would, in fact, offer suggestions enough, and
quotations enough, for a very long article.
Ünder its slightness there are often wise
remarks, as, for example, when at Florence
Mr. James hits upon the real central truth
about art, that it is not a thing to be
preached about or scolded about in the "angry
governess style, but to be freely and happily
enjoyed.

"Art is the one corner of human life in which
we may take our ease. . . . In other places our
passions are conditioned and embarrassed. . .
Art means an escape from all this. Wherever
her brilliant standard floats, the need for apolo-
gies and exonerations is over; there it is
enough simply that we please, or that we are
pleased. There the tree is judged only by its
fruits. If these are sweet, one is welcome to
pluck then.... As for Mr. Ruskin's world of
art being a place where we may take life
easily, woe to the luckless mortal who enters
it with any such disposition. Instead of a
garden of delight, he finds a sort of assize
court, in perpetual session. Instead of a place
in which human susceptibilities are lightened
and suspended, he finds a region governed by
a kind of Draconic legislation. His responsi-
bilities, indeed, are tenfold increased; the gulf
between truth and error is for ever yawning at
his feet; the pains and penalties of this same
error are advertised in apocalyptic terminology
upon a thousand sign-posts; and the poor
wanderer soon begins to look back with infinite
longing to the lost paradise of the artless."
This is truly and very forcibly stated. The
best quality of the artist, as Prof. Seeley has
pointed out, is to possess a higher power of
enjoyment than others, so that he may be a
minister of enjoyment to them; and it might
easily be shown that the highest function of
the critic is not to attack works of art, but
simply to take pleasure in good ones, and get
them well preserved and well cared for, and
estimated at their proper value. It is by no
means a frivolous or an unnecessary function,
in a time of hurried and often destructive
industry, to be the friend and defender of
the beautiful.

P. G. HAMERTON.

Lessons from the Rise and Fall of the English
Commonwealth. Six Lectures by J. Allanson
Picton. (Alexander & Shepheard.)
THE biographer of Oliver Cromwell has turned
to account his great knowledge of the heroic
period in the seventeenth century by deliver-
ing a series of lectures in which he has
endeavoured to show what political lessons
we may derive from a study of the English
Commonwealth. Mr. Picton is, we believe,
considered to belong to the more advanced
section of the Liberal party. There are many
passages in these Lectures which seem evi-
dence of the fact, and yet he has given us
one of the most conservative books we
have ever read. We are, of course, using
the word in a somewhat different sense to
that in which it is employed when the
party politics of the day are spoken of.
is a great mistake to read into the great
struggle between a "divine right" king and
a people determined to develop their in-
herited freedom any of the exciting cries
which have stirred the public mind during the
present generation. Mr. Picton does not do
this. He leaves it to ignorant and violent
people to tell us how the methods which were
found effective in a past age might be useful

It

in this or that part of the empire at present.
His object is, rather, to show that violence
was even then a great evil, only to be en-
countered when no other means of deliverance
from despotism could be devised; and he points
out in eloquent words that all the reasonable
wants of Englishmen may now be attained by
the slow but sure means of educating the
masses until they really desire them, and are,
as a consequence, worthy of them.

Mr. Picton's idea of what England may
become is a very noble one, though too
slight to be criticised in detail. It is certainly
very widely different from that unorganised
and stupid democracy which some people tell
us is the future to which we are drifting.
Liberty," he tells us,

from the exaggeration so tempting to writers who, having to make the most of their travels and experiences, delight in impressing on us how much we are left behind in the race by our children. Mr. Twopeny not only describes well, but with a considerable sense of humour. After giving a general account of Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide, he proceeds to tell us how their inhabitants live, what their houses are like, and how furnished; what they eat, and how they dress. He gives a laughable description of Australian servants, babies, and school-boys (these last, most objectionable individuals), and then proceeds to the more serious subjects of education, morals, religion, politics, and literature.

As yet, the native-born Australian is in a minority; the majority of adults are Englishborn colonists. The author enquires what modification the middle-class Englishman undergoes in Australia.

"requires mutual concession, nay, mutual sub-
ordination; and equality implies something
more than the sentiment of citizenship-it
implies reverence for humanity in every form,
when disguised by conventional rank as well
as when marred and begrimed by toil."
"In some ways a deterioration; in others, an
This is, of course, true; and it is a kind of itself in an increased love of dram, and espe-
amelioration. The deteriorating tendency shows
truth which requires insisting on when violent cially spirit, drinking; in apparel and general
people, whether progressive or reactionary, carelessness; and in a roughening of manner
talk nonsense in political speeches. We think, and an increase of selfishness.
The improve-
however, that Mr. Picton has failed to tell ment lies chiefly in greater independence of
the whole truth. He has denounced the manner and thought, in a greater amount of
game-laws and the land-laws, as they deserve, thought, and in enlarged and more tolerant
perhaps, even with a somewhat one-sided kindness of heart, and in a more complete
views, in less reserve and morgue, in additional
energy; but he has not so clearly pointed out realisation of the great fact of human brother-
that, before his ideal of a free commonwealth hood. In Australia a man feels himself a
can come within measurable distance of attain-unit in the community, a somebody; in Eng-
ment, there must be many reforms in social land he is one among twenty-seven millions,
feelings and in the minor morals. The present a nobody. This feeling brings with it a greater
generation of English people would be as
sense of self-respect and responsibility. Alto-
unable to preserve such a state of things as
gether, then, it may be said that the balance of
he dreams of from corruption and decay as improvement rather than of deterioration. The
the modification is generally on the side of
the great and good men who succeeded Oliver Englishman in Australia improves more than
Cromwell were to hinder the restoration of he deteriorates; and this is the more true the
the man whom Mr. Picton rightly calls a lower you descend in the social scale. It may
"drunken, debauched adventurer."
be doubted whether the really well-educated
man the gentleman,' in short, to use the
word in its technical sense of a man well born,
well bred, and well educated-generally im-
proves in the colonies. As a rule, I should say
he deteriorates."

We wish Mr. Picton would continue his
lectures, and give us some of the lessons to
be drawn from the reign of Charles II. To
us it seems that that foul time, when the
Court harlots seem to have been the most

decent people among the gang that surrounded
the King, has lessons as well worth study as
that which preceded it. Shaftesbury and
Titus Oates, Lady Castlemaine and Nell Gwin,
are not such pleasant objects of contemplation
as the men and women who struggled, suf-
fered, and died for the idea of freedom in the
former age. As we may trace much of the
present liberty to the latter, so we believe
much of the foulness, vice, and wanton dis-
regard for the rights of others which shocks
every well-ordered mind is directly due to
the herd of swine which ruled us from the
period of the Restoration to the Revolution.
EDWARD PEACOCK.

Town Life in Australia. By R. E. N.
Twopeny. (Elliot Stock.)

THIS interesting and amusing book was origin-
ally written in letters, each of which now
makes a convenient chapter. Mr. Twopeny
is observant, and describes graphically what
he sees. If anyone desires to know what the
Australians are like, and what their every-day
life is, he cannot do better than send for
Town Life in Australia. It is refreshing to
read a book on some of our great colonies free

The chapters on servants and food are espe cially amusing. We have all heard of the difficulty of getting decent servants in the colonies. Very few native-born Australians will take to domestic service; and, though there are constant shipments of servants from home, they probably consist of not even second-rate ones. From Mr. Twopeny's account of the accommodation (or, rather, want of accommodation) for them in most of the better class of Australian houses, it is easy to see that even large wages would not make such service tolerable to good servants. As to good cooks, they are not to be found in Australia, nor, indeed, do the rich Australians feel the want of them; and, as no one keeps a kitchen-maid, there are no young servants to be trained up as cooks. The style of living of all classes is abundant indeed, but of the simplest kind.

"Of course, meat is the staple of Australian life. A working-man whose whole family did not eat meat three times a day would indeed be a phenomenon. High and low, rich and poor, hottest weather. Not that they know how to all eat meat to an incredible extent, even in the working and middle, as well as to most of the prepare it in any delicate way, for, to the wealthy, classes, cooking is an unknown art.

In

You

The meat is roast or boiled, hot or cold, some-
times fried or hashed. It is not helped in mere
lices, but in good substantial hunks.
everything the colonist likes quantity.
can hardly realise the delight of 'tucking in'
to a dish of fruit at a dinner party. I once
heard a colonist say, 'I don't like your nasty
little English slices of meat; we want some-
thing that we can put our teeth into.' . . . I
have not yet described the food of any but the
working-class; and if they live ten times better
than their fellows at home, it is equally true
that the middle, and especially the upper, class
live ten times worse. But, as victualling is as
necessary a condition of existence here as any
where else, I must do my best to enlighten you
as to our situation in this respect. May you
never have practical experience thereof! If it
be true that, while the French eat, the English
only feed, we may fairly add that the Australians
grub. Nor could it be otherwise under the
circumstances. It is not merely because it is
difficult to entice a good cook to come out here.
If he really wants a thing, the wealthy colonist
will not spare money to get it; but how can
you expect a man who, for the greater part of
his life, has been eating mutton and damper,
and drinking parboiled tea three times a day,
to understand the art of good living? Even if
he does, he finds it unappreciated by those

around him."

The ordinary cook is not even capable of sending up a simple meal properly; the meat, potatoes, and plain pudding are all ill-cooked. Nobody minds if only he has enough.

The book contains some very interesting observations on trade and business. As in England two hundred years ago, land is the safest investment that offers itself in Australia. The interest on mortgages is from six and a-half to eight per cent., and nine-tenths of the house-property of Australia is mortgaged up to two-thirds of its value. The heavy protectionist tariff of Victoria has produced an almost universal practice of presenting the Customs with false invoices so skilfully conucted as to make detection impossible. The Thor states that within his knowledge this tice has been resorted to by firms of the hest standing. The maxim of caveat apter is pushed in Australia to its farthest Of all foreign manufacturers the Americans are the most to be relied on, the French the least. Of all professions, medicine ertainly is the best remunerated in Australia; The clergy, who are the hardest worked, are he worst paid. Mr. Twopeny tells us that he is now in Ye Zealand. We trust he may be getting terials for a book on that colony as entering as the present one, which we can mmend with confidence to our readers.

me.

WILLIAM WICKHAM.

Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the
Neo Testament. By F. H. A. Scrivener.
Third Edition. (Bell.)

a monumental labours of Westcott and Hart and the revision of the English New Istament have drawn fresh attention to xtual studies not only in Great Britain, but upon the Continent and in America, so Dr. Scrivener's valuable Introduction receive even a warmer welcome upon its third issue than when it was preely offered to the world of scholars. The new pages indicate at once the large ations made, and a careful examination of

the work reveals many changes. It would
be useless to attempt a reference to all the
modifications of this new edition; and it must
suffice to name, as the sections which have
been especially enlarged, the description of
the Greek cursive MSS., of the Latin MSS.,
and of recent views in criticism, and the
application of the materials to certain textual
questions.

adding, however, that he dares not call eÒS a corruption. In 1 Tim. vi. 7 he seems to support &λov, although he would "have liked to see "the evidence "a little stronger." In Philem. 12 he seems to be uncertain how far to follow the latest editors. In Rev. xv. 6 he prefers Aivov (Aɩvoûv); and in Rev. xviii. 3, TÉTIKE, or possibly TéTwкav. It will be seen that there has been no change of moment in the For the Latin MSS. the author has been author's position with respect to the so-called so fortunate as to secure the aid of Prof. "textus receptus;" he continues to maintain John Wordsworth, whose preparations for a that many important alterations are necessary critical edition of the Vulgate have given in that text. It will nevertheless not astonish him an exceptional command of the subject; anyone that Dr. Scrivener, in discussing recent and this serves to make up for the compara-views, combats at some length-unsuccesstive neglect in the second edition of the epoch- fully, it is true-the critical theories of Westmaking article "Vulgate " in Smith's Diction- cott and Hort, much as he praises their learnary of the Bible. It is worthy of note that quite ing and zeal. a number of the new MSS. have been already collated by Prof. Wordsworth or by some one of the band of scholars who are assisting him. Importance has always been attached to Dr. Scrivener's descriptions of the Greek cursive MSS., and it will surprise no one to find that this part of his work has been much extended. The author, together with his son, the Rev. F. G. Scrivener, of Lakenheath, has been occupied for some time past in examining and collating the MSS. of the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, and the fruits of this appear in many a note scattered here and there. Moreover, it has been possible for the Vicar of Hendon to assure himself by personal inspection of various points in reference to MSS. not easily accessible to him while he was at St. Gerrans. His efficient lieutenant in former years has outdone himself in his zeal for the present edition. Everyone will remember Dean Burgon's valuable notes upon British and foreign MSS. in last year's Guardian; but, not satisfied with that, he has since obtained a large list of MSS. in foreign libraries. Unfortunately, these came too late to be assigned to their due position in the body of the book, and the author has placed them after the Preface. We are glad also to learn that the Dean and his nephew, the Rev. W. F. Rose, have been collating several MSS., and that the results will soon be published. The one great meeting-point of all New Testament scholars, whatever their theories and predilections may be, is that they desire to know what the MSS. say. Every collation either adds to our knowledge of the history of the text or serves to clear the ground by enabling us to assign the MS. examined to its proper place. It is much to be hoped that the renewed interest in critical questions may direct the attention of many a young scholar to this department. We may add that the author emphasises the need of workers not only in the field of the New Testament, but also in the patristic branch of text-criticism. We trust that his

words will be heeded.

In the application of the materials to particular texts, the following points may be noticed. In Mark vi. 20, where the second edition accepted nrópe, the third returns to erroíet, not because of any change in the evidence, but because the latter reading now appears to Dr. Scrivener "to afford an excellent sense." In 1 Cor. xi. 29 he seems inclined to give up ȧvacíos and Toù Kupiov as glosses. In 1 Thess. ii. 7 he rejects výTLOL. In 1 Tim. iii. 16 he accepts os as before,

on

We are unable to follow Dr. Scrivener (p. 26) in supposing that the reed pen was given up in the East when papyrus went out of use, that only a few of the existing MSS. were written with reeds, and that the impression of the letters in the parchment is due to the heavy stroke of an iron stylus; we cannot even imagine the use of a fluid with a stylus. It is probably a mere inadvertence in the sentence which makes it seem (p. 27) as if the sheets of folio MSS. were furnished with signatures at intervals of four leaves. On the same page, in note 2, it would be better to unite the separately named parts of the Lyons Pentateuch. It is difficult to understand what is meant p. 41 by "the unformed character of the writing" in the Oxford Plato. In referring to the orixo, on p. 51, the author seems totally unaware of the discussions of the last forty years, from Ritschl in 1838 to Graux and Birt; indeed, Gardthausen's Griechische Paläographie of 1879 appears altogether to have escaped his notice. With reference to p. 71, it may be observed that the proper name of a Gospel lesson-book seems to be simply evayyéλov, and of the lesson-book from the Acts and Epistles simply ȧmóσrodos. P. 88, note 1: Brugsch's fragment is not from the Codex Sinaiticus. Pp. 124, 125: is it not possible that the corrections by the original scribe in many MSS. are dim simply because the scribe, in wishing to turn over, put sand upon the brief correction? P. 134: there are no scholia in Merv, but only notes of the church lessons. P. 135: Dr. Scrivener does not mention Duchesne's edition of the Patmos Nev On p. 142 he carries his persistent neglect of modern literature to excess when he fails to observe that Bishop Lightfoot, in the former edition of the volume before us, places Ts in the office of the Clarendon Press-compare p. 394; correct also the Index for T on p. 676, col. 2. M at the beginning of the penultimate paragraph on p. 162 should read Gb. On p. 172 Dr. Scrivener mentions but fourteen out of the thirty-one leaves of Haul, and neglects Duchesne's edition of the Athos H.

The cursive MSS. open a field too wide for discussion here. Every scholar will be glad to see the large additions to the list. It is not strange that Dr. Scrivener should still have missed here and there a MS. upon the Continent-as, for instance, the one given to the royal library at Munich by a former King of Greece; it is more remarkable that several British MSS. have escaped his notice-for

example, the one received at Dean Burgon's college, Oriel, some time before the Bodleian MS. named on p. xxiii. reached Oxford; and it is singular that two of the four MSS. at Holkham should be omitted-one of these, a dated one, was mentioned by the present writer a few months ago in the ACADEMY. It may be observed that the Isaac H. Hull on p. 327, note 1, p. 485, note 1, and p. 546, note 4, is Prof. Hall, formerly in the American College at Beirut, and now connected with the Sunday School Times in Philadelphia. We understand that he intends to publish at least a part of the Syriac MS. in question. The account of Beza's editions of the Greek New Testament (for we are here concerned only with the Greek) is hopelessly entangled. Reuss's book of 1872 explained the matter, Ezra Abbot re-explained it in 1873, and the present writer re-stated it in the Theologische Literaturzeitung, and forwarded a copy to Dr. Scrivener; and yet the author, on p. 440, misinterprets Beza's words, charges to Beza's old age a mistake which Beza did not make, and suggests that Reuss arbitrarily opposes Beza's own view. All that need be said is that Reuss's statement is correct, and is acknowledged to be so.

But we must not find fault with so useful a book. In congratulating the veteran author upon the successful completion of this new edition we wish him health and strength, and therewith, amid the duties of his large parish, the leisure to complete the other works he has in hand for which scholars are waiting. CASPAR RENÉ GREGORY.

RECENT VERSE.

Lay Canticles, and other Poems. By F. Wyville Home. (Pickering.) Five years ago Mr. Home published his first volume, Songs of a Wayfarer, a title previously employed by a true poet, Mr. William Davies. The two books had not a great deal more than the name in common. Mr. Davies's songs had much of the moral sunshine that we associate with the poetry of Herrick; Mr. Home's had much of the moral shadow that we associate with the poetry of Blake. Both poets proved themselves to be skilful workmen. Perhaps there was more maturity in Mr. Davies's work, and there was a wider range of thought and feeling; but Mr. Home was not less devoutly a worshipper of nature, and a few of his sonnets and certain of

is written, no amount of excellence of technique
is of itself enough. Style is much, very much,
but imagination is more; and the writer who
cannot project some purely imaginative phan-
tasy has little chance of being known. More-
over, the imagination of a modern poet must
have something to do with life: much of the
imagination of the lesser poets of our time is
in the position of Mahomet's coffin, in being
neither in the heavens above nor on the earth
"The Dew-fall" in Mr. Home's
beneath.
book has real beauty:-

"I heard the word of the Dew-fall
As it gathered itself to a pearl,
And lay on the leaf of the Lily,
Like a tear on the cheek of a girl.
'Cold, cold, O Lily,'

The Dewdrop said to the leaf;
'Thy leaf, O Lily, is cold and chilly,
And pale as a wordless grief.'
"There arose a breeze at the nightfall,
And blew the rushes apart;
The Lily shook, and the Dewdrop
Slipt inward, and lay at her heart.
Cold, cold, O Lily,'

Said the Dewdrop unto the flower;
Thy heart, O Lily, is cold and chilly,
And dark as a wintry shower.'

"And the night went by with its starlight,
And the sun came up in its might;
And the Dewdrop arose from the Lily,
And melted to mist in his light.
'Cold, cold, was the Lily.'

Rose,

For the Rose has a heart of fire.""

cent of Blanco White in its opening lines, is original and good; and there is a description of Evening which is still better. The latter has. indeed, some of the drowsy charm of Gray him self. A description of Dawn is marred by a little excess in poetic personification. But, in truth, there are odd passages in the one book which we have read that have very remarkable merit indeed. We have glanced over the remainder of the volume, and do not doubt but that, if we had the patience of the men who stood before Metz, we could extract from this "Ninefold Praise of Love" a body of detached lines that would establish for Mr. Pitchford the name of poet. The greater part of the work, however, is occupied with subjects that have no more to do with poetry than with politics. For example, the book called "The Song of Sorrow discusses the mystery of pain, the difficulty of harmonising this mystery with Divine benevolence, the explanation of Revelation, and so on. When will it be recognised that the first necessity of a poem is that its subject should be poetic? It is not enough that its treatment should be so. Mr. Pitchford has dealt with themes that require an entirely different vehicle. His themes dishonour his vehicle, and his vehicle dishonours his themes. There is a clear divorce proclaimed between them. Passages here and there of Mr. Pitchford's big book are poetic in subject and poetic in execution, but odd passages of picturesque blank verse will not carry off a laborious philo

A

Said the Dew with a sigh of desire;
'At the daylight's close I will sleep with the sophical treatise of nearly 12,000 lines.
work like this does not bear you along with it
as you read. Full as it is of the clear evidences
of poetic power,
creature could read it through. Such being
we doubt if any human
if we say that it is almost a melancholy spec-
the case, Mr. Pitchford should not take it amiss
tacle. It represents, perhaps, the labour of a
lifetime, and, with merit in many places, amounts,
we fear, to no more than a gigantic dead letter.

Life Thoughts. (Kegan Paul, Trench, & Co.)
If any reasonable proportion of the poets of
our time would take to heart Goethe's well-
known advice, and write only the poems which
he called " Gelegenheitsgedichte," poems aris-
ing out of actual events, the labours of the
critic would be sensibly reduced. There are
few things in criticism more difficult than to
offer any clear idea of the value of verse which
comes out of nothing except a passing mood,
unless it be to say that such verse usually
resolves itself into nothing. It would be un-
fair to the writer of a book like Life Thoughts
to allege that it is destitute of a certain quality
of "subjective beauty; but this "subjectivity"
amounts to very little. The reader perceives
evidences of descriptive power in "From the
The Two Paths,"
Highland," and in "Dawn," "
"In Memory," and in some of the sonnets there
are quiet and not unhealthy moods of feeling;
but, when he has closed the book, he does not

find that anything has remained with him. He
wants emotions more definite; passions broader,
deeper, and more general.

66

his Songs in Season were worthy to go forth
under the title chosen by Mr. Davies for a The Morning Song. By J. W. Pitchford.
volume that had long been valued by dis- (Elliot Stock.) This is undoubtedly one of the
cerning readers. Mr. Home's new book does most extraordinary poetic products of our time.
not seem to us a notable advance on his previous The critic may venture upon such a statement
one. It has the same picturesqueness and the same who goes no farther than the book's exterior.
felicity of diction; it is characterised by the It is a philosophical poem sub-titled "A Nine-
same flavour of fine feeling, but it does not add fold Praise of Love." It has all the external
any quality to these qualities that would serve arrangement of an epic, having an argument"
to distinguish it. Five years ago, Mr. Home to each of its subdivisions. It is longer than
was in the position of a young writer having "Paradise Lost," and half as long again
just so much merit that none would have been as the " Excursion." It covers 372 quarto
surprised to find that after a few years he had pages of solid type. It is printed and
discovered a great deal more. We do not say bound most luxuriously. Nor is the sub-
that Lay Canticles disappoints expectations stance of the book less remarkable than its
raised by its predecessor. It has fully all the form. We will not pretend that we have read
excellences of the former book; but just as the Mr. Pitchford's poem. Life is not long enough
reader felt respecting the earlier work, so he to admit of so lavish an expenditure of time as
feels respecting the later one-that, with much the perusal of a poem like this requires. We
culture, much sweetness of temper, it lacks have, however, read one of its nine books, and
essential substance to make itself fel and can honestly say that we have found enjoyment
remembered. A poet should not be conte it to in much of it. The book we have read is called
write harmonious stanzas, or to convey the idea"The Song of Earth's Beauty." It contains
hat he is abreast of the many moods of his many passages of striking description. There is
time. In days like these, when so much poetry a description of Night which, though reminis-

Ione, and other Poems. By W. H. Seal. (Kegan Paul, Trench, & Co.) This is an unpretentious and, on the whole, an adequate performance. There are evidences of the influence of Moore in its best things. "The Unknown Soldier's Grave" has pathos, but the subject has been handled by a great poet, Dobell. A sort of panoramic series of views entitled "Pilgrims of Fame" is not without beauty. Perhaps the most touching of the poems is the simplest; that on the two little things who were found hand in hand in death after the memorable disaster in Sunderland.

Old Year Leaves. By H. T. Mackenzie Bell. (Elliot Stock.) We have here a volume of verse chiefly collected from former volumes of the same author. The poems appear to have undergone some careful revision, and they are the better for the pains bestowed upon them. The introductory sonnet, on "Old Year Leaves," is much the best thing in the book:"The leaves which in the autumn of the years Fall auburn-tinted from their parent trees, Swept from dismembered boughs by ruthless breeze, Through winter's weary reign of wants and fears Will lie in drifts: and when the snowdrop cheersFrail firstling of the flowers-they still an

there;

There still, although the balmy southern air And budding boughs proclaim that Spring ap

pears.

So lost hopes severed by the stress of life
Unburied lie before our wistful eyes,
Though none but we regard their fell decay
And ever amid the stir of worldly strife,
Fresh aims and fuller purposes arise
Between the faded hopes of yesterday."

It is a matter for surprise that the writer of
sonnet like this, which, whatever its technica
imperfections (and they are few), has the meri

Like nearly all rustic poets, Mr. Logan is un-thing to remove the reproach attaching to
equal; but his best things have genuine merits. American poetry of being largely indifferent to
The poems are all pitched in a low key, and are American subjects. This volume contains at
the better for their modesty of aim. There least one poem that could only have been written
is the lilt of the singer in "A Blithe by an American. "Ralph" is a story of the Civil
Scottish Song." The verses are in the War told with a good deal of pathos and general
Scottish dialect throughout. They are com- beauty. The poem that gives the title to the
mendable for the prominence they give to book is, of course, a sort of allegory, and is not
the worthier side of rustic life. Dialect poets, so real and forcible as the poems written on more
Scotch and English, have too often laboured substantial subjects.
under the idea that the only material proper to
rustic poetry pertains to the ale-guzzling side
of peasant life. There is broad humour in
Macallister's Bonnet"
;":-

"It carries the turnips when feedin' the kye,
And answers his mere as moothpock forby;
A cozie bed mak's for the dog or the cat;
In short, it wad do for-I kenna a' what!
It serves as a backet to carry the coals;
If windows are broken it fills up the holes,
When shavin' he wipes wi't his jaws, mooth an' priateness to, say, Milton. The race of poets in

Silverado Squatters, will be a narrative of his Saxon Reader is nearly ready. Many of the ruary 5, Messrs. Chapman will sell at Edin