Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-29

predatory introductions toNyarious other
books end has contributed extensively
to periodical literature. He Is at present
engaged on a memoir of his father.
OF all these numerous books think
putting aside for the moment MIR. Gosse IS
poems, that Seventeenth Century
Studies is, perhaps, the most fasoina-
ting. No critic, it seems to me, can be
more Just or more catholic than Edmund
Gosse He is never blind TO the excel
lence of men in the opposite camp. a
romanticist by taste and by tempera-
ment, he is capable, nevertheless, of
perceiving all that is finest in the didao-
tic writers of the Eighteenth century.
He wrote no less than twenty mine of
the articles in Mr. Humphrey Ward g
ANTHOLOGY of English Poetry in
GLIDING sketches of Lodge, Carew and
Herrick, and, indeed, he treated poets
of every period down to our own. The
editor of the Anthology in his preface re-
turns thanks to Mr.. Gosse, "whose
great knowledge of English poetry, es-
pecially of the Seventeenth and Eigh-
tenth centuries, has been of the highest
service. -
Besides the catholicity of our author
the business with which he treats all
schools and all phases of literature-he
has the advantage of wide knowledge of
other literatures than his own, and that
certainty of judgment which comes of
extensive culture. Moreover, his work
is singularly beautiful in style, and ex-
oeedingly felIcitous in the power to hit off
a portrait in single phrase. One stops
to linger over some of his sentences for
pure enjoyu ent of their grace and charm.
n " nf nf Thnmpa
Lodge, he says: "ln these Iove-songs a
note Of passion, soaring and shouting
music of the lark at heavens gate, was
heard for the first time, above the sohol-
astio voices of such artificial poets as
Watson If Gosse makes q quotation
it is always the quotation for his purpose.
l have before this commended his
studies of literature to the attention of
those who have not time to make eX-
haustive studies for themselves. His
Seventeenth Century Studies'' and his
Eighteenth Century Literature
would turn an ignorant man into one
reasonably well informed concerning the
literary epochs of which they treat. 1
turn over their pages and come upon
sentences that are revelations. Here is,
for instance, Mrs. Barry, who chad q
we'll balanced sense of her own value,
and smiled at nothing lower than an
earl. Again, does not one know
exactly what Otway was worth when one
reads that ''his stroke was broad and
bold, and when he did succeed it was in
figures of heroic size, and on grand
scale?'' 1.-THE Matchless Orinda'' is
one of the most delightful portraits that !
even Mr.. Gosse has painted. 1t has all |
his special qualities-delicacy of touch, |
subtlety of perception, courtesy of treat |
ment, and tenderness of human sym |
pathy of which SO many critics are IN |
capable.
MIR. Gosse IS critical method seems to
me rather French than English; and I |
think the French are the best critics in
the world, as they certainly are the best
reconteurs of what we call the short
story. Gosse has been a loving student
of SRinte Beuve, whom ne honors as his
master in criticism. Lemaitre is also one
of his chief favorites; and to his study of
the art of criticism as practioed by the
best French critical writers he attrib-
utes much Gas he modestly puts it, of
whatever success he has won. To criti-
else is one thing, and TO construct is an
other, and to find man with the sub
TEST critical perception added to the
creative power of the poet might sur
prise US, had we not seen the combina-
ton already in Swinburne and in Mathew !
to say nothing of our own Lowell
and Stedman.
Space fails me for an analysis of Mr..
Gosse's poetic power; but 1 can give
you brief specimen or two, by which
Tou may divine for yourselves its quail
ty. Read, for instance:
THE MENAD GRAVE.
The girl who once, on Lv dian heights,
Around the sacred grove of pines,
Would dance through whole tempestuous
nights,
When no moon shines,
Whose pipe of lotos featly blown
Gave airs as shrill as Coty's own;
Who. crowned with buds of ivy dark,
Three times drained deep with amorous lips
The wine-fed bowl of willow bark,
With silver tips,
Nor sank, nor ceased, but shouted still
Like some wild wind from hill to hill.
She lies at last where poplars wave
49, Their sad, gray foliage all day long;
The river murmurs near her grave
soothing song;
Farewell! it saith, Her days have done
With shouting at the set of sun.
Or read, for another sample of lyric
race, this pleasant +
SONG.
here's sleek thrush sits in the apple tree
nnen u blooms all over with rosy snow,
nd bark! how he opens his heart to me-
Till its Utmost hopes and desires know!
Blow, winds, blow,
'or the thrush will fly when the bloom must 90. |
N, a friend had, and loved him we'll
And his heart was open and sang to mine,
nd 1t pains me more than 1 choose to tell
That he cares no more if laugh or pine
Friend of mine,
an the music fade out of love like thine? /
Most of Mr.. Gosse' IS best poems are far
90 long for copying here; but the two 1
ave quoted are sufficient to prove him q |
rue poet. One or two volumes of his |
oems are completely out of print at
resent, while they are often and vainly |
allied for at the book shops. 1 am !
Apply to say that volume will be pub
shed this autumn, with the title f'On
iol and Flute,' and containing those
oems from all previous volumes which ,,
be matured critical Judgment of their
uthor esteems most worthy of preserya-
on.
Copyrighted 1890 by the author.
INDIAN SCOUTS AND TRAILERs.
By Charles King, Captain U. sA.
q see the red |zarriorz Z