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was likely to have seen * Martellfe works , ot es ^ heard . of thfimu As _ no one , that we are aware , has . ever not iced the coincidence , of p lan in . , the-two . works , no researches hav-e been made to . clear up the ? point . Xetitis ^ a . point in literary history Dot without its interest . Swift was a notorious poacher , a most large-handed thief ; and it would be curious to prove that he borrowed the idea of lalliput from Martelli , as in * Jiat case we should be able to assign , the originals of all the voyages of Gulliver ; . The voyages to Brobdingnag and JDaputa are notoriously borrowed from Cyrano Bergerac ' s Jtistoire Comique des Estats et Empires de la Lune , and his Estats et Empires du Soleil . In these it is not simply an idea borrowed and humorously worked out , as in the case of Lilliput ; the idea and" execution are both borrowed . The incidents are very similar and selected to illustrate similar follies . The general turn of wit and humour is the same . A brief ? but satisfactory , account of Cyrano ' s works is given in Dunldp ' s History of Fiction .
To return , however , to our imaginary travellers , we next meet with Fielding , who has given us a Journey from-this World'to the . Next . It is not one of his hest works ^ Dut some of the satire is very happy . The earlier portions , which are imitations of Lucian ' s dialogues or the Gods , are somewhat forced , and towards the conclusion tbewriting gets wearisome * The most amusing portion is the adventures of Julian the apostate ; Fielding-places Cromwell in Elysium , and as he is as arbitrary as l > ante in his distribution of rewards and punishment ^ w © were- somewhat curious to knaw his motive few giving Cromwell such a place . It was this : CromwelFs soul , in its second experience oFlifeVhad inhabited : tixe body of at staunch cavalier-and lovftL subieet !
We now come to the prince of imaginary- tvarellers ^ aiui wits—Voltaire * Qi&Candu&aitd Micromegas are perfectJtifaofS satire : wicked hut , w 4 tty : cutting deep , but with a polished blades admirabfadn invention as hx style ^ o « dswoEtn , r iMdfeedj . ( wKQ loveda . paradfrx ^ aaidr . rari against tW universal opinions of mankind ; with stolid seriousaasajJbaspronounced Oanduterto be ' * the dull product of ^ a scofier ^ s pen ; " Sfeojjferj ; as inueh as you lifefr- ; but dull ! was there nowordinthe dietienajty morer ^ p ^ . than that ? was aphir losophical poem so serious that it could see nothin ^ a ^ ntiidlfrlmfeadulaesa ? Gambling thus amid ^ the works of Bnagmary- 'teravellers we come upon dervantesasdjln » Viage al Paniasso , in . wMchi . he narrates ^ his > journey to Earnassua , at the foot of -which many curious animals- are sees ; old ? toad yojiDgv grave and gay , genius and diilness ^ there congr ^ gatev carrying with
them weighty ; volumes and colossal pretensions . Ifc is ? timber Gervantes tteterinines ! to go . He is travelling ^ not irxthe best condition ^/ w-ften Mercury appears to him * and accostingr him with . the ; title of ' ^ Adam of Poets , " pro * ceeds to bestow some very nattering eulognims on him . By the way , what could Cervantes mean when he gave himself that title ? " He . certainly did notonean ta intimate that he was the primeval poet—the A'daaa of Earnassus Did he then ; by this assumed priority naean ta ioier priority ofmerit ?* Tfie supposition ^ is probable ; for the soldier who fought at tepantaw&a . not wanting in self-confidence nor- in oi ?« r flelf-confideace . But letr that pass Mercury conducts him to the kingdom of Apollo , fin a ship which carries all * hepoets-of Spain . Tfie aliip was-of " verses allcompact .
Toia de veraos ^ em-fabrioadfr Sin frqft A «^ a' <» Tr | fttjpflffr- ^ g » f ^ -p ^ H ** - ! The passengers , in numbers countless as drops of rain , or as the sands of the sea , scramble on board . The ship must- sink . Kind and pitying sirens raise a storm to save the ship from sinking beneath the weight of its cargo . But there is another storm described , with still more gusto , in which Neptune endeavours to plunge the poetasters down to the bottom of the sea . Vain attempt laffif the specific levity of ? sach t -a-raee coutffr be overcome ! as i £ it could be made weighty by any grains ) of sense ! V ^ emisj sharp-witted dame , changes them into empty gourde and leather * bottles 5 proper emblems-for
those who have only-the worthless carcase without a drop of divine nectar . We now come to Dante and his- Imaginary Voyage * which , transcends ^ all Others so far as to make our naming , it among tteen * doubtless a matter of surprise to-the reader ; yet' an . imaginary voyage it iaj though by no means a jocose one . Swift himself had' not more decided' purpose in his-nctionv That Dante ' s invective against political enemies-new-seems to ua > of little importance is true ; we read the Divine Comedy for its geniusy not for its personalities , and , as > long as poetry- is read , this - poem' will stand eminent among the greatest works of genius . Of course it has tempted , and will tempt , translators ; and if translation were- not essentially a- vain thing , " we know of few works which would better bear translation than this . But
Mentre ch'io rovicava in basso loco Dinanzi agli . occhi mi si fu _ offerto Ciii p > ec lango sileazio paoea fioco . Without laying any stress upon the inaccuracy of translating rovin ava bv " sinking "—a verbal , as well as a poetic inaccuracy , the poet at that moment , desoribmg himself as rushing ^ away from the ehe-wolf—let us simpjy direct attention to the awkward involutions and the inharmoniousness of each lina . Mr . Pollock uses phrases like " as does the sand * what time a whirbwi nd blows ; " and wEe » I > ante ^ falls as a dead bod y falls * " Mx . Pollock aays , kt Even as « dead' corpse falls , I fell . " We might multiply examples of such important minutiae- They only prove ; that mere labour will not . suffice , w translation .. In conclusion ^ we cite , one of the easy poetical passages * : — - " Then * , as the flowers by the cold of night Depressed and dosed , when silvered by the srm Become erect , au open on their stemr ; Such was I in my ^ raloar that bad drooped , And such good courage rushed into my heart That I * began As one-emancipated . " " Quak i fiorettidal nottnrnogelo . Ghioati a . chinsi ^ pot che . il Sol gl * imbiaaca . Si drizsan totti aperttmloro atelo , Tal ani fee' i % di rnia virtute . st&QCft : £ tantCKbuono ardim-al ctu > r / mi corse CliMo ; cojauiaiitctai comeK-p ^ rsona' ^ £ nuicaJ ^ The reader will feel that *' depressed" fe not a happy word for " bowed dowrii" and that , the : sim doea notzsilver-thn Qiomers ^ blat ^ smBtoato&umii wktiem them < wttik lights " Become . er « ctl * ia ^ t ^ mft f uml ^ ^ tfii 1 lf Imj Itiii ii proeaic . ' * " . . . .- . ) : ¦ ..,.. :, ; ^ _ .. Oupcondusioii * then i * v thattMr . fbllookv whila ; gcvtag ^ WarliiboriQii ^ astd ontBe-. wholeimeritorio ^ isv translation . of / Daatej . hsa ^ n ^ periibcd : ^ aatM £ ^ tiite estigeaoea of criticitnaj even when that criticiflBa starts £ mK ^ tbei > propjQflH 9 tion' thiat ^ no 4 ranshitic «» canadequately rjeprjeaeirtB ^ seaHpjQeini . 13 BH ^ gbn % ' © Shaving produced a > -very useful book map boy givenv . T ^ di poem&iff : dtiik oBiy-to ooTeud in Italian . v
our opinions , on that point the reader-knows ; and in taking : up Mr . Pollock ' s , version , wexlo so merely to say in haw far we conceive- the author has approximated to what can be justly demanded of a translator . First , let us say of his volume that-it is very elegant , and fit to grace the most delicate of drawing-room tables . The illustrations by Mfr Scharf add to its beauty , although we cannot think the imaginative representations- ¦ willmeet with : the approbation- of poetical readers . The translation has- bee * n executed upon a sound theory , that , namely , of adhering aa- closely to > ttie original , even in mere verbal arrangementj as ^ tite ¦ idioms' of the-two Ian * guages admit . Mr . Pollock has don © his best to give us what Dante wrote , not what he " might have written had he lived in our day . " He adds no
" beauties" of his own tt > Dante ' s verse ; unlike the-majority of' translators , he does not believe he can "improve "' a ' great poet * For this , for great care and conscientiousness in a laborious and ungrateful tasfc ^ he deserves our praise . If we are forced to add that his translation is more useful to those who can only read a little Italian , and would b « glad of his aid in lieu of dictionary or master , than it will be delightful to those who read only . for ^ . poetical enjoyment , it is because in truth a translator must almost have the genius of his author if he would hope to succeed in the delicate and subtle rendering of poetic language . Mr . Pollock has not the delicate sense of expression which could aloue make translation adequate . Take a specimen or two as evidence : — Ah I waa sinking towards the lower place , Presented to me waa before mine ojes One who appeared aa by long silence dumb . No poei could have , written that . Daute ' a linos arc : —
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THE S £ A : VE SON . . > •« . -. 2 % « Slaw Son .. By Mrs . WOpim Ifoy Wilkiiili . Pfcifee 3 J . tftapman ¦ WM $ B ? . Tfi&Seofcebt proverb say ** " There , aremony rthinga . ia tKe wpirld > b ! er ^« kd ] fQrfc blessing andj o *« rjgBdefor , banning , like ^ Kpb Boy . " I £ ^ is 7 trafKcUa ^ not ; apply to ^ thejworldtof literature ^ theire& $ pe ?? s task ^ ondC ^ a ^ Jessi ^ pnet tbitftifevis . Qn ; the present ; occasion ^ forinstanqe , wemight . aar The , Stave Stm is ? a- book ^ w © cant confideD ^ iyfreconwmeBdv toou ^ reaaera ^ with a-aoblei-beneyolenti purpose ^ by . a plamtex ' s , daugjitec ,, who . ias , direct ^ fbsfcthamd ; knowledge o ^ t ^ subject ^ heitKeAts ^ and ^ , a naturaXfluen ^ yi ^ thc > expressioDio ^ hfir opinions *» dfeelings . ,, ^ a , n ) ieh % sayItbis ^^ eVmiffjp 4 9 i ^
say ^ Tfea Ste « e ^ 5 o »^ ia ? a ^^ iointedstor 3 rj on < tKe ev ^ of negro . slavecy ^ m ^ hifilit front : certain defects-ia the 8 t ^ y-teUer ,. Za , wai is ? s ^ doxavraisetildkib ^^ exaggeratedi Qh account of thb JiobTBovalinixtur © . of gpogLjantiltilacl urihb ! book before us , we ha ^ e given it more jconsideration than it ^ , deeidied . > demerltg > aa < a , w £ > ck of , ArV would have induced . us , to . beatow . We . have allowed , ^ ue disinterested purpoaes and positive experience of tEe ajathoresa ^ tdLTfeigjU against the ¦ faet , that > her tale will make people more > fweary and , di «^ iifeKL with reading about negro slavery than eager- to rise up in < arms * op- oouxnoil
against this loud-crying evil of the age . The Slave Son cannot be comparea with Unale ., 7 bm s , Cabin as , regardsi originalitjr and vigour , humour , ap d " truth ozj character ; The : Abolitiomat and evangelical principles sanctify Uncle Tdm with the majority of Mrs . Stowess ^ readlers , butt without < . tHfim the book would have become popular—for it is full oft gemu »—an&rAtonwMt *> - * a quality v ? hich female writers generally want ; :., Wh « a Mrs * Wilkitts speaks ,- of matters , , of fact ^ . or of Her own jjeraonal eelingsv she speaks well andj with the authority of trutlu . In ^ accauiitijig ^ fpr , the production of the > prewwat tale , which is to be tW < first . of a / series ^ on ^ he , conditibn of the coloured ' population of th © -W « st Indies -and ; S « ufchei-ttiStatesv ofAnxerica , . she says : —
" I did not start in life ^ howeverj -witli any particular sympathy for the nearoe * . Tpaetb were no scenes of cruelty , or oppreasioain our homestead to awaken my pity ,- —tacothwroge ; and-while onr domestics presente&all , those features , of an enslaved people , so . rejplawei to the free , I learned from tlie first to regard them , as the children of all slaveholders d pp ia the light of a species of cattle , —I do not mean beoause they wete , bought and sold v and their labour unrewarded , I mean something woreos still , —I mean that neither * their total dismissal of all the proprieties and decencies of life , nor their immorality , ever 8 boqke 4 jny principles or affected my mind any more than the habits of tho beasts of burdeifc working with them : and yet the negroes were , always with us and about ua bo alao . were . tha . domestic animab belonging to tho house . I . record these facts tb © more willingly , as tit nxa ^ help , to show the natare and extent of the influence which slavery holds over man ..
" But the mixed rate , the coloured , population , early enlisted my sympathy : frrst of all , through their innate abhorrence of * slavery and constant' struggle after freedom ; a , ndthen , when-ltee , through their constant , yet vain and impotent upheaving ^ against the . social weignfc which keeps them down as ParialiB . I speak , of the prejudice of caato . None but ( how who have lived in slave countries ate . aware of the cruel extent to > which , this prejudice ia carried . I saw them longing for education where no school would admit them , —yearmng after excellence where ao rig ht to excel waa allowed them , —at tlie same timo ready to kiss the feet of those who only made a . show of teaching them on friendly torma , and nav « rstoppimj to inquire whether this passing condescension waa not for the sa * e of the moooy which tber freely and generously gave . The devotion and gratitude . of these poor creatures was too touching ever to forget = but a circumstance aroee which tixed thsir wrongs mdoUWy la my
mind . " She adds further on"I present myself , however , not so much to take rank among the champions of clvU enaan , cipation ( for they are numerous enough ulready ) , aa to invite supportersfor ifca coinplotioa in the social advancement of the coloured-race ; for Blaver / can never be said to ba ubo , Uahed where prejudice of caste keeps tho people degraded . It is a bhght that . remama ^ hon tho wmcSn has passed , oaite as deadly and as pouonoun , and a this day holds uifluence aa fully and forcibly in the free northern states or America as \ u the soutn I need only refer to tho circumstance of Douglaa being horsewhipped tor walking botweea two wlute ladies to prove this . c . " Ha , v in tho British Colonies , where eighteen yeara ago ono-Lalf of the population was beecared to emancipate tho other , prejudice aguinst the emancipated race-iafluonces even tho local authorities , just aa much as at the period of our atory .
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February 25 , 1854 . ] T HE L E . A B * M& lm
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 25, 1854, page 187, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2027/page/19/
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