New-York tribune., 1907-11-22

ple Greek ana Lam NiaSSlcS.) 12rno
q. P. Putnams Sons.
THE SATIRES OF JUVENAL BY A F Cole
(The Temple Greek and Latin Classlcs) 12no,
PIP 1882 g. 2. Putnams Sons
An interesting series has been pleasantly en-
riched by these translations, one new and the
other old. Mr.. Marshalls undertaking proves
particularly attractive by reason of its unusual
loyalty 20 the original and the consequent ap-
poarence Of a number of verse forms either
wholly new or extremely rare in native English
productions. The translator who is rector oS
the Royal High School of Edinburgh, has stud
led Horace for forty years and devoted nearI, :
ten TO the present version. Although convinced
that Horace can be translated into English with
moderate success only in unrhymed verse. the
importuning Of his friends has led Mr. Marshall
10 essay a dsproof OF his own belief II Is
doubtful whether the curious attitude of tne
translator has marred his work. As we read
the Odes, only one popularity crops out in the
latter suggesting the insuperability of an ade-
quate rhymed translation: il Is the occa asional
violent inversion, especially of verbs and Their
pronominal subjects or objects. English tolerates
this poetic device. but charity: too much of it
intolerably roughens the stanzas. Mr. Marshall
has escaped this evil adroitly in most passages.
but in others the temptation to adhere literally
10 the words and thoughts in the corresponding
line of the original seems TO have gotten the
better or him. An unrhymed version might
have Stunned this difficulty more successfully.
though not altogether Nevertheless. if we ac
cept the authors theory of translating classics.
We must confess that he has come off victor in
his wrestle with the Venusian poet
Attempting to render the odes and epodes in
an English verse form which not only CORE
spends exactly to the original but also contains.
so far as possible, all the phrases and thought
Of the latter without changing their order or
paraphrasing them, Mr. Marshall almost SUE
ceeds in proving his false theory implicitly
stated in his Introductory remarks that what
Is good metre and rhetoric in one language is
equally good for expressing the same thoughts
in another. Many of the translated odes are
charming, some are indubitaby of. high rank:
but the Latin form often tethers a champinr
Pegasus too tightly in his stall Only an ear
long schooed in classical metres can eniov many
OF the renditions in full measure. AS Mr. Mar
shall was not writing for Latinists nor vet for
schoolboys in search of pony" he might we'll
have relaxed. now and then his stern consist
enoy and almost slavish loyalty. At random we
choose specimen that warrants this friendly
advice; "Solvitur acris heimps" runs thus
through its first lines:
Mei's win winter now, his bitter frosts in springs
SledS drag the Iong-dry keels now to the shore.
NO IPPnger Pg beasts IN stall delight, ploughman
Nor CLEANS the lawn with hoar-frost any more.
Though not precisely harsh. this stanza clear
y bears witness to the oppression of a tyran-
nous original Even more strikingly is the
point exposed in the invitation to Virgil
& The days dear virgil pleasant tllirsts prepare;
I IIneSe II thonrt fain with Bacchusjuice 10 allay
Friend Of great folks, with nard thy share
This is little less than atrocious On the
other hand, it is equally easy to find odes
brought over with scarcely a feather ruffied
The ode TO Tyndaris is one OF these; its metre
lightly carries the burden of its song and the
phrases ripple along as softly in the English as
in the Latin. 1t opens thus:
Oft Faunus hastes 10 quit the Arcadan dales.
And taste instead Sabine upand's charm,
Guarding my goats from summers harm
And winters watery gales
Through the safe groves their way the she-goats
They and their odorous mate and crop the bed
OF thyme and arbute, nor need dread
Ambush of sea-green snake,
Or of ITsdilia's wolves that Mars loves WE'LL
Let but the polished rocks the notes repeat
OF shepherds piping clear and sweet
IN sloped Usticas dell.
''T2heu fugaces. Postume. Postume," fares as
well; its first stanza runs:
All, Postumus, Postumus fast fly the years.
ana prayers TO wrinkles and impending age
Bring not delay; nor shalt assuage
Deaths stroke with pious tears.
OF such instances of happy liberalism there
are fortunately many, and while they are not
enough to prove Mr.. MarshalTs theory about
rransations from classic literature. they surely
do establish the scholars skill as a poet. They
bring the unpleasant feeling however, that his
liberalism has perhaps robbed the world of a
free and glorious paraphrase of Horace which
might take rank among the great translations
Of foreign masterpieces. such as William Gift
ford's reading Of JuvenaPs "Satires."
This wonderful translation. which Mr.. Cole
has had the excellent sense TO reprint in his
''Juvenal," might well have been used as
model by Mr.. Marshall. Gifford's version of the
"satires." as the editor recalls. aims at repro
spGinE Juvenars literary qualities and to pre-
sent broad and complete view. rather than
minute study. OF the thoughts expressed in the
scathing lines. Its appearance is timely. for
there are too few popular translations Of Ju-
venal available. and they are, perhaps without
exception, savish and pedantic. Then, too,
Juvenal should prove unusually interesting
reading nowadays to large class who delight
in drawing parallels between ancient and mod
eTn conditions and in finding in Rome melan-
choly precedents for contemporary perversity.
There is certainly no other piece Of ancient lit
eratUre which compare with the first nine
"satres" in modernity; these singing lines
might have been written by a Connecticut
Yankee at Domitian's court. or, far the
pictures Of debauchery, civic Incidence and
crime are merely typical and not personal. by
any OF the many critics of current customs
who make hideous our booksheves with Eek
posures"
Indeed suspect that Juvenal has been the
closest model of certain eminent "muckrakers,"
Tor, easy as satire and invective are, there are
tricks in the trade which one must learn from
master Not the least among these is the in