New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-13

Poems" has tnoOgnt III necessary w "'to"'Ft' " III"
preface a Justification of his work 1t was
necessary but the justification IS failure III Is
not true, as he puts it, that
1.-THE meanest bard that ever scrubbed can,
Thinking all ms life scribbie WE'LL
1t depends upon what is implied by the term
shrinking" Many persons only think they think.
and lifetime of this iusory cerebral action cannot
tend to edifcation Mr.. Hembold had no ideas OF
any value to the world. and he could not express
those which he did have POLITICALLY. Here is some
thing typical:
$50 haste you now and find iassie.
And tho she's virtnOus. sweet, yet sassy,
She'll raise you far above her.
This Mr. HelmbOld calls an eplgram:
81 saw a fool and A fool saw me;
In mind and soul no difference knew he
We are not disposed TO be severe on that fool
Mr. Henry Abbeys poems deserve more serious
notice They show sense of melody certain
skill in composition, ana they illuminated
sometimes with really noble conceptions. But the
poets ambition has BETRAYED him INTO enterprises
either unsuited tn his genius or too great for his
capacity and in these longer pieces there is both
metrical carelesSneSs and Ol'scurity of thought.
Some Of his short poems are vigorous, clear and
satisfying and he would have been wiser to coninc
himself to these less Ostentatious hut more worn
manlike verses. The poems As whole. however,
exhibit moro originality, culture and mag nation
than the average.
In the handsomely made volume Elijah the
Reformer" a clergyman has sought to populHrize
Scripture stories in balad-epic form That he is
not altogether wanting in inspiration Is TO BIO seen
in some OF his shorter pieces. which have pl"us
fervOr and a rhythmical flow reminding one some
what Of Heber and Sigouney In "EhJah .
fidelity t. his sources has proved INCOMPATIBLE
with anything remotely resembling true poetry.
1t is difficult no doubt to make long catalogues of
lint =
under any obligation TO try the experiment. Dr.
Taylor thinks that in " De Profunds via Crucis /:
An Experience in Theodicy' he has come near -
settling some of the problems of life and futurity
which have vexed Philosophy from the beg ming.
1t is not correct to cal this poem 1t is theoloc-
zeal argument in rhyme. For such like their
theology that way nothing could be better. The
volume contains only sacred and religious verse 5,
and 1t is very well printed on very thick paper.
The Inca Princess " is notable chiefly for its
illustrations, which are from design by Church,
Chase, Davidson Fredericks Pyle, Schell and
Smedley Several of them very good but 50
much cannot be said for the verses. which are
mediocre himsy and dull A poor novel turned into
bal verse undertaking which seems 10 have
no other object than illustration of the innate
pervcrsity of human nature. And not even wealth
OF illustration Obviate regret that such good
engravings should have been squandered 50
sorry text
Mr. T. d. Curtis, Of Syracuse states that his
have been written hurriedy in the interv al
of business. and that tho longest piece, "rhe
Nazarene" was "a surprise to the authOT' 1t
Seems that no particular method was observed in
The arrangement of the subject nor special object
kept in view" 1t was all written in seventeen
days, moreover. Yet the man does not hesitate to
inllct upon the public production which, on his
own showing was scrubbed at railroad speed. and
with specific object in view Mr.. Curtis is "A
free-thinker or an advanced" thinker. He makes
verses about Evolution, aud such light and airy
TOPICS There is enough plain sense in his IDEAS TO
have made not unuteresting volume Of prose, but
the attempt to give poetic dress to these ideas is
dismal failure.
Mr.. Richmond has his theory about the origin of
The Aztecs, but instead of appealing to the sweet
teasonableness of his CONTEMPORARIES with u prose
argument on behalf of their connection with the
dispersal at Shiuar he has fit to put his IDEAS
81 the form Of epic The result is not attractive
The yers is for the most part smooth and does not
halt though in one OF two places startling liberties
are taken with grammar. The cruelties Of the
Spanish cOnquarOrs move the author strongly, and
he denOunces them with a vgOr which tcst.fes to
lis sincerity. But the subject drags, aud the arsu-
ment is not convincing.
Mr. billiard has written many pleasant and
musical lie has real poetic feeling and the
poetic temperament. HIS best songs are graceful
and by means without ideas But there are too
many pieces in his volume which have 10 just
excuse for preservation, and of the effect, of
printing much Indifferent verse is to drag down
the really merltoriUus amples TO a common level
Of me liberty. The author admits that he has often
been careless and hastv." There may be reasons
for this, but there be none for publishing the
results OF such crude effort 1t is pity poets will
not learn this fundamental truth.
Hidden Sweetness " is a beautifully made little
volume of religious poems which breathe feryent
pety and are full of sweet and tender grace. They
are all good, and some of them very good indeed.
Faith, humility, patience under affection. mistaken
trust IN Providence, shown forth in verses
which eVlnce true poetic gcnins aud the illnstra-
tons, in Monochrome after designs by Dorothy
Holroyd are pretty and satisfying
Eoughton. Milflip & Co. have brought ont q
handsome volume Of Mrn. Piatts selected poems.
These arc so generally known that it 10 not
necessary to say more than that tho selection
3ncludes those which seem best to deserye
preservation.
In Poems of tho Law" the editor Of Lyrics of
the Law" has collected the best known of those
uriOus .piecesi whose bumor consists of the odd