New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MR RRYANTs HOMER.

r,,r 11rAp OF HOMER Translated into Engh ISL
Al" plaak Verso nv WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT VOL ~
Ito pp. l9e. Fields osgood & Co.
W. ovnressed so fully our appreciation OF the
merits Of this noble work at the time OF the puohca
,op Of the first volume that little remains ior us W
40 now except TO congratulate our readers upon
ar connletion of such a rich addition TO American
lto,atpre. and to congratulate Mr.. Bryant upon the
spendid crown which has here been placed upon MS
long literary career. We are more and more I'M
messed with the fidelity of this translation not oniy
90 the language but the spirit of the Greek and the
remarkable success with which Mr.. Bryant has rec
oncied the sternest simplicity Of style with truly
poetic phrase Two extracts of famous passages
must satisfy our readers for the present The frs'
is the scene from the XIvth Book, where Juno
decks herself in fair array and borrows the cestus
Of Venus in order to decoy Jupiter;
She went TO her own chamber, which her son
Vulcan had framed with massive portals made
Fast TO the lintels by secret bolt,
which none but she could draw. She entered In
And closed the shining doors and first she took
Ambrosial water, washing every stain
From her fair limbs, and smoothed them Win rch OIL
Aubrosial soft and fragrant, which when touched
within Jove's brazen halls, perfumed the air
OF eartl and heaven. When thus her shapely form
Had been auointed, and her hands had comDed
Her tresses, she arranged the lustrous curls,
AubrosiaI, beauti ful, that clustering hung
Around her an ambrosal robe, the work
OF Pa1as, all its web embroidered DER
With forms of rare device. she fastenedh
over the breast with clasps of gold, and then
She passed about her waist zone when bore
Fringes an huudred-fold, aud in her ears
She hung her threecemmed earrings, from whose geam
She won an added grace. Around her head
The glorious goddess drew flowing vail,
Just from the loom, and shining like the sun;
Aud. last beneath her bright white feet she hound
Tue shapely sandals. Glorously arrayed
In all her ornaments, she left her bower,
And calling Venus To herself, apart
From all the other gods, addressed her thus -
"Wlt thou, dear child, comply with what askf.
or, angered that aid the Greeks, while thou
Dost favor Troy, Wit thou deny my suit}'
And thus JOye's daughter, Venus, made reply
40 Juno, whom reverence. speak thy thought,
Daughter Of mighty saturn! for my heart
Commands Inc to obey thy wish in all
That can do and all that can be done"
And thus imperial Juno planning guile,
Reioned Give me the charm and the desire
With which thou oyercomest gods and men.
i 20 10 the far end Of this green earth,
To visit Ocean, father Of the gods,
And Mother Tethys who, receiving me
From Rhea, cherished me, and brought me up
In their abodes, when JOye the Thunderer
Cast Saturn down 10 lie beneath the earth
And barren sea. 20 to visit them,
And end their hateful quarrel For too long
But if my words persuade them, and bring back
Their hearts to their old love, my name will be
HonoIed by them, and dear throughout all time"
And laughtcrloying Venus answered thus-
"What thou Gesirest should not be denied,
And shah not, for thou seepcst in the arms
OF Jupiter, the mghtiest of the gods"
She spabe, and from her bosom drew the zone,
Embroidered, many colored, and Instinct
With every winning charm-with love- desire,
Dalliauce. and gentle specch-that stealthiy
Oercomes the purpose of the wisest mind,
And placing il in Junos hands, she said
This many colored zone, and all that dwels
Within il. take, and in thy bosom hide,
And thou. deem, wilt not return and leave
THY purpose unfulfled." As thus she spake,
The largc-eyed stately Juno smiled and took,
Aud. smiling in her bosom placed the zone,
While Venus, daughter OF the Thunderer,
Went to the palace.
The second is Hector's famous assault upon the
ships described in the XVIII Book:
The hero was aroused
To fury fierce rs Mars when brandishing
His spear, as a desoating fame
That RACES on a mountain-side among
The thickeis Of a close grown wood. His lips
Were white with foam; his eyes from underneath
His frowning lrows strcamed fire. and as he fought,
Upon the hcIos temples feariuy
The helmet nodded. Jupiter himself
Sent aid from lis high scat, and heaped on him
Honor and fame beyond the other Chiefs,
And they many,-for his term Of life
Was to he short. Minerva
Was planning 20 bring its closing day,
Made fatal by the might of Peleus'
And now he strOve 10 break the Grecan ranks,
Assaulting where he saw the ticycst crowd
And the best weapons; yet in vain he strOve
With all his valor. Through the se1ied lines
lie could not break; the Greeks in solid squares
Res. ..cd, like q rock that huge and high
BY tie gray deep abides the bufetings
OF the slIill winds and swollen waves that heat
Against il. Firmly thus the Greeks withstood
The Trojan host, and fed not. III blaze
OF auuOr Hector, rushing toward their ranks,
Fen on them like mighty billOw raised
BY the strong eOud-bOrn winds, that filings itself
On swift ship, and whelms it in its spray,
while earfuly among the cordage howls
The blast the sailors tremble and faint
With fear, men who deem their death-hour nigh.
SO the Greek warriors were disnayed at heart.