Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-26
book Notices.

Book Notices.
THE WORKS OF EDGAR ALLAN
POE. Newly Collected and Edited,
with a Memoir. Critical Introductions
and Notes. BY Edmund Clarence Sted-
man and George Edward Woodberry.
With Illustrations by Albert Edward
Steiner. In Ten Volumes. limo. Chi
cago: Stone e. Kimball. 1S9i-'95. Price,
$l50 per Volume. For Sale by George
NJ. West and the ]. w. Randolph Com
pany.
"In honor Of the University Of Vir-
ginia. this edition Of the works Of her
distinguished son is dedicated"
This new edition of Poe's writings must
supersede all previous collections,
both In the completeness Of its con-
tents and in the editorial skill shown IN
their arrangement and illustration. AS
arranged in this edition, the first five
volumes include the Tales Of the Grotes-
que and Arabesque." which are clas-
sified under several minor and appro-
pirate heads; and, the ''Tales of Adven-
ture and Exploration" comprising the
Gordon Ppm Adventures" and the
journal of julius Rodman." Volumes
VI. TO VIII, under the general title,
Criticism" contain the essays on poetry
and the poets c1iticisms and reviews,
the "Marginalia." the 'Literati." and
other critical work. Volume TX. in
cludes Eureka" and various miscel-
lanies, and the final volume, X,
contains the poems. variorum read
graphy, embracing nearly two hum
bred titles, Of which sixty-eight are in
foreign languages; supplemented by a
copious general index 10 the contents OF
the ten volumes. OF the thirty-six Illus
trations scattered through the volumes,
ten are the various portraits or Poe,
reproduced from originals. For the right
to engrave one of them the editors ac-
knowledge indebtedness TO Mr.. X. Il
Traylor, Of Richmond. who owns the
Shelton portrait. Among other illustra-
lions are the Allan House, in this city,
where Poe lived for a time, and the
Fordham cottage, his residence near New
York city, whose preservation has been
secured by legislative action in that
State. The Memoir does not mention the
fact that the earlier years OF the poets
childhood were spent in house on
Fourteenth street. opposite the Exchange
Hotel where his foster-parents lived, be-
fore moving TO Fifth street.
The editorial work includes a memoir
OF Poe, critical introductions 10 the
tales, poems, and other divisions OF the
authors text, with notes. illustrative and
historical, throwing light on many points
Of literary history that have become OBJ
scured in the oblivion of passing years.
The editorial work, In general, Is well
done. and supplies abundant material for
those disposed to make a careful and
critical study Of the poet and his works.
OF course, there will be occasional dis
sent from opinion expressed, or a diffe-
rent Interpretation OF facts and their
meaning; but this Is only saying that
about so large and pregnant subject
there must necessarily be many and
various opinions.
The Memoir. by one OF the editors, IS
mainly an abridgment OF Mr.. Woodberry's
Life of Poe. In the American Men Of
Letters" series. This is. in many re-
spects, the best life of Poe yet written.
While II does justice TO the poets trans
cendent genius and clears away much
of the calumny that has been heaped on
his personal character. yet the life can
not be called mpathetic. II has been
often said that something OF sympathetic
or partisan feeling is a necessary quality
for the writer OF biography. Especially
Is this quality requisite In the case OF
Poe. His true biography must be not
only a vindication of the man. so far
but also a refutation of the calumnles
and lies with which his memory has been
so often and so long assailed. Many OF
these calumnies, now proved TO be such,
are the spawn of enmities engendered in
small minds, ambitious to be the rivals Of
POe's genius and fame; or else the malig-
nifty OF creatures writhlng under the Sc
verify Of his just criticism. Known now
to all the world as incomparably the
greatest poetic genius Of his country, yet
Poe's literary life, the employment by
which he made the poor living that he
got out Of this world. was In his work as
editor, story-tellsr, and critic. In this
latter capacity IL is safe 10 say that his
work is yet unrivalled by any other Amer
lean pen. Dealing with the subject at
time when American literature was al
most without form and void, IL is no won
der that his trenchant criticism found
many subjects on which to exercise
sound literary judgment. Many OF the
subjects OF this criticism will owe what
Immortality they have TO the fact that
their names live In his pages; but 1t Is an
kindred TO that OF the ounces
embalmed in the amber OF Poe's famous
verse The list OF them is long, and some
OF them were shining lights in their day.
After Poe's death his reputation was
somewhat al the mercy Of these vain crea-
lures, yet writhing beneath his scorn, and
they took the ignoble vengeance Of their
kind. The howlings OF these and their
are not yet entirely hushed. on
this point his biographer has TO say: "His
reputation as a fearless critic oyershadow-
ed his merit as story writer and poet,
and yet, except upon occasions. he was
not so savage as he was thought Some
times his contempt was shown by the
very lightness OF his stroke. He was I'm
those first days just. according to his
canons, II at times insolently just. There
can be no doubt that he meant what he
said. and had neither fear nor
favor, though naturally DESTROYS TO
make the most Of the authors
OF the South in their compe-
tition with their countrymen OF the more
fortunate parallels 10 the northward.'
We could quote from these volumes pas
sages of triumphant vlndIcation OF himself
rs critic, defending and proving the Jus
tice OF HIS structures II anybody wants to
read q bold. ingenious refutation OF lite
rary calumny, coupled with some OF the
acutest criticism In the language. an hour
cannot be better spent than IN perusal OF
the REPLY 10 'Ortis.'" printed In the
sixth volume OF this edition.
or Poe's personal character. his virtues, !