The Poems of William Drummond of Hawthornden. Edited, with a
Memoir and Notes, by William C. Ward. 2 vols. (Lawrence and Bullen.)—The charming series known to all lovers and purchasers of poetry as "The Muses' Library" contains few names which awaken pleasanter memories than that of William Drummond. He might have been a man of influence in the world of politics ; he chose to be a man of letters, and to spend his life in as lovely a retreat as ever poet had the good fortune to inherit. Drummond of Hawthornden wrote much in verse and prose ; he lives on the reputation of his sonnets, and chiefly for the sake of them, all that Mr. Ward has to say will be read with interest. He is a master of his subject, he loves his author, and he has the good taste to write of him with a discretion unknown to many modern eulogists of our old poetry. Drummond, though an ardent Loyalist who could write strongly in favour of Royalty, was not the man to suffer for his opinions, but he must have swallowed a bitter pill in signing the Covenant. Truly does Mr. Ward say that to the Covenanters "the right to liberty of conscience was a thankless gift, unless it were joined with the right to deny that liberty of conscience to every one besides." With regard to the conversations with Ben Jonson which Drummond left in manu- script, the editor observes that the two poets had little in common, while as men they were even wider apart ; and he observes,- " The impressions of Ben Jonson's character which Drummond committed to paper are unfavourable and one-sided ; but this must have been largely Ben's own fault, for we may be certain that Drummond was not consciously unjust." We may add that it is difficult to blame a man for giving us nearly all the know- ledge we possess of " rare Ben Jonson."
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