14 FEBRUARY 1891, Page 22

The Tower of Babel, by Mr. Alfred Austin, which appeared

originally in 1874, is now republished in the collected edition of his works (Macmillan and Co.) This powerful, but, in our judgment, far from faultless poem has boon carefully and judiciously revised, and some of'its more prominent blots removed. It is almost needless to say that it contains many fine passages, but the subject chosen is one that no poet would be likely to• treat satisfactorily, and Mr. Austin has not done so. The reader will be impressed with the author's groat ability, but he is not likely to yield submissively to his sway, as ho is constrained and glad to do when a poet's genius is incontestably triumphant.