The New York herald., 1878-03-04
Literal T URE.
The Latest Translation of Michael
Angeles Sonnets.
LECKY'S LATEST WORK
Books on Music, History and
Domestic Decoration.

Micnasi Angelo t5eribner Wexford Armstrons) can
not fail to be regarded Of the mos interesting
literary productions OF tho year The name Of The
translator, John Addington Symonds, 10 well known
In connection with sucn works as "fne "Reminiscences
in Italy - Studies oi the Greek Poes." Skctches IN
Italy and Greece" and IAN Introducon 10 The study
OF Dantep sIt Is with diidence," no says, ''that
oasr q translation OF Michael AngeIo's sonnets,
tor the first time completely rendered into
English rhyme. . Ny excuse, II can plead
any ior So bold an attempt may be found In
this-that so far as l am aware, no other English
writer has doalt with Mionael Anaeio's verses since
the publication OF his autograph" 1t seems that MI
chael Angelo had IDEA oil publishing his poems In
his lifetime; collection was made OF them for some
time alter his doath, and in tho year 1923 (when
Shakespeare's plays made their first appearance In q
collected form tho grandncphcw Of the poet painter
and sculptor gave his poems to the world
Tor the nrst time in painfully garbed FORM II was
not till the year 1868 the published
In their original tex tho now edition being based on
the autograph manuscripts preserved iu the Casa
Buonarotti ut Florence with the Vatican and other
codces
The process adopted by lchael Angelo tho younger
In dealing with his granduncies poems IS described
by Sgnor Guasti, editor OF the autograph edition OF
1863. "He began 10 change halves OF lines, whole
verses ideas; If ho found fragment he completed
II brevity involved the thought in obscurity nc amp
fed II the obscurity seemed incurable he amputated
for superabundant wealth OF conception he substi-
tuted vacuity smoohed asperities, softened salient
lights" The importance OF strictly accurate vcr-
sion Is inesimable and difficulty OF making such
one il rendered extreme by the number and variety
OF the readings even In the autographs, where thcro
are s.twice as many various readings as there arc
lines IN sonnet" Besides this the copies when the
author nnaly addressed TO his friends, aud which may
be presumed to have The form winch he wished them
TO retain, are always 10 be had Careful critical
comparison and critical selection therefore neces-
sary. 1t is possible to say how many OF them arc
given they would have been II published under
Michael AngeIo's eye. Mr.. Symonds says in loot
note that far as be Is aware mo complete trans
Iaton OF Michae Angelos sonnets has hitherto been
made in English Tho specimen produced by Southey
Wordsworth, Hartford, Longfeow and Mr. Taylor,
moreover are from the garbed OF the edition OF
1928"
These sonnets, which among tho greatest poems
Of the kn1 written, were inspired according TO
Mr. Symonds, by 'tne love OF beauty, the love OF
Florence and tho love Of Christ" These the main
motives; but the subjects treated OF in the various
Of great variety, and are dealt with by
hand which lost none OF its skill and power when
transferred IRON the brush and chse to the peu As
for the work OF translation 1t has been done by a
one, and would have taxed the powers Of great
poet Mr.. Symonds is not great poet but
he is able writer, Of excellent taste
and intimate familiarity with the Italian language
The sonnets they come from his hand are graceful,
strong and unob>cure and bid fair to hold the field
for q long whilo to como Oi the mechanical part OF
his work he says:"My practice has been 10 study In
each both OF thought and diction,
SO satisfy an English accustomed TO tho va.
rious forms OF termination exempliaed by Sponser,
Milton, Wordsworth and Rossetti-the sweetest the
most sublime, tho least artificial and tho most artu
Bo3nct wrilers in our language"
As specimen OF hts work we give, both In the
original and 10 English, the following sonnet on the
approach OF death =
Giunto ga u corso della vita mia
Con tempestoso mar pr iragil barca
AL comun porto ov'a render 81 varca
Giusta ragon d'ogni opra trista, pia;
Dude Panettuosa fantasia,
Che Parte 81 lecc idolo lnonarca,
Conosco ben quant'era d'error carca;
Ch'erforc ci0 cue Puom quugsll III dcsia
Gil umorosl pensier gIa vaui lIcti.
Che Ian or s'a due mortt nj avicciuoP
Luna ME certa, l'aitra mi mbaccia.
Ne pngcr, ne soopir ia pla che aueti
L'annx volta quell'amor dvmo
Cn'asperse premier non IN croce 10 bracchia.
"oS pEArHn
Now hath my Lie across u stormy
Like frAil bark reacheo that wide port where oil
Are bldden, 'ere the final reckoning Iall
OF good aud evil Tor eternity.
Now know we'll how that fond phantasy
Which made my soul tho worshipper ana Ihrall
OF earthly alt Is vain; how criminal
Is that which all men seek unwlugiy.
those amorous thoughts which lightly dressed.
What are they wnen the double death is n,rnf
The one know Tor sure-the other dread.
Painting nor sculpture now can iull TO rest
My soul, that turns 10 tins great love on high.
Wnosc arms 10 clasp US Oh the cross were spread.
The volume, besides the seventy seven sonnets of
M,cbael Angelo, contains sixty nets BY Tommaso
Campanella, the Dominican iriar of stilo, who was
imprisoned Tor quarter OF century by the lnaui-
stion in Italy charges Of sedtion ana heresy II
was IN prison that his numerous philosophical works
ON metaphysics, mathematics. politics and aesthetics
were wrtton. The sonnes printed, while Cam.
PAMELA stiIl lived by a German named roba Adam,
who visited hEi In hts dungeon The nrs edition was
printed In Germany, on very bad paper 1t con-
tanned merely a selection from tho whole
number OF poems written by Campanclla, and
no more have since 10 light. In
1884 reprint was published at Tugano by John
Gaspar Orelli Another reprint published ut
Turin In 1854 Mr. symonds says of these sonnets
which he has here SO ably translated, that they have
mo smo oothness, no gradual unfolding OF a the me-
rhetorical exposition, no fanciiul embroidery no
sweetness OF melodic cadence. Brusquo
rough violent In transition, loaping from tho sublime
TO the ridiculous, his poems thor eleyation to
the intensity OF their feeling tho nobleness and con-
densaton oil their tnouRht, the energy and audacty
OF their EXPRESSION their brevy, sincerity and weight
Of sentiment" "Even Michael Angelo" he says "s
monotonous In tho range OF his ideas and Uniform In
his dction, when compared with tho ndescribabie
violence and vigor oi CampanclIa" The Canzone Of
Michael Angelo and OF CampanelIa arc not included
In this volume
ENGLAND IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
Mr.. Lecky's two volumes, containing q history OF
England IN the eighteenth century ". Appleton Il
Co. has been unanimously praised by the English
reviewers for their airness and tho American reader
will be struck by tho same quality. This historian
only lair, but cautious IN his staten ts,
and gives his authorities, that the reader prove
his assertions If so disposed. No better idea Of the
authors plan could DO gwen than by this quotation
from his prslace:--
1 have not attempted TO write tho history OF
the period have CHOSEN year BY year, or 10 give