has printed among other recovered
! bits of Keatss song beginning " Hence Bur
gundy, Claret and Port" and containing this char
acteristic passage
| Instead Of a pitifM RUNNER
My wine ovcrhrms a whole summer;
Ny bowl lS the say,
And drin; at my eye,
Til feel in the brain
A Dephian pam
Then follow. my Cius. then follow;
over tle green of the I'LL
We will drink our I'll
or golden sunshine.
TIL our brains mtertvine
| With the glory and grace OF Apollo.
The plates of " Harpers Pictorial History of the
| Great Rebellion" have been purchased by Melon
nell Brothers of Chicago and the youm-s will
| hereafter be sold by them.
"Clarissa IIarlowe," we are told. has even now
a public of its own in England. 1t is no longer the
upper and middle classes who weep over the book;
il is the cottagers who regard it classic and no
country book -hawker's wallet is without copy. of
Richardson's masterpiece. Pamela" too, is
almost as popular in the En- ngish villages
Mr. John Morans poem, AT the Confessional"
published in this weeks Life, has 50 good motive,
albeit not entirely fresh one that il is pity be has
not treated il in more appropriate fashion. The
! airy and rather frisky manner of the rondeau IS
not fitted to render properly semi-tragical sub
| ject-a thing that some modern versihers need to
| remember.
! The March number of The Book Buyer is full Of
entertainment aud information. The little period
ical is making the pleasantest Of Temperatures in
its character of old friend.