For this reason it might have been expected that Dobell's next volumes, _Sonnets on the War_ and _England in Time of War_, would have been more uniformly good. _The Roman_ proves that he had the fire of patriotism in his veins, and many passages of his verse show that this fire was not all spent, as most of Byron's was, to warm other nations than his own. Of all the poets then living, Dobell had the largest share of Tennyson's patriotic fervour and of his love for warlike themes. Nevertheless, the _Sonnets on the War_ are of but moderate merit; and though _England in Time of War_ contains some powerful pieces, it has all the inequality of Dobell's earlier poetry. Dobell had learnt little of the art of self-criticism, and whether he had the capacity to learn must remain doubtful. He afterwards wrote a few fine poems, such as _The Magyar's New-Year-Eve_ and _The Youth of England to Garibaldi's Legion_, but broken health prevented him from undertaking any great work. He remains therefore a poet great by snatches. A selection, including the passages already mentioned, _An Evening Dream_, with its stirring ring of heroism, the fascinating ballad, _Keith of Ravelston_, and some others, might be made, which would greatly raise his reputation. The volume would not be large, but the contents would be excellent. [Sidenote: Alexander Smith (1829-1867).] Next in importance among the Spasmodic Poets to Dobell was Alexander Smith. He was the son of a pattern-designer of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, and in his now little known but quietly pleasing novel, _Alfred Hagart's Household_, he has embodied a good deal of autobiographic matter. He was also the author of a thoughtful and well-written volume of essays, _Dreamthorp_. But he is first and chiefly a poet. His earliest volume was _A Life Drama_ (1853), which excited a degree of interest rarely roused by the first work of a young author. It was warmly praised and loudly condemned; and the result of the controversy that raged over it was to make the author for a short time one of the most prominent writers in the kingdom. But his fame speedily declined, and _City Poems_ (1857), though it contains some of his best work, was coldly received. _Edwin of Deira_ (1861) was somewhat more successful, but was far from reviving the interest which had centred in _A Life Drama_.