The Sun.
London, England, 1817-06-16 00:00:00

REVIE W.

• ' THE /ENEIs.
Our Readers will not forget that, when we sub-
mit to them correspondent passages from DRY'
pep's and from the recent Translation of this
Augustan Poem, our purpose is to exhibit the ,
elder Translation in his plenitude of vigour
.; and
thus, with the best effect, to oppose him to his
antagonist. With this Object, 'we Made our 'first
extracts from his fourth Book, whiclrwe consider
as the most shining part of his work ; and thence,
in the progress of our comparison, we have now
leaped to his seventh. On recurring, indeed, to
his preface, we find that has 'placed his fifth
Book among those " in which he thinks he has
succeeded best," , and in which die challenges: the
competition of any rival Trarrslator. Of this cir-
cumstance we were not previously aware : hut
as we cannot 'recollect a single passage in this
book which we could produce with advantage to
his cause, we shoji not return to it; bat, continu-
ing our citatiaili:om'the seventh, as presenting'
us with a fairer display of his powers, we shall now
proceed to what immediately follows our last ex-
tract ; and we shall subsequently gratify our
Reader's with the noble' machine of the Fury,
which constitutes the prime ornament of this por-
tion of the Poetn. Throughout our progress, we
shall abstain, by the interposition of any remarks,
from assuming to bias the judgment of °A readers.
Our present extract begins with that noble invo.,
cation of the .111u#e (None age, qui reges, Erato!)
with which Vingu. enters upon this division of
his Poem, conimemorative of the wars which ter-
minated in his Hero's filial —establishment in
Italy :---
" Now ERATO, thy Poet's mind inspire,
And fill his soul with Ally celestial fire.
Relate what LATIUM was : her ancient Kings ;
Declare the pact and present state of things;
When first the Trojan fleet Ansonia sought.;
And hew the rivals laced, and how they fought.
These are my theme; and how the war began ;
And how concluded by the godlike man.
For I shall sing of battles, blood, and rage,
Which Princes'and their people did engage :
And haughty souls, that, moved with mutual hate,
In fighting fields pursued and found their fate;
That roused the Tyrrhene realm with loud alarms,
And peaceful Italy involved in arms.
A larger scene of action is diaplay'd;
And rising hence, a greater work is weighed.

LATINUS, old and mild, had long possess'd
The Latian sceptre, and hii People
.MI3 father, FAVNU3 ; a Lallraatiaa dame •
His mother, fair Mona Wa4.her name.
gut' FAtmos came from PICO, Pscue drew
lii birth from SATUIiK,If reCords lie true,
Thus King LATINOS, in the third degree,
HedlAttrars author of his family.
But this old, peaceful Prince, as Heaven decreed,
Was bless'd with no male issue to succeed.
His sons in blooming youth were snatch'd by fate :
One only daughter heir'd the royal State.
Fired with ber love, and with ambitionled,
The nelghb'ring Princes court her nuptial bed.
Among the crowd, but far above the reit,
Young TURNUS to the beauteous maid address'd.
TURNUS, fur high descent and graceful mien,
Was first, and favoned by the Let ian Queen.
With him she strove to join Law NlA's hand :
But dire portents the purposed match withstand."
DRYDEN.

In this extract ve have marked only two worth,
one of them as an awkward inaceuracy; and the
other as expressing. a falsehood, unsuggeited.and
unintended by VIRGIL. It was impossible thlit
-Emu should love Lavinia, whom lie li ul not
once seen ; and such a circnnistance `i's not inti,
mated in a single, passage or word by VIRGIL;
The proffered match was.accepted by .Leas
ly from political motives ; and love certainly con-
stituted no part of his object in the contest. The,
line, in which this unfortunate word occurs, and.
the two which follow it, are ulto4ether the' pro.
perty of the Translator. In the ex r ract, wc
we are now to make, 'no similar impropriety is to
be discovered; and on its general superiority,.
our Readers will, perhaps, feel Au difficulty it
deciding :
" Now, EitaTo, attend ! and, as the by
Wuntsi Latium's ancient state and chiefs 'display
When first Troy's alien navies sought her coast;
And whence the flame that kindled either host
Goddess! instruct the bard of wars he sings;
Of fields ensahguined by conflicting kings :
Of great Etruria roused to martial rage;
And all Hesperia rushing to engage.
A mightier labour now expects his hands:
A scene more grand before his eyes expands.

The sceptre, now in years, LATINifs sway'd ;
And his mild rule the pi ace-lull'd realm obey'd.
He, as attested by tradition's tongue,
From FAUNUS arid the nymph Mawr. sprung.
FAUNUS fresu Ptcus; and his blood from thine,
Great SATUSIN! author of the race divine.
Without a male successor to his state,
(Robbed of his sons, in opening life, by
Fate)
The Latian Monarch saw beside his throne,
One daughter, guardian of-his house, alone.
She now with love, in prime of nuptial years,
Vas sought by Latium's stud Ausonia's peers.
But TunNuS wooed, with livelier passion warm;
Of regal lineage and illustrious form.
To juin hint to. her blood, and crown his love,
11 ith anxious zeal,.the royal coasurt, strove.
But alt the portents of the gods denied;
And still withheld the terror-goarded
SYMAioNs.,