New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-11
GENEaLOGYz or IDEas

We yesterday laid down the grand theory Of
literary larceny. We will to-day proceed tt
show that, in all ages, the practice of all ths
earned has been in strict conformity with thai
theory.
10 come to specific instances; Homer las We
nave SEEM borrowed las most Of the early sages
II Greece did from Egypt. Hesiod copied him, in
verse; Phidias, oonfessedly, in marble; the
Armenian dramatists, in dialogue The Mytho-
logists draw the hints of all their fables from
aim; the philosophers and maxim. makers. a
great part of their wisdom; and Lycurgus GER
sainly used him. IN bringing about the reforms
Of the Spartan State. Ask, if you doubt us, our
own undegenerate Greek. the learned Dimitry
ne Will confirm to you every word we have said
from Homers Thought, then, came that of a
great part of Greek Poetry, Philosophy, Art,
Legislation, Religion, with the whole earlier
system of Greek History and Geography, down
% the time of Herodotus.
That eminent writer-who NAV be considered
The father of Prose, as Homer is of Poetry-has
clearly, in the general design of his delightful
DOCK aimed at the Epic form, Hardly any thing
ut rhy thm-to which the Ionic sweetness and
low of his diction approaches and Machinery
winch, again, he almost has in his fables) are
wanting IN his Epopee. OF poetic fancy and
establishment, of action, of Episode, of Man.
aers, ne has enough to furnish out ten :. Eyenr-
slons' or" Joans Of Arc or King Arthurs,
tn the very outset, you perceive that he POUNDS
ne Action Of his history, like that of the Liad
N the mischief which female charms and frsilty
AN do. originally.i it was the rapes of Europa,
Y 10, and OF Helen which kindlcd up animosities
7etween Asia and Europe; and the malady Of
queen, the fraud of her captive Greek physician
tud her desire Of being served by the beautiful
ednale slaves Of Greece bring about the vast in
9asions of Darius and Xerxes Like Homer
ne piunges at once into the middle of his action
the muster on the banks of the Hellespont, tho
analogue of the forces, the animated description
Il their march, their arms. their national attire,
ire completely Homerie. The fictitious discourse
9etWeen Scion and Cr@suss the tale Of young
ttys the imprudenoe and punishment of Can
aiu1es the birth and actions of Cyrus; the de. |
ate between three of the Persian copspirators--
she, by the death of Smerais, had cot the sn.
RENE power into their hands--upon the resnee. |
i've advantages Of the Kingly, the aristoeratic
nd the popular forms of government; the ad.
lonitions of Artabanus to the young King with |
'any like traits in the narrative, are clearly
ramatie embellishments, thrown in, with poet.
) art, to please or to convey moral In short,
9 borrows largely from Homer, in general con.
'isance, if not in particular expression-and
az be said to have compaeted, in prose, the
ars Of The Had with the voyages ot the Odyssey,
ist as Virgil afterwards united, in verse, the
an of both Homer's poems
Much more largely still has he been borrowed
om' by subsequent writer's From him, at
ace. sprang up all eloquent and harmonious
ritten prose. 80 -