New-York tribune., 1907-03-03


when the trees are in blossom and sUHTa M anil
sweet breezes help to fH the idler With senssn
OF exquisite weIIbeing He is so Often rl1 yn
the studv bv scholarly commentafors t1r,ar1t-I
ing themselves with questions OF techr-r-o tis-d
toricaI influences and the like. that we a- osce-o
ciaIly grateful to Mr. Wyndham for q look
which instantly fixes ROnsari and the Il-ads
in the right perspective. and thenceforth aee-s
them there It is a delightful book. planned Vi n
perfect tact and executed with perfect SYM
pathy II is divided into three sections. Tts
first OF these Is given to a sketch Of the subject
which is historical and critical. but is above al
things concerned with bringing eat the charm of
Ronsard and his companions II the second sec
ton poems from Marot to Th6ODhiie de Nau
are given. and IT, The third Mr. Wyndham offers
a number OF more than clever translations We
can Imagine no better volume for the purposes
OF the reader Unacquainted with French poetry.
and desirous Of obtaining not only an instruc-
tive but really inspiring introduction 70 one =
its most brilliant periods
French literature. emerging from the rn'sts =
the Middle Ages into the clear daylight " he
Renaissance was stiH uncertain Of many things.
but absolutely sure of at least one.-the JOY or
being alive. 1t vas confronted by a world zore'y
troubled through the fermentation OF society AMI
tn ursettIed state Of politics. but nevertheless
world r;4diantIy beautiful. and thr.'s with
messages to the poetic imagination Joachim du
Belay well illustrates the prevailing mood o. he
poets in "L'OHve- For them
With Love and grace and most eyyalted w.-tr
:, o-1 Jre roho OF changing colour ana s-ats
Shot through with light
The world was steeped in IoveIiness ard mrth.
tn. sea was STILL and the winds wrath allIyed
The PIsiade burst into song Ike nest of
nirbtfrraIes. and their verses bring back the
very light and air OF their ecstatic moment Yet
10 this day you VIII find Spartan 1-s s-s7ors
mumbIng obscure complaints about tae artfrs
employed by these happy Iyrists. The point is
not altogether unjustIy taken. NJ one --n study
the poetry u the time without observing that
a good deal OF artifce went 10 The a.-al.s of II
But no one who studies it with mind
can fail 10 see that the artifce Of the P.ziads
was extraordinarily free from chat n r. dry
ness and mechanical adroitress which che term
so often connotes. MI WynGhaw -.'-I.ng 70
Ronsard's character pawph.e-ee- speaks
OF him as a phiIosophic cocse-va-..a ty TEN
permanent" He and all his comrades lad a
other words the sense q measure "--.h is a
the Latin genius. and they ~.r- a..-- tae-
task of renovatiu, the national poetry 10 7ncs
with sayety and with Il feeling Z -.=-t1s.sL-,y
toward the literary ideal which 81 rl.- from The
revival u classical learning Like I.-.. before
tongue 70 the noblest uses. but 1-..- .t.as we're
also coming out II Italy in a.. .c L-y and g71-
Grafton. the disciplinary ideas .- same
scholarship. and so. French a.-- ~, 5
house ia order it raised an altar i1 every cham
Der 70 the beauty of the antique
Ronslrd ard the rest would NJ 0.. = -Har
hearts the -omaEtic Ioveijness os ,r -.=e eut
IS they did 50 they would Try ~ O., --hy q
the classics that had come swim- rs l.-, t1eir
ken The poet. rs Du Relay, s,it Uas read
Greek and Latin authors day ana p" but
also he was 20 develop his own i1d-, -la-,l,y-
Mr. Vyndharn. following the subject not .
that the PI5ilde called into be-r- l.-est' Sc,
almost a wilderness of beauty. farit ca0-ot
deny il intricate and Iuxu-..ut io i.s --0V-N,
Haunting its Y-ofusion. r1,lI as -uilse-~-1er =
mad" but Re adds in the midst ,hey g,l1-ed
4 tree ~ knowledgc,~ They were. n H bo-a
revolutionary and constructive What .s-y ga
as constructive pioneers W. WyoL.1- Iuu-l-
uousIy summarizes in the following
T.ev settled 3ccfsfv~ly a-t long before we tl
tNat Tho rnatre- tr-~-lNS ~ \r-trr~- ~-,e sd
rot Greek or Latin. Se-" n tt eyilrr t1r a.
,jlat~ expression. and tV0l it.I fr highest
Ti--Nts - poetry That -cS '-cS -e f'r~t
for thj-E~. tNat rry roe is 20 .-re -cfsS.ty
Toy is -i-S modern languages wh.Et 's. 0- t"1-
rttr glIr tit..S. lUt treas .-' 1t.tt t - 0-'7
ory ~ lls-i. verse. t9lt modern p et-r -lS m
t.' .tlte-. .tl uut r0 tc. t'". v-tIr" ST. NS ,
i-N ru.-~t p" -'rt-.ycf i- eNr-orl~. fs-r --e
.rI rrt in -t--.-v r.rrr.l l..-,..-5 'cf e..r--s