LITERARY REVIEWS AND CRITICISMS E THE ELIZABETHAN SONNET VERYBODY knows that Shakespeare wrote sonnets; but it is not so generally understood how thoroughly the sonnet was a matter of fashion in Shakespeare's day. Some notion of its vogue in those times may be derived from the fact that during the sixteenth century, so it has been calculated, there were more than 300,000 sonnets produced in Western Europe. These sonnets, particularly those of an amorous nature, were often gathered into collections or "sequences" and were dubbed with the poetic pseudonyms of the inexpressive she's who were their putative inspirers, and who were, in fact, often saluted by their adorers as so many tenth Muses. Of such collections the present reissue of Arber's English Garner 1 Elizabethan Sonnets. With an Introduction by Sidney Lee. 2 vols. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co. contains fifteen examples, comprising those of Sidney, Drayton, Spenser, Daniel-in short, representing a large and by all odds the most important part of the sonneteering activity during the Elizabethan period, exclusive of Shakespeare's. Such is the character of the book. And as it is now one of the most convenient sources for the study of this particular product, it is too bad that the text, which is virtually Arber's with the insertion of some additional matter, should not have been thoroughly revised. In some of the additions, for instance, an old spelling is retained after the present fashion, while in others it has suffered modernisation. Sometimes the syllabic -ed is indicated, sometimes not. The punctuation too ought to have been thoroughly overhauled. And it is to be wished that some one had taken the trouble to provide the Diana with a specification of Constable's contributions. But these are minor matters after all and need not detain us. The most noteworthy part of the whole performance is the general introduction by Mr. Sidney Lee, who undertakes to assign the Elizabethan love-sonnet to its proper niche in the gallery of comparative literature. In order to indicate intelligibly what he has done, however, it will be necessary to explain briefly the nature of the collection. What must strike the general reader most forcibly in looking over these sonnets-for with many of them reading is an impossible operation-is their wretchedness from the modern literary point of view. Historically and relatively they may be of some interest and importance; artistically and absolutely-if it is permissible to speak of an absolute in such affairs-they are of little or none either in matter or manner. Of course it is hardly to be expected of Elizabethan poetry, as a whole, that it should display the high and exquisite finish which we regard nowadays as indispensable to verse, particularly to such a kind of verse as the sonnet, Outside of the drama and some short snatches of simple song-and even here felicity seems often a matter of accident-there was, with few exceptions, no mastery of versification at this time, no certain and assured craftsmanship, such as begins to appear a little later with Drummond of Hawthornden. It is from Ben Jonson that this new idea of art, as a controlled and conscious workmanship distinct from inspiration and ancillary to it, actually emanates. But when Ben Jonson himself ventures outside of his province and undertakes to turn Horace into English rhymes, what a mess he makes of it! While Donne himself, the most remarkable poet between Jonson and Milton, is no very |