New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-13

that here was something of priceless meaning, and
our own people were moved to something Of the
enthusiasm displayed by the joyous discoverer
himself True, he had used similar language in re-
spect to what seemed to the less assured triumph
of his labOrs in the TrOad. But it is this unounded
eagerness and delight which 20 TO the making of q
great explorer and finally produce splendid results.
There is always a sufficient number of critics Jelly
cold to freeze out those who pretenders; and
when worthy aspirant appears, il requires all she
energy of strong nature To sustain before them his
heat and noble rage
DEPRESSION.
The interest taken by our ntellgen public in the
news from Mykene at once found expression IN the
daily journals Let me allude to the amusing and
somewhat provincial Inconsistency of our English
cousins in their comments upon our acquaintance
with those paths of culture to which they have long
been wonted, and which are supposed TO lead to
sweetness and light For years they have accused
us of TOO much pedantry and refinement in our life
and letters. They have deprecated our laundering
for the methods and relics of the Old World for the
glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was
Rome" They have berated us for neglecting the
home field, for our inability to discover American
themes and properly treat them. Yet when some
veritable success reached by Americans IN held
of which they claim the usufruct they strike Dill
feTent attitude, and treated TO sneers at our
ignorance, boorshness, and lack of scholastic
feeling It NAV be. az The Saturday ReuieW
implies, that 1t necessary for u to plr-
chase the CesnOa collection, seeing that there
from, as years roll on. American ladies'
will learn that PhGnican is not the European
way of pronouncing Venetian, and popular educa-
ton will thrive immensely" But the majority OF the
readers Of The TRIBUNE are more familiar with the
geography of Europe than any thousand men you
can find in London are with that of these United
States | need not speak of the additional charm
which for Ms our very isolation bcstows upon the
antique But let me cite fact which has ITS apph-
cation am told that in this modern mercantile
city of New-York a Greek Club" has been III
heathful and vigorous existence for the last nine
teen years 1t consists of dozen gentlemen. gath
cred from varous calhngs, who meet weekly at one
another's houses during the Winter months, and
read the texts not only of the pureSt and most IA
NOUS authors but of the minor relics of the Greek
tongue Doubtless some of these gentlemen, II We
seek no further, VIII be able 10 ENJOY and stuCy
intclligently the coming Cypran antiquities. and
doubtless there others of their breed. even III our
frontier towns who take lively interest in the re-
searches of Curtus and Schliemann. Ii was cjti-
zen of New-Hampshire who assisted ID Cesnoa, at
the most trying period of his undertaking, with
friendship presence, and material aid Hany coun-
try has a better right than our own to the purchase
of treasures unearthed by an American consul, who
depended largely on America for his resources let
its learned representatives now speak or else here
after forever hold their peace.
LITERARY IMPORTANCE OF THE DISCOVERIES.
We come to the dramatic suggestveness Of Schiie-
manns discoveries, in their bearing upon the history
and literature Of ancient Greece. Agamemnon, the
Irot -nf lCoS af
Sparta. lord of Mykene and called by Homer the
ruler of many islands and of all Argos" IS the
heroic central fgure-or igurehead-of the HOmerc
poems as the leader OF al Greece against Troy. l.
the niad he acts as a presiding genius, towering
above the host az Saul above the people, the emblem
of sovereignty 4 justice The entire epOs OF that
poem grows OLtOi the dispute between him and Achll-
les az - the possession OF Chryseis After The fall OF
Troy. the prophecies Kassandra daughter of Priam,
became the captive mistress of AgaInemnon, and, ac-
cor,iinR TO tradition. warned him against returning
TO Mvken9. In the Odyssey, the story OF his death
is told and retOld at different stages of the poem.
Egisthos had been left II horse pasturlng Argos
by the king az his vcerOy during the war. AS years
rolled on the treachcrOus cousin succeeded IN gam
ING the guilty love Of hlyt@mnestra, wife to Aga
memn0n, and the pair seized upon the khlgd0m a.
their own. Fearing the wrath of the injured chief
OF this tragedy we have two account=-the epic and
the dramatic. According to Homer, Hgisthos when
notified of AgamemnOn's arrival with but handful
of his troop went forth TO welcome him. and to in
wife him 70 his mansion There he fell upon him az
= bauonet and slaughtered him and all his compan-
ions including the royal captive Kassandra The
fullest Odyssean version is to be found in the
Eleventh Book, wherein Odysseus relates TO Alki-
uo0s the story of his wanderings subsequent to the
war He recounts his visit to tie ghOstly land OF
the KiInmerii, and the lamentations which brought
20 him the souls of the dead.
This passage translate from the text OF Dindorf
somewhat hastily, but with due regard to literal
ness) into that English measure of six feet which.
although very different from the classical aud guam
titative heXamster, is Thought by Matthew Arnold
to be the one which most nearly initiates the unceas-
ing rand current of the Homerc song and in which
we can best preserve the stress Of minor words and
PARTICLES and render by equal number of English
lines the verse of the original.
THE DEATH or AGAMEMNoN.
IOiyssey NJ, 3s5456l
Afterward soon a. the chaste Persephone hther and
thitheP
Now had scattered the slender shades Of the women
Came the selrowing ghost of As,amemnon Atreidesi
Found whom thronged besides the sous OF the others
who also
Died and met their rate, Win MN IN the nOse Vi si
thOs.
Tie then. after he drank of the dark blood, instantly
Enew me-
Az and he walled aloud and penteous tears was she'd
ding,
Toward me reaching hands and eagerly longing u touch
me;
But he was shOrn Of strength nor longer came at MS Did
ding
That o,rc,t force which once abode in his plant
Ders.
Seeing him thus wept, and my heart was laden with
pity,