The Germ: Thoughts towards Nature in Poetry, Literature and Art

they, quotin

knowledge lif

d mortality's

ng vision c

estern clouds o

amber fires,-

ic sleep. Mi

melt, to show o

ect chain throu

adder light wi

ld, all notched

nges, smoothes

sin and soc

s His bow o'er

essed

d Damozel

gold bar

ve eyes were

eep wate

ee lilies i

s in her hai

ngirt from

t flowers

e rose of

eck meet

r, lying do

ow like

he scarce h

od's cho

was not yet

still lo

them she l

ted as t

is ten year

now, here i

leaned o'er

bout my fa

e Autumn-fa

year set

terrace of

was sta

t over the

Space i

t looking do

scarce s

Heaven acro

r, as a

e tides of

and black

low as wher

e a fretf

tracts, wit

e of utt

. For no br

he stea

im; no e

l depth o

, some of he

at hol

-mouthed, amo

ginal cha

ls, mountin

er like t

bowed hersel

vast wa

m's pressure

he leaned

lies lay a

er bend

t lull of he

a pulse,

worlds. Her ga

eep gulph,

nd then she

sang in th

at he were

ll come,"

prayed in so

has he n

rayers a perf

l I feel

is head the a

clothed

is hand, an

ep wells

step down as

there in G

stand besid

withheld

s tremble

er sent u

ch need, rev

tient

l lie i' th

ving my

e secret gr

s is fel

leaf that Hi

is name

elf will t

lf, ly

sing here; w

e in, hush

knowledge a

new thing

her wise s

gs were al

trembled on

had caught

lonely He

wrung o

h the end were

part u

trust? And

too be fo

lips that kn

r, though

said, "will

he lady

e handmaiden

sweet sym

ertrude,

t, and

sit they, wit

soms c

e cloth, whi

the gold

the birth-r

st born, b

ear haply,

ill lay

d tell abo

abashed

ar Mother

and let

ll bring us,

und whom

nnumber'd s

th their

meeting us

itherns an

I ask of Chr

h for hi

e blessing

ise; b

were,-bei

e. Yea,

ily; when

do thus

vigil seem

most f

live at on

shall be

d listened, a

of speech

when he comes

hrilled pas

, in strong

rayed, and

ile.) But soo

mid the poi

he cast he

lden b

face betwee

(I heard h

vi

other Poems. By A.-Fello

mbued with this spirit; and the reader may calculate with almost equal certainty on becoming acquainted with the belief of a poet as of a theologian or a moralist. Of the evils resulting from the practice, the most annoying and the worst is that some of the lesser poets, and all mere pretenders, in their desire to emulate the really great, feel themselves under a kind of obligation to assume opinions, vague, in

ns of art will scarcely be disputed: but such a general objection does not apply in the case of lyric poetry, wher

he first published poetical work of its author, although the follo

uth remind

light as th

thou too wert

anothe

all, all

upon mine

ly tones so sw

ones which, in lo

nto mine ea

ern Sappho" appears to us not only inferior, but as evidencing less maturity both of thought and style; the second, "Stagyrus," is an urgent appeal to God; the third, "The New Sirens,"

hrilling summo

ld not

life his full he

d not br

obered heart." Perhaps "The Forsaken Merman" should be added to these; but the grief

learn of nature are, as set forth

evered from

in one short

hemes,-accompl

ste, too high fo

n of the poet

ore him l

nd continu

life which do

is, not joy

ose dumb wish

ceeds, if th

lants and sto

craves:-if

at chance sha

dity of soul

igna

of the whole: and the poet must know even as he sees, or breathes, as by a spo

suffering

lived, if

and thro' different phases of event, of the permanence and changelessness of natural laws, and of the large necessity wherewith they compel

long sin

e decree

orld hath set it

, with cre

life's mi

h for lab

their la

xpects an e

ck King in Bokhara," the following passage from which claims to be quoted, no

erefore, wit

hither, th

by the high-

re in the

py he who l

raiment, s

drought, all k

squares of

s served in dr

h a king po

ades, ename

orchard-cl

fruit trees br

ns for the

desert, sp

places;-if

lightened w

ll be not

t be not f

anted, to abi

waits. In no poem of the volume is this character more clearly defined and developed than in the sonnets "To a Republican Friend," the first of which expresses concurren

use on what l

ence prompted

which France pr

all great arts,

e, this earth w

es o'ershadow

mountains o

rrower margin

t day dawn a

thro' the net

ccupation-pl

ce, envy,-l

with his fell

nding face to fac

"Stagyrus," already mention

, where all

hs are bui

the sun." Where he speaks of resignation, after showing how the less impetuous and self-concentred natures can acquiesce in the order of this life, even were it to bring them back with

n which we l

rsion, outla

death, which

h many an uns

ing on th

mundane

n which we d

Fausta, outla

live:-and

results so

le, seem sc

worlds, this

the mute tu

hills aroun

that falls

rawled rocks,

lend their

r rather th

uld the inte

s, while th

t, for an a

e's impene

r is the

r spirits

s dizzying

nfects the world."-p

ain dreams are not dead? Shall we follow our vague

lized thought of one all-pure, let him, "by lonely pureness," seek his

ild unfathered

seats ha

echoing solit

obscure body

m all time to

, and, at her

t she for

wake," must, recognizing his brotherhood with this world wh

f the author. Concerning these we leave

ance with names and hackneyed attributes which was once poetry. Of this conventionalism, however, we have detected two instances; the first, an allusion to "shy Dian's horn" in "breathless glades" of the days we live, peculiarly inappropriate in a sonnet addressed "To George Cruikshank on his Picture of 'The Bottle;'" the second a grave call to Memory to bring her tablets, occurring in, and forming the burden of, a poem strictly personal, and written for a particular occas

together narrative in form, founded on a passage in the 2nd Book of Herodotus, is the story of the six years of life portioned to a King of Egypt succeeding a father "who ha

ons of the groves

ing holding hig

nd ever, when t

beamed in the

e, all thro' the

l the tumult

nd golden goblets

p-burnished f

ilver arrows of

ugh not absolutely such, and the only one of th

ars he revelled

rth waxed loudes

the grove's cen

ndering people

ght, across the

rmur of the movin

more especially in the last quotation; and traces

r bells over the bay, and who is not yet come back for all the voices calling "Margaret! Margaret!" The piece is scarcely long enough or sufficiently distinct otherwise t

dwells a

ruel

lonely

gs of t

ng blank verse, however,)-and not unfrequently, it must

dark valle

, I entere

slands some

s, is the attempt to write without some fixed laws of metrical construction attended with success; never, perhaps, can it be considered as the most appropriate embodiment of thought. The fashion has obtained of late years; but it is a fa

ee the

us stream

t them too, and

thro' whi

sert robber-h

aravan; or g

cities the way

with tolls;

reat rive

wn, far from

shares the power belonging to the gods of seeing "without pain, without labour;" and has looked over the valley all day long at the M?nads and Fauns, and Bacchus, "sometimes, for a moment, passing through the dark s

see th

, knife

l boat m

g isle, t

ved low-creepi

dark c

and sto

drifting:

green ha

cool la

ins ring t

sence of the king, who is ill at ease, by Hussein: "a teller of sweet tales." Arrived, Hussein is desired to relate the cause of the king's sickness; and he tells how, three days since, a certain Moollah came before the king's path, calling for justice on himself, whom, deemed a f

w fi

t day the su

een water i

utrid pud

al that fro

nd is brou

runs thinne

nightfall h

, in a dar

mulberry-tr

ol; and, in

e water tha

pitcher, a

, having dr

can behind

on the roo

night, which

g dust, ag

ng fever,

ile, had my b

itcher, whe

door upon

my mother:

e thirsty a

drained the p

at with it

ill wet, when

I, being f

sed also,) a

d cursed them.

mother. Now

mused a spa

way, sirs,

madman,' th

said, so w

at the sel

s path, beho

, sternly fi

site, and

m down: 'Thou

e thou shoulds

howl in the

u wilt not

hou pray and g

e shall to m

wear, from t

stir till I

who stood a

together an

king stood f

riests thou s

n the Ule

g heard, the

ed him, as

stoning on

ng charged

he be: the

seek to fly

not, but

the king t

t softly:

at joy upo

and cried no

se lot it wa

thick and bru

ed Allah wit

ed kneelin

d covered u

e told him,

im quickl

o me his corp

while I sp

bearers o

y straightway

who tarry the

the griefs of other men. But he answers him, (this passage we have before quoted,) that the king's lot and the poor m

intelligible as might be desired; and we must protest against the use, for the sake of rhyme, of broke in lieu of broken, as also of stole for stolen in "the New Sirens." While on

H?mon, wh

self of lif

eon's laws

ed bride, pal

g her

palace hitherwa

tion, a company of fair women, one of whose train he had been at morning; but in the evening he has dreamed under the

em to speak and shame away his sadness; but there comes only a broken gleaming from their windows, which "Reels and shivers on the ruffled gloom." He

eary light

waste of su

ashing ligh

rless chee

an shall no

oudest no

dawning of

westward all

re pretence; it was true while it lasted; but it is gone now, and the East is whi

cypress, oh

hall wi

icult to select particular passages for extraction, but such ext

only that it is in the form of speech held with "Fausta" in retracing, after a lapse of ten years, the same way

one, in the tenor of strong appreciation, written on reading the Essays of the great American, Emerson. The sonnet for "Butler's Sermons" is more indistinct, and, as such, less to be approved,

, know this, wh

n can never b

nst not pass her

ed it, we cannot see anything so absurd in that discourse; and w

uel; man is s

bborn; man wo

kle; man hath

nly a part of nature? and, if a part, necessary to the completeness of the whole? and should not the individual, avoiding a factitious life, order himself in conformity with his own rule o

Nature, let me

hat in every

duties harm

rld proclaim the

east to our taste in the volume. There is a something about them of drawing-room sentimentality; and they might almost, without losing much save in size, be compressed into poems of the class commonly set to music. It is rather the basis of thought than the writing of the "Gipsy Child," which affords cause f

se pages; a point of style to be particularly looked to when the occurrence or the absence of such for

et "Shakspear," t

immortal spir

at impairs, all

voice in that

of the victory gained by the brow shall have been pointed out, ar

here a similar question arises; and, returning to the "Gipsy Child," we are struck with

sonnets, "To a Republican Friend," appear re

e befor

f the homele

instance of the kind we remember throug

over so many writers of this generation may be traced here as elsewhere. It may be said that the author has little, if anything, to unlearn. Care and consistent arrangement, and the necessary subordination of the parts to the whole, are

Monthly,

cerning Art and other subjects, and analytic Reviews of current Literature-particularly of Poetry. Ea

claim for Poetry that place to which its present development

, as an auxiliary medium, to the comparatively few works which Art has yet produced in this spirit. It need scarcely be added that the chief object of the etched design

One Shilling

hing by F.

nd Po

ughts tow

rincipally

rely hath a l

nk the thought w

another's br

th new words wh

aks, from havi

-will speak, n

ace with words

ry speech the

en to cry-"So

t myself have

say it, for it

ruth?" For is i

eme a point or

cle, perfect,

nd

Co., 114, NE

N

NES, 8, PAT

er, Clement's Lan

TEN

-W. M. R

bet

.-Ellen

th-Ellen

in Art,

Dante G. R

Thomas Wo

-W. B.

ffs.-Dante G

eisure.-W. M

S. Society," Nos

inald Mohun.-W.

appear on the last day of the Month for which they are dated. Also, that a supplemen

IL: REGAN: LEAR: FOO

rd

our father, w

s you. I know

ister, am mos

hey are named. Us

essed bosoms

!-stood I wit

er him to a

ell to y

unabashed

s quite sc

r-eve, end

of her fath

ighteous-sou

r sisters

her and fix

ot passing

lips still c

body, ser

creeps, and h

ing on whic

proud, with

forehead,

frowning.

o tame her ey

ows wanton:

th haughty, m

years had g

daughter.

on his wi

in doing

wished him

him for his

constant lo

urely was

d never so

ld give it

ot stumblin

ree preferre

e soul not

elf. The he

oned, she h

er consciou

giving: thus

cording to

the queen

ell satisfi

r king, too,

times, a s

with her,

of his li

es not usur

orrow guess

ght dimly.

sewhere: no

knows them w

ruffled fro

a name we

with trut

which but n

selfsame th

women far

mothers t

d faces wh

but not aga

ed like win

t thing, be

, gentle, sof

Cordelia;-b

bet

nster Review," of a Paper advocating a view of "Macbeth," similar to that which is here taken. But although the publication of the particular view was thus anticipated, nearly all the most forcible ar

the character of Macbeth. We shall prove that a design of illegitimately obtaining the crown of Scotland had been conceived by Macbeth, and that

gthened or confirmed by desultory reading and corroborative criticism. With this class of persons it was our misfortune to rank, when we first entered upon the study of "Macbeth," fully believing that, in the character of the hero, Shakspere intende

ew now proposed suggested itself, and seemed to render every thing as it should be. We say that this view suggested itself, because it did not arise directly from any one of the numerous passages which can be quoted in its support; it originated in a genera

claim an investigation more than usually minute. We shall commence by giving an analysis of the first Act, where

ction with those to be discovered in the third. Our analysis must, therefore, be entered upon by an attempt to

e present argument. We find Macbeth, in this scene, designated by various epithets, all of which, either directly or indirectly, arise from feelings of admiration created by his courageous conduct in the war in which he is supposed to have been engaged. "Brave" and "Noble Macbeth," "Bellona's Bridegroom," "Valiant Cousin," and "Worthy Gentleman," are the general titles by which he is here spoken of; but none of them afford any positive clue whatever to his moral chara

tures on Dramatic Liter

dy is opened. An enquiry of much interest here suggests itself. Did Shakspere intend that in his tragedy of "Macbeth" the witches should figure as originators of gratuitous destruction, in direct opposition to the traditional, and even proverbial, character of the genus? By t

om spectra of the fancy, having absolute darkness for the prime condition of their being, instead of eeing in it rather the zodiacal light of truth, the concomitant of the uprising, and of the setting of the truth, and a partaker in its essence. Again, Shakspere has in this very play devoted a considerable space to the pur

whom they have as yet made no direct allusion whatever, throughout the whole of this opening passage, consisting in all of some five and twenty lines. Now this were a digression which would be a complete anomaly, having place, as it is supposed to have, at this early stage of one of the most consummate of the tragedies of Shakspere. We may be sure, therefore, that it is the chief object

ou hav

but for a

wrathful, who,

s own end, n

ved of Macbeth before the witches had

story the sisters figure in the capacity of prophets merely. There we have no previous announcement of their intention "to meet with Macbeth." But in Shakspere they are invested with all other of their supers

ed charm. They are first perceived by Banquo. To his questions the sisters refuse to reply; but, at the co

beings who appear to hold intelligence of his most secret thoughts; and upon hearing those thoughts, as it were, spoken

do you start

ch do soun

cence taken in making that alteration? These are the words of the old chronicle: "This (the recontre with the witches) was reputed at the first but some vain fantastical illusion by Macbeth and Banquo, insomuch that Banquo would call Macbeth in jest king of Scotland; and Macbeth again would call him in jest likewise the father of many kings." Now it w

vanish, Macbeth attempts to de

erfect speaker

h, I know I am

or? the thane o

gentleman; an

thin the pros

o be Cawdor. S

s strange i

mind been hitherto an honest mind the word "Cawdor" would have occupied the place of "king," "king" that of "Cawdor." Observe too the general character of this speech: Although the coincidence of the principal prophecy with his own thoughts has so strong an effect upon Macbeth as to induce him to, at once, pronoun

d scepticism of Banquo, but abruptly exclaims, "your children shall be kings." To this Banquo answers, "you shall be king." "And thane of Cawdor too: went it not so?" continues Macbeth. Now, what, in either case, is the condition of mind which can have given rise to this part of the dialogue? It is, we imagine, sufficiently evident that the playful words of Banquo were suggested to Shakspere by the narration of

rophecy. Mark the words of these men, u

! can the dev

of Cawdor lives:

rowed

dy done for Macbeth, by the coincidence of his thought with the prophecy. Accordingly, Macbeth is calm enough to play the hypocrite, when he must otherwise have experienced surprise far greater than that of Banquo, becaus

e your children

gave the thane

no less

e chief sources of the interpretation, the error o

trust

kindle you u

ne of Cawdor. B

es, to win us

s of darkness

onest trifles

st conse

t tragedy; whereas, in truth, all that they express is a natural suspicion, called up in the mind of Banquo, by Macbeth's remarkable deportment, that such is th

y follows the above passage is

ernatural

l; cannot be

iven me earne

a truth? I am

o I yield to t

image doth

eated heart k

se of nature?

an horrible

e murder yet is

ngle state of m

in surmise, a

hat i

le; the consummation of the lesser prophecy being held by him, but as an "earnest of success" to his own efforts in consummating the greater. From the latter portion of this soliloquy we learn the real extent to which "metaphysical aid" is implicated in bringing about the crime of Duncan's

e long pause, implied in Banquo's words, "L

ve me king, why ch

ut my

estion," as most people suppose it to have done; or at least, under those circumstances, he would have been satis

what c

r runs through t

parties engaged in it proceeding forth

f Scotland. After this Macbeth hastily departs, to inform his wife of the king's prop

Cumberland!-T

t fall down, o

t lies. Stars,

see my black a

t the hand; ye

ears, when it i

e whatever, not even in thought, (that is, in soliloquy) to any supernatural agency during the long period intervening between the fulfilment of the two prophecies. Is it probable that this would have been the case had Shakspere intended that such an agency should be understood to have been the first motive and mainspring of that deed, which, w

s letter. We leave it for the present, merely cautioning the reader against taking up any hasty objections to a very important clause in the enunciation of our view by reminding him that, contrary to Shak

ear thy

o' the milk of

rest way: thou w

out ambition

attend it. That t

u holily; woulds

ngly win: thou'dst

this thou must do

rather thou d

st should

revious communications upon similar topics between the speaker and the writer: unless, indeed, we assume that in this instance Shakspere has notably departed from his usual principles of characteri

e to suppose?) in any way consulting, or being aware of, the wishes or inclinations of her husband! Observe too, that neither does she appear to regard the witches' prophecies as anything more than an invit

d of absence, let it be recollected, enters to a wife who, we will for a moment suppose, is completely igno

. My dea

mes here