Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-06-09
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

a Hitory OF Latin Li.erAture-from
j luius TO B)sthius." By George Augustus
SimcOx, d. a, Fellow Of Queens College,
Oxford. In two volumes. New York T.:
Harper Bros. Tbs is the only book on Latin
literature which brings its researches az far
down as tbs Old fathers Of the Church. En-
MUS ives blrl 239 before Christ, two years
after the close Of the lost Punic war, and
Boethius was executed for magic, 525 Of our
own era. Mr. SincOx might also have called
his bcok the literature Of Latin history, for
IN the chapters on Cicero, Ce'sr, Sallust aud
Ivy, vivid description Of the political and
wsriike events in which those writers par
ticipatef Is necessarily woven in with their
chronicles Of Roman history, Ia his preface,
Mr. Simcox expresses the regret felt by all
clasaicsl scholars that 80 much of the liter
allure Of antiquity Is lost End 30 much more
condensed to msre bald statement by To-
ooient copYists. he states that his intention
in preparing ths work was to do some
thing towards making Latin literature in
telligibia and interesting 10 Che cultivated
lsiy, whether they read Lain or rot,
Rad the fascination that a review Of & CON-
parstivsly unknown literature. made by one
who understands his subjsct. possesses, for
the mere bo1kish1sss of il, makes the book
q thoroughly readable one. Any extracts
that are made are usually translated, and
the pictures Of Roman life that are suggested
in the analysis of the comedies are very
eieverly sketched in. A vein Of humor, Of
sympathy with jollisy, runs through the his
tory Of these ancient worthless which makes
one realize that after all they are only hal
lowed by antiquity and human nature is the
same in toga or jacket. Eanius, for instance,
who boosted, in beautiful language certainly,
tast he was the poet who reached 70
m0rtals the fiery cup Of heartfelt soDg
translated a Sicilian c0okery-book and
died If govt. In the introduction
Mr.. Simc1x naturally compares Greek and
Istiu literature, and decides that the general
level f the Latin Is higher, while individual
Greek masterpieces are more supreme, more
elaborate, and more original than individual
mssterpieces Latin literature he also huds
more classical than Greek in the primitive
sause Of the word, that It's representative
writers fall into fixed classes, each With his
well-marksd rack. l. is a surprise TO ind,
even in the most q urishing periods of Latin
literature. how en- i,siy the writers looked to
the Creeks for their subjscts inspiration and
methods. Ii hnds parallel 10 our stage
rehberiss from the Frscch. Distinctly Greek
traits we're modified or exchanged for Roman
ones, bat the groundwork and much of the
language remained Greek aud the most ia
nOus Latin plays are merely TRANSACTIONS OF
who have painfully extricated an Bog
lsh equivalent for the ASleid and the
Auaba1is, 60 read Mr.. Simc3x'- careless pat
ronage OF the iime-honored &srophcn and
Virgil-spelled Vergi throughout the book.
a. the latest researches Of manuscripts aud
inscriptions are said to sanction. y snophou
il called suneFhcisl and preiudcsd writer,
and Yireii's Georges are called his most
perfsct work, aud the latest German and
English estimate given thst-the " nc leid" Is
m0re OF less OF splendid failure, an elsbor-
ato mistake. undertaken ~ Virgil through
court iufiuenoe, against the promptings Of his
better genius, and it is recorded of him that
he wished. on his death bed, TO have il De-
stroyed. The chapter on Lucretius Is very
interesting complete analysis and criticism
of his poem, "Oa the Nature Of Things. Is
given, ard Ustsllus is distinguished as more
0riEiasl 10 his metres than Horace and to
have been the fest Dltin poet TO understand
5 mans love for woman, ss mOdecns
understand it, that il. more than
sel6shly. He tells his lAdy-love that he loves
her - father lo-es his sons and sonsin-lsw,
fer MP to his time love had been so entilely
selfish that the element Of goodwill toward
the object of stfacio had not even adequate
words ins he language. No mention is made
of the cell brated Hail and Fare sell p q
60 hs brothe-. Mr.. Simcox is not inclined
t. think that Omar had any expressed c1m-
pact with CAtiine-whom he dutitully writes
Catilins-but parallels the situation with
Lord kfelb surne's vis-a-vjs Of O'Ccnuell,
Lord Melbourne was too proud 10 msk e
= bargain wi b O'Conuel, yet he could not
have kept ofice for q session without O'Con-
neirs support Il the chapter on Sallusf,
whose Judgment is voted rs decisive that
Catiiue's nspiracy had no serious chances,
Mr. Smc0I n his own person UhsracterIzss
Catiine as brilliant and attractive. but only
asorm-bird and firetr.ni. Ssllusts desotip-
ton Of Cs'iine Is given 10 strsuye contrast
with Cice-o'r, the former dwelling on his aus
terity As Enthusiastically IS thu latter on his
license. 10 the chapter on the Augus.an sge
Mr.. Sime1x prefers the parallel With the lit
erstura Of the reign Of Louis XIV. than with
auy other so-cAlled Augustsn age OF litera-
ture, en- going 90 far as 10 say that Angus
tus and Louis themselves were alike in their
deep sense Of public duty, which seems new
attribute for b,uis XIV, or at least one not
often Inscribed to him. In the
chapter on Horace, who Is com.
pared with La FoBtaine Mr.. SimcoT
admiIs that he hss n sympathetic satiscS
and he treats it IS length. He makes the
excelleas remark that battle with the world
IN bis early years, which hraced Horace's
nature without seurirg it, had for result
that the poet escaped the error ct ksa's and
Byfoo, who AlE.ys seem to be more or less
mistsking their tsleat for their character
Horace is noted IS The only poet 81 his time
who rated sleep high, ard the less Of al
Greek lyric p etty makes it difficult e
trace his originals. The chapters on the
Fathers, Tertullian, St Cyptian, s.. JEROME
aud Others, are less sympatheticslly done, but
couscisntiously Aad comprehsnsiyely. The
review of s.. Augustine gives one quite s
different view Of both the Confessions ano
their author from the one usually entertained
The ascetism Of the early Christian Church
a. rid scted in the writings Of Its great lights
appears anything bot attractive. The vol
umes are iudsNed, though not very fully
and preceded by sn excellent chron 10 sica
table giving the great national and politicA
events opposite the great literary events o.
the same date. For sale by A. l.. Bancroft &
70.
''Miraheau, 80 Historical Drams,n b,
George H. Calvert. Boston Lee ( Shsp
herd. New York: Charles 4. Dillingham;
By the list of books by this author appended
to this volume, it appears that he has writer
two other plsys. " Arnold and Andre, asC
eThe Maid Of Osleans." Their success ha
rrobably spurred him to this last effort. Th,
tremendous dramatic qualities Of the Frencl
Revolution have given rs Victor Hugo
asNiuetv- Three Dickens Tale Of Nv,
Cities CArlyle's History. and George Cal
vert's "MirabeAu." The new contribution
to the literature of cOnyulsion opens with
sort of song expressive Of oppression snd rebel
lion, stanza sung sl.err stely ty three labor
ers. 4 young woman named Cecile, pursusd b
the lackeys Of highly-uuplsassnt MARQUIS
hiss 10 and appeals for protection to the IL Der
ers; is protected. and gets blessing iroa
MirAbssu into the bArEAin- A post eorae
In sn6 draws 3 picture Of France IS Sd
viii be when freedom is schieved, and vhel
the labossrs SAX if they need work nc loage
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