Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-06

sspouss opposite sides respecting the "O~an Of
il only remains for say, Non nostrum tantas
ponee Hes." To the authorship Of Junius" there
host Of aspsnt and candidate has been presented
by "psrtia friends presume, within the last few months
but sll Of Junius yet compelled say Stat
un5ra" The most signal instance, however, in oil lite
raure Of doubt and obscury respecting the individual
thorshp of important work, Is perhaps the controversy
still waged over Gil Bias where the dsputan,s belong
separate nations and distinct tongues BY the French
claimed Ae production Of lie Sage while the Spanish
equally periinacious in asserting it be the indigenous of
spring Of Spanish mind. from the mpossibiiy Of work
true nature being written by other than who had lived
among the and in the which be has 50 graphically
descrbeda mode Of reasoning quite unpaatable French
man, the very genius Of his avoits author
weapon for the destruction Of his high pretensons Yet
after the French have spent all their arrows it must be ad
med conceive, that the internal evidence of Gil Bias
is favor of the Spanish side in this controversy and one
is almost inclined point" in favor Of the latter
if for other reason, take off the edge from that smart
but pert saying Of Montesqueu that the spanards had only
book Don Quxote which written to prove all the
rest good for nothing.
From these examples which every reader and their
number might be largely increased il be seen that the
Homeric controversy not without parallel and when
take into consideration the antiquity of the poems attributed
to Homer and the manifold Interruptions and mpersctions
inherent in history transmitted by tradition. it surprising
that we know little about Homer a. man What do
we know about the personal history Of Shakespeare
greatest Of poets, and comparatively modern one His
authentic life be told in page if any thing we know
about him be authentic.
Z want of "ample and verge enough" compels us
here to dismiss subject upon which would longer inge
Content with leaving to Wolf the undiputed possession Of
that bad eminence" which has been awarded him in this
controversy would much prefer follow the lead Of one
who shall enable detect fresh beauties in the boundess
realms Of Homec poesy and glad that the time has
come when this skepcal spirit, unawed by the dvin
ty that doth hedge king" is longer deemed compatible
with rvent and loyal classcsm, conducive delicate
and exquisite sensbity to genius For ourselves we &C
knowledge slowness believe that the bright and venerable
which have become familiar US household words
and around which have clustered alike the ecoecons of the
schooboy noviae and the cherished pleasures Of per
years. until at last they have assumed the gue ineligible
forms and fair humanes that these Names thus haow-
ed by genius and embaned in heart Of hearts, mere
distractions or puatve appeaons unreal and
paper pseudonym or de plume We rather SYM
pathze with the classic enthusiasm Of the gentle Perarch
gazing with delighted eyes upon his copy Of Homer and
huggng to his breast while unable to construe line Of
Greek than ratenze with the cold and phegmac incredu
ty Of Perrault and Wolf
Singua de nobis ami pradantur euntes
Tendunt extorquere poemata :--