New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-26

,or or forms Of EXPRESSION, images. suggestions
and turns of thought have obtained so goner"i
currency as to make mp large part OF inc poe''o
circulating medium Yet there is great ueal vi
fugitive verse in the magazines aud othcr Pnoi'o"-
tions which touches a higher range than that on
which Mr. Thomson seems to have fixed ms con- |
tempIation,-verses more original in idea and more
ingenious and noljsbed in language The Deficiencies
NJ his collection are most marked in those DEPART
ments \, here tho American humber poets are most
interes,ipC If not strongest we mean in landscape
poetry and in humor. A subtle and happy pcrcep-
ton of nature one Of the most aboundng gifts OF
the contemporary muse, but the pieces which MT
THOMPSON prints in the nature group, " Under the
Omen Sky" are for the most part not poems OF
nature but poems of sentiment andre1ectlon,Wlth
flower bird or something of that sort, for text.
The humorous section well, as we said before Mt
1hompson's taste runs all one way. Ihe limits
" 1870 to 1855" announced on the utle'paee 90
not mean as the preface avows that all tho pieces
in the volume were composed within that Time
This we should have discovered without the com
pliers help for we fluid here such old friends ms
General Lvtle's Antony and Cleopatra Coates
Kinney's Rain on the Roof" Mark Lemons Il Old
Time and L." Beautiful Snow and various other
relies of an earlier age. But what the limits do
signify is not explained.
The new edition of the "Poems by william
Wetmore Story " is in the style of the Rlverslae
Aldne serles-a dainty form which well SUITS THESE
polished verses Mr. story has rearrangei IN this
collection the pieces printed in his earlier Volumes
and has added some new matter the extent OF
which, however he does not point out. Panter
sculptor essayist, traveller, scholar, man Of tue
world. he has turned to poetry as the complement
of a round of high accomplishments, and has pnr
sued it with the habtua good fortune of one who
! l., In n
porary Criticism" he defends the varied taSking
of the mind" which keeps all our noblest faculties
strong and lets the over-indulgence Of no one
talent dwarf the rest and we can believe tbat ne
thought moro of his own versatility tha1 Oh
Rafaeles when he made the great master eXpound
the theory that all arts one and the perfect
artist should be perfect man." 1t must he contesScd
that Mr.. Story does not often write as II poetry
were the absorbing passion of his llie but he mas
| cultivated a natural gift OF poetical lhs'eht an"
| graceful expression until verse has become the
reflection of world of art-fancies in which be passes
his true existence. The aesthetic ideals OF Italian
life are more TO him than anything else IN the
universe: they haunt him in all his metrl"ai eX-
curslons: and thew have most to do with the charm
OF these refined volumes. lie has a great n<'hG LOT
the dramatic form Int lie manages the Snr'ectS
like q painter. They grouped under various
tltles-narrauves portraits, monologues' etc.'-Dnt
in fact nearly all the best OF them are portrhts III
which the artist has not cared to represent acton
but To delineate character by means OF eNterna!
traits. This is most admirably done, and his power
of identifying himself Tor the moment with the per
sonare in whose name he spe. is often remarN-
able curious example of this faculty NAV
| he seen in contrasting the two poems, LAbbate
and II Curato" where two minds of the same type
are pre sented under totally different aspects. That
strange special plea Tor Judas, d" Roman Lawyer
in jerusalem" which is more perverse than poetic
has been reinforced by great deal OF new matter,
and Mr. Story seems to set high value upon IT,
The poetry of the author of In the Kings
Garden is distinguished by wholesome sentiment
and q general tone ofrefnement both IN thought and
in manner The late Nh Bensel was deeply stirred by
the domestic affections: he was sensitive to religious
influences; lie loved to associate the conscientious OF
Immortality with the contemplation Of cath; his
temperament was yensive and serious without cX-
cessive melancholy; he was gentle and impression
abe: reflection was stronger with him than imagina
ton and grace of manner mOrc marked than llvel-
ness of fancy. The business of his feeling and the
simplicity and directnrss OF his expression OF II are
worthy of all praise and these substantial merits
are greatly enhanced by fine literary style The
flow of his verse is admirable: the dcon is choice
but never Overwrought; and although he is often
found near the perous elge of ddacticsm the
ease and melody of his lines always enough to
save HIM from dulness. In short, he applied
| pure taste a musical ear and good. honest AIT to
the treatment of the themes of common experience,
and his book will have warm welcome at many
fresile
The small volume to which an unknown American
editor gives the misleading title of "iIynns by
John Henry Newman, DID," is substantially an
approximation of the "Verses on Various
Occasions" published by Dr. Newman himself,
except that the editor has left ont pieces not IN
harmony with his religions opinions mutilated the
longest poem in the collection tthis also from
religious motIves' made a few changes of language
and arrangement and given the book a name
which does not fit it, since considerable proportion
even of the devotional poems are not hymns. lt is
| a charming commentary upon ouT laws concerning
literary property that the American publish ers
have crowned the exploits of the editorial com
prachico by reGisterine a copyright in the book.
The omissions include not only pieces written since
Dr. Newman joined the Roman Catholic Church,
but some belonging to his Protestant period In
which the editor perceiyes a Remaining faint.
That most remarkable and powerful Of tie poems
q The Dream of Gerontius," is dcformed by manner
ous excisions some Of which disturb the train OF
thought that remaining portions are made obscure
if not unintelhgible. The title of Newmans poem
on the Intercession of the SAINTS " is changed TO
IntercessiOn y" and where the author wrote
chorus of Souls in Purgatory" the phrase is
altered to Souls in Prison" The excuse offered
for these proceedings IS that the volume is in
tended chiefly for the Protestant world with
all respect for the faith and taste of Others. con
tnues the editor we must needs exercise the right
of selection for ourselves" Certainly; yon have
right to say for yourself what YOU will read but
not 10 say for Dr. Newman what shall be published
in his name; that is his business If the religious
poetry of Cardinal OF the Roman Church does not
suit the Protestant word-whIch IS conceivable
pray let it alone and read something else 1t Will
be a great day for literature when every party in
religion philosophy politics and aesthetics under