Had Mr. Tennyson followed the antiphlogistic diet he prescribes for his horse, his brain could never have become so inflamed as to imagine himself a poet.

Even in his smaller pieces, we are often at a loss to discover his object. He never seems to know when to stop, and yet he always seems to stop sooner than he had intended, and before he had come to the middle of his poem. Our limits forbid us to extract any long piece to exemplify this properly, but we give a short one which will serve as a specimen of the usual meaning, or rather no meaning, of his verses. As in nearly all of his pseudo-ballads, it is stolen from the nursery.

and unfortunate foe.

TO CHRISTOPHER NORTH.
"You did late review my lays,
Rusty Christopher,

Now this is ridiculous.

"The wind is blowing in turret and tree,
-O the earl was fair to see!"

Euripides and Lempriere and he will have a better idea of it than all his own writings can give him. These, however, are but as the playful lashings of the tail of the Great Leviathan of the Deep. is brought into each verse of the poem in the same Mark him when he comes, in the full conscioushead and shoulders-manner. This fault may be ness of irresistible might, to exterminate a puny found in very many of his pieces, such as "Oriana." whose name alternates with every line; "Lady Clara Vere de Vere," whose title thus commences each stanza; "The Lady of Shalott" in which the refrain is ingeniously varied from "The Lady of Shalott" to "Down to Camelot," and occasionally to "Brave Sir Lancelot ;" "The Dirge," where the burthen is "let them rave," forced, against its own will, to enter continually, after this fashion"Crocodiles wept tears for thee! The woodbine and the eglantere Drip sweeter dews than traitor's tear. Let them rave."

You did mingle blame and praise,
Crusty Christopher.

When I learned from whom it came
I forgave you all the blame,

Musty Christopher.

I could not forgive the praise,
Fusty Christopher !*"

With this piece of unrelenting severity, and the "English Bards and Scotch Reviewers" before their eyes, it will be long before the Northern critics will again venture to dissect an unfortunate

Southron.

It will readily be seen from the extracts which we have given, that Mr. Tennyson finds what Byron calls

Another peculiarity of Mr. Tennyson's manner of writing is, that he has managed to join, with felicity essentially his own, unbearable prolixity to a style completely impoverished by the shortest possible sentences. Thus, in the verse just quoted from "The Sisters," it will be seen that every line constitutes a separate and entire sentence; and the same will be found, on examination, to be the case in nearly all the extracts given above. It occurs, indeed, throughout his writings.

"Those buoyant supporters, the bladders of rhyme," to be any thing but a support or assistance. Indeed, they seem to press on him like the fetters of a galley slave, and he can no more sustain them with Mr. Tennyson's versification partakes of the ease or credit, than that respectable personage can same irregularities which distinguish his style; but perform on the corde-volante. Yet, in spite of all with this distinction, that it is sometimes good. this, he is continually burdening himself with the We occasionally meet with passages of considerafrequent and useless recurrence of a rhyme and ble melody, such as the lines on "Eleanore" exthe necessity of bringing the same line at the end tracted above, but he is, in general, exceedingly of every stanza. Instances of the former may be careless, and we not unfrequently come across pasfound in the "Skipping-Rope" and "Beggar-Maid," sages in which he seems to have collected all the quoted above; of the latter, we will only mention" dissonant consonants," and impracticable vowels one of his least silly poems, "The May Queen," in in the language, and which set our teeth jarring to which every quatrain stanza ends with this snake-repeat them; as the following couplet from "Sir like line. Galahad :"

99866

Besides all these, Mr. Tennyson has faults of language in abundance. He manufactures words. alters them, and frequently uses them in the most singular manner. Thus he says, "my sense undazzled" for "my sight became undazzled,” “great Pompey dwarfs," "a gemmy belt," "vary-colored shells,' ," "dazed vision," "twisted silvers,"" a many tears," "lovesome," "anight," "anear," "atween," "anadems," &c., &c. He furnishes Cupid with "sheeny vans," and dignifies the sun with the appellation of "captain of my dreams." It is the same with respect to rhymes. Every page teems with half-rhymes, barely admissible, and many that are no rhymes at all. Thus "palaces" is

"Some Russian, whose dissonant consonant name Almost rattles to fragments the trumpet of Fame." Moore.-The Twopenny Post-Bag,

forced to jingle with" sanctuaries," "sloe-tree" with himself as a task. Thus it is, that we so con"coterie," air" with "sepulche," "lattices" with stantly find words without thoughts. He takes up "breeze," "tendons" with "attendance," a "tear" the pen in order to bring ideas, instead of allowing with "eglantere," "more" with "evermore," "heavi- the ideas to call on the pen. ness" with "weariness," "stateliness" with "grace- Still, notwithstanding all these multitudinous fulness," "Shalott" with "Lancelot" and "Came- faults, when Mr. Tennyson throws off the fetters lot," but our list is growing too long, "I'll see of rhyme, which he has not sufficient command of no more!" We are not of those who would always language to master, and releases himself from the bind the poet down to a perfect rhyme, but these restraints imposed by the complex form and freare carried beyond all license. And another thing quently recurring rhyme of his stanzas, he can which the reader must have remarked, even in the few extracts given here, is the profusion of double epithets, a fault very striking in our language, and one in which a careless writer is very apt to fall. Again, from his affection of old words and obsolete phrases, he evidently wishes to imitate the Mr. Tennyson might, also, very likely please if older writers, and, no doubt, flatters himself that he he would only condescend to be more natural, but is doing so but he should remember that they he rarely calls on us for sympathy with humanity. atoned for ruggedness by strength, and for occa- Almost the only instances in which he has done so sional vulgarity by force and fidelity to nature, are "Dora," "The May-Queen," its continuation, while his verse is completely effete and unnatural." The New-Year's Eve," and "The Miller's Thus we see a mixture of turgidity and poverty Daughter," and these are, by far, the most pleaswhich is often striking. In short, he is one of ing pieces in his volumes. The following lines those who cannot originate, and who, in imitating, from the latter are good, but their beauty is clouded manage to catch all the defects of their models, by the neglect of harmony and of elegance of lanand to let slip all their beauties. There is hardly a guage, which is one of his characteristics. poetical fault, collected from the most opposite sources, which cannot be pointed out in some part of these volumes.

sometimes write well. There are good and even beautiful passages in "Œnone," "Godiva," "Dora," and one or two others, but to exhibit them in their prolixity, would require more space than we can afford.

"Shake hands before you die.

Old year, we'll dearly rue for you,
What is there we can do for you?
Speak out before you die!"

How encouraging! It sounds like the first attempt of a melancholy school-boy on his tenth NewYear's Day.

It would seem, however, that Mr. Tennyson has anticipated criticism, for he thus enters his caveat against it:

"Vex thou not the poet's mind
With thy shallow wit.
Vex thou not the poet's mind,

For thou canst not fathom it.
Clear and bright it should be ever,
Flowing like a crystal river,

Bright as light and pure as wind,"

"Look through mine eyes with thine, true wife,
Round my true heart thine arms entwine.
My other, dearer, life in life,

Look through my very soul with thine.
Untouched by any shade of years,

May those kind eyes forever dwell.
They have not shed a many tears

Dear eyes! since first I knew them well."

If he were to confine himself to such simple expressions of natural feeling, his poetry would be pleasing, but all his "Claribels," " Adelines," "Fatimas," "Marianas,"" Eleanores," et hoc genus omne, are creatures which have never existed any where out of his distempered brain, and which, in their mysterious attributes, such as

are so entirely removed from us in every thing, that all his raptures concerning them can excite but a smile. And this is the general peculiarity of his poetry. It has, usually, the same dreamy misty character, as if it had been fashioned during a summer afternoon nap, under a tree, after too much dinner, while his brain was humining with the rustWhat can he know of the poet's mind? Indeed, ling of leaves and the buzzing of bees. It is, we suspect, from the general character of his accordingly, particularly destitute of force and poetry, that with him it is not "out of the fulness vigor, and, therefore, when he would be satirical of the heart the mouth speaketh." He would or witty, his failure is ludicrously wretched. As seem to sit down to compose, not that he feels instances of this, we may mention " Amphion," the estro, the inspiration, but that he thinks it ne-" Lady Clara Vere de Vere," and the lines quoted cessary to write, because he has the reputation of above on Christopher North.

poet. Indeed, we should not be surprised if he In conclusion, we may be permitted to observe, imposed a certain number of lines per diem on that Mr. Tennyson might confer a benefit, not only

id

NOTES ON OUR ARMY.

No. III.

"An Army is a collection of armed men, obliged to obey one man."-Locke.

To THE HON. THOMAS H. BENTON.

on the world but on himself, if he would only convert his pen into a pruning-hook, and his inkstand into a watering-pot; for, though his vanity would no longer be gratified by seeing his own name in print, except as the cultivator of enormous pumpkins and gigantic strawberries, yet he might gratify a spirit of enlarged benevolence by raising two blades of grass where one grew before, and his rest would be no longer broken by remorse at sendFor fear of an incorrect and unjust inference ing "such reams of blank among the sons of men." which may be drawn from my preceding numbers, Indeed, we have no doubt but that in a short time as they expose abuses without suggesting remedies, after the enjoyment of these placid pleasures and and to check, if possible, what I conceive to be an the delights of a quiet conscience, he will look back erroneous move in Congress in regard to the inteto his past life with regret and repentance. rests of the Army, I must so far modify my plan We feel that we owe some apology to the reader as to explain before hand what I had intended to who has accompanied us thus far, for having de- prove, so clearly as to require no further elucidatained him so long over so poor and fruitless a sub- tion. Before commencing to build on an old site, ject; but the fact is, that in the present dearth of I had intended to remove the ungainly and almost poetical talent, many false prophets arise who are irreparable edifice, with its attending rubbish, and not without that honor which should be reserved then, upon a foundation unincumbered, rear a strucfor worthier objects. Mr. Tennyson's poems have ture of the same material which would do honor to been successful in England. They have been re- the country, and relieve it from a burden now impublished here, and we are informed that they have posed for attendants and furniture which the immet with a ready and extensive sale. They have provements introduced would render unnecessary. been considered worthy of all the elegancies of typography, in a manner rarely accorded to authors in this country; and they have been read, and no doubt admired, by many who should have had more critical judgment, for poetry like his is apt to beget an agreeable confusion of ideas, which careless readers mistake for an evidence of the power and depth of their author, when, in reality, it but shows his looseness of thought. These facts we consider to be a sufficient excuse for the space we have bestowed on him, and, if we are mistaken, "huma

num est errare."

SONNET.-ENDURANCE.

This can be done with a saving of at least half a million to the treasury and at the same time increase the efficiency and usefulness of the Army. I regretted to perceive one of the inquiries of the Hon. Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, and through you I will suggest to him a delay of action on that one point until I take it up, when, I doubt not, he will see the advantages of the plan I will propose to him. I refer to his inquiring as to the propriety of disbanding a number of the youngest of our officers, the most competent, physically and mentally, to enter upon the duties of a soldier's life. They are just arriving at the vigor of manhood, and, in the event of there being a necessity for an Army at all, they are the men we shall want. The amount which will be saved by disbanding these young men will be very inconsiderable in itself, but if it be a consideration, and it is believed the country will be benefitted by a reduction in the number of officers in the line of the Army, let it be done upon a plan which will not only save the same amount of money, but secure efficiency to our service. A plan has been several times pressed on Congress by the Commanding General, Secretary of War and President, for establishing a retired list for old and invalid Against the armor of their honesties-officers. It was proposed to allow those unfitted Who, flinging out their banners on the breeze, for duty by age, or other infirmities, to retire from Walk on; their noble eyes with tears impearled active service and to fill their places by the young That flesh should be so base-who, as they go, men below them in such a way as not to increase Scatter the seeds of honor o'er the land, the Army, unless additional officers were appointed Knowing that after-times will see them stand at the bottom of the list. A bill was submitted by Tall trees, whence shades shall fall and music glow General Macomb, in 1840, for this purpose, accomTo glad some way-worn brother's heart-some soul panied by a tabular report from the Pay Master Who seeks, with trust in truth, Fame's golden goal. General showing that a saving would be effected Philadelphia, 1844.

BY ANNA M. HIRST.

Some writhe-some sink-some die in this rude

world

Beneath the rough blows of their brother man;
But there are those that scorn his envious ban,
Who, with high hearts and lips serenely curled
In honest scorn, laugh at the slanders hurled

by it though the vacancies created should be filled

The Staff is at the same time reduced about seven per cent., and that, too, by cutting off the most useful and necessary part-the Medical, Pay, and Inspector's Departments. The increase in 1838 required an addition to our Staff, at least we were

by new appointments of Second Lieutenants. If I find from official documents, that the line is these appointments are not made, but those now in reduced from twelve thousand four hundred and service be retained to fill vacancies thus created, ninety-five, to seven thousand five hundred and you must readily see the advantage which must ninety-nearly forty per cent. result to the Army, and that a greater saving will be made than by dropping the same number of junior officers from the foot of the list. And if any further action be necessary, suspend the operation which supplies these young officers, but I cannot believe that Congress will think of dis-told so, and I can discover no reason why their charging from the service men whom they have own arguments for an increase will not bear against educated at a considerable expense, and who are them when a reduction is effected, unless our late rendered doubly valuable by experience princi- Secretary has discovered one in "the extent of pally acquired in the field, and continue the edu- country over which they are spread." We find cation of more to supply vacancies which the dis- too, in less than five years after this small reducbanding of those now in service must soon create. Ition has been made by Congress, it is more than had intended making this the subject of a separate counterbalanced by the addition of Brevet Second letter and must now refer you to General Ma- Lieutenants to the different Staff corps, whose comb's and Mr. Poinsett's reports of 1840 for the services are about as valuable and necessary as the particulars of the plan submitted; which, with a thread lace is to a lady's cambric handkerchief. few modifications, will effect more than Mr. Mc-Including these supernumerary and unnecessary Koy seems to aim at; and, in the end, leave us in a officers, our Staff is as large and expensive now, healthy and vigorous condition instead of palsied with an Army of seven thousand five hundred and and enervated by years and disease. What would ninety, as it was when the Army was twelve thoube thought of the man who should go into his orchard sand four hundred and ninety-five. This may be and trim out all the young, healthy and thriving necessary from "the extent of country over which shoots from his fruit trees, leaving behind him de- the Army is spread," but I doubt whether Concayed, windshaken and diseased trunks, which can gress will be willing to keep up a large and unnescarcely bear their own weight and are unable to cessary Staff, composed of indolent and useless afford sustenance to the fruit with which nature officers, in order to supply every large city in our cloths them? But apply the case it is precisely wide spread country with one of these drones who similar. I would not be understood as expressing lives upon the reputation of the working bee, and a desire to cast aside the veterans who have spent who is of about as much use to the Army as the their lives in support of their country-they de- fop of Broadway, or Chesnut street is to the soserve and have a right to demand more. The plan ciety of New York or Philadelphia. to which I refer you fully provides for them. If the Hon. Chairman will give me his attention, I promise to convince him he is but " penny wise." On one of his inquiries, Congress should act at once. Cut off all double rations-and reduce the appropriations thirty thousand dollars. Such is their cost. I will give you reasons and good ones hereafter.

I find, from official documents, that in 1838 the line of our Army was increased in numbers about fifty per cent.

The Staff at the same time was increased in Dumbers about two hundred and seventy-five per

cent.

The expenses of the line at this time were only increased about twenty-five per cent., owing to the additions being made entirely to "the rank and file"-the number of officers was actually reduced. The expenses of the Staff were increased from one thousand to fifteen hundred per cent., owing to the additions made to the number of officers,

nearly all with increased rank and every one with greatly increased pay.

What is the result in 1842, when the Army is again reduced?

Before proceeding to my task of examining these Staff Departments, corps by corps, I must in candor say to their members, individually and collectively,

"A chiel's amang ye takin' notes,
And faith, he'll prent it."

The table in No. 2* shows that in 1821 we had a Quarter Master's Department which was considered sufficient for the wants of the service at that time. It consisted of a Quarter Master General, two Quarter Masters and four military store keepers. Since that time three regiments have

been added to the eleven we then had in service

and with them we find two Colonels, two Lieute-
nant Colonels, two Majors and twenty-eight Cap-
tains added to this department, an increase of
seven hundred
per cent. Why were these offices
created? This question would be easily and plausi-
bly answered by the department if referred to it;
but ask any officer of rank and standing in the
Army, disconnected with the loaves and fishes,
which the department distribute, and the answer
will universally tell against them. The increase

*See S. L. Mess. for March, 1844, p. 156.