fastidious critics as was William Morris on the appearance of his "Earthly Paradise" and "Jason." That he had cut loose from the themes and methods of the day, rehearsing the old classic stories, not so much falling back on the past as surrendering himself to idealism, singing at his leisure as if "the public" had nothing else to do but to listen, and with a vein of simplicity that had the effect of quaintness,-all this was an obvious distinction, and produced something like a "sensation" in quarters that were farthest removed from sensational elements. It may be said of his following, however, as once of a certain political party, that it was "well off for officers but lacked in the rank and file." His admitted prolixity is against a wide and lasting favor with the readers of poetry. "Love is enough," with the same merits, is still more subject to the same drawback, gaining little or nothing from the dramatic form as compared with the narrative. Its model, as far as it has any, is in the plays, called "moralities," of the middle ages, which clothed moral lessons with the forms of theatrical representation, but it is more purely ideal or rather fanciful. The argument" is, "that before an emperor and empress newly wedded," it "showeth of a king whom nothing but love might satisfy, who left all to seek love, and, having found it, found this also, that he had enough, though he lacked all else." Forty pages are added of "tributes" to the author, from the English and American press, called forth by the two earlier poems, as fairly claiming attention to the present work. The mechanical execution is all that could be desired.

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LITTLE HODGE.*-Ginx's Baby, published anonymously two years ago, was at first ascribed to several writers already noted, and has since made known to us the name of Edward Jenkins, who was a native of India but educated in Montreal, studied law in Pennsylvania, is now a barrister in London, has interested himself in English politics as a reformer, and has been once a candidate for Parliament, though unsuccessfully. The popularity of that work made another venture from the same pen hazardous, but "Lord Bantam," if not producing as great a sensation, seems not to have detracted from his reputation, and the same may be said of "Little Hodge." It is a vivid story of the wretchedness and discontent of agricultural laborers in England. Without the

* Little Hodge. By the author of "Ginx's Baby." New York: Dodd & Mead. 1873. 16mo, pp. 176.

higher qualities of a great novelist, he constructs the narrative and dialogue with effect. It is at once seen that he writes not for the story's sake merely, but "with a purpose," and he succeeds in impressing us with painful pictures of the farm-laborers and their families, their degradation in the social scale; the extremity of their ignorance and pauperism; the antagonism aroused at length between them and the gentry, and especially between the former and the intervening class, there known as "farmers," who employ them; the modern introduction of "unions” and “strikes” in the rural districts as in the cities; the remedies and mitigations contended for and opposed; and in general the seemingly hopeless difficulties growing out of crowded population, class-distinctions, and restricted land-tenure in England. The book is one of a modern class of novels designed to expose these and other evils of society, in order that they may be appreciated and, if possible, by the least violent or expensive process removed. We cannot read such narratives by one evidently familiar with the subject, without despondent sadness. One would expect, if not desire also, speedy revolution as the only though terrible end of these things, if similar dangers had not often threatened England and been as often evaded by gradual concessions and improvements. The impression on Americans, like that often reported from travel abroad, is some counterpoise to the disgust occasioned by the very different evils of a rampant democracy. Stupid conservatism there makes us more tolerant of crazy radicalism here. A deeper question forces itself on thoughtful minds as to the inherent tendencies of modern civilization, as not only developed in the old countries but already showing themselves in our own, to aggravate the extremes of wealth and want. Why is it, why must it be, that as is so often confessed here, the rich are richer and the poor are poorer than they were fifty years ago? At least as much as this may be learned, that political equality does not ensure every other kind, and that wealth is not the chief element of a people's prosperity.

MY RECREATIONS. * -The title of this new volume of poems is eminently appropriate. It is evident that it was no laborious task to the writer to pen these verses-that to give expression to them on paper was a real recreation-that she sang because she could not help singing. This makes one of the charms of the book

*My Recreations. Verses by EMILY E. FORD. New York: Hurd & Houghton. 1872. 12mo, pp. 255.

that the poems all seem to have welled up spontaneously and without effort from a heart which is rich with all true womanly perceptions, and feelings, and affections. Everywhere they give evidence that the author has a well-rounded, healthy mind, and an honest, kindly, and joyous nature.

The volume is introduced with a modest and deprecatory address" to the public."

But for all this, the book is full of true poetic feeling; and the range of topics is somewhat remarkable. They embrace thirty "Verses of Thought;" twenty-six poems under the head of "Descriptive Verse;" fourteen under the head of "Narrative Verse;" thirteen "Classic Subjects;" twenty-five Themes connected with "Flowers;" and twenty-nine "Verses of Feeling." But throughout it is the perfectly unhackneyed character of the treatment of the subjects which forms the principal attraction of the book. We are reminded, as we have turned over the pages, of the delight with which, in other days, when tired of the conventional music which is heard in the crowded gatherings of what is called society, we have listened to some old Scotch ballad as it has come "joyfully gushing " from one whose whole heart was in sympathy with its homely words and simple melodies.

MISCELLANEOUS.

GEORGE MACDONALD'S TALES, SERMONS, &c.*-The general characteristics of Mr. Macdonald's books are too well known for

*At the Back of the North Wind, pp. 858. The Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood. pp. 905. The Seaboard Parish. A Sequel, &c., pp. 624. Unspoken Sermons. pp. 245. The Miracles of our Lord, pp. 280. By GEORGE MACDONALD, New York, 416 Broome St., and London, Geo. Routledge

VOL. XXXII.

Sons.

27

remark. "At the Back of the North Wind" is like "Ranald Bannerman," a story for children, illustrated after a sort we wish American publishers could attain to, and told in a style of pure direct English worthy of all praise. "The Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood" and its sequel, "The Seaboard Parish," show the same turn for highly wrought plot, subtle analysis of character, the poetic glow, the tone of autobiography, and the Universalist theology, which appears in later novels. The "Unspoken Sermons" have a singular trick of closing each with the text of the next Sermon, all save the last of course. The diction is not distinguishable from that of passages in the novels, nor the theology; and they abound less in beautiful sentiments. "The Miracles of our Lord" is also apparently a collection of sermons, and offers no very satisfactory views of the subject. That the wonderful works of the Son are simply "an epitome of God's processes in nature," "the works of the Father epitomized" by the Son, furnishes neither such an account of them, nor such a reason for them, as makes them impressive, convincing, or profitable. Whether in story, sermon, or song, this brillant and alluring writer leaves his readers at the end unsatisfied.

MR. CHARLES T. BROOKS' TRANSLATION of Leopold SCHEFER'S WORLD-PRIEST* appears to be unexceptionably well executed. The volume consists of a series of ethical poems or meditations on the duties of man to himself and his fellow men. The sentiments are uniformly beautiful and elevating, and so far as they reach are beautifully and emphatically true. One refrain is repeated from the beginning to the end, viz: that God reveals himself to us most nearly and movingly through our fellow men and in the relations by which they are connected with us. Though the treatment of this theme is slightly varied with the diversity of the themes, it does not escape a somewhat tedious monotony, which is aggravated by the want of life in the verse. It is a more serious fault that a truth which in itself is noble and true should be persistently exaggerated so as to exclude all the sentiments of worship which are proper toward the personal God, who alike to the unsophisticated and the instructed mind of man is the highest object of his thought and affection. The recognition of such a

*The World Priest. Translated from the German of LEOPOLD SCHEFER, author of "The Layman's Breviary." By CHARLES T. BROOKS. Boston: Roberts Brothers.

1873.

God rather inspires than weakens the obligations and affections which connect man with nature and his own kind. These poems illustrate a truth which is often overlooked, viz: Doctrinal Pantheism can never inspire the highest forms of literature.

The

CREMER'S LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT GREEK.*-The first question which will generally be asked, we suppose, with respect to this book is, whether it will supersede or render unnecessary such a work as Dr. Robinson's New Testament Lexicon. We should give a negative answer to this question-certainly, so far as theological students in our Seminaries are concerned. author of this work does not introduce into it any words except those whose meaning or use was modified in the New Testament, and changed from the ordinary classical signification. For other words he refers the student to the Classical Lexicons. His object is described in the title of his volume. The Lexicon is a BiblicoTheological one, or, in other words, it endeavors to discuss those words whose meaning was affected by Christian usage and to trace out the influence of the Christian theological ideas upon them. Such a book has an especial value, but it is, in its very nature, incomplete. The student is obliged to use two lexicons, oftentimes, where, except for a special purpose, he needs only one, of a different order. He is left to his own examination of the ordinary lexicons, also, in many cases where such a work as Dr. Robinson's will facilitate his efforts by calling his attention to the significations of the word (which do not vary, indeed, from the classical) as it is used in different passages in the New Testament books. This greater convenience of Dr. Robinson's work, or some similar one, and the help which it, thus, gives particularly to the younger class of students will, as it appears to us, prevent this work from taking their place. But, of course, in its own peculiar field, it can do what these other works cannot, owing to the very fact that they cover a larger ground. It can trace out the BiblicoTheological import of the words and expressions of the New Testament authors with far greater thoroughness and fullness. In this way it can draw the student's attention to the peculiarities of the New Testament language, and can help him greatly in put

*Biblico-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek. By HERMANN CREMER, Professor of Theology in the University of Greifswald. Translated from the German by D. W. SIMON, Ph.D., and WILLIAM URWICK, M.A. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. New York: Scribner, Welford and Armstrong. 1872. 8vo, pp. 638.