The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1891-05-13


man published a volume of Englisl
versc-or what he supposed to b,
such-under the title @Courting the
Muse" Mr.. James Payn criticizes
these astonishing poems in a most
comical style, chsrscterizing them a:
"probably the worst that ever obtain
ed the honors Of print" We quote
from Mr.. Payn's review:
"Our original and genuine muse 2
as he calls himself, 10 not deficient Ein
self-confidonce, and, to begin with
in. the dedication of his poems, he ap-
peals to the Creator himself:
oh, Thou who made the heavens, created earth
The SUI. the moon from It's primitive birth
Who destined man DER universe preside
And reason, intellect, given for his guide
Thine aid implore, would that thou inspire
Ny song and make 1t worthy OF the Tyre.
| cannot couscicntiously say that
thia gcntleman's prayer was heard.
"The Queen Of Pcristan," his most am
bilious poem, Is dreadful. 1t is like
"Lalla Rookhn with The sense and
grammar taken out of it. Ills refec-
tions upon human life are obviously
indeed, borrowed from Moore, but not
his rhymes:
How many walt for nuptial days approach,
How many ask for wealth, aud four aud coach
This is roallycharming; and yet, if
coach-and-four, why, NOT four-snd-
coach?
How many maids for Hymen's waters thirst !
How many 'buse the bachelors accurst
How many younglings wish for wedIock' joysl
AS wife were simple piaything, doll or toysi
How many 'trothed await their honeymoon
Hew many look on woman's death a boon
Here, it strikes one, there is need of
a commentator. think the poet
means that if we knew the fair sex
as they really arc, we should wish them
all in heaven.
Let us now take @our original and
genuine muse" in his devotional atti-
tudc. 1t will be observed that In "A
Parsse's Prayer the fervor of his re-
ligious feelings gets so much the better
Of him as somewhat to obscure the
sense and meaning.
Trembling and pale before thee stands
Oh, Lord, thy humble minion.
On me, oh pour with blissful hands
The JOY, the hope, the peace Thou lenient.
This is very subtle. Is 1t possible.
IN connection with @pouring,n that the
asst line should read,
Thsjcy, the hope, the peace, the lilimcnta
1t may be urged that this does not
rhyme; but IL rhymes as well as the
other.
Unconscious unto sin BETRAYED
devout redemption implore.
Let Ardlbesht preside o'er fate
And Ifr the granaries restore.
Let Berhram give hEs helping hand
To virtue, deoency and truth,
And Plenty rule DER smiling land
Through angel Meher forsooth.
What the deuce does he mean by
'forsooth"? Aud, indeed, what does
I all mean2 III that is Parsoe prayer,
'urely even the worst of infidcls will
prefer Christianity. There 10, how
.ver, q certain vagueness MS TO the
'ersonsges appealed to, which, in
hese days of pantheism, may have Its
ldmirers. / confess to having nv
olf taken q fancy 10 Ardibesht, a
lame that strikes me as being prop
'rly some other name thus pronounced |
Inder the influence of intoxication.
Ii is with a great sense OF relief that /
ye turn 10 our authors amatory
'oems. He thus sings of Polly:
q the landau driven what transport divine /
'Inds echo in my haven as her eyes meet mine.
IN the stand, on the bunder, with muslc's soft
trills,
When her papa goes under. what coos and
what bills
| wonder what the poet means by
4er father Agoing under" Does ho
mean under the table where he la nat
rally incapable of porceiving what is
'oiAg on2 That II has some reference
0 his being overcome with liquor
oems> clear.
After quoting some verses that show
that strange ideas this Indian writer
ad termed about English customs
IT. Pawn rhmarks: