Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-06-25
COMMUNICATIONS.

Mr. Editor-Through tho medium OF your CO
lumns, the attention Of the public is solicited to
rich treat in the June number OF the Messenger
We al'ude to the opening article which is on Gre
clan and Roman Literature.
The subject has been treated with masters
hand, and must leave every reader of taste to re
greet that the brief limits of periodical necessarily
preclude a moro elaborate essay on a theme so in
teresting.
Homer, the father and prince Of Poets, Hesiod
Iheocnius and PIndar; the comic muse OF Aris-
ophanes, and the tragic riumviraie Of that glorious
nation, whose unequaled refinement in arts and
arms are, and will ever be, the admiration Of mo
derns--tte Poets aOd comedians of magnificent
Rome, whose star eliminated with the decline OF
Gteelan greatness, are brought before the mental
eye, IN swift, yet deeply interesting procession.
An occasional extract allows the render 10 take q
ne1Ier view OF the sublimity OF Pndar, the pathos
OF kuupides Tin otsetibus omnibus mirts" and Of
the sprghtllness OF Anacreon. In passage from
the PtGnnsa Of Eurpdes we are furnished by
the wrlter with n specimen Of his own powers in
reducing the original into English verse, were he
disposed 10 the task The canon Of the tragic Fri
meter seems indeed IN be violated in one or two
lines; but our province is not tn criiicse what was
never offered to the pubic OIL finished performance
1t IstO bestow deserved prsise
One Of the writer's favofi,es Lucretius we have
read but the beautiful extract fnm ,bst poet
Wi. induce US TO seek nearer Acquaintance " tn
hun. Horace - briefly and critically notie.d-his
beauties are pointed out with true and tastefu
| discrimination; md his impurities o. well a. IN.
gtos'er ones Of JuVena, are the just themes Of biz
censure.
Our own limits in this short ro'ice designed as
u only is 10 cell attention 10 rare and exalted me
re, rs vel as the literary vehicle We have selected
for that purpose, forbid nc IN say much ,yb,eh in
tic Jsrror seribsHh, we feel tempted IN DO. We
cannot. however, iOrbeer saying lev words in IA.
/ YOUR Of our old friend Virsr defining The outbof.
comparison Of him with Homer too disnersging.
The moon b0rr0ws on is light FROM the sun
This we hard cOrccdc be the case IN referc,c e..
10 the K1ed and the Had. Vifgil has beauties o
hrs own; and though large borrower from Homer
differs as much in kind a5 IN degree more ap
comparison, IN our opinion, would be the assin. IA
latOn Of Homer % tho grandeur vigor sad tower
| ing proportions 81 man--Vfgii, 10 the eiegancs
grace and heI'bIity ~ woman. Quntllisn quote
with appreciation the opinion Of Domitius Al, Nil
precepior, who deemed Vigil much nearer IN flo
| mer than sny Roman author 10 him; and Quinti
liBn hmse places Virgil far before the rest Of m,
/ Latins, LucfetiUs included. "Ceen Onnes ione
ssquootur; nam Mscsr e Lucre'ius Legend quidsfr
sed non VI phfasin, ID est corpus e.cqutnfs f,ci-
ant: elegsnies IN sua quisque maleril, sed alte
humlis. al.er 6t6cilis"
We recognise in the outhor gentleman, uhos,
I'VE hns been most successfully devoted u the clar
SIC Muses. ond whose return TO active lrerary pur-
SUITS We haIl with sincere satisfaction. and With IN
. hope th1t scholar 50 refined, may elevate anon!
| US The standard Of CLASSICAL literature
We greatly admire the moral strain which per
, yades this anIele, ond ngfee With ,he writer as "a
ne proptety n eRpurglted editions Of the old on
, thoff. We shall expect with impotence the prs
, missed continuance Of the essay, nod look Tor rnucI
, enHr1nment % ihe discussion ~ Greek and TO
man historians Philosophers and Rhetorcians.