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282 The Leader and Saturday Analyst. [Ma...
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DOMESTIC ROMANCE.* BY far the more numer...
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* I>t/litonoe; or, The Sin tors. By AliJ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Translated Poetry.* The Principles On Wh...
subject , full o £ sensible suggestion . In his opinion the adoption of the proper metre is the primary consideration . He would represent the Latin alcaic by tie English elegiac stanza ;¦ as for the rest he is doubtful ; btit on onfe point he is satisfied , that " the merits of Horace will never be done full justice to unless the translator adopts a particular stanza for each of his . " . " The taste of an author , " he adds , " is largely involved in the metre he selects for his subject , and the poetry of language and composition , as well as of thought , ought to be represented in the translation . From neglect of this , more thsm perhaps fcr any other reason , Dryden ' s paraphrase of Tyrrhene ! , regum progenies , though a great work , in no respect
brings Horace to my mind . " Mr . Martin has been more practical In his views than Lord Eedesdale , and chosen his metre simply oh grounds of convenience , and confessedly for the avoidance , not subduing , of difficulties . The form of verse into which Mr . Martin has cast each ode * was selected , he tells us ; with a view to what might best reflect its prevailing tone , but it had not been always possible to follow this indication . " The names of persons or places , often most intractable , but always important , must have been sacrificed , " if such a plan had been strictly carried out . He has preferred , therefore , to select measures into which these could be interwoven . Smoothness of versification , however , in this manner maybe too dearly paid ibi \
Some of the ancient metrical fqrmnlse are , it is confessed , not representable in any existing-English metre . Lord Redesdale mentions the sapphic as cnei and therefore speculates on the possibility of adapting that metre to our language . The difficulty lie had to meet was the stern fact that there is no acknowledged rule of quantity in the English language . The problem to be solved is how to render the verse correct according to fixed rules , and not merely the writer ' s fancy . Of such fixed rules he thinks our language quite capable , and that verses niay be so written as to read . rightly ¦ without being consciously scanned . He . thinks that the two- ' Universities should take the matter up , and establish the rules for fixing quantities , so as to write with authority in classical metres .
To test his plan , Lord Redesdale took a sapphic ode of Horace , and found no great difficulty in the application of the . rules . ... As examples of what he means , Lord Eedesdale has added his own versions of three odes—from Book III ., odes v . and xxix ., and from Book II ., ode xvi . They are all felicitously done , and almost literal These Versions , if compared with Mr . Martin ' s , are certainly superior in . strength , conciseness , anddefinite meaning-. But at this result we need not be surprised ; for Mr . Martin hasf * inainry aimed at elegance ; and , like Waller , is sometimes' not ashamed of showing weakness if more attractive than vigour . Frequently , lie attains this end by * an immoderate use of expletive auxiliary verbs ; e . g ,, " With' growth occult , as shoots the vigorous tree , Marcellus' fame doth grow ; The star of . Julius shines resplendently , Eclipsing all the starry row , . As mid the lesser fires bright Luna ' s lamp doth glow . "
Compr . re this altogether with the terseness of the original ; - ^—" Cresoit , occulto velut arbor ajvo , Fiunn Mivrcelli : micat inter oinnes . ¦ . Julium sidus , velut inter ignes Luna minores . " Too frequently-Mr .. Mart in quits liis original for modern associations . Take a passage from the 37 th ode , Book I ., which Mr . Martin thus interprets : . .. " But hers no spirit was to perish meanly ; A woman , yet not womanishly weak , She ran her galley to no sheltering crvek , Norquajlcd before the sword , but viet it qxiconly . "* So to her lonely palace-hulls she o » mc , With eye serene their desolation viewed , And with firm hand the angry aspics woo / ed , To dart their deadliest venom through h < ir frame .
Then with a priueful smilo she sank ; for she Had robl ) 'd Rome ' s gulleys . of their royal prize , Qvcok to the last , and ne ' er in humble guise To swell a triumph ' s haughty pageantry 1 " The anticipation of the sentiment of queenship in the previous stanza , is inartistic , and deprives the term of i ^ s effect in tl » o last stanza . But the reader , will perceive that neither is in Horace . Both ave imported into him from Mr . Tomivson ' s Dream of Fair Women : * ' I died a queen . The Roman Boldier found Me lying dead , my crown about my brows , A name for ever I lying robed and orown'd , Worthy a Roman spouBO . " To intensify , as it were , the jest , Mr . Martin turna round upon Mri TtsnnyHoii ,, nnd sucgeats that ho may luwo borrowed the idea from tlie . Horatian stanzas .
"Wo point to theBe shortcomings and over-doings oxclimvely for the purpose of showing 1 the difficulty of the task undertaken by Mr . Mnvtin . On t > he whole , it must bo granted that Una gentleman hus given the world aversion of Horace , mr re elogwnt than a ^ y wo have yet in , the langmigfe . Ho h « a Bought to rival his author in the confessed beauty of bin stylo , und particularly in what Pe / roniua rib admired in the Koinan poet , his euHosafeliaUas , But ho has not always avoided the temptation of substituting pretty phrases , na choice morceaux of poetic diction—n sin which ospeojully besets him in rendering 1 the more sublime odea of Homoe ; those to Augustus ( JnpHnr , for instance . To a great extent , list it be acknowledged that Horace is wntranslateablo . His beauty of thought and oxprension we not to 1 ) 0 caught one time in , n thousand : and even when the translator succeeds , in
a certain degree , in this achievement , there is much wanting in the general contour of a poeni . from the discrepancy of metrical arrangement . Our poets have much yet t < * > do in the . construction of classical metres , before these Odes can be satisfactorily represented in an English garb . In what lie has done , Mr . Martin has worthily maintained his reputation as an able poetic translator . In an appendix he gives some excellent remarks on , and specimens from , the love poetry of Catullus , whose genius better suits Mr , Martin ' s vein than that of Horace ; A verv different example of translated poetry we notice in Dr . NatJian the WiseThe
Ueich ' s version of Lessing ' s . Germans are accustomed to a mode of . translation which with exact fidelity represents the original , almost syllable for syllable , producing it in . the same " metre , and rendering it line for line . Thus Shakspere and Homer live again in German , in the very habit of their pre-existent state . Dr . Reich has so endeavoured to render Lessing ' s great work , little afraid of occasional ruggedness , so that lie presented in full force the vigorous thought and expression of his admirable original . Dr . Reich has prefaced his translation with a memoir and essay on his author , which is written at once with reverence and discrimination . Both as a critic and translator his powers are unquestiouiible .
282 The Leader And Saturday Analyst. [Ma...
282 The Leader and Saturday Analyst . [ March 24 , I 860 . ¦ ¦ ' . . "" ' . ;¦ . : ¦ . ¦ ' ¦ . " a ¦ | j . ¦ ' . ; . . '¦ " ¦ ' ^ J ... . ; '
Domestic Romance.* By Far The More Numer...
DOMESTIC ROMANCE . * BY far the more numerous class of novel readers may be found among the young and inexperienced . In the present day every young lady fresh from boarding-school discipl'ne is only too ready to devour " with avidity every work of fiction placed within her grasp ; and it cannot , be denied that much evil is engendered in the youthful mind by the introduction of false sentiment into our modern romances * . We consider it a sacred duty on the part , of novelists to presentthe different passions under their different phases , and to steer clear of exciting ¦ anything like a morbid sympathy in favour of characters whose , actions are hot only ill-judged , but ;
morally censurable , and thus endeavour to iinpart to their productions that health and vigour wnieh is most beneficial to the reader . ¦ ¦ Mr , Albi ' n . Locke has not , in the present instance , fully recognised this principle . Possessiny considerable powers of composition , and some insight into individual disposition , he has marred all by creating around his heroine ( a somewhat questionable young lady in herself ) a fund of undue interest and commiseration , thereby completely glossing over whatever is unstable and unlovely in her character ; and only too successfully throwing a blind over her caprices and moral failings ; nay , even investing- them with a kind of halo by which they become confounded with and gradually assume the semblance ¦
of virtues . . . A very few lines will serve to . demonstrate the truth of what we have stated . . Estelle , the heroine of tlie present story , which is entitled Influence , the eldest child of affluent and well-connected parents , during a visit to the Black park , fall's in love with the portrait of a young gentleman , Philip Seymour , a proceeding , by the way , we should advise no young lady to take example from , insomuch as it must entail considerable inconvenience upon herself and others , besides
being decidedly foolish . This same Philip Seymour speedily makes his appearance upon the scene , nnd is in due course introduced to our heroine . Estelle ' . s romantic passion , however , does not seem to be reciprocated by the gentleman , and thureupmv she coolly and deliberately engages herself to another , one Herbert Cochnme , having previously informed him , to do her full justice , of her unhappy attachment . The bridegroom elect placing implicit confidence in his heart ' s idol , and not believing' that she would willingly ' trifle with his feelings , accepts the t « ndi > r of her heart at second hand , nnd the parties are openly engaged . Some months after this , however , Estelle obtains a second entrance into 1
the family mansion of the Seymours , believingits present possessor to be at the time absent ; and uftbr ranging listlessly through the gloomy apartments , she- throws herself in a buvst of grief before the magical portrait , a cursory view of which upon a former oeoasjon had taken so powerful a hold of her imagination . -. In . this position she is surprised by no leas a person than Philip himself ; and thereupon ensues a terrible " scene , " which ends in a declaration of love from the living original of tiie picture . Then comes the startling announcement of a prior betrothal ; and the inconsiderattt lover vows all sort a of vengeance ngainut the unoffending Herbert should he refuse to relinquish all claim to the maiden on whom he has deigned in
to bestow the light of h'is favour . At this crisis our heroine , defiance of every feeling- of honour and delicacy , and reckless how much Bho might endanger the Jiiippiness of a hiyh-m-incipled and only too confiding natm'o , consents to break oft ' the existing ong'i ' gemont , salving 1 her eonsoionco according to her own prescribed methods , and , considering the only reparation due to the victim of her caprice is to write him an apologetic lottev requesting Ins sanction of / her present proceedings and unconditional tmrrender or her promise . 3 STow , had Entelle possessed u modicum of good sense nnd nobler feeling , she would have at om'e " perceived , thabanum who could thus coolly counsel her to an act of deliberate , swWishueas and injustice must be utterly unworthy in himself , and totally hScnpable Of discharging the onerous duties that would be entailed upon mm
* I>T/Litonoe; Or, The Sin Tors. By Alij...
* I > t / litonoe ; or , The Sin tors . By AliJBXN Lockis . JaWiOB Blaolcwood . The Vojfvho (\ flho Lctty . By tho Author of " TUe Throo I > ath 8 . " Two vols , IJtvlrst « nid Bluolsett . Songala i or , Sotnb Time Affo . By Mra . Vxpai ,, author of " Taloa for tho BtiBh . " " Eater Merle , " & o . Two yols , John V . Parker an < X Hon .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 24, 1860, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24031860/page/14/
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