The sun., 1895-03-02
NEW hooks.
Brief Reviews or Important nnd Intsrest-
lag New Publications.

AEt, lnb ueuBslb VI ATt tUIlh, ENlb III
Theory" and Rhythm and Harmony In Poetry
and Music. Together with Music asa Representa-
tive Art" and be grateful for the opportunity.
IL is impossible In brief space TO explain Prof.
Raymond's theory " the matters indicated In
these several titos. lie himself, having OF
course his theory perfectly in hand. requires,
nevertheless, four ample books In order to con-
vey an adequate idea OF 1t; and II is not reason
able to suppose that one less familiar with
the theory would be rble To set II forth. with
justice To the Professor, and In a manner
likely to be satisfactory to anybody wishing to
understand It in It's entirety, In any smaller
space. Tho student who even cursorily exam.
ines Rhythm and Harmony In Poetry and Mi
sic Together with Music As n Representative
Art" the latest two of Prof. Raymonds essays.
published in single volume Of 3?3 duodccimo
pages o. =. putram's Sons. will comprehend
that the subject is one o: rare subtlcty and of
extraordinary detail and will also understand
from the great number of bracketed references
to the Professors other works that the whole
series is inextricably dovetailed together. and
that 1t lie necessary to read all that the Professor
has written upon these allied subjects as many
as 500 pages altogether, we should presume
in order TO grasp the omplets theory with In
telligence, and make certain that a comprehen-
sive curiosity is satisfactorily allayed. We OBJ
serve, however. that there Is no reference, and
no immediate explanation bearing upon a pas
sage OH page q of the present volume, wherein II
10 declared that rhythm is observable " in the
rising and falling OF the sounds OF the wind
and in tho swaying to and fro OF the trees to
produce these" and this omission we deplore
for the idea that the sounds Of tho wind arepro-
duced by tie trees is in the nature OF return to
the primitive understanding OF things, and IL
well founded as we cannot in the circumstances
doubt that it is, is full OF interest, and indeed
worthy Of elucidation. But not many OF the
matters upon which the Professor touches are
left unexplained. He Is very careful and salts
factory in this particular. as where, for instance
In commenting on a passage from Darwin page
246J he observes that Darwin seems to have
lost sight Of one very important fact. namely
that man sings or huns during courtshp
not to show himself of to his sweetheart. but TO
give vent to his JOY in having a sweetheart. She
may be charmed by tho result says the Pro-
fessor, but his first object is less to do some
thing for her than for himself" This Is
80 obviously true that IL Is surprising
Darwin should have overlooked IT. but we
dare say there is plenty in Prof. Raymond's
four books that entirely escaped the earlier phi
losopher's attention. We have said that it is
impossible to indicate the nature of Prof Ray
monds theory briefly. We may quote, however,
a single passage from his introduction to "Mu-
Sic as q Representative Art TO snow tne pnliO-
sophical style of his work and to illustrate his
determination to get at the very bottom Of
things. Poetry" he says page 234I. being
developed from the unsustained and responsive
methods OF expression underlying language,
manfests o constant tendency to talk back,
and, therefore. to mention and describe what
has interrupted the flow ~f thought and pre-
sented new thought. Painting and sculpture.
being developed from the same methods OF ex-
preston, when underlying vision, manifest
constant tendency to look back. and therefore
to initiate and depict what has interrupted the
contemplation of one object OF sight and pre-
sented another" This, it will be observed,
clears up the vague common understanding OF
poetry, painting, and sculpture. and enables us
to see these matters for what they really are.
1t is q true philosophical definition. calculated
to increase that sense In us which declares that
no mystery will be able to maintain itself ulti-
mately. The Professor italicizes the words talk
back and "look back" thereby causing his
definition to invade the understanding with
something like thrill. but the style of the book
is such that oven where there are no italics tho
reader receives very deep JOY. Some of the
critics. 1t seems. have failed to read Prof Ray
mond's earlier volumes. and in the lack Of an
understanding of them have permitted them
selves to speak jocosely and even fippantly OK
his work. N this book he replies 10 the
critics. and it must he said that some OF their
comments were calculated to exasperate even
philosophical author. One OF them said
that quotations from everybody under heaven
wore a plentiful as blackberries in the Profes-
sor's pages. and another had even the audacity
TO attack his definition of beauty, which is
really not only definition. but q remarkable
instance OF the matter under consideration. To
the critic who spoke of ,he quotations and the
blackberries Prof Raymond replies that his
remarks are expression of inability to ap-
prchend the object OF quotations. which is
doubtless true enough. and he dissents with be-
coming dignity from the opinion rejecting upon
his definition of beauty. We have quoted this
definition upon former occasion, but 1t is well
worthy to be quoted a second time. Beau
ty," says the Professor, lis n character
istic of any complex form OF varied elements
producing apprehensible unity Il. e., harmony or
likenessJ OF effects upon the motive organs of
sensation in the ear or eye. or upon the emotive
sources of imagination in the mind. or upon
both the one and the other" One OF the critics.
1t appears in quoting the definition, omitted the
words lin the mind" thereby leaving 1t to be
inferred. possibly. that the emotive sources of
the imagination were situated In the stomach.
The Professor properly reprehends this omis-
sion; but 1t Is not Likely that any loose treat
mont OF the definition can permanently affect |
1t, for IL Is certainly definition of great merit
we'll calculated TO make one understand beauty |
who never understood 1t before.
At the request OF the author. several times !
repeated, we have read carefully the seventy |
page poem, "a Tale OF Halo" by Mr.. Morgan /,
= Robertson (rruth Seeker Company: and |
while we cannot in candor say that we have
derived any great benefit from the operation, |
we may still acknowledge that the pain Of 1t has
heen less than We anticipated. The poem is
O profane satire relating series OF uproarlous |
incidents attendant upon surrepti,ous visit or |
BeElzebub to Paradise. Wedo not consider that |
it is necessary "a gehearse the details Of tho |
plot. or to comment at any length upon the |
quality OF the verse. The style Is simple and |
fluent and generally smooth, though it is evident |
that the author makes Beelzebub word OF only |
three syllables. thereby departing from a usage |
that has been sanctioned among others by the |
author OF the " nRoldsbY Legends ~ who recordr