The Portland daily press., 1884-10-18


There are also points of resemblance between
this latest production and many OF the delights
full pas, ages in the Rev. Alfred Church's "Sto-
ries from Homer" which without claiming to
be trsnsiatlons give, we venture to say, more
of the Homeric spirit that large, high-heart-
ed, magnanlmous spirit-lhsn ever bresthed
through all the lines of Pope's forty-eiebt
books together.
Indeed, for our modern world all the old
translators OF Homer completely fail John
Chapnan's rough but vigorous verse chiefly
survives through our admiration of Keats's
magnincent sonnet. Looking over it now, one
is tried with the artificial quality of its lines
and the frequent wretchedness of its RHYMES.
Indeed, rtg1led Homer is felt, in the search
lng light Of our present criticism. to be an
soonlnaton; and certainly the age of Eliza.
os'h, WIN All the splend0r of its imagination,
y az not, with lis immense fondness for quaint
cotcel3s and fancies, just the aga 10 appreciate
Z lsfge, massive outlines of Homer's world
Pope's translation has served us for a long
TINS as respect sble secondhand guide 10 the
great tEeaaure-honse OF Grecian poetry and re-
iigon Bur its siilted lines have Tor us of the
niueieenth century very autiquated and srti-
ii ial sound, IS far removed as tue skies from
he earth from the grand simplicity of Homer
Pope WAS witty and wise versifisr, who knew
ho~ to turn an epigrammatic sentences happily
or prick some social sham with keenest intel
lectual blades. Bnt his translation hears
about the same relation to the HAD and Oiys.
-ev as a neat little tishpond bears to the illimi
table sea.
40 nave no acquaintance with the prose
traDslatioHs Of Butcher and Lang, 10 which
Piol. Palmer refers With communication. Bry-
ant undoubtedly possessed certain unalitiaa of
mlnd-elegaLee. dignity, good asts--which
ntted MIN Tor his work; yet be lacked-must it
% aomltted?-a certain buoyancy or cheeri-
ness or spirit that would enable him to strike
hre from the telling words Of the original
Sol rag Ffsa1 ffnk AL.
between the sombre stateliness of "Thanatop-
els" aud the calm, healthy and eterpaljy
youthful genus OF the Iliad" and fsOdyssev
Tennvson, in his superb "Expariment'' from
the Eighth Book of the "Iiiad," showed what
he might have done, had he taken nm the
task. If anywhere, Homer's SOUNDING line
i,eets there its fit expression,
Matthew Arnold with his literary ipsi. bt
ike light penetrating the very heart of the
matter, has probably SAID, in his "Lectpres OH
iIahsisnug Homer" the very best word ON
this subject and one which has evidently in,-
pressed Itself upon Prof. Palmer "Homer's
grandeur is not the mixed aud turbid grandeur
OF the great poets of the North; it is perfect.
lovely grandeur lit has the pure lines of an
lopian horizon, the liquid clearness of an Ioni-
an sky" And again: 1.-THE Bible is undoubt-
eddy the grand mine of diction for the irapsla.
tor OF Homer; and II he knows how to discrim-
mate traly between what will suit him. and
what will not, the Bible may afford him inYaI-
liable lessons of style.h
Prof. Palmer in his admirable prafaca- h;ch
III itself showes his special fitness for his work
says; That which enjoy most In Homer
is MS peculiar psychology, his unique ethics Al
atsItude; notwithstanding his extraordinary
powers OF observation aud utterance, to me to
comfort the world IKE child. turn TO him
and escape from our compllca ed and in,rospec-
tive weird, and am refrusheu;" and again sorna-
where he adds, as If bearing ia mind Mr.
Arnold's own words: 1.-THE trapslators of the
English Bible set US an excellent example. .
IL Is the ieeilng for the child-like simplicity
IN Homer-hls"f eshDess of the early world'-
the same grand simplicity that voices itself in
the Psalms aud the Book of Job, that SO emil
Denlly qualities Mr.. Palmer for his work. Tne
book does not read like translation. One
follows he story as the old Greeks themsetve
list ned IT, the bard who told the tale at the
banquet, full of its human interests. end iovs
and fears. Oaly after one has closed the vol
ume GOES one realize the subtlety of the
spell.
Here is perfect simplicity of style-nothing
OF the qnalntDess or mere prettiness or affacta
ton OF grandeur that SO oftsn crops ont in
Chairman or Pope. Mr.. Palmer has discarded
tue 'thou" for his pronoun of the second per
son,-mucb, we think to the Daturaloess and
charm of his rendering. There is not the
slightest attempt at fine writing. like Homer
himself ne repeats the word or phrase that he
has once selected as a happy one. over and
over again. Men continually go down to the
wine dark ssa In their wsil-benched ships =,
ihey utter "wlEged-words," and let sDeech
escape the barriers of thei rteeth p Telsmschos
always appears al discreet" in spite of his
rather hasty srd inconsequeDt behavior. pa
neiope Is always "heediul," and Ulysses il
high born or "kingly' or "wiss., Ali this is
Ia the very spirit of homer who had the child,s
fondness for saying over aud over again what
has once struck him as happy word or phrase.
Occasionally Prof. Palmer's rendering is sirik
lpgly felcitous, as y hen he translates sIoy,bros;
al night" immortal uight;" or describes Gree
"snging win pleasant voice. and s.tbe mem
etratiag ng of tbs Syreus" There are MANY
passages OF great beauty, too long for quot ation
as the description of CAly pso's cave the bousa
OF Gree with the Shining doors, +" the garden
OF Alcinous, the laud of the lotus eaters. The
visions OF Agamemuon and Tantalus in the
realms OF the "strengthless dead" Ia all these
ana many other passages, Mr.. Palmer has dis.
played the greatest deiicacy, as we'll az tine
rsrest union OF strength and symplieitv The
whole episode OF Ulysses stay ia the thigh
rooted palace of Alcinous is translated with
such parfect grace and charm that after read
ing II 10 tals exquisite rendering one somehow
hnds all noasra novels fat aud prt fitlsss.
We think the translator very happy il the
forrg OF his Translation which AVOIDS tha mo-
not0ny OF verse and secures something more
meiudlous than ordinary prose- Bus more
than he form, tits the spirit of the work which
makes y 50 emphaticaily the most ADEQUATE
hngi'sh Translation O the Odyssey which the
century mas produced. 1t must do much in
sending back Lawyers, physicians. ministers.
business men, VINO have not quite foroottsn
the Creek OF their college daFsn 10 this won
dertui old epic, full of eternal freshness and
Immortal youth, there 10 feel thernse yes
bathed ia SUMNER airs than any which our
seii-qaesiionlng and sei.tormenling age can
ever know.