The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-29

the form in which we have ia belated form
in a rhythm that approaches doggerel at
times, and that cannot compare in matter
or manner with the dignity Of the older
Morse versions. Mr.. Cobb tried to translate
literally and to preserve the metre OF the
original; in this he was remarkably SUCCESS
full, though often at the cost Of retaining a
German urn Of expression, which does not
detract from intelligibility, however. and
too often Of writing a line as prosaic In Eng
lish as It was in German. The book, We gre
sorry to see. Is posthumous, a fact that we
regret the more on account Of the excellence
of the fragments OF an introduction, which
Is fortunately printed as the author wrote it.
The English reader will get a very good idea
Of what the Ni~belungenlied really Is from
Mr.. Cobb's translation.
Every Irishman who cares for his country
and everybody who is interested in Ireland
may profit greatly from DR.. Patrick Wat
son Joyce's "A Smaller Social History Of
Ancient Ireland Nongmans, Green n
Company. There is nothing controversial
about the book, at least nothing the lay
man can controvert, for DR.. Joyce's is the
Ireland before the English set foot on it,
almost wholly. He who would dispute
about the antiquities and the customs
must turn to his larger book, where the
proofs and the instances are given. In this
little handbook, which is very prettily
gotten up and beautifully illustrated, is
the condensed but clear account Of the
old Irish antiquities, the government and
the laws, the language and literature, the
family relations, the sports, the fighting
and every detail of life. 1t is all founded
on sound facts, and helps to disentangle
the real Celtic Ireland from the network
of fable that has cast discredit on her his
tory. The actual achievement shown here
does not need the glamour of legend; il was
a civilization that Irishmen should be proud
of and should be able to talk about intel
ligently. Here are the compact results of
modern Irish scholarship; those who wish
TO inquire more deeply may turn TO the
larger Social History
A dozen or 50 Shakespearian essays by
Mr.. Sidney Lee are collected in Shakes
peare and the Modern Stage Charles
Scribner and Sons). They are magazine
articles, written by a competent scholar
in a pleasant, popular style, about matters
that may seem TO some rather ephemeral
and TO reflect somewhat personal opinions.
Mr.. Lee objects properly enough to spec
tacular stage settings for Shakespeare;
that we imagine is a question Of degree and
taste; he himself seems ready to accept in
Germany what he might reprove in England.
We fail to see how the question of pecuniary
success can affect the value OF an artistic
performance.
The task undertaken by some American
ladies Of seeking employment in various
branches of work for women in order to
obtain sociological data has been taken
up also in London by Olive Christian NAL
very. an Anglo-Indian, or possibly a Hindu
lady, we cannot max out from pictures or
text which she is, who describes her ex-
periences in The Soul Market CHutchin-
! son and Company, London. We cannot
discover from her story whether she pre-
oeded or followed the American experiment,
In her case the impelling motive was soci-
| ology pure and simple, although she also
reported for a newspaper. She informs
us that she possessed a voice Inc musical
training Of commercial value. The pictures
disclose hat she was too good looking To
be acceptable for domestic service. Hell
sociological cravings led her to take up in
succession a variety of the occupations
followed by the women of the slums OF
London; in these she seems from the pict.
ures to AVE been accompanied by a pho
t~ographer. She likewise ventured into
unpleasant and dangerous places, but with
an escort at hand. She succeeded in gather,
ing a large number of disagreeable anc
pitiful impressions which she ecounts il
this book very readably. 1t is possible tina
| the point Of view of the woman who works
for her living and the woman Of society
may be somewhat different as regards tn,
dismalness of life. Books Of this sort i'm
press US with the ease with which unframed
female labor may obtain work more thar
with the adaptability Of society women tC
any work that may turn up.
When a heaven born poet pours out q
steady stream Of poetry for nearly seventy
years it may be p~ardonable for the public
not to be familiar with all his output. Tn,
danger is that the hopelessness of mastering
IL all may keep readers wholly away. W.
therefore welcome the selection that Prof
Arthur Graves Garfield has made OF the