Part 4 — REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.

Christine, and Other Poems. By Thomas Buchanan Read. Boston: Wm. D. Ticknor & Co. 1 vol. 12mo.

This is a volume to make “the cold reviewer’s rhyme-freezing face,” melt into smiles. It is the production of a young painter, who has already won an honorable reputation as an artist. Several of the poems have been printed in various periodicals, and in that form attracted considerable attention: but the majority, we believe, are now published for the first time. They evince refinement of thought and sentiment, richness and warmth of fancy, and singular delicacy and strength in the use of language. Perhaps the finest characteristic of their diction is the feeling they display of the harmony of sound and color, in the expression of thought and emotion. The music of the verse corresponds to the imagery which flushes through it, and thus the figures which the poet’s prolific fancy conjures up, are all endowed with life and motion—or rather seem to make the harmony in which they move. His thoughts and sentiment give continual evidence of being born in music. This is a test which few rhymes will bear, and of itself proves the possession of the true poetic feeling. The poetry of Mr. Read is essentially musical thought.

Among the excellent pieces contained in this volume, we would call the attention of our readers to the dreamy beauty of Christine and the Bride of Dottenburg—the elevated feeling which animates the dilating imaginations of the sonnet “To the Master Bards”—the mystical charm of The Winnower, Inez, Arise, The Twins, the Windy Night—and the pensive beauty and sweetness of A Leaf From the Past and Sunlight on the Threshold. Throughout the volume is manifested an imagination to discern and express the poetical aspects of things. We hope that a collection of poems so rich in thought and feeling, and richer still in promise, will have the extended circulation it merits.

Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail, and for Exportation. By Charles Dickens. With Illustrations by H. K. Browne. New York: Wiley & Putnam.

From the numbers already published of this new novel by Dickens, we think it promises to be one of the most entertaining of his works. With some drawback on the excellence of the characterization, arising from his desire to produce startling comic effects, the characteristics of the work are the same as those displayed in the others, and they are as good. Mr. Dombey is overcharged in the delineation almost to caricature, but he still vividly suggests the character intended to be hit. The class to which he belongs richly deserves satire, as pomposity is as habitual a vice in a large number of Englishmen as the hypocrisy of Pecksniff. Miss Tox promises to be as interesting as Miss Miggs, in “Barnaby Rudge.” Mrs. Chick will give room for much satire on the obvious hypocrisies of character. Polly Richards is a grand portrait, overflowing with humanity, and true to the first principles of the heart. Miss Nipper is a good specimen of the snappish domestic, proudly vulgar and insolently low. Florence, the heroine, is an exquisite creation, not yet fully developed, but as promising almost as Little Nell. Walter is capital, and will go directly to the heart of all boys of spirit. The other characters are of various degrees of merit and originality, but all add something to the interest of the work.

The peculiar humor of Dickens, or his power of blending satire wit, fancy and humor together, is very prominent in “Dombey and Son.” His pathos is no less observable. The felicities of expression scattered over the narrative, would alone reward its patient perusal. The style of Dickens is worthy of study for its beautiful and sparkling peculiarities. It is one of the most original in English literature, and is the exact measure of his genius. His qualities as a novelist cannot be disconnected from his style. A criticism of his diction involves a statement of all his powers and peculiarities, for they interpenetrate it, and give it all its life and character.

Nell Gwynne: or the Court of the Stuarts. An Historical Romance. By W. Harrison Ainsworth: Philada. Carey & Hart.

Ainsworth is well known as the most prominent of the English novelists of intrigue, rascality, and horror. In the present work he has a fine subject for his peculiar powers—the delineation of the court of Charles II.—a good-natured rascal, who bartered away the interests and honor of England for money and mistresses, and who was surrounded by companions worthy of himself. Nell Gwynne was one of the least vixenish of his mistresses, and she is the heroine of Mr. Ainsworth’s novel. The opening scene of the book is appropriately laid in “The Devil’s Alley;” and through this alley most of the characters go. Mr. Ainsworth himself has been journeying through it ever since he commenced his career as a romancer; and he has been the humble means of leading others in the same path.

Lives of Donne, Wotton, Hooker, Herbert, and Sanderson. By Isaak Walton. New York: Wiley & Putnam. 2 Parts. 12mo.

It is singular that this should be the first American edition of so celebrated a work. Isaak Walton has always been a favorite with readers, and his “Lives” have held a prominent place among choice books. The most extravagant admiration has been expressed for them by men of the finest genius. Wordsworth says, in not the least beautiful of his sonnets, that

—“The feather whence the pen

Was shaped, that traced the lives of these good men,

Dropt from an angel’s wing.”

We never knew a case where the book was read without giving delight. Indeed it nestles close to the heart. There is a quaint, cunning, quiet beauty to it, which wins upon the mind, and gently forces assent to its excellence. Such a book is balm to a sensitive and irritable spirit. It is read with some such feeling as might be excited by a benediction from Chaucer’s good parson. Every one who desires to “possess himself in much quietness,” whose brain has been fretted and stung by the morbid creations of the Satanic school of letters, should devote his days and nights to Isaak Walton, as Johnson advised the style-monger to devote himself to Addison. The sweet serenity which breathes through the whole book, joined to the sly quaint beauty of the expression, cannot fail to charm every mind not wholly debauched by the “storm-and-pressure” style now in vogue. The men to whom the book relates, are among the saints of English literature; men who combined great learning and greater intellect, with sweetness of disposition and repose of manner. We can hardly conceive of a reader rising from the perusal of these “Lives” without having some of their many amenities infused into his heart.

Transcriber’s Notes:

Table of Contents has been added for reader convenience. Archaic spellings and hyphenation have been retained. Punctuation has been corrected without note. Other errors have been corrected as noted below. For illustrations, some caption text may be missing or incomplete due to condition of the originals available for preparation of the eBook.

page 93, after Kate, stupified ==> after Kate, stupefied

page 93, be so forciby depicted ==> be so forcibly depicted

page 94, a strange forboding feeling, ==> a strange foreboding feeling,

page 96, suffering. His commisseration was ==> suffering. His commiseration was

page 97, that was irresistable. ==> that was irresistible.

page 97, been put hors du combat, ==> been put hors de combat,

page 101, abandoned villany are, ==> abandoned villainy are,

page 101, frighthen children and ==> frighten children and

page 103, had thus accidently met my ==> had thus accidentally met my

page 107, coolness of villany, he ==> coolness of villainy, he

page 108, that such wound caused ==> that such wounds caused

page 109, in the grasp of villany, ==> in the grasp of villainy,

page 112, me. Your’s is a ==> me. Yours is a

page 117, In the Chrisa di Santa ==> In the Chiesa di Santa

page 123, your’re for putting it ==> you’re for putting it

page 123, but it it is almost too ==> but it is almost too

page 128, Every thing was en regle, ==> Every thing was en règle,

page 128, half-deck of your’s is ==> half-deck of yours is

page 128, soften the underderstanding.” ==> soften the understanding.”

page 130, another up in it’s ==> another up in its

page 133, milliner and matua-maker in ==> milliner and mantua-maker in

page 136, gave Hasting’s wine that ==> gave Hastings wine that

page 138, while be was out of ==> while he was out of

page 139, almost stiched her ==> almost stitched her

page 139, and mantua-makers accounts! ==> and mantua-maker’s accounts!

page 139, looks, is if they ==> looks, as if they

page 139, ‘That he eat five ==> ‘That he ate five

page 139, where thy will wind ==> where they will wind

page 140, The murmer of the ==> The murmur of the

page 142, to furnish the denouement ==> to furnish the dénouement

page 143, qui en savent comme quatre ==> qui en savant comme quatre

page 143, Moins sevère là-haut ==> Moins sévère là-haut

page 143, Laërte prie and meurs. ==> Laërte prie et meurs.

page 143, Jesu vous aime quand ==> Jésu vous aime quand

page 143, va!—desespère et meurs ==> va!—désespère et meurs

page 143, cet air impregné de ==> cet air imprégné de

page 143, Tragedièn choisi pour ==> Tragédien choisi pour

page 143, j’en nai fait mourir ==> j’en ai fait mourir

page 144, Firm of Domby and Son ==> Firm of Dombey and Son

page 144, in “Domby and Son.” His ==> in “Dombey and Son.” His