— A Lawyer's Leisure. By James Williams. (Kogan Peal, Trench,
and Co.)—This is the " leisure " a cultured man with a very pretty.gift of verse-making. His themes are very various. He deals with classical stories, Acontius and Cydippe, for instance, and the bold lover Pirithoue. It is a fine passage in this latter when the hero sees Persephone in her halls, and knows " that the light of life has faded from her eyes." There are Scandinavian poems, and Portuguese, and sonneta on saints and poets. Finally, there are some efforts in a lighter vein. But they all want something. They are good, but they are not good enough. We always try to show such writers at their best, and find that best commonly in their sonnets. Here is one on Camoene:—
.' To Lisbon once descended Poesy
And learned a spmch scarce heard by her before ; Thereat the speech was rude and harsh no more, But softened into gallant melody.
She touched Camoes' tongue, and bade that he
Should sing what Lesion heroes wrought of yore, She crowned his brows with laurel, and he born
. The glory of her gift right modestly. Italian sweetness dwelt in Leiden rime ; When Venus rose triumphant from the wave, Not Tassn's verse'n smoother numbers Rowed. Bat when the bard indignant at the crime Rehearsed the tale of Ives' hapless grave Sonorous lines with fire immortal glowed."
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