The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The wonder of many people over Mr..
Gladstone's appointment of poet laure-
ate may be diminished by reading The
Life and Works of John Ruskin, by W.
G. Collingwood. Boston: Houghtcn,
Mitffin & Company wherein is set forth
the great art critics achievements in verse
as in other branches of literature. Few
OF us recall MI. Ruskin's poetry, if it
even attracted Jour attention. We may
have hazy recollection that Arthur
Penrhyn Stanley (afterward the lcelebrat-
ed Dean of Westminster) wrested the
Newdigate prize from him, but little
recollection beyond that. However he
did write some musical verse. of which
Mr.. Collingwood, who has edited vol
ume of it, gives illustrations; remarking
in way of comment that if Mr.. Ruskin
would keep clear of gr@cisms in syntax
and Latinisms in etymology, and conde-
scend to be as explicit in verse as he can
be in prose he would charm the world
with his music. But the world is well
content with the matchless prose of
Modern Painters and the Stories of Ven
ice, which will Give when the voice of
many singer is forgotten, and will not
greatly regret failure to "build the
lofty rhyme"
To comment on that marvellous prose
the manner of it's making, the causes
that led to its production, the circum-
stances attending its publication, the
topics of which it treats, and Ruskin's
theories and beliefs about those topics.
Mr.. Collingwood devotes many chapters
of the two large and handsome volumes
offered to the public. Nor does he CON
fine himself to the art theories of his dis
tinguished subject, but discourses of the
many matters, theological, philanthropic,
and economical which have attracted Mr..
Ruskin's luminous intellect during a
long and beneficent life-matters concern
ing some of which he is recognized as
teacher, and concerning all of which he
commands the respectful attention of
thinking men,
The strictly biographical part of the
work will be to many readers the most
interesting AS the volumes are under
taken with Mr.. Ruskin's approval, and
as the biographer has had unrestricted
access to letters and other documents
and the benefit of Ruskin's own reminis-
cences, his work may be taken as author
itatiye. The treatment of the accumu-
ated material is mastery, and Mr.. Col
ling woods graceful yet sinewy style
gives charm and conspicuous INTEREST
to the book. The many portraits of Mr..
Ruskin, and particularly the chromo-
lithograph frontispiece, crafty natural
curiosity on the part Of the reader as
well as embellish very handsome proof
of the book-publisher' art
The Two volumes are for sale in this
city by Loring, Short & Harmon, the
price for the set being So.
The First Millennial Faith, by the au-
thor of Not on Calvary, has for it's mo-
tive the restoration of the doctrine of
Christ's Atonement that was held dur
ing the first thousand years of the exist
ence of Christianity, which the writer
assumes has been departed from. How
ever that may be, the handsome little
volume contains much interesting and
some reconcile matter gathered from
the writings of the Christian fathers and
not easily accessible, which thinkers en-
gagged in theological discussion will well
come. New York: Saalfeld & Fitch.