(Ene ; or, Before the Dawn. (A. and C. Black.)--Some
years ago, the author of this poem, while residing in a great Continental capital, became acquainted with a nobleman who traced his Eastern and princely lineage beyond the boundaries of historical record, through the dim vista of legendary lore into the shadowy regions where even the myth gradually fades from sight. Among the devices upon the extensive coat of arms of this intensely noble person, was the figure of a female standing on a globe, holding the emblems of priestly office, and surrounded by the sun, moon, and stars. On being asked who the lady was, the nobleman stated that she was "a royal priestess of his house, who existed centuries before the Christian era," and who distinguished herself by arriving at the knowledge of the One Supreme God and the conviction of a future life. Struck by this legend, the author of " CEne " conceived the idea of "weaving it into verse," which he has accordingly done, intensifying the interest of the story by making the priestess suffer martyrdom on behalf of her new faith. As to the verse into which the tale is woven, the utmost that can be said for it is, that it nearly Comes up to the average standard of the Oxford prize poem.
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