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

which has brought LIE and immortality to ghta reve-
lation however the necessity of which by So
crates, If his pupil Plato may be deemed to have rightly
the views Of his master for in the second
Alcbiades Of the great Greek philosopher we find So
crates expressly nculcatng the ndspensabeness
authoritative revelation in order to the proper adjustment
of mans reatons to the gods and predicting the advent
of lusrious teacher who destined to instruct
mankind in this highest domain Of knowledge prediction
which had its more than fuflment in the mission and
ministry Of Him who spake never man spake.
II such was the age in which Aristophanes lived
may safely say Of him, as said by Montesqueu Of
Votre that he had than any body the spirit which
every body had in that age. T"H plu. que personne
respra give tout u monde AT Bentley who should have
the merit Of first fairly introducing ristophanes in his
character and merits the notice English scholars
styles him the most ingenious Of an age fertile
great Wits Before Beneys day it had long been tho
fashion to decry Aristophanss mere buifoon," q
sort of merry Andrswe "a recian stage, remarkable
the purestAtfic Butftery he has into the great
estvogue among both English and German scholars, and
the danger to be that his euogsts and de-
tenders will much the side Of excessive lauda
tion their predecessors in his depreciation Even the
passages of extreme iAdecency which seem to have
appalled, the literal fidelity of Mr. Hickie have found
apoogts among these later admirers of the comic poet
We assured that not the bent of his mind to be
immoral though, like Swift he might not to wade
through little nastness for the sake of joke His
saus the character Of Socrates in the play entitled the
Clouds he represents the great heather sage
philosophical mpuntcbank and peddling trickster
in the logical art have furnished much more thorny and
ntraoabe difficulty for the champions Of Arstophanes to
justify or explain Many Of them, however, have not
hesitated long throw Socrates overheard in order to
,Jo1 aud 30 od b,ro
that the character of Socrates is little open
remark than admirers in their ignorance,
of, and than some in their knowledge willing
to bring to light" Another ransacks the Memorabilia Of
Xenophon, and thinks lie finds in certain chapter quite
enough to prove that Socrates better than he
should be in fact that he quite town rake while
loud at the Of the streets in the praises of tenn
| perance and confluence.
Now, it is part of opinion that Socrates was
the immaculate character in which the nmbus of
dtonal history would fain represent him. There are
many saints enrolled in the christian calendar who
fear would have been canonzed if all the truth
about them had reached the Apostolca Camarilla And
Socrates too, inclined to suspect after ALL
what it would be strange if he had not been pagan Of
the fifth century before Christ man may lift him
self above his age, but lift himself out of it
except it be saints Of the Simon Sytes order who how
a-days they did while yet in the flesh. But while
exclude the of Socrates from hagioogy, and
deem it hazardous to initiate the devotion of those who
have not scruped to exclam Sanete Soeraies pro
nobs" yet it is asking little too much Of when
are requested down the sin Of Sophroniscus in
order that the exemplary but magned Aristophanes
may take his place II the limits to credulity too
to take in all the pretensions Of Socrates where
shall those of Aisophanes be placed. On what grounds
are we called so suddenly only to disenchant
selves the fpoess purity of Socrates but also to
magnify and exat in the highest his parodst and calum
niator as we have always been taught 20 believe! We
suspect no better be alleged than that Arso
planes was great genius and wrote in the finest Attic
Greek. Hence infer, the origin OF his worship and
apotheoss among certain scholars in these latter days
But let us pass from the to hasty notice Of his
comedies.
These are considered believe, pretty hard read
ing" by the under graduates Of most American colleges
And 1t must be confessed that much Of Arisophsnes is
efficiently obscure after making all deductions
for the wit and humor that have become unntcgble to
us at this distant day ignorance Of those pass
ing events OF the times which the poet much loved
to animadvert Porson has said that single Atheuian
newspaper would have thrown light these plays
than all the commentators put together and Porson un-
doubtedy is right But since II was not customary for
the fierce democratic OF Athens, during the admins
traton OF Perices or OF Creon have organs" like
those Of their Americas namesakes, compelled to
forego all the instructive comments which might accord
ing to the idea Of the British critic be culled from the
columns Of " The Athenian Democrat" Instead, how
ever OF sghing for What Is not to be had in the way of
Athenan newspapers prefer to reverse the specua
ten OF "the great Person." and to consider the
dies of Aristo phanes substitute for whois file Of
the journal aforesaid; for what these plays but
series Of rdent datribes the and things Of the
Arisophanc period! And what the Parabasis Of Aris-
tophanes but an editorial leader written with quito
much pth and condensation Of style any to be found
in our neighbor the Union!" We do not hesitate an
Of Athenian life and from the dramas Of the
theat comedian than from the pages Of oil the Greek
his lust as Roman life be in the letter.
OF Cicero better than in the pictured page Lvy
Mr. WALSH one OF the poetic transators Of Aristo-
phanes has expressed great regret that hca contained
no volcanoes about the time OF Socrates for had there
been any, he thinks might have stood good chance
Of rnnsacking and rummuying among the rcns Of
Greek city soy Athens ITSELF just fortunately have
been able TO do Hercubneum and Pompe those vul-
cani1ed relics Of ownfe smong the Romans But since
Greece was bad of for volcanoes she was sor
papers Mr.. WALSH proposes to make the comedies Of
hristophanes answer for the Pompei Of Athens Just
as We propose consider aem newspapers in lieu st the
wish expressed by Porson And indeed the comedies Of
Aristophanes will be found induct the reader into
chambers Of imagery" quite descriptive and ae-
ko az anv frescoed wall which has heen disentombed