20 SEPTEMBER 1879, Page 14

BOOKS.

A TRAGIC IDYLL OF MODERN LIFE.*

" Po011 Hilda, and how very pathetic the whole story is !" most readers will be found saying to themselves, when they reach the closing scene of this remarkable poem. But who is the author, and with whom does he take rank in the goodly fellowship of British poets, from the times of Chaucer and Barbour down to thee° last days P The former question we have, as critics, no materials for answering, except inductively ; and. as to the latter, at the risk of being thought either unjust to an author, who in these columns has already received no stinted meed of commendation, or cowardly towards the claims of literature, we prefer, instead of giving to it a formal and judicial reply, to shelter ourselves under the felicitous affirmation of the candidate for theological honours who, on being asked to state which, or who, were the "miner prophets," informed his examiner that "he did not like to draw invidious distinctions."

To speak to the first question. There are two Free-Church ministers in Edinburgh whose sermons are looked forward. to by many during the preceding week as the special treat of the next "Sabbath," though they have formidable rivals in Dr. Cameron Lees, of the Cathedral and Established Church of St. Giles, and in Dr. MacGregor, of the Established West Church. These two ministers are Mr. White, of Free St. George's, and Dr. Smith, of the Free High Church. Now, if we refer to Oliver and Bayd's Ahnanack, we shall find that Dr. Smith, the attrac- tive preacher, has the same Christian name and initial as the author now under review. Both are "Walter 0. Smith," and if the present writer, not being under seal of the confessional, may be permitted to state the result of his own experiences, he has no alternative, after listening to a sermon from Dr. Smith and after perusing Hilda, but that of concluding that the preacher and the poet are one and the same person. But if our induc- tion be that of the pure lumen siccum, where, to quote the characteristic expression of Thomas Chalmers, is the " fine nose for heresy," on the part of Kirk Session, or Presbytery, if a Free-Kirk minister, at once popular and able, is allowed, with- out challenge—at least, as yet—to publish, with his name in full, the very bold and beautiful lines in this volume entitled, "The Self-Exiled," and those other very striking and original ones of which the subject is "Judas Iscariot P" As is known to some of our readers, and as the present Arch- bishop of Canterbury was careful to emphasise in his last Charge as Bishop of London, the Confession of Faith pro- * Hilda Among the Broken Goole. By Walter 0. Smith. Second Brillion. Glaegorn Jame* Maelehone. 1575. claims that "by the decree of God," for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestined to everlast- ing life, and others foreordained to everlasting death ; " and again, "the rest of mankind God was pleaeed for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass by (like a supreme priest or Levite), and (like a supreme Nero) to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice," (chap. Again, in the Larger Cateele4m, it is stated that the punishments of sin in the world to cpme are "most grievous torments in soul and body, without intermission, in hell-fire for ever ! " Now, just as in some of Pra Angelico's pictures the sweetest faces of angels and re- deemed souls look out on the beholder with serene contentment, while the most terrible shapes of demons and of doomed men are grouped beneath in obvious agony, or hate, or despair, in like manner the piety of the Scottish Kirk has revealed itself as clothed with the "garments of praise," while accepting the dogma, so dark, so destructive of all genuine or spontaneous worship of the heart and soul, that from a vast multitude of human beings, innocent infants as well as men of riper years, but these latter not necessarily in moral character defaulters above others, mercy is withheld, and for no diviner reason than "the exhibition of sovereign power."

But modern Scottish piety has risen up, not in " revolt " merely, but in " revoltition," against the grim decree, and the revolution, as represented somewhat notably in the recent pro- ceedings of the United Presbyterian Synod, held in Edinburgh, has become passionately lyrical in the pages of Walter C. Smith. The author may, or he may not, feel morally bound to acknowledge as his own private beliefs the sentiments to which, in the person of Claud .Maxwell, the husband, and the hero of his poem, he has given such fine expression in the verses alluded to. But, all the same, the world at large, and the theological world especially, is under great obligation to him for giving them publicity with the sanction of his name., indicating, as they so obviously do, that there is a rift in the northern clouds of dogma, and that in tho open space "the sign of the Son of Man" is becoming conspicuous. We regret that our space forbids our printing the two sets of verses in their entireness, but our readers may: perhaps, learn something of their quality and their purport from the following stanzas quoted from each, respectively, we only premising that the "Self-Exiled" could not possibly take harp in hand, and sing hymns of praise everlastingly, on account of blessings vouch- safed to herself, if millions of her fellow-creatures are to be left out in darkness, and in extremest anguish ; while in the ease of Judas, Satan himself comes to the gates of Paradise, to ask St. Peter what he is to do with one who goes about howling and preaching all day, and whom his other subjects will not "have among them at any price :"— " TH E SELF-EXILED.

Now, open the gate, and let her in, And fling it wide, For she bath been cleansed from stain of sin,' St. Peter cried.