Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-07-11
COM MUNICATIoN.

prised that any individual, however humble, slept
forward to examine the candidate Cor the need OF
public APPRECIATION. In our own country, Il is true.
he has little TO fear from the rigour Of such an
deal Tor, as people, We arc exceedingly indugent
to native authors, and much iaoned to praise
what is tolerablc than TO condemn what is had OF
indifferent. To this excessive Indulgence is owing
much of that poverty IN national literature with
which we are 50 o0en reptoaehed; For no com
paint IS heard OF pauci,y Of writer's. Our hume
rous presses TEEN with their publications. But the
standard Of excellence ia too low, and therefore 1t is
no, surprising that mary production OF inferior
merit makes lis appearance. and by the putting oil
the authors friends enjoys temporary notorie,y,
which among people of seveter taste and under
s,rcter order OF things could never have seen the
light The effect is precisely similar TO wha, it
would he in a garden, If weeds were permitted to
grow among valuable plants. The latter by their
more delicate nature and slower growth are soon
overshalowed and ehOkej 10y their pretending but
worthless rivals, and perish from neglect. Nor
should the too easy and careless gardener be q, all
surprised if he fails to find any fruit. And, truly,
We may apply to our literature wha, Hamlet says
Of the world:
| 'fic ont Ills an unveiled garden,
Things rank AMI gross in nature possess II merely"
SILL, either from foolish national pride, or from a
strong desire 10 escape the reproaeh of intellectual
s'er'Ity, we hail with rapture tho appearance of
new author never stopping to inquire whether his
productions are calculated 10 gain the respect or in
crease the derision of our enemies.
| These reflections were suggested by reading the
leading article in the last number Of the Southern
Literary Messenger, and the fnsomc praise lavish,
ed upon IT by some of our sapient editors, who SO
kindly volunteer TO direct public opinion. note
at the close Of the article (ostensiby written by the
editor of the Messenser informs the reader III at j,
is "rcm the pen OF of the rpcs, scholars of our
country" Indeed, am glad to learn it from such
high authority, for am free 10 confess, that from
my own unbiased judgment should never have
supposed 1t. Unaided, should have come to a cor.
cluson quite different, from the expressed opinion OF
those who were requested, not to reristc hut to
pay, the essay on "Gsecian and Roman Lilera
tutc."
| The limits of newspaper article do not admit of
any but partial review of the ESsay before MS I
snail content myself, therefore, with noticing some
Of the errors into which this ripest of scholars has
fallen the number aud nature of which MIGHT ind
cate tendency 10 over-ripeness. A large SHIRE Of
the biographical notices, and the general tenor of
The criticisms, recognise as old acquaintance new
ly dressed out TO walk in this procession: and ns
1
city OF the former nor lin senenuD the correctness
oil The latter, shall not do now. | call the at
enton oil the reader TO some OF the errors in hs,o-
| ry, chronology and translation.
Commenting on 4 scene IN the Phenssa. of En-.
ripides. MIR. Ii. says, at may DC proper TO state
Tor tho better understanding Of the passage that
Etcocles aud Poynices, sons OF UEdipus aud Jocas-
Ia alter their fathers death, agreed TO reign alter
na'eiy." Itdipus was not dead when his sons sue.
eeeded HIM IN the government of Thebes. He was
delhroned and banshej, yet he outyed his two nm
natural sons, who had driven him from his throne
fand home. IL this needs proof cite the evidence
OF EurIpldes himself who, within one bundled lines
from this selected passage brings CEjipus himself
upon the stage, and makes him hear tom the Inns
OF hts daughter, Antigone, the shocking news of
the mutual atTicide. Also one OF the finest of the
tragedies Of Sophocles, the u.dpus Coloneus is
founded on the circumstances attending the death
of the unfortunate king, near Athens long after me
was deposed from the throne Of Thebes In tbot
play he IS represented addressing his son Polvniens
| IN tone OF the most severe yet eloquent Tepro,eh
| much IN the King Lear style. for having while
| KING, driven forth his blind Cd father 10 become
| wandering beggar and exile. At the same time he
torces the fate that awaits the unnatural brothers
ana ends by solemnly prOnouncing upon him a pa
rents most whitening curse. Snphocles wrote three
Hasedies, -uripIies one, and Eschylus one found
Ell on Tie mlsioriunes Of O:dipus and his family n
therefore, our SCHOLAR" had been as well acouant.
go win these authors as he would lead us 10 sup
pose, how was II possible for him to make such an
error IN the history Of u2dipns HIMSELF
Nir u: speaking OF tie superiority of Eutpiles
over SOphocIes 'PmIosophica researches AMI ar
guhehiatNe faculty." says, "he probably derived
heSe advanlnses from mora intimate association
S'.I socrates fiato' ani Aristotle, from whom
Sophocies was more removed by reason of b;s
greater age" - ~
VOW according to the best authorities, the Death
OF Sophoces occurred only one year before tb,t NJ
% 'lIues' ana any one would naturally think this
Inference could not have conferred upon The I,,,er
any important advantage over his rival r., H.
opportunity was not TO ba omitted for giving mot
profound explanation Of the marked difference oL
seNaoe III inc Two authors. But neither of them
cou'd nave known Aristotle, for the sinpie reason
that he was not born till twenty orc wears ofisr
their death. The latter is spoken ofas HAVING bs.n
IN his youth idle and dissoue but uldenly cbNno.
ing ms course OF lite, he became the pup. Of Plato
| and continued with him twenty wears A. =, 80
calculation. therefore, he must have been neorI,, f
| ~ years old when he commenced lecturine on NH
| iosophyj sky years from the death of Eurinides
ana YET ne IS mentioned as one from whose society
that WH'er derived great advantages. This error
may, by some, be deemed unimpnrtani but i, sbo,ld
not, and think could not, have been coomi,ed L,,
Critical scholar IL ought not especially Ia ovs
iound place IN the laboured essay Of one who al
lows himself to be called before his face, zone Of
the ripest scholars OF our country"
Another error Of the same kind. but still r,o,.
Migrant, occurs IN the next paragraph. lie men
ions tappirently to his own advertisement Pericles
Ihucydides, hschylus, Sophoces, Euripides. So.
| NSeSi @h''io'nu1si lhto, AenOphOn and Aristotle
US contemporaries. lie says, "whnt a SondotI,,I
VIC y was mat produced such galaxy OF cotem
Po'1Hc9 aS the world has never seen and most Ger
AMY never will see again in like cornDa.s az ,cr
rnoty Inc author may we'll place mark nj
surprise after such sentence. for nm cs,,a;n 49,
than one Of his readers were struck viii ns,miI
Inen 10 earn, Tor the first time that Percles ,Vos A..
Inli"ate hend OF Plato, and that T;scbvius w.
tae Playmate ct the founder of the Pefip1teties.
"I' from The iooseness Of his language. he has in
uuVof'en,y conveyed to the reader quite d,Ier,n,
meaning RON what no plainly intended as if trnih
nuu utL'efonsly freed herself from the res,roint a,
e"ptso 10 DC placed upon her. "Ceriainlv the |
III, never mas seen such galaxy Of contcmpotn
I,cs' s,'hPiy because they we're NOT con,empor,. |
I'1s' hu'hOiIueS mat tie learned gcnlleu11n will
I"' venture 10 ucnyi assert that Perices died 1zo
years before Christ, at the uge Of seventy. In d.
year 4lV, Is. y, Plato was Oorn maxine GGy 80
rom the death Of one to the birth OF The otLsr
of1y Tour years later Aristotle was born. nins,y
i9ur years from the death Of Percles. Thee VIC
also thirty yels between the latter and Xeno,boo
!, ne ueatn OF H'ehyus is placed in tho wear 1;G
10 u from ihai even, to the birth of Ari.,otlc |
heto was space OF seventy one years. Thee
instances, though by no means q, orc quite sun
cent 70 sho" The scrupulous accuracy Of our rim,
scnolr; wow TOY me ask the gentleman, If he would
contemporary Of Addison and Steele. Wojnolc amJ
Chars XII, Pitt and Fox But # his hol;,s n
thought are not more rigid than his manner Of sy
preston u IS probable That a mere century or tvo
WI prove but slight obstacle 70 the nppieation M
his Pfocfusten measure. "
| pu' euihor PROCESSES 10 be writing for the p,ne |
raj ToaJsr, and nevertheless transcrbes vost onani
/ YES on Hfcck and Latin which he d,cs M, ,.,,.,