REVIEWS. 491 



not of the disappointing class to which so much that offers to the eye 

 the semblance of poetry belongs, that we have taken the trouble to 

 select a few specimens of its contents. We have referred to a clear 

 • recognition of Tennysonian models both in subject and forms of versi- 

 fication. As to the former, it is impossible to read of Sir Bedivere and 

 Arthur, of Avalon, and — 



" CaDielot, and the sweet fellowship 

 Of noble knights and true, and beauteous dames 

 "Who have no peers in all the living world ;" 



and make no comparison with the " Idyls " which have recalled to 

 our generation " the blameless king" and the knights of his hall. 

 But also we have the most characteristic of Tennyson's favourite 

 metres. Here, for example, in the piece entitled '' Shakspere, April 

 23rd, 1864," is the peculiar arrangement of quatrains so familiar to 

 every reader of '' In Memoriam," but missing to a great extent the 

 special beauty of that verse as handled by Tennyson. Mr. Readethus 

 writes for the anniversary of the birthday of England's great dra- 

 matist : — 



" And singing thus, he passed his days — 



'Not without honour, it is true — 



Yet hardly understood by few ; 

 And these were slow in giving praise. 

 And men had lived in mist so long, 



Some could not bear his blaze of light ; 



But shut their eyes, and said 'twas night. 

 When it was just the noon of song. 

 But when his soul shook off its clay, 



And hied, its labour done, to God, 



Throughout the land that he had trod 

 'Twas felt: ' A king has died to-day !' " 



The idea is not inexpressively set, but the fine characteristic of this 

 quatrain arrangement,in the Laureate's verse, is that it does not develop 

 into a series of four-line stanzas, but flows over and interlinks in con- 

 tinuous music, partaking rather of some characteristics of the Terza 

 Bima. 



We are led, in passing, to ask what tempts our Canadian poet to 

 adopt the whim of an English antiquary and critic in his spelling of 

 Shakespeare's name? Mr. Charles Knight discovered, or fancied he 

 discovered, in the deciphering of one of his autographs, the form of 

 Shakspere, adopted by him in his edition of the poet's works ; and Sir 



