New-York tribune., 1908-11-12
A MINOR SINGER
Edmund Gosse's Literary Recre-
ot;ons-Biographer and Critic.
London. October 2s.

arser and critic than poet. yet there are |
.,sh+ volures Of his highly polished and refined !
,.z-se and the last one. issued by MI Hsine- |
nam while lacking the youthful ardor of 'On |
1-sr1 snd Flute and King Erik is superior in
.--- and more refined IN feeling The Autumn
Garden Is collection Of lyrics. sonnets, songs
,rsr-iptfons and verses Of occasion written dur
ing the last ten twelve years at home or
abroad These are the recreations of man OF
letters preoccupied with biography and essays
s7 criticism and with the -easures and priv
'leEes os official life Whether he is dreaming
among his books or taking a holiday journey in
Norway or Italy. he writes poetry only when he
IS A q mood for j., and does IL with the air
cF an ahsent-mnded musician improvising
srstcAes OF melody. II is his pleasure and he
taxes II sadly. like many another Englishman.
"71e flowers IN his garden lack the fragrance Of
spring blooms and the brilliant hues OF summer.
They are pale. beleted blossoms, roses chilled by
the anticipation OF frost violets shrinking from
she dusty roadside, sprigs of faded rosemary in
reu7euhranCe OF vanished golden moons and
The lapse Of years Ike sand" II is with
measure ste7 and IN a pensive mood Of rehec-
zion that he rambles almost aimlessly among
1he flower beds. expecting dsilluson at every
furn and seeking even in an intellectual
stacy for an anudote for life's long i'll"
One poets = cheerier note from the Eilded
chambers where Mr.. C4osse has found = con-
dustry. Probably 10 man Of letters ever had
more sorabre childhood than he has himself de
Ecribed IN Father and Son. has there
been 4 more srduous apprenticeship than his
service assistant librarian Of the British Mu-
scum d translator the Board Of Trade
But ss -brsrian Of the House Of Lords he has
pccupatioE IS cougenia1 as the company and
ample leisure fer writing literary biography. in
uhich his only living rival is Viscount Morley
The drudgery Of official routine book reviewing
snd pot0oiItns has ended. and he ranks
among the most prosperous authors in England.
The srn4rtest drawing rooms open TO him.
his companions are peers Of the realm and occu-
pants Of Jhe front benches Of the Commons. and
n writes much OF little he likes and
has long holidays for Continental travel and
she renewal - acquaintsnoes with literary
celebrities Mr.. Gosse in reality is one Of the
fsppiest and most -ontented among Londoners
since the later conditions Of his life have been
arranged entirely his taste Yet in these
poetic irprov1sations he writes only in z minor
key Possibly his afr Of melancholy. conport-
ing with ave digging in Z vale Of rest comes
from that strange childhood in South Devon
shire which he has described with no little
PATHS Father and Son There seems 70
r distinct suggestion of II in this little lyric
sn1ttlel The Train of life from the new
volume
Ws s.. .-zos5 s5-t The BE 6lsak !5 -tars p and t-o.
While yellow lsrks. il heavens blue gloz.
Aa6 -ose-SPpsa lsrcbes. trtaze5 belo-.
SLo1e tsbu-oUsly green.
Ard es : watched ny -es-lesz sor
Leap over go-se and b-iz-.
AID 1el- hts golden nature -ur
,rers5gg52 55 I2rl s-59B.z s9B 22S 49,. 55 sppr
BESIDE another sire
Sudden The thirty vea-s sl,p -
Shot Ike : curtains rings
NJ father r-ezds tie rtdCe z-d
VIM. . e2Z 2ss 'ESs 5Ssr leaps Il Sc sn6 64.- 65ag Il.
Seem smiling re-de-est things
The struggle between religious fanaticisrn ana
--odern enlightenn1ent. described With hor1ely
~ezlisrn II that deeply interesting record Of his
=z-ly life Is also recalled the impressive lyric
- Night II Time ~ War containing the
passages.
Yes though nv soeprtc brain rejects
n s-res Chain causes ana sasots
TIE nerves retain their deep defects.
Ard s-u ny heart leaps II ny side
= 6uc-uzEr ark upon is tide
With -h-cbs and rh-oes urs1nc-ihed-
s. ssEass s2Hss :. ss 3a ne slE85fes 2izsRs F.: ::
7fse up e. nlerno--~. din behes-sr
- = @ @sszaag= & . 5s.l e. ne as s9g5 ss5 resume
The savage turning IN his tomb
ne blackbt-d's note n the autumn woods
nay not have the 1oyousness Of the spring
cards yet Il is as clear rs flute; and SO II is
7--h NJ. Cosse's verse His moods Of reflection
sr5 depressing. but the lyrics and sonnets are
-o-spicuous for purity of tone and luciditv Of
thought The Songs Of Roses are phrased
With exquisite refinement. and there Is beauty of
form with felicity Of expression in nearly all the
pens The rhyrning IS sometimes 50 Ingenious
~ 70 he almost TOO clever. but the lyric fow is
=-=r smooth and uninpeded by obscurity u
fought Not 80 grave and serious by nature
G. MS friend. Mr. Austin Dobson. he is less
vs-7essfuI II ballads and lighter themes because
-= does not allow himself 70 be mirthful and
r.svr5l In poems Ike Melancholy in the
arden" "Roserna-y.r 'Disiusion' and "A
Mood in Italy the svirling Of the dead leaves
s. seen. the whispering Of the expresses is
heard and the hopelessness Of vanished youth
I'D advancing years IS felt The fatal spectre
and rhe shrouded throng" are ever before this
r.oe-,s * To one who has morbid dread
a. growing Old the autumn woods and gardens
are haunted with intirnations Of mortality; but
when there Is serenity Of mind ike Ciceros in
advancing years they are transngured with
golden glory.
a pensive sadness pervades these verses Of
gloomy retrospect ard hopeless foreboding- The
~n-s-erles az life puzzle and bewilder Nj Gosse
He dos not affect 70 understand or interpret
them Is Wordsworth Tennyson. Browning ana
ether great masters have done by finding some
thing divine n everything. II the future IN
t~-ests him Il Is because he feels that there is
unknown beauty with an inscrutable magic for
-.z-erev+ vrorgrfppers and that the new born
so7,1s n -7er viii he stirred by new arts. new
-s--frres nevv desires Meanwhile, he has his
own roeric method. and he IS never weary OF
f-rrro-sng and temperng II To : man n cult
-r~= deighriuz in literature and leisure, the
method has become more important than TIE
D. -erge faEl- ate