Mohammed
Brownson's Quarterly Review, July, 1850
Literary Notices and Criticisms
10.-Mohammed, the Arabian Prophet. A Tragedy, in Five Acts. By George H. Miles. Boston : Phillips, Sampson, & Co. 1850. 12mo. pp. 167.
Mr. Edwin Forrest offered a prize of one thousand dollars for the best original tragedy in five acts. About one hundred competitors sent in their manuscripts, and the volume before us is the one to which the prize was awarded. Mr. Forrest regarded it as decidedly the best that was offered, although he does not seem to have regarded it as so well fitted to be acted as to be read, - probably because the character of Mahomet is not at all adapted to his peculiar style of acting. We have read the poem, and have no hesitation in pronouncing it the best poem of the kind ever written and published in this country. It is happily conceived and felicitously executed throughout. It is a work of rare beauty, and of great (text unreadable--eds) deep feeling, and of deep truth. The view it takes of the of the Arabian prophet is philosophical and just, and the (text unreadable--eds) this poem a far truer and more complete conception of his real character than from all the lives of him hitherto published in our language. We cordially commend the work to all the lovers of good poetry, and are not a little gratified that so excellent a poem should be written by an esteemed contributor to our own journal.
11. - The Life and Religion of Mohammed, as contained in the Sheeah Traditions of the Hyat-Ul-Kuloob. From the Persian. By Rev. James L. Merrick. Boston: Phillips, Sampson, & Co. 1850. 8vo. pp. 483.
Mr. Merrick is or was an American Protestant missionary in Persia, and has given us a work on the life and religion of Mahomet, - Mohammed, as he writes, - from the Persian, which will, no doubt, be read with interest by many. It can hardly be called a translation, or faithful reproduction of the Persian work, which serves as its basis. Mr. Merrick tells us that he has taken some liberties with his author, omitting, condensing, paraphrasing according to his own judgment, and considering that judgment is the judgment of a Protestant missionary, it can command no great respect. Nevertheless, the work possesses great interest, and as embodying some portion of the traditions of the sect of Ali, the Mahometan Protestants, it is an important accession to our literature.
13.- The Angel World, and other Poems. By Philip James Bailey, Author of " Festus." Boston: Ticknor, Reed, & Fields. 1850. 16mo. pp. 114.
We couldn't, or wouldn't, read Festus, and we have not succeeded in reading this new volume by the same author. One of our friends, who occasionally reads for us the poetical works sent us, tells us that she found it exceedingly hard reading, and that the several poems are far below Festus.
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