496 REVIEWS. 



Our Canadian share in such world-wide synapathies is thus happily 

 introduced, in answer to Sir Bedivere's inquiry : 



" ' If, in the fai'-off after-time, shall come 



A. prince who shall be known by Arthur's name, 



And bear it blamelessly as he did his ? ' 



Then Merlin, with a wise smile on his face, 



Such as a mother wears who gently tri'es 



To answer the hard question of the child," 



thus predicts the visit to our Western hemisphere of the royal youth 

 who recently won from the Canadian people so many golden opinions. 

 Here are some of the words of the seer on this subject : • 



" In a far land, beneath the setting sun, \ 



Now and long hence undreamed of (save by me. 

 Who, in my soul's eye, see the great round world 

 Whirled by the lightning touches of the sun 

 Through time and space), a land of stately woods. 

 Of swift broad rivers, and of ocean lakes, 

 The name of Arthur — him that is to be, — 

 (Son of the Good Queen and the Blameless Prince) 

 Shall shed new glories upon him we loved." 



This may possibly seem a little too much in the vein of the old 

 courtly Laureate's expected return for his butt of sack ; but though 

 ephemeral in its theme, the subject is pleasantly and gracefully treated. 



Some other pieces of a minor character may fitly class with this in 

 their slighter themes and mere momentary interest. We have, for 

 example, little poems, which we may fancy havo' already figured in the 

 columns of some local magazine or broadsheet, such as the " Departure 

 of the Prince of Wales from Portland in 1860," and the " Marriage 

 of the Prince of Wales in 1863." Pieces of special Canadian interest, 

 all characterised by delicacy of sentiment and poetical feeling, are 

 the following : " The Fenian Raid of 1866 ; " " Dominion Day, 1867 ;" 

 " Hastings " (also commemorative of Canadian Confederation); and " In 

 Memoriam " — T. D. McGee. Of a different and higher charac- 

 ter are ''Balaam," '^ Rizpah," ••' Sisera," "Jephtbah," "Jubal," 

 " Vashti," and the " Prodigal's Return ; " all renderings of Scripture 

 narratives characterised by freshness, naturalness and dignity. The 

 visions of " Balaam " are imagined with especial grandeur : nor can 

 we hesitate to trace some of its beautiful imagery to the writer's faun- 

 liarity with the splendours of our Canadian auroras : 



