The New York herald., 1871-10-21
LITER AT u R E.
CRITICISMS OF NEW BOOKS.

DIank verse Dy William Culleu bTJaut. Dostous
James r. OsgoOd Co.. 1871.
The public has now had sufricicnt time 10 form tfs
own opinion or Mr. Bryant's translation Oithe "lliad"
When the first volume was issued we resolved
to attempt critical examination OF the work until
it should be completed. ThaT time has now arrived,
for We have before the new odyssey" as well as
the new Had. Among all who nave praised Mr..
Bryant's version the best ever made there Is not
one who entertains kinder feeling toward the
translator than do ourselves. Nor do We Yield to
any In our appreciation Of his own original poems;
certainly none have more sincere admiration for
the beauties OF 'srhanatopsls.
But does IL follow that because Mr. Bryant Is both
q good poet and good man he is goot translator
OF Homerf II he Is not the latter should we praise
him as such because he Is the formcrf AZ for prais-
ing translator OF Homer merely because he Is our
conntryman, the idea 10 too puerie to be worthy
OF o moments notice. DO the English,
the Germans. the French or the Italians recognize
any such canon OF criticlsm' Not fewer than nifty
Of each nationality have translated Homer wholly
or partly; but have their versions been enlogzed by
their countrymel pa,ri0sic groundsf No doubt
some Of them have, bus not by critics. il those OF
the latter who are worthy OF the name make any
difference it is IN favor Of foreign writer's
~ . matter OF International courtesy. This is
az true OF Schicgel and 81. Benve as 1t IL Of Cicero
and Quintilllan. Since those OF our readers who
will take any interest In the subject are sufficiently
familiar with the HABITS OF English critics in this
respect we need only remark that nothing would
offend the latter more than to accuse them Of the
sort Of partiality that has been widely invoked ~
mautle OF protection for Mr.. Bryants translation
For these various reasons we must beg leave ID
consider the work before us solely on its merits il
those merits are not 80 many, or Of 80 high
an order as we had been led to expect the
fault IL not ours. Had the standard OF classical
education been higher In this country than
1t Is we should probably not have deemed 1t
necessary 10 make the CRITICISMS, which, as 1t Is,
we approach with sincere reluctance. Aith ough
nnc-tenths OF she eulOges on this version which we
have seen are evidently by persons who know moth
ing of Greek. and whose knowledge Of the vernacu-
lar is by no means perfect, large proportion OF our
students are too apt to accept them a. gospel.
Youths OF fourteen sixteen do not understand the
sort OF patriotism alluded to above still less do they
understand the wonderful skill OF certain publishers
IN 50 operating editorial vessels containing only
small beer that they will yield, at least seem to
yield, wine or honey. Accordingly If they find u
translation OF Homer declared to be superior to all
others they naturally make use of 1t to aid them in
their own renderings; then II this translation IL not
whaf it purports to be- instead of being the best,
1t is Inferior TO many, especially In fidelity rrather
in want OF fidelity. to the Originawhat Is tile effect
of using 1t as an authority
II is no harm to remember that many have under
taken to give transatlons OF Homer without any
knowledge Of the Homeric language depending for
success OH their poetic genus, real or imaginary,
ana their ability TO read and transp0sc the ver
siOns or others Far be IL from us to insInuatc
that Mr. Bryant belongs to this class, although it
Is true that from end of his 'Iadh to the
other We DO not And the slightest evidence OF his
having drawn his Inspiration directly from the
pure original fountain Not q single note, philo.
logical, geographical biographical. or even chr0no.
logical, 90 we md in either Of the two porty
volumes before US; not an observation, or q word,
In the form OF prose beyond the preface. IL pains
say that 1t would have been well that this also
had been omtei but such Is really the fact Tor the
reason that NO one qualified to Judge can read 1t
without feeling convinced tnat there are at least
some OF the Homeric characters which Mr.. Bryant
has utterly failed To comprehend.
il may seem unkind as well as unjust 10 assert
that lie does not understand the great hero Of
"llad;' but no Homerlc scholar would require any
stronger evidence OF the fact than that Mr. Bryants
estimate Of Achilles is that "he Is ferocious bar
barlan at best, and as the narrative proceeds he
loses all title 20 our interest,"" The reasons assigned
Tor passing this Judgment are such rs might have
been assigned against the most renowned chietains
oi real lie, including Alexander, Cesar, HANNIBAL
aud Sciplo Africanns. =
There can be no greater mistake, although no
mistake Is more common than 10 regard Achilles
merely as a great warrior. The critics Of all ma
tlons from Longlnus and Quintlian TO Bentley
aud Maginn, consider that his unfathomablc intel.
ect is as striking characteristic OF him, ana con.
tributes as much to render hun unique In his gran.
deur as his gigantic strength and ndomitabe cour-
age The ninth book alone fully vindica;es Achilles
from the imputatiun Of barbarty, but It Is neces-
sary to be prepared TO read it, as we will show pres
emily. Tnos. who nave undergone this preparation
need only read the speeches Of Ulysses Phcnix and
AJAX on the occasion OF their being sent as am
bassadors by Agamemnon to Achilles--and the reply
OF the hero to each. These speeches have been
famous IN all ages. The greatest orators since Ho-
mer's time, including Demosthenes and Cicero, have
studied them as models. No three oratOns are
more unlike than those OF the ambassadors; yet it
has always been disputed which s the BEST which is
constructed with most art, which Is most persuasive,
which Is best calculated dlsarm resentment but
Achilles IL ut no loss for reply TO the most lngenl-
Gus and powerful arguments even OF the Wise and
eloquent Ulysses. Inc hero proudly and sc0rnfully
denies that his ambition is for wealth, for great
cities, or for Kingdoms, although ne receives and
treats the ambassadors whit he utmost courtesy and
the most friendly hospitality His anger is directed
solely against Agamemnon, ana the cause OF It is
insult and wrong. HIS beloved Brlsels, of whom he
Is deprived by Agamemuon, is dearer 10 hin tnan
all the wealth OF Greece. This ne tells Ulysses In
language very different from tina; OF 'ferooous
parparian," jusiIylng himself as follows:-
FOR what
Did Agamemnon, gathering from realms
An army, ad hhcry Was Il not
Because Of fair.haired Helen? Are the sons
or Atreus, then, the only earth
Who lova their wives? Nay every good man loves
And chcrishes his spouse; and mine loved
Tendorv, though the captive Of my spear
Bok IA, y. All.
These lines serve at once as an argument against
Nr. Bryant and as a specimen OF hrs TRANSACTIONS;
r.ynt nffh .rht r,oV ia ytatt
neither 10 Homer TO Achilles.
Another mistake which Mr. Bryant reveal. in his
preface Is that the Homeric poems were written or
the popular car" The intention OF the poet only