New-York tribune., 1899-11-14
NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS.

Tn the introduction TO his STANDARD English
Poems. Spenser 10 Tennyson' Henry Holt &
70, Mr. Henry S Pancoast states that above
all things he has wished to make his book use
ful TO the student OF poetry. ard his work VIII
undoubtedly he helpful in schools. Aso we De-
ueve II will be received cordially by all lovers
of poetry whether elementary students or not.
Basing his selections the individual excellence
and historic Importance Of the poems the eoltor
has not allowed his fidelity to the latter test 10
overrule his taste. and there is very little mat
ter in the book which is historically Significant
alone First and last. this is an anthology or
the best poetry. The notes are voluminous and
practical. Only two points would we crltlclse.
The index of titles is satisfactory but 1t Woulo
also have been well to include index of first
lines Secondly while the manufacture OF the
book is substantial-as it should be for school
purposes-Mr. Pancoast deserved little hand-
soner form for the fruits Of his labors.
Since the collection of poems Of childhood has
become a common practice among latter DAY
anthoogists, are glad that 1t has occurred
10 Mr. r Brney Johnson to make selection
from the numerous poems Of W. B. Rands'
writer Of the sixties whose work is not as
familiar TO the present generation as 1t ought
to be- "Liliput Lyrics" John Lane is the title
OF this reprint. which contains number OF
capital drawings by Mr. Charles Robinson,
whose art is exactly adapted TO the Illustration
OF the poet The title page and cover are
printed in colors. AS example Of Randss
work we may quote the following lines:
Rat-tat the postman knocks!
This is the Lilliput letter box.
penny for your thoughts, my dear!
So said the raven in Odins ear
Here comes letter from Thing amy Bob.
a letter from Ruth. a letter from Rob.
Rat-tat. the postman knocks!
This is the Lilliput letter box
Although Mrs. Lucy W. Thacher threatens to
belle the subtitle Of The Listening Child" CThe
Macmillan Company. which signifies that the
book contains a selection from the stores of
English Made for the Youngest Readers
and Hearers" we cannot really find fault with
her inclusion Of more than one production
nominally attuned to ears other than those OF
children After all. there could be no greater
mistake than that of supposing that juvenile
readers can only appreciate the baldest and
most trivial jnglcs. 1t is not indispensable that
a child should wholly understand every poem
that he reads. If the poem is a masterpiece its
spirit will penetrate beyond the halting intellect
Of the youngest reader and nsensibly as he de-
velops, he will feel more and more critical more
and more at home with the best and ever more
impatient with the worst Mrs. Thacher has
proceeded with discretion. She has included
songs transparent and songs symboical but in
every she has taken pains to illustrate the
finer quality Of verse, and her book will serve
well the purpose of implanting good taste in
minds unaware. in any philosophical sense, Of
what good taste means.
Those little books to which we have often
had occasion to refer with lively approval null
tiply apace. From the Macmillan Company we
have received the eighth and ninth of the ten
volumes in which Norths translation Of "Plu-
tarchs Lives is appearing. in the series Of
Temple Classics" Also in the same series we
have Walton's "Compleat Angler" Herrck's
Poems" in two volumes. Sterne's Sentimental
Journey" Wordsworths "Sonnets' Seneca on
Benefits" IN the seventeenth century transla-
tion of Thomas Lodge; the Thoughts on Di-
vines and Philosophers" selected by Basil Mon
tagu. and The Life and Death of Thomas
Wolsey," by George Cavendish In their series
OF Pocket English Classics" printed in less
luxurious but no less convenient form than are
the Temple Classics" the Macmillans pub
lish Browning's Shorter Poems" selected and
edited by F. r. Baker; Coopers Last of the
Mohicans." edited by w. K. Wicks. and the
Merchant OF Venice" edited by Charlotte W
Underwood
Cassell's National Library" is another useful
series Of reprints published in the cheapest pos
sibe form, but still very acceptable. Occasional
ly the compression of big book into the tjnv
form Of these paper covered volumes has neces
Stated the use Of an excessively small type but
I1tv he rft,f