The best review of "Evangeline" ever written was probably the analysis made of it by that accomplished French traveller of half a century ago, Professor Philarète Chasles of the Collège de France, in his "Etudes sur la Littérature et les Mœurs des Anglo-Américains du XIX. Siécle," published in 1851. It is interesting to read it, and to recognize anew what has often been made manifest--the greater acuteness of the French mind than of the English, when discussing American themes. Writing at that early period, M. Chasles at once recognized, for instance, the peculiar quality of Emerson's genius. He describes Longfellow, in comparison, as what he calls a moonlight poet, having little passion, but a calmness of attitude which approaches majesty, and moreover a deep sensibility, making itself felt under a subdued rhythm. In short, his is a slow melody and a reflective emotion, both these being well suited to the sounds and shadows of our endless plains and our forests, which have no history. He is especially struck with the resemblance of the American poet to the Scandinavians, such as Tegnèr and Oehlenschlaeger. He notices even in Longfellow the Norse tendency to alliteration, and he quotes one of the Northern poems and then one of Longfellow's to show this analogy. It is worth while to put these side by side. This is from Oehlenschlaeger:-- "_T_i_l_giv _t_vu_n_gne _T_rae_l_ af E_l_skov! _At_ han dig _a_tter _A_s_t_saeld findet." ... etc. The following is by Longfellow:-- "_F_uller of _f_ragrance, _th_an _th_ey And as heavy with sha_d_ows and night-_d_ews, _H_ung the _h_eart of the _m_aiden. The cal_m_ and _m_agical _m_oonlight See_m_ed to inundate her soul."