, 1879-08-03
THE "ODTSSEY.'

as being some OF the subIimest poetry III the
world.-the poetry Of the Bible. And this
style thcy have used very successfully, and VIC
desire to express very hearty admiration for
its execution as Il whole. Take, for instance,
the description OF the palace OF Alclntous:
Silver were the doos-posts tha. were SET on the
brazen threshold ana silver the Intel thereupon,
and the hook OF the door WAS OF gold. and on
either SIDE STOOD golden hounds and silver. which
nalace OF sreat-hearted Alcinous. being free from
death and age all their days. AND 'slthtn were
seats arrived against the wall tais wa5 any mat
fui and 1ncIy woven, the handiwork OF women.
There the Phnaciau chicftains were wont to sit :
Tea ,nd there we're youths fashioned in gold,
standing on drn-se. bases. with hamfng torcnes IN
The il hands giving light thr9nSh tne nGnt {, 70 ne
maids in the house. ind some grind the yellow
erain on tie milestone, and others weave webs nnd
te tai nouar tree aad the soft olive oil dlops on
that linen, so closely Is it woven fo. ~ me
rnaacian men are skilled oeyonu a. W oeaeso @ ~ ~
Women the most cunning At The loom n TOR Tor, Ateno
| hath riycn them notable wisdom III all 1aas nano1-
| work aad cunning w1t .
either side'' might be better; fair" fos
sshasrt;tul and s.chiefs'' for "chietrains,"
wonId slightly Improve the rhy thin. Here is
| massage Of action, from the staying OIL the
| Suitors: L..
| from the roof, aud their minds were scasea, aoa
| tnry fed through the hall, ike dEoss OF Emo
aat the fitting gaaay fs1!s npeh whsn The lons
| Iays begin But the others set On NE snnu1es y.
crooked claws and curved beak tnat come hias 10TH
the mountains AMI cnsn n.i up1 psooning in terror
from he clouds, while the vnltuEes Pounee Cd
them aud *ay them. aud there G IS no nIt eycn 70
Of u:ht, and glad at the SPOIL: M n,s eeea ~
did the company OF Odysseus set upon the wooeIs.
and smtss them and left through the ns
| and there rose h hideous moaning rs taeiI nes@o"
| hn
n world be difficult to improve Oh this: NOR
! 40 +h.se nassapes selected for any sFecial e1-
| cellepce, They arc simply soec''ne'1s Q. ..le ~
crage execution Of the book,-an aYelaSe T.
m.T;-ah1y level and uniform, and certainly PC
+rnvin~ no marks OF various workmanship TOT
th:s s;7staincd excellence, for careful ssnolar-
shn. and for the felicitous choice OF ses!c, LUIS
translation deserves the very hlenest psafc ,.r
| WE know, in fact, notnln. u sae AAuo 4" 0@A
| language which suroasses Il. x. .,;a,
Een S.ho,nberg hos attempted more ona'.
cult task. II be has not ach1eseo saeeess .;,:.
which many and illustrous predecessors M ~ ."I .t
| s,.nn con7se have failed to attain. nc nag stt
Ga;ncd n not otuudistinguished place among thetE.
ii;a :: Odyssey' will scarcely DecvE'c toe
11n,dsrd 1tn translation.-a place still vacant, III
sn;te al Mr.. Worsle5s atlmirable wolN,-pu'.. 49,
will always be. nameu "Mn WAX ccp. Sciou.-
baror haS nionted blank verse a. n's lneu .s!i',
ostH ta +h;s AZ he tells us in spite OF Es esv"'
il;cuty.T He will not, We nope, oe onelusn, M rsn.
| rbp1sE n
,+- ~nSm ~ y: Hank verse, as hc writes it. blana
na'a as N;1t.n wrote it, Mr: Ecunyson wf1tes
:. - ;ndced transcendenIallY difficult: buI tiie
rerv simple versifcation WHICH wv u ~ In,,"h
t I1,a .I1 shou1d not hare cost It's autuol ~, N.Y.
h'.. xoluh1. This simplicity gives it thc merit OF
a;u.- - more appropriate metre lor Nohe9 t''.,
ne.l's snn1e1 % rhythra Of the - Paradise Lost,
t,,e fdyls Of the King pnt ~ a;s -
certain snes. beaatr OF the Homerc
.,atsr leesst It viii be convenient to seicct US
as.as;,,,on the rendering of passaSe a'feaoJ
{ | quoted: .,a finn, mn snranc
And from the brazcn threshold-ft9orh hpne up npf0n
nnornn.ts OF silver: silver was tac ;e u ~ o,,J
Mnd vo,d md silver dogs on either manu-
We're standing there whin WI "a msea ne the guard
) ~ the aboce of proud AIc,noue;
4 immortal we're they inaestsueo,ubs .sEa concbes SET
Fron Fnu ~ inter threshold to the 'nmos1 eou1''
On these he nest drapery Wss spssa9 aaf;9 vrought
b With tapcstry- work OF women% , us.uJ a.,
, ~ ,hcsr the chiefs Of the Ph:Eaclana sas
IN ;ncss sn.i sl driustng, lavish was their cheers
= and sodeu statues stood on pede,s.atss tser b.nd..
Of yoa,hs s. wn Miaht the reseers in the hall.
u And IN tha palace fifty serving ,maloa
. | cronnd ever in the mill the Je.iofr go S
II Hs numerous and restless - tnc leaaeo .
+, Which grow upon the lofty poplar nee,
Were others sitting nnsJ Jst'a WIZ .se 1impi oil
- ana t1tneu n oexs .n sqoyen linen trickled down.
for NJ the men OF the Phteacaus,
E1cel nil other races in their eKilt
n sailing gallant shipa across tne sens, I,.
n | Thns are their women sEillfu1 at tne .uooA'
=, pa11as has gifted them with genius saIe
n AMI cousummate skill in wofkmanon'p'
~ Anr w. -anet;t;on Of s.on these" has certn
= .rtwardnesg, .tWbereon" might DC snoss
Z +,,+a1 for the first Ut the swo- Inc tlaosaao
n ia verr close. but Is certainly soue"naI pl9saN
t. and the verse wants both strengln anu mtle ~ ~
n dve onc.tion whether its closer aahesion ~ ~
~ ~, t.aunterbalances the unquestionaolc poe.ca
-, n,-;nr,tv e ri Mr.. Wo1sley's version, OF WIG
OF | we subioin two stanzas' ..,a
r. 49, oor. an each SIDE OF the doors there elano'
~ ~ oHse. e.. atnnoht nith cunning brain and hano
~ And act for eentincls to hold the way
Death tame them nor t4s yea1n zero re-
w And from the shining Threshold thrones "e1o 70
r. cs;1r;rr the walls in lustrous long array
al oH ~ . -. ,he fnr room, where the women meL
It, With many rich robe sttewn anu "o'en ~o'eN'e
ar There the Pha.acian chieft!ans eat and ar,na'
,at u hite golden youths on pecestaia opnsns'
EaGn ~ uts ;,S11S- m The royal feast doth faEc;
Ind in the house are nlty landmarks lair.
rd some in tho mill the yeoT com tnsr Which the
,or Fash like quiverln2 leaves ~. te;ek1no
'o1 III And rom thc close-spun weft the 1r'ca'os
NJ NJ ~. .re Inclined to think it better to.coprs
the si1nilitude OF the popar-leaves ~ mt'n hs,
~ sh,ts,es Than with the spinners who Ply tnei M
oi mosaic style is certainly the P5esa,n sa1 .a1
EN- ri Gen, Schombergs version. 1.Iss ~ 1+,ra1
EN- short extracts WHIGA VIA H@>
re- For thee. noble Menelans destlat t,v a~v.
of | nrds;na thou shalt not die and enc tuy ~S'0
,oh - - a -t.oa r;c1 IN pastures: bat the Gou'
- vii ,vr Il thec TO the far Elyaian ne!us, .n~
19t rhr ntnost con1ues OF the cartn WIZ. 1 .n
Of 49, n.s ~ ,tnmauthus; where foe mo11ai n's0
'all lie Of perfect hsppiness Is fonna: +,,re.
len ~ snovx no winter, and no falt a1s %ust usst
w. ~ s",, snu", sents the brtezes from tue ness
M nut ns zan11. breath its dweileFs to relfeso%
mo "ttn w ,Si. SI hecan,e fair Helen is Thy VIE
8es And thou thJse1t tne n"N
ack | .....-,o-d led the sport,
eut Nnuslcas tne ,na a,,ow Uueen she seemed,
B :..sha descends the acry mounta1n~p
an | ~ ~ To~retus or lofty EEymansn:
IS Ghss;11 tne wild boas, and the hylnH s'as
nan *rnJ her enort and dance the Wooolouo ~ aP
In | ~ nh1tdren Of the ngls- bearing 1o7s'
red Latona JOYS 70 sec ne1 uauss nsartnn them all
the Her gracefu! head % ann ~ o tbe 1oreiiest;
her Amongst tne I9sIs a. ontshone her naids
try. 4nus 1u7 p''@
in ..11ivsscz. talk not thus Of death 70 NE;
Tier T vnnid urefcr TO be the ver1est tntan
ac- 1rbo for a needy, landless master s"sats'
1ar- | Than to be lord Of all the skall,less ae~"
tate | itnr lei me talk now Of ulT none oeeJ;:.
The Tel me- ls he the foremost IN ne nent: h,,;
,ncv Ann Of the honored Feleus, nass .non ~ nS
~ | - ser the Myrmidons he still holos e"as'
1a | ~ haye they baled aught ~ tneif ,eepGss
Was - f:reece and Phythia 10 MS knsiy tne,
oe- nscrnse from age his handa ore leep!1 Ao"t
orss ~ Ssonin tha1 still ir the light Of cay
'erS. S.utd his aefrndcr be; such - WAo