flourishing his branch of green leaves above his head, was seized with a holy horror, and, after the sermon, waiting in the aisle for him to come down from the pulpit, she thus accosted him: "Oh Maister Hamilton, hoo do ye gie them fig leaves when they're hungerin for the bread of life." But Master Hamilton had something more than fig leaves to give his hearers; as a fruitful ministry of twenty-six years at the National Scotch Church, Regent Street, London, the most important Presbyterian church south of the Tweed-might testify. Yet, eminent preacher as he was, perhaps he did more for the world by his pen, as a writer of tracts, essays, and short biographies, such as Church in the House, Memoir of Lady Colquhoun, Our Christian Classics, and above all, The Royal Preacher, which works have been extensively read in this country. His biographer, noticing this fact, says "it would not have been amiss, all circumstances considered, if our brothers beyond the Atlantic had felt in their pockets for the author of works they so much admired." A contemporary and personal friend of Robert McCheyne and Edward Irving, he had something of his own-a tireless energy in doing good, and a literary genius of considerable power-to make him worthy of such companionship. His fresh love of nature and his vivid poetic fancy, vitalizing what he wrote, were his chief qualities as a writer. Genial, cheerful, sagacious, ardent, energetic, devoted, he filled an important place in the religious. world, without being a man of extraordinary powers. This volume is a handsome one, and is accompanied by a good portrait. MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM C. BURNS.*-In much the same style as the above volume, the Carters have just brought out a reprint of the biography of the saintly Scotch missionary, William Burns. A characteristic portrait of Burns, in his Chinese dress, adorns the volume. Burns was a life-long friend of James Hamilton's, and the two were brought up in neighboring parishes. He was also a friend of Robert Murray McCheyne's, and the first part of his life belongs to that circle of remarkable revivals of re * Memoir of the Rev. Wm. C. Burns, M. A., Missionary to China from the English Presbyterian Church. By the REV. ISLAY BURNS, D.D., Professor of Theology, Free Church College, Glasgow. 'Watch those in all things, endure afflictions (or hardships), do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 2 Tim. 4–5. New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 580 Broadway. 1870. ligion in Dundee, Perth, and the north of Scotland, of which Dundee and McCheyne formed the center. The life of Burns may, in fact, be divided into two distinct periods-the one, that of revival preacher, and the other, that of a foreign missionary. In his first capacity he visted Ireland and Canada. His preaching was attended with many of the powerful manifestations that signalized the preaching of Whitefield and Wesley. He endured the rage of men and of mobs. His preaching, whose effects in some instances were like those that followed the preaching of the apostle Peter, is thus described by one who knew him intimately: "He had no pathos, no fancy, little natural enthusiasm, and not much that could be called natural eloquence; but he had a firm grasp of gospel truth, a capacity for clear and forcible statement, and a voice capable of commanding any audience, however large, in the church, in the street, in the field; and when the power of the Spirit rested upon him, there were the thunders of Sinai in all their terrors, the still small voice of the gospel in much of its tenderness, the fervent fluency of a tongue touched with a live coal from the altar, the irrepressible urgency of one standing between the living and the dead, the earnest pressing of salvation that would accept no refusal; himself standing consciously and evidently in the presence of the great God, with heaven, and hell, and the souls of men, open before him, with Jesus Christ filling his heart with his love and pouring grace into his lips, and with multitudes before him weeping for sorrow over discovered sin, or for joy in a discovered Saviour." But he was pledged to the missionary work, having formally offered himself at the age of twentyfour to go to Hindustan. Following out his early impulse, at the age of thirty-two, still a young man in years, though worn with manifold labors and journeyings for the cause of Christ, he embarked for China, to commence, as he regarded it, his real work of life. He plunged into that great empire, as if single-handed he expected to conquer it for his Master. He was all things to all men, that he might win some to Christ. He put off the European, and became, in all but his Christian heart, a Chinese. His method of operations was highly primitive and apostolic. Having learned the language, he preached, as he had opportunity, directly to the people, sometimes quite alone, or accompanied in his journeyings and boat excursions by a single native helper. But we refer the reader to the book itself, which deserves to stand by the side of Dr. Wayland's Life of Judson-the two men not being dissimilar in their energy of faith. Both were holy men, consecrated to a holy work. "Of the results of his work in the Chinese field, it is difficult to speak. Undoubtedly his life there was far more powerful as an influence than an agency. It was not so much by what he said or by what he did, as by what he was, that he made his presence felt over so wide a surface of that vast land." In these days, when the work of foreign missions seems to languish, the example of this fearless Pauline missionary is stimulating and salutary. BELLES LETTRES. TENNYSON'S HOLY GRAIL, AND OTHER POEMS.*-The mediæval legends of the Arthurian cycle seem to have had a peculiar interest and attraction for the mind of Tennyson. It is said that in his youth he formed the plan of composing an epic poem, extended and comprehensive, with King Arthur for its hero. In the collection of his poems published in 1843, there was a piece entitled "Morte d' Arthur," which was understood to be a fragment of the intended epic, and destined to form, in whole or in part, its closing canto. But nearly thirty years have passed, and the brilliant piece is still only a fragment. Perhaps the poet found his subject. wanting in the unity of action and interest required for epic composition Perhaps he distrusted himself, doubting whether his powers of construction and development were sufficient for a great narrative poem. At all events, he has contented himself with working up detached incidents and episodes of the great story. Four of these, entitled "Enid," "Vivien," "Elaine,” and “Guinevere," make up the book called "Idylls of the King," which appeared in 1859. And now four others, "The Coming of Arthur," "The Holy Grail," "Pelleas and Ettare," and "The Passing of Arthur," are found in the volume before us, and form about three-fourths of its contents. Only the last of these pieces is not wholly new; it consists of the "Morte d' Arthur," just mentioned, with a prefixed description of the battle in Lyonnesse, "that last weird battle in the West," ending with the single combat of Arthur and Modred, in which the latter is slain outright, and the former mortally wounded. The maxim that "to the pure all things are pure" is strikingly *The Holy Grail, and other Poems. Laureate. Boston: Fields, Osgood, & Co. VOL. XXIX. By ALFRED TENNYSON, D. C. L., Poet 1870. 12mo. pp. 202. 23 illustrated in our poet's treatment of these Arthurian legends. The easy-going morality of the mediæval story-teliers, their light tone of mockery, their gay and riant disregard of moral restraints, all this disappears under the hands of the modern reciter. Here the moral element is uppermost. The pleasant vices of men meet with no indulgence or tenderness. The ruinous effects of lawless passion are painted in the darkest colors. The very conception of his theme makes the poet a preacher of righteousness. It is the grand aim of his royal hero to be the founder of a society in which purity, justice, equity, charity, and every other virtue, shall be exercised and exemplified, which shall redress all injuries, reform all abuses, and change the face of the world. Such was the purpose of his Round Table, "that goodliest fellowship of famous knights, whereof this world holds record." But this hoped for paradise was lost through the weakness of its Eve. Queen Guinevere was the loveliest and most gracious of mortal women; but she could not appreciate the transcendent greatness and nobleness of her lord, and had no sympathy for his lofty and far-reaching aims. Her affections became fixed upon Lancelot, the stoutest of Arthur's knights, a man brave and generous-minded, capable of high aspiration, capable of keen remorse, but without moral energy and steadiness. The guilty passion of Lancelot and Guinevere is the fatal cancer which eats away the strength and soundness of the Arthurian society, and at last destroys its exist ence. Among the legends of the Round Table there is one which by its own nature is specially adapted to moral uses, such as our poet has in view. We refer to the story of the Holy Grail, the cup used by our Lord in his institution of the Eucharist,—or, as Sir Percivale describes it, when, having exchanged the helmet for the cowl, he tells the story to an old brother of his convent: "The cup, the cup itself, from which our Lord This, from the blessed land of Aromat- By faith, of all his ills; but then the times Was caught away to Heaven and disappear'd." Now it chanced that a holy nun, sister of Percivale, had an ecstatic vision of the Grail, and, by reporting this, excited the hope that the lost treasure might be recovered, "and all the world be healed." Then a sudden and strange appearance awak. ened the enthusiasm of Arthur's knights, and the best among them vowed a vow to spend a twelvemonth and a day in quest of the Holy Grail. Arthur, who was not present at the time, heard of the act with disapproval and regret, foreseeing the dangers and evils that would come of it, but did not interfere to prevent the fulfilment of the vow. In the quest which followed, the only successful seekers were Galahad, Percivale, Bors, and Lancelot. The last, on account of his secret sin, obtained only a troubled and doubtful glimpse of the object sought. Galahad, the maiden knight, whose heart was pure, enjoyed the fullness of the beatific vision, but with it passed away from earth into the heavenly world. Percivale, who followed him, and had a distant view of the Grail, lost all relish for an earthly life and resolved to spend his remaining days in a cloister. In describing the adventures of these knights, our author has lavished all his wealth of imagination and expression. We quote the ending of Galahad, as told by his companion, Percivale: There rose a hill that none but man could climb, Not to be crost save that some ancient king Had built a way, where, linked with many a bridge, A thousand piers ran into the Great Sea. And Galahad fled along them bridge by bridge, And every bridge as quickly as he crost Sprang into fire and vanished, tho' I yearn'd |