The sun., 1916-01-09
modern pleys by Gilbert Murray are in

lenic school OF oxford; of tradition
wider than a mere school of poetry;
at is a caste of thought and "A mode
of aesthetic, quasi-moral feeling"
beginning the essay on Gilbert Muir
ray with few well deserved compli-
ments Mr.. Chapman later refers to his
subject, just u little rudely, as
"versiher." putting aside the question
of whether or not the achievement OF
this scholar IL. as Anatole France
would say. mere writing about him
self" Apropos Of Euripides. we must
say that to the student of English
poetry the translatIons or transcript
tons are at least to he taken into ac-
count as pure poetry. The one very
striking passage given to illustrate
the translator's tendency to read his
own idea into the Greek text Is from
the "Baccha." as follows:
what else Is wisdom? wha, of Mans
cnLeavour
or Gods high grace go lovely and 90
great?
To stand from fear set free, 70 breathe
and walt.
To hold a hand uplifted over hate:
And shall not loveliness be loved forever
\ close translation OF this passage.
says Mr.. Chapman, is: "Ah. what Is
mans wit? What fairer boon hath
God given mortals than to raise the
hand in victory over the foe? What
is fair is loved forever"
The reader notes here that though
Mr.. Chapman holds 1t greatly against
Gilbert Murray that he introduces
the word God into his translations
the critic seems in this case to be
unable to do away with II himself.
Taking the two passages side by side,
what one feels chiefly Is. how very
superior is Gilbert Murray to
l;urlpdes and how much finer Is Eng
! lish literature than Greek! Yet this
! j. not In the least the opinion that
Mr.. Chap Is eager to uphold. ON
the contrary, he desires TO show that
the greatest examples of English are
doomed to fall by the wayside, while
Greek literature. which Ia perfection.
VII live forever.
Ms to the essay on Shakespeare. II
is also wholly delightful. The great
thing about Shakespeare is, as we
are fond of saying nowadays of Mr..
Wells. that he was an amazing think
Iwould seem to be no doubt but that
Shakespeare thought, felt and OBJ
served more than other men. But II
is impossible to accept without chal-
lenge so rough and ready a statement
as: Both Greek tragedies and Shake
speare's best plays have been written
with supreme facility. They have
fallen from the pen" Now. these are
such things as no man knows. There
is plenty of evidence. to prove that
Shakespeare was careful and
conscious artist. A writer does not
fling OF at haphazard such lines as
When 20 the sessions OF sweet. siien
! thought
summon up remembrance of thing
past.
Sounds are therein most Cunningl.
wrought Loves Labour's Lost IL
definite proof that Shakespeare was
sedulous student OF his craft.
Again one must take issue with suci
a statement as: There is one light IL
which Shakespeare is unique: he Il
gay. open Shakespeare and 20
almost always open upon redundant
shining happiness" Now there Is II
| doubt nut tHdt SlldNeSPthie IN Say "
times. All poets have Kind q
gayety. When all else fails there re
Z main ever for them the night and IN
day and the wind on the heath. The'
p ar" poets by virtue of their joy m ol
. serving the processes of life. But
!, say that 20 open Hamlet or Lear
or Macbeth" or "Timon of Athens
, is to open upon redundant. shinn
: happiness" IL a mistake. As nearl
e as one can get at the great dramatis
2 he was an infinitely curious. observan
= quick thinking and cheerful pess
9 mist. Nor is this "A contradiction
e terms. II Is quite possible to sum u
= the world IA on the whole an evil an
$ III justified riddle and yet resolve
:, turn the best possible face upon bd
: matter
s II is surprising how much bette
t criticism that is constructive and al
preciativ" is than criticism which
It iconoclastic. In Mr' thapmans TIM
= essay, upon BalZac, we ma MI
"a plunged into the frame ot m'nd u
y has elected by ms hrst essay ana I'M
i 10y reading small volume oi u
Il "GrandS EcriNains fmncais serl'
k hy NJ. FaguCt. NJ. Faguet thinks
"A slightly of Ralzac that the average II
=, rorap, re,dor No,,Id eyrI,irn on re,,
=, 4 49, A. -. .,k,h,. loo, ,,,is ax,o
"S ~, -, \, =,
+" ''H' ""u "'' "
II guet waste tifne On baiHac' Inc ma
> il evidently not worth MS pains.
J. Mr.. Cha pman proceeds to demolis