New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-22

Macmillan q Co
There are two interesting facts in the general
scheme OF this book one is that the author mas
Only three names for his list of the greater poets
OF the Victorian era the other. his choice of thrd
name He certain to choose Tennyson ana
Browning. for whatever may he the verdict OF inc
distant future the works OF these two. they are IN
popular esteem at present placed far above all thsr
contemporaries But many persons OF more or less
taste nav shrug their shoulders when they lean
that the third poet In Professor Walkers list Is
Matthew Arnold.
He is decided enough in his opinion refrain
from mentioning an alternative the name OF
any other writer. He does not hint. except In
one place. that Arnold was inferior to the best or
his contemporaries. The single exception relates
to Arnold's efforts IN classical drama. ana mere
Sw.nburne's "Atalanta in Calydon" is cited as the
only successful attemp. In modern English verse
10 reproduce the methods and effects OF the Hell
Ienic stage The critic tscitly allows that his
view OF Arnold may not be that Of the pubhc
Arnold's first work. he says, established his rlgh'
10 be ranked among the great poets OF his uHle'
mot BY winning general recognition but by virtue
O, those inherent qualities watch we must believe
will at last enforce such recognition lie rests
his belief upon the delicate finish and thonsh''".-
ness OF ArrolG's work. his self-restrant. when
prevents him from saying too much or TOO NIUE
but always just the right thing in the best words
"The polished and refined and retcent literary
artists o. the world. its Virgiis and rs Miltohs'
wear well. Their smoothncss has nothlng OF 'Ae
nature OF Weakness.
I, ,s with such poets that Professor Walker
would place Matthew Arnold. II he is right the
time may come when Arnold VIII be recAoned
not the third but the first poet OF the victorian
age. The recent literary history OF England al
ready furnishes example There were many
writers OF in the closing period OF the eIgh-
teenth century. Mason and Hayley are as COM
pletely forgotten as II they never existed Cowper
is read-as a task aside from some OF his tribes;
Rogers is as thoroughly "dished" one Of his
h. hG
Is read for his notes. Mrs. Hemaas IS remembered
only by "Casabianca" and those resonant verses
about the Pilgrims Warton is known only as
historian OF English poetry. In the whole list there
IS one name brighter than 1t was at the outset
the name OF Thomas Gray. stepped in classical ira
dltion a very synonyme for the ncessant watchfu
criticism that fine poetic genius requires OF It's
possessor Experience proves" says Professor
Walker tina: must stand a; the distance OF
several generations before We can finally and with
absolute Justice appraise the value of poetry 1t
takes less time 90 estimate overgrown reputa
ton at its true value but 1t IS only from aiar
that we can take the angles by which TO measure
the mountain peaks OF thought" No doubt the
author reverences Carlyle and Browning. He de-
scr1bes them as kings Of thought" who speak in
the voice OF the tempest and tae earthquake.
Ye: he turns a saiir!cal glance upon the public
which is in haste TO mark the advent OF such men
II is they. fe says "wbo sure to be saluted at
first with the loudest bray" But the frs; bray for
these men was not a bray OF approval. and their
thunder only served TO keep them from being IN
adequately appreciated. There was nothing OF
storm or CONFUSION in Matthew Arnod's genius
lie was almost as timd Gray who wished the
"Elegy in a Country Churchyard' to be published
without his knC Wedge "Arnod's frequent changes
Cor what must be interpreted as such) may be
taken" says Professor Walker las indicating his
extreme critical care. care in his own case
amounting almost to fastidousness." II must be
confessed that 1t IS Difficult; follow him. for
poems are printed. omitted and reprinted In the
most bewilderng way. The puzzle is all the greater
because in the end nearly everything reappears IN
the collected editions Only eight published pieces
including the prize poems, are omitted from
the popular edition of 1890.
As TO environment. there is not much to CHOOSE
among the three poets. After a study Of their
works In detail. Professor Walker finds it COM
paratvely easy to summarize the influences Of the
nge upon each OF them under TIE heads OF nature.
science society and politics and faith and doubt
In religion. 1t is not their variations In external
influence which must be studied 10 decide the
respective merits of the three Nor will de-
clson res: upon differences OF thought. Unques-
t,onably each poet had his individual message
for the world. be told in his own way The dis
tnction Is then Just the upon which rests the
fame Of all the great poets Of the past-perfection
O. form. Browning. by denying this perfection TO
tie Greeks-as he naturally would since his favorite
was Euripides who missed greatness simply by his
lack Of propor,lon-tacity denied the efficacy OF the
test. But IT'S historic validity is unquestionabe.
Comparatively Arnold wrote little His produce
ton was not neacre Grays. but the hela
that he cultivated was perhaps even narrower thar
Grays-certainly much narrower than that OF
either Tennyson or Browning. Nevertheless. II Pro-
'essor Walker is right. Arnold's final supremacy is
certain because "he is probably he most fauiiless
artist OF The three Browning some lines provokes
his readers to pronounce him not an artist at all
though again he rcdeemc himself so magn.hcently
that II becomes almost pain 10 hint censure
Ternyson had very high artistic qualities. but in
tendency 20 excessive ornamentaton, IN the re-
cundancy OF In Memoriam in the loose structure
o. the Idylls OF the King and in an occasional
note that sounds like affecaton IN his metaphors
and turns o. expression ne showed that there were
limits these qualities.
II required some courage in critic to put the
comparison in so bald manner. But even II Pro-
fessor Walker should not win majority OF MS
readers he has done a GOOD service 10 criticism
OF books and essays about Tennyson and Brown
tnr there IS 10 end Il is really kindness 10
show even alphabetically that one OF their con-
temporar!os is worthy OF being mentioned in the
same breath with them. There IS now an infusion
q. new blood into a controversy which is likely 10
recur at Intervals for generations TO come
Now that the revised version OF the Bible is
nearly finished. with the publication OF the ApocrY-
MIA the Cambridge University Press IS about TO
inder,ake d work Of paramount interest TO al
neutrality-suspicious. Bible scholars-a work that
Will occupy il nany years. We refer 10 the
larger edition Of the septuagint translation Of
the GA Testament, OF which Dr. Swetes
manual edition was intended to be pre-
raratory The editors Of this great venture are 20
he the Rev A. T. Brooke. Fellow OF Kings COLLEGE
Cambridge, and Mr. y. Mclean Fellow of Cnrl-ts
whose competency for the task will be acknO~-
edged by all. The excellent text OF the manual
edition will De reproduced. with much critical
matter as can be comprised in work of reasonable
size. The readings OF all extant Greek uncial manu-
scripts and fragments VIII be given. There will also be
copous quotations from the Old Latn. Egyptian