New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-25

Thov are fascinating because '''e' - ..
force and humor that Is still ricy' '0"10 -,.o,
i'' y "' ar,,o,s comedy There Is no hesitancy
=, -, d,oIogue He gees to the point WITH ~
49,. ,e-,v that "a captivating IN these enerVa'el
days. -, ,rnr,n,
q, charles Scribners Sons. the latest puo"ca''o'
+, opoear is an edition in two STOUT III 49,, :,
of "The Poems OF william Browne Oh i"'
Tne, are edited By Mr. Gordon Goodwin and Nj
49,, ,r,y,dss a s,or, preface Brownies poe'ry
Is a curious survival. He was, IN the III Pc,
ol,oge.her too copous Compare him with 1ier''S''
or with Crashaw. and he IL seen 10 pe e"s
behind them in concentration OF lyric feIc''y' tNs
iewe,-.!ke concelts OF his time g.eam WIFI 'eS'
transuce1cy in his ec.ogues tnan III 'he So"e' VI
his strongest contemporaries. But BROWNE mas vi.
abiding beauty that keeps his work fresh ana
makes I, readable in snatches at least IL - pas-
,oral to the very heart OF 1t. There Is an aetua.
echo In his pages OF
The lark which many morns herself MAKES "e''9
With the shrl.l chanting Of Ter teery-.e''y'
The long stretches of his sejate verse are en-
llvened by the plpngs OF birds are sweet VIZ
the scent Of meadows He Is not an easy writer 10
quote for his isolated lines not at all remark
able His total effect IL OF rural wno.e7oNheh's"'
adorned BY the elegance OF literary culture. Whe
this new edition Ia unlikely to revive any gred'
enti usflsm it will not prove to have been puoshed
in vain There must Always be a pace however
small for 80 quaint and clean and bli;he poet
Into n tiny volume that Is ravishing 10 the eye
In Typography and paper. Mr.. Andrew Lang mas
collected "The Lyrics and Ballads OF SIR waiter
Scott" Charles Scrbner's Sons) providing them
with an apprecative Introduction. and adding such
notes to this song and that ~ make many OF thelE
illusions palmer than they were before THIS
IL a book which 1t Is possible 70 praise without
stint. though Mr. Lang Ia careful mot TO go 100
far beyond the estimate OF them tne poeins' !"
which they were held by tLeir author Could
Scott have seen some such collection az this
selected by a tuIcious hand from his scattered
performances he might have realized how eX-
cesslvey modest h, Here, within moderate
compass, Is his best-and what superiatiVe uesree
SCOTS best is, Love- romance hard Dows ana
background of glorious country: men ana women
whose carriage and features were those OF strong
ana noble race: his songs are running over WIN
the music to which they touched his pen. and the
pure Scottish wind shouts signs through the
llrcs with an indescrblble reality. Scott IN 4
lyric like the "Coronach" from 1.-THE Lady OK the
Lake. I'm a song like that on Brignall Banks from
"Roieby": In such turbulent, trumpet like poem as
"Bonny Dundee: in works like these ana others
that crowd upon ones recollection. is simply one
OF the mperIshab!e singers. Mr. Lang has written
much on his favorte novelist. but never more adj
mlrably than when he called him. In the intro1uc-
ton 70 this volume. The Latest Minstrel. the last
voice Of the Old world. akin to Homer" SCOTS
ylgor Is unalloyel as the air or his own Mills
and
When Mr. W. NJ Rossett published the collected
works Of his brother IN 1887. he expressly stated
that the sonnet In THE House OF Life" which had
provoked criticism long since grown notorious
had been excluded in Difference TO Dante Rossetus
own decision The latter had himself Withdrawn
tn" poem from edition published subsequent 70
that Of 1870 and In Mr. William Rossettls words
.'he moulded" the famous sonnet-sequence into
u,bo thout This definite
an abandonment OF the poem In question as could
be ACCOMPLISHED But Dante Rossetti counted WIN
OH; his htter-day editors. who plainly deem them
selves more familiar with his secret intentions tnan
he was himself. In an edition or the House OF
Life" eribellished with decorations which are
cra cefnl I'm themselves. but would better have been
omitted snce they destroy the Typographical come
llnass Of the page Messrs Copeland & Day reprint
tho first edition. They prefix a note characterized
BY a sublime Imperincnce which Is oest SHOWN III
m extract, The deplorable Circumstance Is well
known" they say, which led to the too sensitive
withdrawal Of one OF the sequence and 10 the re-
vision Of others: a mistaken sacrifice Of beauty
"a a mistakenly IMPOSED IDEAL The makers Of this
edition revert by choice 10 the poets original plan
OF work As The House OF Life stood In Ros-
scttrs mind +, stands. once again. IN Us ihno-
cencr and perfection" The auiaciiy or TINS denver
ance IL only equalled By It's Stiffness. lnh'cehcs
and perfection" forsooth. Anectation could no
ter than her brother In the new editions OF some OF
her poems which have been made by Macmillan
& g, Her dezh;fu Goblin Market mas
been put into a narrow. thin decorative Vo.'We'
with many Illustrations by Mr.. Laurence hous-
man that are original and artistic az drawings ana
aawleas "a pictorial interpretations OF the text.
Miss Rosscttrs collection Of nursery rhymes called
.sInr Song" reappea-s in handsome binding and
with some adj litOns. II Ia a small treasury OF
nre,tv grooming things that without beng or
mach moment poetry have an actual poetic
color IN them.
The list OF minor anthologes among current pun
lica,ions is headed by Mr.. Gleeson Whites Book
Song" "a c. Armstrong;. for which modern autho's
have been drawn upon with equal enthusiasm ana
discretion palliance with the bookish muse has re-
s,fiial I'm numbers Of neatly fashioned stanzas
among the younger poets OF England ana America
They have facility and humor, they are all KEo"h
10 Mr. White. ard h. has made from their DOCKS
With some quotations from more experienced poets
Ike Mr. Swinburne. Mr. Stedman and Mr.. Dobson'
an amusing collection. "A Symphony OF the spirit
Mfiin Coz is "A compilation In whieh
Mr. George 5 Merriam has sought 10 harmonize
some OF the more contemplatve poems OF various
,noderp noets-Arnold and Tennyson Browning and
Kaots II IL n poor anthology FOR general use: but
in some places the personal preferences VIII doupt-
loss be approved and readers Will appreciate the
thread OF inner meaning by which. In Mr. Mer-
AR Wiuiam l. Stones "Burgoyne Ballads Joel
Nunsell's sons brings together vast amount or
rnyned narrative which the student OF Revolution
ory history Will find useful and entertaining.
Indians soldiers ard pioneers are the figures which
move through the book and the pages OF the latter
=. dotted with .ames familiar In American history.
II is iu its way. interesting and valuable BOOK
although It's rhymes have few traces OF poetic IN
spiration 4 collection OF verses under the title OF
~ ater canadian Poems CThe Copp. Clark Com
pauy) does not contain much material above the
lowell Of Mr. Gifted Ilopkns's productions. We ex-
,ept some OF the lines contributed by that true
If unequaD poet. Charles Roberts: with the little
aklings the ambitious pumpings. the meditative
,rea things of most OF his companions we can easily
llspcnso We would be Just. and may admit there
fore that the little book speaks OF sincere feeling
mi Of honest effort But all that does not mean
immortal Poetry Does the reader choose 10 take |
n farewell a bit of minor verse that deserves to
I've although It does recall one OF Tennysons |
amous lyrics? Here. then, IS Mr.. Robertss Gray |
Rocks and Grayer Sea-
and