Reviews And Reviews.

directly compasses the death of most of the characters before she relieves us by dying in horrible torments . It is a melodramatic and rather silly play , but strangely enough the verse is above the average ; perhaps the author has only mistaken his line , and may do better in some other branch of poetry . It appears that he originally intended to emulate George Psalmanazar , and invent a new language in which to convey his thoughts ; it was wise to abandon the idea , as it might have tended to make his audience an eclectic one . With his " one word " of praise we conclude these " selections " and this paper , which we hope may slightly amuse some of our readers .

A most delightful anthology from the higher class of national poetry is "English Odes , " edited by Edmund W . Gosse ( C . Kegan Paul ) , which is issued in the publishers' series entitled the " Parchment Library . " The editor ' s preface , giving a succinct account of the origin and progress of the ode , is good and to the purpose , whilst his selection has been very judiciously made . The range will be owned as comprehensive , since we find specimens of many of our best poets , from Spenser down to Mr . Swinburne . The extracts from Leyden , Warton , and Sir William Jones will be new to many . We do not ourselves consider these " reviews " at all unfair or too severe .

All reviewing is very- difficult just now , and that review to our mind is utterly worthless which neither aims at fairness nor seeks honestly to speak , perchance , '' unwelcome truth s . "

Literary Gossip.

LITERARY GOSSIP .

THE Burlington Magazine ( Remington and Co . ) , edited by that popular novelist , Miss Helen B . Mathers , has , by way of initial article , a powerfullywritten story of lowly life , entitled "Pretty Polly . " "A Dream of Dead Authors" is . a deli ghtfully readable , imaginative sketch , in which " the master minds of old " are compelled to rerisit " the glimpses of the moon . " There is also an amusing essay anent monkeysquaintly styled hy the writer

, " Our Poor Relations . " Among poetry , some pathetic verses by J . Keith Angus are particularly pleasing . " The Story of Sin , " a fascinating serial from the editor ' s accomplished pen , approaches the -climax in a manner most artistic . The Burlington runs its costlier rivals very close in the matter of literary excellence .

Among other highly-interesting papers in the current number of the elegant and useful Magazine of Art , is a picturesque description of Jersey , regarded as an artist's haunt , by Edward Bradbury .

" Follies and Fancies : a Medley in Metre " ( London : Society Offices , 108 , Fleet Street ) is the title of a modest little booklet of poems Avhich has recently come to hand . Horace Lennard ( " The Melancholy Jacques , " ivhose perennially interesting column called " The Folly of the Week , " which appears in the Wednesday edition of Society , has Avon him so many admirers ) is the author . This is not b y any means his first literary venture . We have pleasant

recollections of his " Busy Babylon ; " and " Lie-a-bed Lyrics , " by the same writer , has pulled us together in many a mauvais quart d'heure ; while we found another of Mr . Leunard's books , " Harmonies in Tricolor , " an invaluable vade mecum while wandering through the cosmopolitan thoroughfares of the Champ du Mars during last Paris Exhibition . In the present volume the author ' s talented pen traces in harmonious metre the most delightful verse . His muse ranges " from grave to gay , from lively to severe . " Here it is iwettily