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Seem brighter than an angel’s laugh in dreams.

The four lines italicized are highly meritorious, and the whole extract is so far decent and intelligible, that we experienced a feeling of surprise upon meeting it amid the doggerel which surrounds it. Not less was our astonishment upon finding, at page 18, a fine thought so well embodied as the following:

Or see the early stars, a mild sweet train,

Come out to bury the diurnal sun.

But, in the way of commendation, we have now done. We have carefully explored the whole volume, in vain, for a single additional line worth even the most qualified applause.

The utterabandon — the charmingnegligé — the perfect looseness (to use a western phrase) of his rhythm, is one of Mr. C’s. most noticeable, and certainly one of his most refreshing traits. It would be quite a pleasure to hear him read or scan, or to hear anybody else read or scan, such a line as this, at page 3, for example: ­

Masculine almost though softly carv’d in grace,

where “masculine” has to be read as a trochee, and “almost” as an iambus; or this, at page 8:

That compels me on through wood, and fell, and moor,

where “that compels” has to be pronounced as equivalent to the iambus “me on;” or this, at page 18:

I leave thee, the maid spoke to the true youth,

where both the “thes “ demand a strong accent to preserve the iambic rhythm; or this, at page 29:

So in our steps strides truth and honest trust,

where (to say nothing of the grammar, whichmay be Dutch, but is not English) it is quite impossible to get through with the “step strides truth” without dislocating the under jaw; or this, at page 32:

These rene azure the keen stars are now;

or this, on the same page:

Sometime of sorrow, joy to thy Future;

or this, at page 56:

Harsh action, even in repose inwardly harsh;

or this, at page 59:

Provides amplest enjoyment. O my brother;

or this, at page 138:

Like the swift petrel, mimicking the wave’s measure;

about all of which the less we say the better.

At page, 96 we read thus: [[At page 96, we read thus:]]

Where the untrammelled soul on her wind pinions,

Fearlessly sweeping, defies my earthly foes,

There, there upon that infinitest sea

Lady thy hope, so fair a hope, summons me.

At page 51, we have it thus:

The river calmly flows

Through shining banks, thro’ lonely glen

Where the owl shrieks, tho’ ne’er the cheer of men

Has stirred its mute repose;

Still if you should walk there you would go there again.

At page 136, we read as follows:

Tune thy clear voice to no funereal song,

For O Death stands to welcome thee sure. ­

At page 116, he has this:

——— These graves, you mean;

Their history who knows better than I?

For in the busy street strikes on my ear

Each sound, even inaudible voices

Lengthen the long tale my memory tells.

Just below, on the same page, he has

I see but little difference truly;

and at page 76 he fairly puts the climax to metrical absurdity in the lines which follow:

The spirit builds his house in the last flowers —

A beautiful mansion; how the colors live,

Intricately delicate!

This is to be read, of course, intrikkittly delikkit, and “intrikkittly delikkit” it is — unless, indeed, we are very especially mistaken.

The affectations — the Tennysonisms of Mr. Channing — pervade his book at all points, and are not easily particularized. He employs, for example, the word “delight” for “delighted;” as at page 2:

Delight to trace the mountain-brook’s descent.

He uses, also, all the prepositions in a different sense from the rabble. If, for instance, he was called upon to say “on,” he would’ nt say it by any means, but he’d say “off,” and endeavor to make it answer the purpose. For “to,” in the same manner, he says “from;” for “with,” “of,” and so on: at page 2, for example:

Nor less in winter, mid the glittering banks

Heaped of unspotted snow, the maiden roved.

For “serene,” he says “se rene;” as at page 4:

The influences of this se rene isle.

For “subdued,” he says “subdued:” as at page 16:

So full of thought, so subdued to bright fears.

By the way, what