New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-17
HEPwAN AND poRorHgA.

LONDON. n
The translator of this world-famous idyl h.. a,
tempted not only to reproduce the spirit o! tie ory.
ins bu. to show the adaptation Of hexaneter yer,.
to The English language. With an easy confdsocs
tina, betrays plethora Of sef conce and deiceoc.
of poetical and ear he would not adm, even a,
a doubt that this unmansgesble measure nigh, n,
made 10 DO good service in English versifcsson.
Tie failure Of Spencer whose name, by theby.As /
does not krow how to spell to complete the Fan
Queen in this measure, after iryingit in ,evera can
tos is accounted for by the restrictions Of Lsn pro-
ody. In like manner, other unfortunate specimen,
led TO the general opinion, both among poets .aA
scholars, that the q" Hexameter gentleman 0; "A
spcitrt house, but who could not thrive in an p.
gish cline The bad luck OF Souihey in his Vision
of Judgu emit served to strengthen the prejudice and
10 shake the faith of the few sdherens to the me.un,
in question. According to the present translator, tho
man who would succeed in na,uralizing hexame.er
must come with the coursge of a bold Dragon, and
def,irg all musty precedents, "chalk out a nev
path for bimself. Fancying himself to be the pre-
Desired individual who was TO give locsl hsbas
ton snd name" to hex smeter in English poetry, 10
boldly enters the ring himself the herald
of new era, and able to accomplish what had bsa
left undone by his predecessors. But we really csa.
no; compliment this sane Mr.. James coehrane o.
any extraordinary success. His version Is pleasant
enough TO read admit but this could scarcely fan
to h. the case with any version of Goehes iucompr.
able pictures of German rural life short oil absolute
caricature. As specimen OF successful hexsneter
we fancy, it will find very few admirers, except tho
translator and his literary clique il he happens to 30
blessed with such d institution. Let US take lev
lines from diherept parts OF the volume to show III.
g baxa viii IL
open up new vein in English poetry;
"wel hast thou done, dear WIFE, our Herman in
haste 10 dispatch hence
Built in the very best style is the vehicle, ,nd il s
spannew.'
"Wel, tis not thst would run in this heat. sni
completely fatigue me,
Such procession to witness TO hear Of IL even. mo
saddens"
So For what reason alone could never evolve, is @
compsbed lon.
OF by a fortunate bias which men irress,iblylesis
It's curiosity lures mankind, her attractions oil
yield to-
Yes, lis in vain to expect that man can give cut
what not in him.
Forward the wagon had moved, that cleaned stood,
swinging on springs
In fact no mastery of versi6cation can force the
hexsmeter to take root on the uncongenial English
coil Even Mr.. Longfeow has scarcely attained
hearing for it in Evangeine in spite of the exquisite
natural descriptions melting pathos, and artistic con-
structon of that fine poem. In tho hands of would
be literary reformer like the present versiier, be.
comes simply an absurdity.
SATIRE AND sATrRIsrs. By JAMES HAMA" lana,
Pr. Is Redheld
= .,fA In TO
cations this volume certainly Is not;-a good deal Of
cleverness in the English senfe of the term, may b
ascrbed 10 it, without contradiction; as pleasant
book, TO skim over, in LEISURE longing hour, 1t ~
serts claim on the lover of literary danties Tho
chief personsges whom it brings upon the stage are
Horace and Juyenal, Erasmus, Boileau, Botler and
DRYDEN Pope and Swift, Burns, Byron and Moore,
concerning all of whom it says many Ingenious
things with now and then a suggestion that is worth
noting. We like his remarks on Horace wei
a. any part of the book. They present view of he
honest old Roman gentleman that is not exactly
orthodox but which certainly contains many touches
of truth. Horace was not the dissolu.e vol1ptu&y
that he has been often taken fora perfect man Of
of the world indeed with just enough poetic taste and
feeling 10 make bis supper crown Of roses parsley-
genuine roses or genuine fresh parsey;-but byno
means devoted to the romantic sort Of dissipation
which he celebrates in his songs. ~ DO not think
Gays Mr.. IIannay, that the simple and philosophia
Horatius, with his eye for satire, much givenD
this mode of enjoyment; am pretty that he did
enjoy himself but rather fancy him eating too
luxurious dinner now and tben-crammng himself
with tunny.fsb, muscles, oysters, hare, thrushes,
peacock, and whatever else was going; and stonins
for il by much quiet and little rustication In he
farm. I am certain that he was in the main,
homeiy little man and that the finish and elegance
be shows in HE writings did not appear so conspia-
ously in bis person and in the objects about him.
In another natural picture of Roman life, Mr.. Hn'
nay bespeaks q more respe ;tul consideration Of BIZ
favorite than he is apt to receive from the suaere
norast. Horace, in spite of his great associst<,
loved at times to trot out. his cropped mule; to
cha, with the country.olk, and AK the price Of sd
and grain; to wander out an see how the busy ham
! of men was going on, in the Forum or the Circus 70
attend at the religious rites in their turn too, pan
Of actual life. Home he went after such duties -
these in the soft Italian afternoon-.o the simple
meal prepared for him. salad and macaron not ior.
gotten, with bis little goblets, Of wine and one Of
water, on a table covered, we may be sure, with .
snow-whte, though not splendid cloth; then cana
bis sleep; and he rose early-wandered out reading
and meditatiDg and 80 the day again went BY Lssus
think OF him, when we do think OF him, as such
man as this: as wise, genial, calm spini zee, soc
worthy too, OF something better than the Animation
Of Augustus, and tomb by the side Of his splen'a
patron. The world csnnot often have heard msse
cheerful snd more charming talk than must have
been that Of Horatian party, when the men
genius met by themselves, and Virgils mild sne
pure spirit brought with il an atmosphere Of heamy
peace; and the tender and amorous Tibulus soa
| how Della should gather apples for them II Uey