Page images
PDF
EPUB

simple study of Nature as opposed to the frigid study of society and morals, never did die out, but that its traditions were carried on by an unbroken chain of writers in spite of the dazzling attractions which the magnificent verse of Pope held out to every young rhymer.

It is not to be supposed that even these lovers of the country succeeded in freeing themselves entirely from the influence of the age which produced • Windsor Forest. Lady Winchilsed, who has been named with praise by Wordsworth himself, affords a good example of this. In the following passage from her 'Nocturnal Reverie':

"The loos'd horse now, as his pasture leads, Comes slowly grazing through the adjoining meads,

Whose stealing pace and lengthened shade we fear,

Till torn-up forage in his teeth we hear ';

6

we clearly see a study from rustic life, depicted in simple and appropriate language. But only a few lines before we have been inflicted with darkened groves' wearing 'softest shadows' and sun-burned hills,' concealing their swarthy looks,' and we remember that the fair author was a correspondent of Pope's.

The same singular mixture is observable in the poetry of Parnell. Mr. Gosse, in his prefatory remarks (at p. 134) justly remarks that the 'Hermit' may be considered the apex and chef d'œuvre of Augustan poetry in England.' Yet his hymn to Contentment' contains passages which breathe the love of Nature in the poet's mind and the awakening sense that inanimate objects have a word to say to us. Moon and stars, and seas, he says,

"The field whose ears conceal the grain,
The yellow treasure of the plain;

All of these, and all I see

Should be sung and sung by me: They speak their Maker as they can, But want and ask the tongue of man.' Thomson's 'Seasons' are too well known to need more than a passing allusion. Wonderful as his description of the varied aspects of an English country-side undoubtedly are, they remain, in our opinion, pen photographs only. In Thomson, British poetry seemed to be recovering the essential faculty of looking at Nature with its own eyes instead of through the medium of distorting pseudo-classicism, and the not

less important power of recording those impressions in honest blank verse, free from the entrapping influences of rhyme. But these tasks seemed to exhaust Thomson's powers. He could draw a religious moral from his winter landscape or overworked peasant, but he took his meanings out for a walk with him, and did not draw them out of the objects he studied. The two lines of Parnell's quoted above, which we have italicised, will serve to illustrate the difference between the attitude which these poets of the dawning revival observed towards hill and flood and the standpoint from which Wordsworth regarded the same natural phenomena. The earlier writers granted a message to the moon and the flowers, but that message was subordinated to the tongue of man,' which was to express it, and, in the expression, too often coloured it with his own impressions. Wordsworth would allow that man's voice is needed to formulate and publish forth as it were the viewless thoughts with which scaur and fell inspire him. But at the same time those thoughts were so clear to him and their meaning so unmistakable that the tongue of man' became the mere instrument to record them with in fitting words. To one set of poets the interpreter was everything, to the other school he occupied a subservient position to the dim natur-bilden' whose message was breathed upon his lips.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Dyer next claims our attention. In his poem of Grongar Hill' he plays as it were a softer, simpler prelude to the grand music which Shelley afterwards elicited from the same lyre in his 'Lines written among the Euganean Hills.' Allowing for the difference in poetic spirit and in the grandeur of the associations awakened by the several landscapes, it is wonderful what a similarity of thought and diction is to be traced in the two

kindred poems. To Dyer's eyes

'Rushing from the woods, the spires
Seem from hence ascending fires.'

Venice, on the distant horizon of Shelley's gaze, presents him with the same idea, more nobly and more fully expressed:

'Column, tower, and dome and spires
Shine like obelisks of fire,
Pointing with inconstant motion
From the altar of dark ocean

To the sapphire-tinted skies ;-'

After Dyer, Collins snatches up the lamp of natural poetry and passes it on to Gray. We can only afford space for one quotation from Collins, and that will serve to show how much wider and nobler was the view he took of Nature than was that of his contemporaries. Dyer sang from the material altitude of Grongar, but Collins lifts himself in imagination till, piercing at once the bounds of time and space, he sees all Britain lying beneath him, joined as old tradition tells us to the opposing shore and the 'silver streak of sea' effaced, while the Gaul is

Passing with unwet feet through all our land,'

With bold imagery he calls us to behold

'And see, like gems, her laughing train, The little isles on every side,'

[ocr errors]

and the beauty of the description is enhanced by the proud boast which closes the antistrophe of the ode, that this 'blest divorce' is owing to Liberty, who destined England's vales to be her loved, her last abode.' This has been a fruitful thought and a favourite one among our later poets; Tennyson sings 'God bless the narrow seas that keep her off!' and Wordsworth, in one of his noble sonnets, gave expression to his feeling of surprise at beholding on a clear day,

The coast of France,-the coast of France how near!

Drawn almost into frightful neighbourhood,
I shrunk,for verily the barrier flood
Was like a lake, or river bright and fair,
A span of waters; yet what power is there!
What mightiness for evil and for good!'

To pass to Gray, we prefer to take our typical quotation from his ode On the Progress of Poesy,' rather than from the

[ocr errors]

Elegy,' beautiful as the descriptive passages in the latter poem undoubtedly are. But for our present purpose, and to show how a grand thought could be drawn from natural imagery and couched in simple phrase by a contemporary of Johnson, we prefer to adduce the wellknown couplet descriptive of the abandonment by the Muses of their favourite Grecian haunts,

Where each old poetic mountain
Inspiration breathed around.'

To Gray's lofty mind Hymettus and Parnassus had imbibed the atmosphere of poesy with which Greek bards had surrounded them, until they were themselves ready to part with it again in the

form of an inspiration purer, more intense and more refined than they had at first breathed into the souls of their earliest admirers. The poet and the mountain act and react on each other, a noble thought and one which the school of Pope was incapable of producing.

In Warton we find some occasional touches, such as the picture of the hawthorn hedge in spring

'Which, to the distant eye, displays
Weakly green its budding sprays'

that plainly shows he possessed an observant eye for the more delicate and unobtrusive aspects of the seasons. But it is when we come to Chatterton that we appreciate the full tide of life that was ready to invigorate the system of English poetry. No piece of Pre-Raphaelite word-embroidery such as Tennyson's lovely picture of the clustering marish-mosses' in Mariana exceeds for truth and delicacy of execution some of Chatterton's descriptions, as the passage in one of his Eclogues in which Robert the neat-herd, wails his 'king-cup-deckèd leas.'

'My garden whitened with the cumfreyplant,

My flower-Saint-Mary glinting with the light.'

In dealing with Chatterton's archaic spelling and oft-times imaginary words, Mr. W. F. Watts (who sub-edits the selections from his works) has adopted a curious and it seems to us a mistaken plan. The untouched text of Chatterton has, no doubt, a repulsive look to the modern reader, but when we consider how much harmony depends on the sound of a word or the turn of an expression, we should hesitate in substituting a modern phrase even if we could get one that bears exactly the same meaning. Mr. Watts keeps enough of Chatterton's mannerisms to necessitate the use of notes, but in the majority of cases he alters the text at his own sweet will. Nor does he exercise his discretion wisely, as will appear when we note that he retains 'abrodden' for 'abruptly,' and yet alters the by no means unknown word 'nesh' into 'slim,' at once thereby making a very fine line descend into the depths of common-place.

When we find Cowper in his most natural mood, he gives us charming peeps into English rural scenery, as for instance that delightful little piece on the

felled poplar trees (p. 481). At other times, and except for a naturally stronger infusion of religious sentiment, he seems to us to follow in Thomson's footsteps too closely for us to class his country scenes in any way apart from those of his predecessor. On the whole, he appears to belong more to the past than the present. It is with an effort we put ourselves in his place. But immediately after him come Burns and a troop of minor Scotch song-writers, and we feel at once the fresh breeze of to-day stirring around our temples. We must refrain from selections, all we need say is, take down your Burns and remind yourselves, if you need reminding, how many of the master-chords of your nature are touched by him on every page. He finds the soul of goodness in things evil'from the 'wee, sleekit, cowrin', tim'rous beastie,' typical of the minor destructive powers of creation, up to ‘auld nickie-ben' himself, the prince of the powers of the air, who might,-how can we tell?-have a chance yet if he would His birt 'tak a thought an' men'.' loves were loved in the open air, and the songs that tell of them have the sough of the wind, the lilt of the laverock and the rush of the brook running through them all. The good and the true, he champions under whatever lowly form he may descry it; the hypocrite, the fanatic and the knave need not expect by sheltering themselves behind a national religion to escape his scorn and his derision. Long may the fearless spirit of Burns be considered as typical of the spirit of the age which he ushered in!

William Blake differed from Burns in this, that he had no audience. To what pitch of clarity he might have attained had his verses been on the lips of young and old, rich and poor, we may imagine but, alas! can never know. Starting from a wonderful simplicity which enthrals one with all the charm of holy words uttered by a childish tongue, the growing depths of meaning within him seemed gradually to exceed his power of expression. We have seen paintings by

great masters which to the untutored eye appear masses of confused colour ;you must find out the proper distant stand-point before even the subject is comprehensible to you. So it is with

the mass of Blake's works. Unfortunately in the case of his so-called prophetical works, the stand-point is irretrievably lost,-yet there can be no doubt that the mind which grasped all the majesty of the Book of Job and embodied it in the finest designs that ever lived beneath the graver of a biblical artist, must have had vast and kindred thoughts well worthy of being treated in epic form. That he was imbued with such mighty fancies we know from his poem of The Tiger, which ranks with Behemoth and Job's Warhorse as one of the grandest conceptions in our tongue : 'When the stars threw down their spears, And watered heaven with their tears, Did He smile His work to see?

Did He who made the lamb make thee?' With Blake this volume closes, but with his poetry a new school sprang full-armed into being. The fact is amply recog nised now that Coleridge and Wordsworth are followers of Blake, and that they did but, as Swinburne puts it, entrench at day break the ground he had occupied over night. It will, however, we think, be apparent from what we have said, that in several important points English poets always kept alive that love of nature the credit of reviving which has been improperly fathered upon Wordsworth, and that among the frigidly correct versifiers of our Augustan age there were always a chosen few who did not bend the knee to Baal.

A few misprints remain to be noticed. At page 74 springes' is transformed into the monosyllable springs,' to the destruction of the metre of one of Pope's lines; at p. 106 'not' takes the place of 'nod' and spoils the sense; similarly at p. 181 sate is made to read 'fate,' probably attributable to the old form of long s. in the original.

A

LITERARY NOTES.

COLLECTION of the scattered letters, published chiefly in the daily newspapers, from 1840 to 1880, by John Ruskin, and now edited by an Oxford pupil, is one of the latest issues of the English press. The collection is comprised in two volumes and bears the title of Arrows of the Chase.'

Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, wellknown to our readers as Ambassador for a lengthened period of the British Government at Constantinople, has just issued a volume on the Eastern Question.' The work consists of a selection of His Lordship's writings during the last five years of his life.

A well-deserved compliment has just been paid by the University of Oxford to the head of the house of Messrs Macmillan & Co., the eminent London publishers. That venerable institution recently conferred on Mr. Alexander Macmillan, the honorary degree of M. A., in recognition of his services as publisher for the past seventeen years to the Clarendon Press. The honour, though unusual, is a fitting one.

The Boston Literary World, of the 26th February, devotes a large portion of its pages to the publication of a series of commemorative papers on the poet Longfellow, who, on that day, had reached his seventy-fourth birthday. Among the contributors to the issue we notice two Canadians, Mr. George Stewart, junr., at one time editor of this magazine, and Mr. F. Blake Crofton, of Truro, N.S., a contributor to our pages. Both papers are gracefully written and are marked by loving sympathy with, and intelligent appreciation of, the New England poet. Mr. Stewart's theme is 'Longfellow in Canada,' and treats of his influence on the literary thought of the Dominion, particularly among the song-writers of the French Province. Mr. Crofton takes

Evangeline' for his text, and quotes passages from the poem to show the fidelity, as well as the felicity, of the poet's pictures of scenes in Acadie and of the local colouring to be found in the poem.

Mr. Longfellow must have been gratified by these tributes from the Dominion.

Our

Native literary taste and ability allied to artistic skill, and the poetic gifts of execution in the engraver, are now being organized, in the hands of the Art Publishing Co. of Toronto (Messrs. Belden & Co.), with the design of producing one of the most sumptuous art-books which the native publisher has ever dreamed of giving to the Canadian book-buyer. The project is to publish in a series of some thirty parts, at a cost of sixty cents each, a work entitled 'Picturesque Canada: Our Country as it was and is,' with descriptions, by pen and pencil, of the most characteristic scenery of Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific. towns, cities, lakes and water-ways, with the industries, occupations and sports of our people, will be graphically delineated and vividly portrayed; while glimpses of the historic life of the country, consisting of scenes in the Indian, French, and American wars, the explorations of voyageurs and missionaries, and the pioneering work of the emigrant, will be given from the most authentic sources, to add to the charm and interest of the book. The literary part of the work is to be under the editorship of Principal G. M. Grant, the art department under Mr. L. R. O'Brien, President of the Royal Canadian Academy, and the engraving under the superintendence of Mr. G. F. Smith-men thoroughly competent to perform their duties and to give assurance of the high character of the enterprise. Over $100,000, it is confidently stated, is to be spent on the work, an amount which will be the best guarantee of its excellence and worth. Already the book has been generously subscribed for, and its patrons may look at an early day for its initial numbers.

Mr. Le Moine, of Quebec, whose delightful historical papers, enshrined in the several series of Maple Leaves,' are so well known to Canadian readers, has just published an inaugural address, read before the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, on 'The Scot in New

France.' The address deals at great length with the records of Scottish heroism and enterprise, gathered over a period of three hundred and fifty years, from the historical and biographical annals of the French Province. The brochure is enriched by an appendix, containing interesting information res

pecting eminent Scotchmen, who have played a part in French Canadian affairs. It should be read in connection with Mr. Rattray's able and exhaustive work on 'The Scot in British North America,' the second volume of which we are glad to learn is just about to issue from the press.

BRIC-A-BRAC.

'The Story of an Honest Man,' is the title of Edmund About's latest work. Is it necessary to add that it is a work of fiction?

[ocr errors]

An old judge of the New York Supreme Court, meeting a friend in a neighbouring village, exclaimed, Why, what are you doing here?' 'I'm at work, trying to make an honest living,' was the reply. Then you'll succeed,' said the judge; for you'll have no competition.'

As a well known professor was one day walking near Aberdeen, he met an individual of weak intellect. 'Pray,' said the professor, 'how long can a person live without brains?' 'I dinna ken,' replied Jemmy, scratching his head. 'How auld are ye yersel' ?

[ocr errors]

'How shall I have my bonnet trimmed,' asked Maria, so that it will agree with my complexion?' 'If you want it to match your face, have it plain,' replied the hateful Harriet.

Ministers very seldom attend balls, but we caught one the other day, and really saw him dance. It was a snowball, and he attended it right behind the ear. He danced to his own music for about five minutes, and then sashayed' down the street after the boy.

[ocr errors]

The greatest evils in life have had their rise from something which was thought of far too little importance to be attended to.

Women are happier in the love they inspire than in that which they feel; men are just the contrary.

'Neuralgia' is the charming name borne by a charming girl. Her fond mother found it on a medicine bottle, and was captivated with its sweetness.

'Really, my dear,' said Mr. Jones to his better-half, you have sadly disappointed me! I once considered you a jewel of a woman, but you've turned out only a bit of matrimonial paste.' "Then, my love,' was the reply, sole yourself with the idea that paste is very adhesive, and will stick to you as long as you live.'

con

A pedagogue endeavoured to instil prudence into the minds of his pupils by making them count a hundred slowly before speaking, or, in a matter of importance five hundred. Finishing a lecture upon the subject, he took his stand by the stove, and, after some minutes, observed that the lips of all his scholars were moving slowly and noiselessly. Presently and simultaneously they all broke out, Four hundred and ninety-nine! Five hundred ! Master, your coat-tails are all on fire!'

On being requested to stand as godmother to twin children of a friend, a lady who was an enthusiastic collector of old china consented on condition that she was allowed to name them. Her request being granted, she called one Bric and the other Brac, saying that when

« PreviousContinue »