The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-10
DESULTORIA.

The late Paul H. Hayne in one of
many letters to this writer extending
through more h a quarter of a CEN
fury, and n of the latest he wrote,
said that Tennyson was his favorite
poet. There are a great many sympa-
thetic, appreciative readers who share
in the same preference, and there are
able critics, like DR.. Henry Van Dyke,
who place him next to Milton; Shakes
peare being easily and far away su-
preme. In poetry he is indeed king of
kings. We think Tennyson the most
fascinating and satisfying Of poets
next to Shakespeare. He. is not so
great as Dante and Milton, but really
more enjoyable than either. We have
but just read again his earliest poems
of 185O-when but twenty-one. They
are simply exquisite and most beauti-
full, and yet they were condemned by
the critics of that time. The n excep-
ton perhaps was Arthur Henry Hal
lam, himself a youth who wrote in
warm appreciation of his dearest friend
and was to die in his early prime and
to be forever elnbalmed in the greatest
of elegiac poems, a work THAT will
iternie the names of both subject and
author. When one has that cast Of
mind that is responsive fully to the
great perfection, elegance, beauty,
melody and inspiration of the great
poet he is placed in possession of a.
@ $3.50 I'LL L-:-- I;o 40 c1rrnd
delight and the greatest satisfaction.
Tt will be interesting to some of our
readers to learn that, an excellent n
volume edition has been lately issued
by Messrs. Houghton, Mif1in & Co., of
Boston. 1t is a Household Edition. and
if every way choice. 1t contains near
ly 1000 pages and is yet easy to handle.
It contains all of the poetic works of
Tennyson, including his several dramas
which we lake leave to say are of very
genuine merit. and deserve to rank
with the very best English dramatic
writings since "the spacious times or
great Elizabeth" In fact, we believe
his three ablest dramas are equal to the
best Of this century, and rank Well
with Byron's Manfred" Shelley's
"Cenci" and others of a later date. The
type of the new edition is good and
the paper is thin and Opaque. 1t has
been edited with much care, the pub
fishers stating that "the text Of Dr..
Rolfe's Cambridge edition has been fol-
lowed, a valuable biographical sketch
is prefixed, the lines of the longer
poems are numbered. and indexes OF
first lines and titles are given. One
hundred and twenty-seven illustrations
are included, the best eve mad for
Tennyson's poems; and a new and very
attractive style of binding has been
adopted. In all it's features, this New
Household Tennyson is a most desira-
BILE edition Of a very remarkable body
of poetry, and is the most fully illus
trated edition of Tennyson ever pub
lished." We write from knowledge of
the work as re-reading for the eighth
or tenth time the "Juvenilia" we have
handled it. A striking portrait of the
illustrious poet-an imposing PERSONAL
ty-when in vigor of middle-age is the
frontispiece. The illustrations help and
some are of much artistic beauty and
some are famous, having appeared in
the past in English editions. The critic
of The New York Tribune says of the
pictures that he regards as still en-
chanting that "Rossetti's Sir Gala
had remaiss one of his most charac-
t~eristic and-most beautiful drawings,
and Hunts Lady of Shalott exerts un-
dimmed it's charm of poetic imagina-
ton and sinuous line. This illustration
of Hunts, in fact, is one of mis- master
pieces. Alone it would have warranted
the reissue of the Household Edition.
which is, however, acceptable on every
ground" The price is low-$2.00.
We lately wrote an article on the eff
fort to sell the 600 edition of Harry
Timrod's poems. and cOpied some very