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there emerges a poetic view of the world which is at least partially independent-a view in which the stress is shifted from reason,' the instrument of philosophy, to imagination, and in which moral distinctions fade in the inner illumination of the mystic." Blake first proclaimed explicitly, a century before Nietzsche, a good beyond good and evil,' and figured the inauguration of this transcendent ethic in the colossal symbolism of his Marriage of Heaven and Hell." The critics who have a firm grasp of philosophy in the broadest sense as well as a mastery of their own special branch of it, aesthetics, are rare everywhere, and perhaps especially rare in England for English tradition has not favoured the march of literature with philosophy. This much is, however, found in this admirable lecture, which in every sentence proclaims itself the fruit of a mind rich at once in knowledge and in those endow- ments of nature without which knowledge is of little value. Poems by Ralph Hodgson. Macmillan & Co Ltd. 3s. 6d. net. This collection of Mr. Hodgson's published poems is very wel- come, for all who have been fortunate enough to come across the little paper volumes in which his verse has hitherto appeared, know him to be a true poet. The collection is very small in bulk, and this is strange for Mr. Hodgson's work gives every sign of being easily written. Indeed he has the faults as well as the virtues of fluency. The simple rhythms which he chiefly uses, flow with an ease that is sometimes dangerous. His lan- guage, though always individual, seems to come bubbling out like the chatter of a child. At his best he has some of the lyric success of Blake and comes near the perfection of Blake's simple music. Take for instance the following lines from a deliciously unconventional poem on the temptation of Eve — Eva," each syllable Light as a flower fell, Eva he whispered the Wandering maid, Soft as a bubble sung Out of a linnet's lung, Soft and most silverly Eva he said. Undoubtedly the finest poem in the volume is The song of Honour of which the following stanza may be quoted as typical The music of a lion strong That shakes a hill a whole night long, A hill as loud as he, The twitter of a mouse among Melodious greenery, The ruby's and the rainbow's song, The nightingale's-all three, The song of life that wells and flows From every leopard, lark, and rose And everything that gleams or goes Lack lustre in the sea. These lines shew Mr. Hodgson's faults as well as his merits. His navity occasionally degenerates into babble. The ease of his rhythm now and then becomes a jingle. But one could forgive lapses far more serious for the sake of Mr. Hodgson's genuine originality of mind and manner. He has the real stuff of poetry in him and we look forward to his future with something more than interest, for gifts such as his are of more value than much patience and scholarship. Yet there may be some danger that without patience and study he may not do full justice to his talents. Report of the Conference on New Ideals in Education. Held at Oxford from July 29th to August 5th, 1916. To be obtained from the Secretary, 24, Royal Avenue, Chelsea. Price 2s. 260 pp. The Committee of this Conference, fearing a tendency to become too discursive, proposes to devote three days of its Meeting in August, 1917, to a special subject. Its programme in 1916 certainly covered a very wide range of topics, but unified by the principle of the establishment as far as possible of an environment of freedom in the process of education." The papers include three on Religious Education, by Principal Jacks, Professor J. S. Mackenzie, and Bishop Frodham. Arts and Crafts are treated by Mr. Henry Wilson and Mr. G. C. Cooke. On Scouting, the Conference had the advantage of hearing the Chief Scout, and also Mr. Ernest Young, who combats the idea that Scouting is not necessary for public or secondary schools. Readers of the Welsh Outlook will need no recommendation of the paper by Professor Fleure, on Regional Studies and Human Surveys, nor of that on Universities and their Re-planning by Professor Geddes. The place of Science in Education is dis- cussed by Sir H. Miers and Mr. David Pye. The vexed question of examinations is treated by their extreme opponent Mr. John Russell. Dr. Crowley speaks of the Open-Air School. Very interesting is the section on educational experiments namely, Physiological Education in an Elementary School (Mr. J. Arrowsmith), Independent Study in a Girls' School (Miss Price), The Caldecott Community (Miss Potter). A new method of Classifying Infants (Miss Blackburn). A new method on Hand- writing (Miss Golds). This section is issued separately, price 3d., or free to Teachers in Elementary Schools. Who can be happy and free in Russia? by Nicholas Nekrassov, translated by Juliet M. Soskice, with an introduction by Mr. David Soskice. The World's Classics, Oxford University Press. Is. 3d. net. During the past 30 years general readers have become familiar with the great Russian Masters of prose fiction in numerous translations of varying degrees of excellence. Of Russian poetry, however, the ordinary reader is unfortunately extraordinarily ignorant, mainly from want of adequate English renderings. This neglect of Russian poetry in England should cease with the publications by the Oxford University Press (what appears to be an admirable translation) of the greatest Russian Epic. Dr. Soskice in a brightly written introduction which-gives the main facts of Nekrassov's life declares that the poem is Russia's great National Epic which will live as long as Russian literature exists." The present outburst of idealism in Russia was paralleled by a similar revival in the forties of last century. The Idealists of that time, as ever in Russia, were crushed by political tyranny, and despairing of converting their ideas into practical politics. they devoted their energies to philosophy, literature and art. Nekrassov at the commencement of his career moved in a literary circle imbued with the spirit of altruistic work for his Country and its people. Tolstoi, Turgenieff and Dostoievsky were there on the threshold of their great work in prose fiction and they were among the contributors to a monthly review edited by Nekrassov. Among such giants, Nekrassov became the intellectual leader of his time, and the idol of Russia.