The Equinox (Volume I, Number VIII)

NOW READY PRICE ONE SHILLING H I Mi RY 9 BY ALEISTER A L A e CROWLEY ‘The ‘Daily Mail’? says—This is a garland of some fifty or sixty devotional hymns to the Virgin, while not exce eding the bounds of Catholic orthodoxy, fills his verses with quaint and charming conceits, very much in the style of the ‘ metaphysical’ poets of the seventeenth century. Indeed, in turning over the pages of ‘ Amphora,' as the little volume was entitled when published anonymously two years ago, by Burns & Oates, we feel them to be the work’ of a recipient ofthe tradition of Vaughan the Silurist, George Yerbert, and Crashaw, although Mr. Crowley is smooth where they are rugged, plain where they are perplexin; . "hese poems indicate a mind full of earnest aspiration towards his spi troubled by the religious and philosophical problems which weary more complex intelligences, This little wor) recommended to Catholic readers,” . . Father Kent writes in ‘The Tablet'’—‘‘Among the many books which benevolent publishers are preparing as. appropriate Christmas presents we notice many new editions of favourite poetic classics. But few, we fancy, can be more appropriate for the purpose than a little volume of original verses, entitled ‘Amphora,’” which Messrs. Burns & Oates are on the point of publishing. The following stanzas from a poem on the Nativity will surely be a better recommendation of the Look than any words of critical appreciation: which the author, ueen, a mind of an engaging naiveté, un- can be cordially “The Virgin lies at Bethlehem. “She lies alone amid the kine. (Bring gold and frankincense and myrrh !) (Bring gold and frankincense and myrth !) ‘The root of David shoots a stem. ‘The straw is fragrant as with wine. (O Holy Spirit, shadow her !) (O Holy Spirit, shadow her !)"" Gormley writes—‘The hymns ordinarily used in churches for devotional purposes are no doubt excellent in their way, but it can scarcely be said, in the case of many of them, that they are of much literary merit, and some of them indeed are little above the familiar nursety rhymes of our childhood ; it is therefore somewhat ofa relief and a pleasure to read the volume of hymns to the Virgin Mary which has just been published by Messrs. Burns & Oates. These hymns to the Virgin Mary are in the best style, they are devotional in the highest degree, and to Roman, Catholics, for whom devotion to the Virgin Mary forms so important a part of their religious belief these poems should indeed be welcgme; personallyI have found them just what I desired, and I have no doubt other Catholics will be equally pleased with them,” “ y Fair’? says—‘To the ordinary mind passion has no relation to penitence, and carnal desire is the very ant thesis of spiritual fervour. But close observers of human nature are accustomed to discover an intimate connection between the forces of the body and the soul; and the student of psychology is continually being reminded of the kinship between saint and sinner. Now and then we find the extremes of self and selflessness in the same soul. Dante tells us how the lover kissed the trembling mouth, and with the same thrill describes his own passionate abandonment before the mystic Rose. In our own day, the greatest of French lyric poets, Verlaine, has given us volumes of the most passionate love songs, and side by side with thei a bog of religious poetry, more sublimely eredulous and ersati than, anything that has come down tos fom the Agesoffaith. We are all, as Sainte-Beuve said, ‘children of a sensual literature,’ and perhaps for that reason we should expect ingers fervent religious hymns. “There is one of London's favourites almost unrivalled to express by her art the delights of the body with a pagan simplicity and directness. Now she sends us a book, ‘Amphora,’ a volume of religious verse: it contains song after song in praise of Mary,” etc, etc. etc. he “Scotsman”? says—' Outside the Latin Church conflicting views are held about the worship of the Virgin, but be no, doubt that this motive of religion has given birth to many beautiful pieces of literature, and the poets have -d of ‘singing variations on the theme of ‘Hail Mary.’ This little book is best described here as a collection of such variations. ‘They are written with an engaging simplicity and fervour of feeling, an‘ ‘a graceful, refined literary art that cannot but Interest and attract many readers beyond the citcles of such as mut feel it religiously impossible not to admire them. ight volume we have the utterances of a devout anonymous Roman Catholic singer, in a number of songs or hymns addressed to the Virgin Mary. ‘The author, who has evidently a decided gift for sacred verse and has mastered varied metres suitable to her high themes, divides her poems into four series of thirteen each—thus providing a song for each week of the year. The songs are all of praise or prayer addressed to the. Virgin, and though many have a touch of mysticism, most have a simplicity of expression and earnestness of devotion that will commend them to the author's co-religionists.” The ‘* Catholic Herald’? says— This anonymous volume of religious verse reaches a very high level of poetic imagery. Itisa series of hymns in honour of Our Lady, invariably expressed in melodious verse. The pitfal's of religious verse are bathos and platitude, but these the sincerity of the writer and a certain mastery over poetic expression have enabled him—or her—to avoid. ‘The writer of such verse as the following may be complimented on a very high standard of poetic expressio Telegraph" says— “The shadows fall about the way : “But Mary sheds a blesstd light ; Strange faces glimmer in the gloom; Her perfect face dispels the fears, The soul clings feebly to the clay, ‘She charms Her melancholy knight For that, the void ; for this, the tomb ! “0 Mary, likea pure perfume ‘Do thou receive this failing breath, And with Thy starry lamp illume ‘The darkling corridors of death !"” The ‘Catholic Times"? says—‘'The ‘Amphora' is a collection of poems in honour of our Blessed Lady. They are azranged in four books, each of which contains thirteen pieces. ‘Thus with the prologue there are fity-three poems in all Needless to say they breathe a spirit of deep piety and filial love towards our Heavenly Mother. Many beautiful and touching thoughts are embodied in the various verses, which cannot but do good to the pious soul.” ‘Staffordshire Chronicle” says— Under this title there has appeared an anonymous volume of verses breathing the same exotic fragrance of Rossetti’s poem on Our Lady that begins ‘Mother of the fair delight.’ There is the same intense pre-Raphaclite atmosphere, the same aesthetic revelling in Catholic mysticism, the same rich imagery and gorgeous word-colouring that pervade the poetic works of that nineteenth-century artist. A valuable addition to the poetic literature on the Mother of our Lord,” The “Guardian” says—The devotional fervour of‘Amphora' will make them acceptable to those who address their worship to the Blessed Mother of the Christ. The meaning of the title of the book is not very obvious, It cannot surely have anything to do with the lines in Horace, ‘Amphora enepit,"” ete. ‘The “Catholic Times’? says—* As far as we can gather from his other works, the author is not a Catholic, perhaps not even, strictly speaking, a Chi but here we have page after page of most exquisite praise of Her, whom Wordsworth greeted as ‘our tainted nature's solitary: boast,” until one marvels at the fecundity of concept, imagery, and fit expression.” WIELAND & CO., 3 Great James Street, W.C. TELEPHONE 8987, City Up to the glad and gracious spheres.