New-York tribune., 1907-01-12
Literary WetOS and Criticism.
Some Studies of Themes from the
Ancient World.

B. NJ 4 8yo PIP. 500. Longmans Green & Co
rHEoDORE OF sTUDIUM. HIS LIFE AND HIS
times BY Alice Gardner Svo. PIP 2S7 Long
mans Green & Co.
HOMER AND HIS AGE. BY Andrew Lang Svo
pp. S36, Longmans. Green & Co.
The widespread decline in classic-worship that
..oracterizes modern education is unjustifable
~ certain respects. though 1t doubtless marks
t.o1tbful crisis in what once threatened to be a
-tol disease While we have properly been
.ou-n toward living issues and prefer sociology
- cicero ard electricity to the Eleusnian mys-
.5as we are prone To let enthusiasms
s;..rac+ Us too completely from that perennial
,+re Of our highest interests human nature
..saF Among classical scholars to-day there is
neneral agreement that the deeds of the Greeks
"a the Romans as reflected in their lteratures,
.oacb something that neither science nor tech
rtoal training can give, namely, the workings of
.he human mind in all its complexity. In order
- prove this claim its champions feel con-
Grained to drop their unlovely labor of de-
,Inbe-ing paIimpsests and editing textbooks and
~ write instead character sketches, biographies.
and essays on religion, art, and customs Upon
.be success Of these ventures will depend in
large measure the future fate of college courses
Z, cesar and Ovid. For the pedagogical issue
ran no longer be turned upon the once vaunted
"nental discipline" Of Latin and Greek. Learn
Eng a language is usually either an invigorating
exercise or else debasing slavery; in neither case
&c there 4 fraction of the valuable discipline
compelled by scientific studies involving original
thought precision. order, and neatness. Liter
e+ure and folklore, classical barbarian. give
10 minds already ulatured food for philosophical
and artistic reflection. To see our ancestors is
one way Of seeing ourselves. and TO hear The
ocritus helps Us TO be deaf TO the jangle Of
n hat ell
case IS saved If they can prove this virtue
If Sir Edward Ridley is TO be classed with
these apologists, it will be to his detriment. IN
transIating Lucan's 'Pharsalia" into blank verse
he has led 2 lean calf to market Sir Edward IS
only partly 10 blame for this creatures
ciated appearance: the "PhaTsalia" itself is an
inferior production in almost every respect.
Tucan was q promising youth Of the first CEN
turv who sought Immortality by describing the
great struggle between Cesar and Pompey IN
epic form The resulting poem indicates with
rairfuI cIearness that its author had little un-
derstauding for matters political. and that with
hin, words came faster than thoughts. He
wofully raisjudged Cesar. among others; he was
radical out Of sheer juveniIity, discarding all
traditional mythology and substituting for 1t
masses Of ul-digested scientific information and
self-satished ranting. II has been well said Of
the "Pharsalia" that 1t is broken-backed and
like a wounded snake, drags its dull length
along" Dante, Shelley and Macaulay have had
good words to say for Lucan and his epic; but
neither Of the poets has given any clear rea-
sons for his eulogies. while the essayist rests
his case upon the strongest three passages in
the poem. Probably the Roman poets extreme
youth-he died at twenty-six-impressed these
critics with his unfulhlled promise. leading them
10 Judge him in the light Of what he might have
become But shelIey's outburst that the 'Phar-
salia" transcends Virgil must be taken with
tablespoonful Of salt
The translator has been more than fair to the
original. He has not only rendered the text SO
literally that It's insuHerable dulness obtrudes'
elias, too often; re has shown vivacity and COM
Inaud Of poetic language to such an extent that
here and there lines ring forth that echo the
thunder Of the odyssey and forecast the
gloomy din Of the Inferno" In the ninth book
(on Cato) both poet and translator appear at
their best It makes one wish that Sir Edward
had devoted his energies to translating some
thing more instinct with humanity. He might
hope 10 give the world something as fine as Lord
Burghcleres translation Of the Fourth Georgia"
The 'Pharsalia,' though, will never draw men
back 10 Rome; it can interest only the historian
and the inveteraIe Latinist.
In striking contrast to the above volume Mr.
Giover's Studies in Virgil" plead powerfully for
q revival of inter1sl in the classics. Their plea
ought 10 be effect " too in spite Of the fact that
the reader is confused and annoyed by the
writer's trick Of interfering briefs and exhibits
a 10 II throughout his ought-to-be oratorical
defence Every page jerks back rudely TO
minor details. references, quotations and what
not VIII the cassicist not recognize that
among other things. it is this habit Of running
both rhetoric and reasoning by foot notes and
bracketed Greek that makes US fear the utility
Of teaching Latin and Greek TO babes and suck
lnss? A mind numbered with quotations is in
danger Of producing badly centred works of lit
erary art and feeby cemented arguments.
IN spite Of the marks Of this academic disease
with which NIr Glover's volume is pitted. the
work has not lost all its beauty and convincing
ness The author makes Virgil live again, even
though behind bars and bars Of Latin and Greek
quotations. The poet interests US afresh. thanks
70 4ir Glovers skin in showing how the 'Geor-
gics' and the "lEneid' reveal the great inner
crisis which destined to ancient civili-
zation its life. Virgil stood in that ominous twi-
light OF religion and science wherein it too
oark 10 see the earth and too light TO mark the
stars The gods Of Olympus had faded away,
leaving the world Of Nature TO unknown heir.
Virgil the peasant, realized this; the peasant in
him Taught the gospel of labor and stern watch
iuness. the philosopher proclaimed uncertainty,
yet hopefully, the one compelling Destiny. while
tae poet tarried lovingly among the fresh ruins
OF that beautiful Olympus which UNREASONABLE
Centuries of aniInism had patiently fashioned. In
.Eneas Mr.. Glover finds VirgiPs own philosophy
ot He incarnated. Hcneas is not the spontaneous
achilles; he IS an urbane tool in the hands OF
iate- Sainte-Beuve has keenly observed that
there is something OF the centurion In Virgins
heroes. both divine and human; we see this