II. CRITICAL. Although our Poet has never in this nineteenth century been appreciated according to his deserts, by the lover of poetry in general, yet has he not been unjustly neglected by the critics, who, for the most part, have divined his real merits as well as his glaring defects. Possibly the latter have weighed too much against him, and blinded the lover of high and exalted poetry to a perception of Crashaw's qualities and powers, which, in his own age, were almost unique. Among early nineteenthcentury critics who have given us estimates of our Poet may be mentioned Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Aris Willmott. In later time came Dr. George Macdonald's excellent appreciation in England's Antiphon, and Dr. Grosart's Essay on the life and poetry, forming the introduction to the second volume of his privatelyprinted edition of the complete works of Richard Crashaw. Alexander Pope had had his say about our worthy, and even imitated him, his remarks revealing but a limited perception of Crashaw's highest poetical qualities. Pope was just enough to the letter, but he failed to recognize the real spirit of Crashaw's poetry. In his enumeration of the "best pieces of our author he made no mention whatever of such wonderful poems as the Hymn to S. Teresa, To the Name of Jesus, and several others displaying the highest imagination and spiritual fire. Dr. Johnson evidently did not deem him worthy of a place in his Lives; and only once during the eighteenth century was any portion of his works offered to the reading public, viz: in a selection from his English and Latin poems, made by Peregrine Phillips, and published in 1785. Crashaw's worst defects are his conceits-often outrageous, and highly offensive to good nineteenthcentury taste—and his poetic extravagancies, repulsive to the calm and philosophic mind of the thoughtful student of poetry in this our day. In speaking of the excellences of this Poet we would say that he has an imagination subtle and sweet, a harmony and delicacy of language, a sensuous enjoyment of all good and lofty nature, whether in man, woman, or the outward universe. Combined with these he had the rare and precious poetic gift in a high degree. He is as worthy to be called "the Poet's poet" as is Edmund Spenser. But for the peculiar defects which we have named he would undoubtedly be placed much higher in the hierarchy of Song. He too often let his feelings run away with him, indulging, as we have said, in extravagances of both language and idea, as in S. Mary Magdalene. An intense and fiery nature indeed he had, and the lines written by Drayton on Christopher Marlowe will apply equally well to Richard Crashaw. "His raptures were All air and fire, which made his verses clear; For that fine madness still he did retain, Which rightly should possess a poet's brain." (Elegies of Poets and Poesy.) He even went so far as to exhibit this characteristic in connection with the rites and ceremonies of his dearlyloved Church, (regarding the symbol as the person or thing symbolised) He would have been a sensualist had not his Church saved him from the stain. For evidence of this assertion we would refer the reader to the poem addressed to the name of Jesus. His sensuous nature expressed itself in connection with his religious convictions and emotions. In some essential qualities he has affinities to our nineteenth-century poets, Keats and Shelley, possessing the rich imagination and sensuousness of the former, and not a little of the subtlety and music of the latter; and his influence upon more than one nineteenth-century poet of note has been unmistakeable. The subtle and melodious Samuel Taylor Coleridge, referring to certain lines in the Hymn to S. Teresa, said "they were ever present to my mind whilst writing the second part of Christabel; if, indeed, by some subtle process of the mind, they did not suggest the first thought of the whole poem."-(Table Talk and Omniana, ed. by T. Ashe, 1884). Several more recent poets have been similarly influenced by Crashaw, notably Mr. Francis Thompson. Under this III. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL. heading we confine ourselves to the enumeration, with occasional remarks, of the various editions of Richard Crashaw's works, from the year 1634 -the date of his first publication-to the present time. (1) EPIGRAMMATUM SACRORUM LIBER...CANTABRIGIÆ (2) STEPS TO THE TEMPLE.............. ......1634 .LONDON..... 1646 (3) STEPS TO The Temple.. The 2nd. edition wherein are added divers pieces not before extant. LONDON... 1648 (4) CARMEN DEO NOSTRO, Te Decet Hymnus, Sacred Poems....... Paris...MDCLII. + Edited by the poet's friend Thomas Car. Contains a number of beautiful plates. Copies of this edition are exceedingly rare. (5) A LETTER FROM MR. CRASHAW TO THE Countess OF DENBIGH...... LONDON [N.D. 1653] (6) STEPS TO THE TEMPLE...... The 2nd. [should be 4th.] edition. [London] IN THE SAVOY... 1670 + This edition is said to have been reissued, with an undated title page, as "The Third Edition." It is identical in every respect, except the title-page, with this erroneously designated '2nd edition.' (7) RICHARDI CRASHAWI POEMATA ET EPIGRAMMATA...... Editio Secunda, Auctior & emendatior...... CANTABRIGIÆ...1670 † A third edition was issued in 1674, and, save for the title-page, is identical with this issue of 1670. (8) POETRY, by Richard Crashaw......by Peregrine Phillips. LONDON...1785 A selection made with a view of giving no offence to Protestant sentiment, consequently lacking the best of Crashaw's sacred verses. It is however a creditable performance for the time. (9) The Poetical Works of RICHARD CRASHAW... (Anderson's "Poets of Great Britain," vol. IV.) Edinburgh......1793 (10) The Poems of Richard Crashaw (Chalmers' "The Works of the English Poets," vol. VI.) London.....1810 (11) The Suspicion of Herod.............. Trans. from the Italian by Richard Crashaw.............. Kensington...1834 (12) The Poetical Works of Richard Crashaw......by Rev. George Gilfillan. (Gilfillan's British Poets) Edinburgh... 1857 + The volume contains Quarles' "Emblems" in addition. The Crashaw text is evidently reprinted from the faulty 1670 edition, repeating all its misprints, &c. (13) The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw...... Edited by William B. Turnbull, Esq... London... 1858 + One of the volumes of Russell Smith's “Library of Old Authors." Contains the Latin and Greek pieces, which take up half the volume, as well as the English poems. The text is based upon that of 1670, "the most inaccurate of all" (vide p.xi) according to the editor of this 1858 edition. (14) THE FULLer Worthies' LIBRARY. THE COMPLETE WORKS OF RICHARD CRASHAW......edited by Rev. Alexander B. Grosart......In two vols. Printed for private circulation. 1872 The fullest and best edition yet issued, containing pieces and translations not previously printed. About 300 copies were issued: 50 in quarto, with illustrations; 100 in 8vo; and 150 in 12m0. (15) POEMS OF RICHARD CRASHAW. Selected and arranged, with notes, by J. R. Tutin. [Motto] |