The New York herald., 1871-10-21


Bryant tells US In his preface: ~ have been
sometimes, perhaps often, guided by the iabors OF
my predecessors" &c. This is an honest admis-
sion, although 1t was hardly necessary. The dim
Guilty s that our poet has been guided" BY Just that
class OF his predecessors who needed guiding them
selves. But let MS now give specimen or two, IN
order that the reader may Judge how mncn better
or how much worse, the blank verse translation OF
Mr.. Bryant is than those OF some or the 'predcces
sors" in whose wake he has followed.
There are few students who are not aware that
every great epic commences with the principal sub
ject. This is true both Of the Iliad and the Odys
sey." ss well rs OF the. "lEueidn and paradise
Lost" ills true Of the two latter because true OF
the two former, Virgil and Milton paving regarded
Homer AZ their model. Thus, the 6rst word OF the
"lhad" Ii Mavw IRE, or wrath). because the
wrath OF Achilles is the principal subject OF the
poem. Then In the 'Odyssey' 'AvSps imam, or
hero Is the hrst word, the principal subject being
Ulysses. On the same principle Virgil commences
the "lhneld' "Ar,na, cf,usnQue," and Milton's
opening words are, "Of mans frat disobedience,n
&c. The nrst word OF the "Ihad.n a. we have
seen, IL the noun "wrath.n Mr.. Bryant's nrsl word
Is IN interjecti0n thus
OGoddessi sing the wrath Of pslsus' son,
ussa hs a, and
To Hadea many valiant soul, Ac.
original. Homer introduces his goddess (sea) into
the middle OF the line ami only tells her once to
'sing; tds6e, whereas Mr.. Bryant tells her to do 80
twice in two nes This Is pressing the lady rather
much. The wrath too, Is repeated: In the nrst
line II is SIMPLY 'wrath;' In the second It becomes
''deadly wrath" Homer uses the torn only once 10
this passage; he qualities It by the torn s5Aentssv
(pernicious), and passes on Homer says nothing
about sweeping" The term winch Mr.. Bryant
translates 'swept" tnpetaIep) simply means "pre-
maturely sent" or "dismIssed.n
But lot us turn over leaf and see whether Mr..
Bryant does not improve ~ nc proceeds Our eye
happens TO fail on that passage In which Agamem-
non refuses to accept the ransom for nis beautiful
captive. The arrogant sury king thrsassns she old
man. telling him ne need not expect ever t0sec his
beloved daughter again. We quote Mr.. Bryant:--
This maiden release not till old ago
Shall overtako her In my Arsise h0ue,
ss, throw he % .Sss ssS sis! es dSs.s nv cos
Go, chafe me not II thou woud'st safely So r.. 10
Now we want to satisfy any competent Judge as
10 whether we are hypercriticAl IN regard TO Mr.
Bryant What is translated .'this MAIDEN is simply
rsv (herl. Regarding the lady as his wife, Aga
memnon does not say "ng Argiye home. ~ but "in
ou' home IN Argos'
nuertpY sri o.x~ sy Ap,s.,
which IL vastly more poetical, as well as more
proper Then, In reference 80 the "couch," Ntxos)
Mr.. Bryant disp0ses OF 1t exactly as Madame
Dacier does. lady may be excused for translating
favr.oS0ap) .'dressng" or 'maklng" instead OF
''sharing" participating" although there Is not
the slightest mdeiicacy IN the original. There is
much more indelicacy and more Improperly In
making beautiful and beloved daughter OF Cryses
a. mere chambermald aud slave.
But this reminds us OF another passage In Mr.
Bryant's translation. The reader will remember
that among the various valuable presents offered
by Aeamemnon TO Achilles as bribe to rejoin the
Greeks were seven beautiful women. Mr. Bryant
introduces these ladies as
Seven Glut,ess women skilled In household arts,
He offers; Lssb!ans &c-Book IT., .. sS4.
EOnest old Homer makes no snch statement as
that they are .faulfless." He knew human ma.
ture better than that What ne does say Ia
that they are surpassingy beautiful in form
apS,.opas. Nor does the Greek poet say, or make
Agamemnon or Ulysses pretend, that the arts In
which those seven ladies are .skiledn are s'house
hold arts;' for the expression spy s;Sviss make
not the slightest ausion TO the ..houschoIdn
One other little passage and We are done with Nj
Rryant's "Iliad," although n we md that he ha
given better version Of the Odyssey we shall b
most happy 10 give him full credit for IL. Turning
over the leaves Of the nrst volume almost at ran.
dom we come to the opening OF the third book and
ranscribe these lines
Each with its chiefs the Trojan host moved on.
MN ,houts n ana &c ciang i,g e. q arms. - When When The cry
From winter and IL mighty breadth OF rain, 1c.
We have too much respect foF the author Of
'Thanalopsls' 10 laugh At this, and therefore pre-
fer to sigh for the innocent student who expects
assistance from such version In preparing his les.
con. First, Homer compares the marching Of The
1roans to that sort Of noise made by the hight OF
birds in general, using the EXPRESSION 0pr,ss. IS
fl lgA a,,e.
t,epsreop). Mr.. Bryant passes over the birds he
takes notice Of an expression at once poeiica
anu so wen calculated to prepare the imagination
TOR what - TO follow. But in order TO compensate
for supprcssing the rest Of the feathered tribe
he informs US that the cranes were "nying
southn-a piece VI Information which Homer
forgot to furnish for he makes no mention
Of eitheT north south. whether 1t Is more poeti-
cal for cranes to n from the mighty breadth"
than from the mighty depth "of rain" is one OF
those questions which may be referred TO our nat
urallsts; for the Greek poet makes no mention Of
one or the other further than It may be supposed
TO be embraced In the term ssso4oTor drnmense, or
prodigi0usly great.
But although we cannot regard that before US rs
a good or faithful version OF the "lad,r we con
scicntiously recommend II as much better aud more
instructive reading than three fourths even, OF
those publications OF the present day which are
regarded ~ standard WORKS; for the style OF Mr..
Bryant's translation compares favorably with that
Of the best writers 10 our language. II. after all the
NOISE that has been made In that regard nc is but
an Indifferent Grecian al best, far be it from to
blame him for needing q little more study.
How TO WRITE A COMPOSITION. BY :. A. Frost
New York: Dick n Fitzgerald
We have lt,le faith In learning TO SWIM by the
hoin M cnr anI in teor
a composition by the help OF the skeletons, In
such book as tins TO change the figures, skele
tons ike these are not apt to be ever clothed upon
by real 1esl and blood. They hang aibbeted along
every pretended '.royal road 10 icarnng.r Even II
they might serve any good purpose the skeletons"
In this volume are not whit better than those IN q
dozen similar publications. Mr.. Frosts book, there