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One of the Baron's Deputy-Readers has been looking through Mr.
G.W. HENLEY's _Lyra Heroica; a Book of Verse for Boys_. DAVID NUTT,
London.) This is his appreciation:--Mr. HENLEY has tacked his name
to a collection which contains some noble poems, some (but not much)
trash, and a good many pieces, which, however poetical they may be,
are certainly not heroic, seeing that they do not express "the simpler
sentiments, and the more elemental emotions" (I use Mr. HENLEY's
prefatory words), and are scarcely the sort of verse that boys are
likely, or ought to care about. To be sure, Mr. HENLEY guards himself
on the score of his "personal equation"--I trust his boys understand
what he means. My own personal equation makes me doubt whether Mr.
HENLEY has done well in including such pieces as, for instance,
HERBERT's "_Memento Mori_," CURRAN's "_The Deserter_," SWINBURNE's
"_The Oblation_," and ALFRED AUSTIN's "_Is Life Worth Living_?" If Mr.
HENLEY, or anybody else who happens to possess a personal equation,
will point out to me the heroic quality in these poems, I shall feel
deeply grateful. And how, in the name of all that is or ever was
heroic, has "_Auld Lang Syne_" crept into this collection of heroic
verse? As for Mr. ALFRED AUSTIN, I cannot think by what right he
secures a place in such a compilation. I have rarely read a piece
of his which did not contain at least one glaring infelicity. In
"_Is Life Worth Living_?" he tells us of "blithe herds," which (in
compliance with the obvious necessities of rhyme, but for no other
reason)
"Wend homeward with unweary feet,
Carolling like the birds."