Thomas Carlyle in the "Great Writers" series, a masterpiece of lucid narrative and well-balanced judgment, guided by a sensitive taste and penetrated by that keen but good-natured irony, which is one of his finest endowments. In these latter years "The Twilight of the Gods" (1887, second edition, with additions, 1903) has also come to prove that the dramatic force, the passion and the humour, which marked respectively such pieces as the "Pope's Daughter," the "Eve of the Guillotine," and "Our Crocodile have not been dead, but sleeping. In this book, however, though beneath the surface lie depths of serious thought and sentiment, touching the profoundest problems of humanity, it is humour that is uppermost. This humour is of a singular quality, the sport of a highly cultivated imagination, of a man who though a scholar is no pedant to allow his knowledge to congest, but ever keeps his literary soul alive by the circulation of his wit and fancy. Among the more important of his other publications in prose may be enumerated "The Age of Dryden " (1895), "A Short History of Italian Literature" (1898), Essays of an Ex-librarian" (1900), and, in conjunction with Mr. Edmund Gosse, a comprehensive history of English Literature, Mr. Garnett's share extending from the commencement to Shakespeare. COSMO MONKHOUSE. (Revised.) K POEMS. RICHARD GARNETT. I.-A NOCTURN. EEN winds of cloud and vaporous drift A snowy curtain from its place, To scan a pillow'd beauty's face. They see her slumbering splendours lie II.-FADING-LEAF AND FALLEN-LEAF. AID Fading-leaf to Fallen-leaf: SAID "I toss alone on a forsaken tree, It rocks and cracks with every gust that racks Its straining bulk; say, how is it with thee?" Said Fallen-leaf to Fading-leaf: "A heavy foot went by, an hour ago; Crushed into clay I stain the way; The loud wind calls me, and I cannot go." 6* Said Fading-leaf to Fallen-leaf :— "Death lessons Life, a ghost is ever wise; Teach me a way to live till May Laughs fair with fragrant lips and loving eyes.” Said Fallen-leaf to Fading-leaf: "Hast loved fair eyes and lips of gentle breath? Fade then and fall-thou hast had all That Life can give, ask somewhat now of Death." III.-THE BALLAD OF THE BOAT. "Arise THE and let's away;" HE stream was smooth as glass, we said: " The Siren sang beside the boat that in the rushes lay, And spread the sail, and strong the oar, we gaily took our way. When shall the sandy bar be cross'd? When shall we find the bay? The broadening flood swells slowly out o'er cattledotted plains, The stream is strong and turbulent, and dark with heavy rains, The labourer looks up to see our shallop speed away. When shall the sandy bar be cross'd? When shall we find the bay? Now are the clouds like fiery shrouds; the sun, superbly large, Slow as an oak to woodman's stroke sinks flaming at their marge. The waves are bright with mirror'd light as jacinths on our way. When shall the sandy bar be cross'd? When shall we find the bay? The moon is high up in the sky, and now no more we see The spreading river's either bank, and surging distantly There booms a sullen thunder as of breakers far away. Now shall the sandy bar be cross'd, now shall we find the bay! The seagull shrieks high overhead, and dimly to our sight The moonlit crests of foaming waves gleam towering through the night. We'll steal upon the mermaid soon, and start her from her lay, When once the sandy bar is cross'd, and we are in the bay. What rises white and awful as a shroud-enfolded ghost? What roar of rampant tumult bursts in clangour on the coast? Pull back! pull back! The raging flood sweeps every oar away. O stream, is this thy bar of sand? O boat, is this the bay? IV. THE VIOLET TO THE NIGHTINGALE. Ο No longer fair, no longer sweet, I parch and pine with noonday heat; Another day, perhaps an hour, And I shall be no more a flower. Thou, happy bird, when flowers decay, When with her soundless silver chain When lissom fawn, and antelope When thousand lines of light invest So shall the gorgeous flowers that swoon How, lured by Spring's soft falling feet, |