The times., 1897-07-18

masterful poet, knows as well as we do
that Gunga Din-though, for reasons; it is
fine-is not one OF the best ten even OF his
own poems?
but suppose we were limited TO sOunets-
There would be some intelligence in that,
and a pleasure in choosing. One would
begin, or course, by taking at least five
Oh shakespeare's-for there's not word
SAID TO forbid us entering as many short
poems from one poet as we may choose
inside OF ten, that is, we mustn't go be-
yODd ten Still- we should not want 10
draw upon Shakespeare for more thannine
at the utmost, for there is Sir Philip
Sidney. Imagine Sir Philip confronted
win standing roOm only and tfunea
Din-that ''hmping lump o. brick dust,
Gunga DIM srinning at him from a seat
among the upper ten
suppose again that, not belnz, limited
IN sonnets, we shcuId include songs. fero.Ir
stinguishedhtteTateur, after givfngmuch
thought to the matter, has settled upon''
three poems that are songs-without COUNT
ing "Gungi, nin." which, as its 5nniaas
author certainly and rightly inten.Ied, rs a
bowling good cloS-tlance; that and f;,T more
One or these scnGS Is Burns .'Stcts Wha
Haze" Did BEns never write 5etuer song
than ''BannoCSbuIn?' Is that going to
oltlast-well-even Lang Syne?''
But never mind that An oGder fact is
that none OF these three songs, and there
fore none OF these best ten short poems in
our language includes SheIL.y's Lines
Set to ali Indian Air. or Ben .Iouson's
"Drink to Me Only with Thine Eves.n
They icftout, and "Gunga DIM Included
Why, sir-oh, pshawl
Need We say what we think of Mr. Kiulfna-
as poet? We think ne is not at all best
In baTrack-roOm ballads, and tn at en- there
he is sometimes superb.
My first boOk," says Mr.. Zangwiu .'Tas
romance of school life which, written in
TWO co2y-bOoks, circulated gratuiUousIy in
the school-rOon and pleased our youthful
inasiaationS with hteacher-baiting tricks we
had not the pluck 70 carry out in the actual
lshail always remember that story, because
after making the tour OF the class it was
returned to NE with thanks and a new first
page, from which all my graces Of styIe
hau eyap0rated- Indignant inquiry discoy-
er-d the Criminal He admitted be had lost
the page and had rewrittenit from memory.
In his process OF literary prowIing for
MS Blbelot, John MOsher has come upon a
copy of the Oxford and Cambridge Maya
~lhe Tor 1885 This magazine was con
Iucted oy the members Of the two mi
Ferslt'es One OF the most diIirent con-
.flbutors 70 this periodical was William
MOTIFS. as attest = list of his writings
therein furnished by Mr. Mosher. Eighteen
contributions 70 the numbers Of that vaar
"eFefroin Morris Nine ofthen were poetry
anc essays, nine We're tales From tbe
| latter Nj Moshcr selected The HoIlcvv
Land 20 embody in his July number OF
the Bbelot Book lovers viii find a curl
ons interest in this reprint because it has
never before been reproduced.
'Ihe Hollow Land" so much. at least.
| as IS thus far given in the EiheIot. and tt ia
suifieient 70 fashion prophecy Of TIE bal
ahee' IS a charming chivalric romance,
i iTee 10 conception, elegant and classic in
dlctlon. so c0loTful in tone and re dainty
glorious Shat the artists brush rteht
saSiIy translate what a poeticaI romancer's
/ pen mas written Mr.. MoSher evidently
/ mas read the other eight Of those Tomances.
/ Tor ne prunounces The Hollow Land'' the
/ llnestofthenine 'Notthat Is nds alone;
tHeJ arealemb; yonic, so to speak, Of what
/ - -'N'N' eNoA9 WIN LtuIEeGQ fCTtl q G II 10
| Story of the Giittering Plain A Tale OF
| the House Of the Wolfings' and The Well
| at the WORLDS End For 10 their fash
ioEiag went z youthful craftsmanship. in
! deed, lat craftsmanship only IN tlsd last
I year, when the utterances Of the poet.
artificer, dreamer OF happy dreams, fell
upon silence. The Hollow Land CON
tAins 10 uncertain hint Of things to come.
nor may we refuse 10 see in il the creative
| mind which shaped The Earthly Para
disc, that splendid pageantepic, second
.nly to tie older epos OF those
fllgrlnls that one morning rode
| Gut oi the gateway OF the Tlberd Inn.'
and who live henceforth forever in the
Acre of theUndying. - The Hollow Land,
| VIII De concluded in the BibeIot for Au-
gusT. PORTLAND. Me: John Mos her. Wash
| inGton: Woodward & Lothropl