Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-24

THE COMEDIES OF new and literal trans
lation, from the Revised Text of Dndorf with notes
and extracts from the best Metrca Versions. By
WILLIAM JAMES HroKIE, scholar of st. Johns College,
Cambridge ? vols. London HENRY G. BoHN, 1858.
These volumes form part of that valuable series
of literal prose ranslations of the Greek and Latin
classics which compose what is popularity known as
"Bohn's Classical Library" These translations,
SO far as we have been able to examine them, or
may be capable of judging, seem to be executed at
once with scholarly fidelity and elegance, trans
fusng in high degree the spirit of their matchless
originals into genuine and idiomatic English. In
the present version of the Comedies Of Aristophanes
it has been the translators aim to render the very
words of the Creek comic poet into English closely
and exactly as the idioms Of the two languages ad
nit passages of extreme ndelicacy" (of which, be
it admitted there not few forming the only excep
ton to this rule. These Mr.. Hicke has very
prudently decided to "paraphrase; J" otherwise we
fear his publisher would have been deemed guilty
of violation Of that statute which forbids the ut
terance of immoral and obscene publications; Tor
Arstophares like vile heather it was his mis-
fortune to be born, not only calls spade spade,
but gives good many other things which should
not be breahed to ears polite" their plain proper
names without management circumlocuton. 1t is pro-
per to add that three Of the plays Of Arstophanesthe
Lysistrata" "Thesmophoriazusae," and " Esclesazu-
saeare here for the FIRST time given in English prose-
To those familiar with the originals we need not observe
that il in these three comedies that Mr. Hckfe finds
most frequent occasion deyate from strictly literal
rendering Of his author And glad that the trans
lator has paid this homage to the public morality and
acted Leigh Hunts principle Of preserving such
blemshes in writer because they draw but the
LoL L., Iatta MI,
ople which doubtless seems very proper to who
say that the older he grows the he admres such
writer as Rabeais, but which most people, fancy,
will deem any thing but expedent to practise credit
able to confess.
Before proceeding to offer few remarks the comic
muse of Aristopbanes we would essay to remove pre-
udce which fast age may be deemed to attach to
him because Of the antiquity Of the time in which
he lived and fourished for though Aristophanes
born about FIVE centuries before the Christian era yet he
is at heart MODERN and that Of tho first and fastest
water Indeed, the age Of Greece, in which bis lot
cast, was essentially modern age, has been very
Justly argued by Or. Arnold, and argued by
Giovanni Battsta vco before him All nations which
have attained 10 state Of civilization refinement, and
literary culture have at their point Of maximum develop
men reached civil social and intellectual status which
partakes largely Of those distinctive features which give
to modern times their most marked characteristics the
appliances Of practical science being perhaps only
eepted A period such as that philosophicaly
lyred in the historical pages Of Thucyddes is certainly
modern In all its most salient traits ands perraded by
spirit kindred to that which breahes in the nkerngs
aud svings Of man at the present day In philosophy
the Greeks Of that age profoundly idealistc
the metaphysical Germans Of times In politics We
find the disturbing and counterbalancng elements
those which exist in France the United States. In
literature and in art the Grecan writer's painters and
scupors Of the Percean times certainly need not shrink
from comparison with the products Of this boastful
nineteenth century. In religious truth we Of course