cause, which induced him to abandon the rest. A portion of Homer was likewise translated by Travers, some time later-and by Maynwaring-two names, alas, unknown to fame, but which deserve to be handed down with honour, for the spirited representation they have given in English, of the real genius of the Iliad. But then, in all these works, uniformly consisting of rhymed verse, there was a great want of fidelity, insomuch, that at the close of the last century, a very general notion began to spread itself, that a faithful translation of Homer, or at least, that a tolerably faithful one, in rhymed measures, was not to be hoped for in the then state of our language. Cowper embodied this notion into a dogma which he broached and maintained with all the zeal of an apostle. In the preface to the first edition of his Translation of Homer, he used the following words:

'I will venture to assert that a just translation of any ancient poet in rhyme, is impossible. No human ingenuity can be equal to the task of closing every couplet with sounds homotonous, expressing, at the same time, the full sense, and only the full sense of the original. The translator's ingenuity, indeed, in this case, becomes itself a snare: and the readier he is at invention and expedient, the more likely he is to be betrayed into the widest departures from the guide whom he professes to follow.'

We very much suspect that these conclusions were founded much more on the rhymed translations of Homer, which were in existence in Cowper's time, particularly on the version of Pope, than that they arose from any fair and candid consideration of the question. We likewise are apprehensive that the inclination was father to the opinion; and that that which Mr. Cowper would not undertake, he pronounced to be impossible to be performed. We have, however, lived to see the day when this plausible theory is absolutely blown into thin air; for we do not hesitate to affirm, that so far as the mere question of fidelity is concerned, Mr. Sotheby's rhymes carry an infinitely better representation of Homer's poem to the English reader, than Mr. Cowper's blank measures. In the lifetime of the latter distinguished poet, we took the liberty, with that independence which even names of greater authority than his have never made us forego, of combating the judgment which he had thus given to the world; because we felt what an injury it would have been to our literature, that the chances of a worthy version of Homer, in rhymed verse, being produced hereafter, should be in a material degree diminished by the dictum of this poet. We asserted then, and after the lapse of upwards of twenty years, we reassert, with still greater confidence, that the English language was and is sufficiently copious in synonymes, to enable a competent translator to be faithful to his original, even within the circumscription of rhymes. We maintained that rhyme, if not exactly essential to the genius of English poetry, was at least very conducive to its popularity-and the example of all our recent and

living bards, we think we could be able to shew, fully sanctions our opinion. We finally ventured to predict that Cowper's Blank Verse Translation of Homer's works, however cherished it might be in the closet, would never supersede the miscalled translations of Pope-and now we ask, has not this anticipation been completely verified? If, then, our opposition to the doctrine of Cowper, has in the least contributed to make the question as to the practicability of a rhymed version of Homer at least an open one-and if it has at all tended to prevent our cotemporary poets from being restrained in their efforts by the authority of Cowper, our ambition is gratified.*

We have had so high an opinion of Mr. Sotheby's qualifications as a Translator of foreign poets, from his excellent version of the Georgicks, but particularly from the spirited one of Oberon, that it was with no little degree of expectation that we looked into these specimens. The only real rival whom this gentleman has in the field now, is Pope. The Iliad and Odyssey of that great poet, we feel perfectly confident, will be held in admiration as long as the language in which he wrote, continues to be understood. But then the world-the unlearned world, should be told, that these are Mr. Pope's own poems. Mr. Sotheby, we have a very confident hope, will affiliate them to the distinguished poet, and will bring before the English public, the true progeny of Homer's mind, for which, hitherto, counterfeits alone have been palmed on them. The Iliad and Odyssey then, of Pope, will be regarded by all the world as they ought to be-as magnificent impositions, with which the poor children of ignorance, to whom the original was a sealed treasure, were to put up for a time; for in truth, he who supposes that he is communing with the divine Homer, when he employs Mr. Pope as his interpreter, is likely to have about the same idea of the great master, as the blind man had of the colour of scarlet, when he declared that he thought it resembled the sound of a trumpet. Dismissing, then, the labours of Pope, as supplying by no means a suitable version of Homer, such as English literature deserves to possess, let us see if we have not really fallen upon the auspicious time that will produce a translation worthy at once of the illustrious original, and the language which receives it.

We have said that Mr. Sotheby's rhymed verse gives us a more faithful notion of Homer, than the blank measure of Cowper. We mean to say that such is the general effect, for though Cowper laboriously plods in the track of his master, rendering the text honestly into English, yet a great deal more is necessary to be done, in order that the English version shall make an impression at all like that which a Greek scholar would receive from the original.

* There are other blank verse translations, by Drs. Scott, Williams, and Morrice, which we dispose of in disposing of Cowper.

There are peculiarities of language and manner-graces of expres sion and choice of words, to be observed by the translator, which if he neglects or misses, no fidelity will be of use. The small difference between what Cowper possesses, and what Mr. Sotheby wants in this matter of verbal exactness, is more than supplied by the latter in the energy and propriety of his diction, and the harmony of his measures, and in this way we repeat he is, though less complete in details, a far more vivid representative of Homer than Cowper. As compared then with Cowper, Mr. Sotheby is to be preferred, in consequence of giving us something like the fire and felicity of Homer, in the rhymed verse in which our poetry delights --and, as compared with Pope, he is to be still more readily preferred on account of that fidelity to their common principal, which Pope had irretrievably violated. Other merits Mr. Sotheby possesses too, and of course we shall find out some faults. It would be a bad example to the Excise Department, if we were ever to perform an inspection and find nothing to condemn. We must however premise, that with respect to such faults as we shall point out, we trust that the frankness which we assume, will be taken as an earnest of our desire to contribute what little we can to Mr. Sotheby's success; for after what we have said, and shall hereafter declare, we do not see how he can get over completing a version of Homer; and in that case, while yet he stands uncommitted to the world, and has full time to deliberate, to alter and amend, the honest severity of criticism may be quite as useful as its panegyric. The fair way of proceeding in this case, is, we apprehend, to place consecutive passages from the translation before the readerin order that he may judge of their merit himself in the first place, and after that he will have an opportunity of comparing his impressions with the remarks which we shall append. It is very probable that the few first pages of these specimens will make a tolerably faithful representative of the various merits of the rest, and with this persuasion, we proceed at once to Mr. Sotheby's

version

Sing, Goddess! stern Pelides' wrath, disclose

The wrath that heap'd on Grecia woes on woes,
Her chiefs' brave souls untimely hurl'd from day,
And left their limbs to dogs and birds a prey;
Since first in dire debate (thus will'd by Jove)
Against the king of men Achilles strove.'-p. 1.

We might almost venture to say that these are about the least meritorious lines in the whole book. The invocation addressed to the Goddess to "disclose" the wrath which she had been already requested to sing, is not only not justified by Homer's text, but is contrary to sense, and indeed, all that can be said of it is, that it is a clumsy expedient to make out a new rhyme. Pope, by the way, was particularly unfortunate in the two lines which occupied

the same place as those in his first edition of the Iliad. They were to this effect,

'The wrath of Peleus' son, the direful spring,

Of all the Grecian woes, O Goddess sing.'

The blunder of 'all' gave the bilious Dennis a most acceptable opportunity of venting his coarse ridicule against the bard, who certainly profited by the chastisement, for the next edition appeared with the lines in their present unobjectionable form. "Her chiefs brave souls" is strictly according to the text, and Mr. Sotheby is to be commended for marking a quality of the chiefs, which neither Pope nor even Cowper had noticed. It is very desirable we think that war in the original should not be lost in the translation, as applying to the dogs and birds-for it is a circumstance of aggravation that no dog or bird, however mean and contemptible, but had the power of feeding on the limbs of the Grecian heroes. Both Tickell and Travers preserve the word

A feast for dogs and every bird of prey.'

But our great objection is to the placing of "thus will'd by Jove" which conveys to the English reader the notion that the "dire debate" only was will'd by Jove, which is contrary to any interpretation that this passage of Homer has received. But we proceed

Why rag'd the chiefs? what god their fury swell'd?
Jove and Latona's son their wrath impell'd.
Incens'd against the king, Apollo spread

The tainting plague that strew'd the camp with dead ;
For Atreus' son, in insolence of pride,

His priest had outrag'd and his power defy'd,
When first to Grecia's fleet ag'd Chryses came
To free his daughter from the yoke of shame;
Came, richly ransoming, and suppliant bore
Round his gold rod the wreath the priesthood wore,
And all implor'd, but Atrens' sons the most,

The lords and leaders of the assembled host.'-pp. 1, 2.

Tainting," in the fourth of these lines, is an exceedingly inadequate epithet to connect with an agent of such dreadful power as the plague. And "his power defy'd," we must take to be the power of Apollo. "His priest" and "his power" immediately follow. Now it cannot be justly said that Agamemnon defied the power either of the God or the priest; for in point of fact, he afterwards yielded to the God by giving up Chryseis, and Homer says he did no more than "dishonour" the priest. 'Richly ransoming,' is a very bold expression by which the translator seeks to render λυσόμενος. But the language in fact sinks under him. The Greek word expresses the determination and desire of the father to free his daughter. The English participle can go no further than describe the simple act of ransoming, which certainly did not

take place, and therefore "ransoming" in this line is totally unjustified. The appeal of Chryses to the assembled host follows. We think it a very beautiful version, but to do justice to it we shall give first the translations of Pope and Cowper in succession.

""Ye kings and warriors! may your vows be crown'd
And Troy's proud walls be level with the ground-
May Jove restore you, when your toils are o'er,
Safe to the pleasures of native shore,

your

But oh! relieve a wretched parent's pain,
And give Chryseis to these arms again:
If mercy fail, yet let my presents move,
And dread avenging Phoebus, son of Jove.'

-Pore.

CowPER.

"Ye gallant chiefs, and ye, their gallant host, (So may the Gods who in Olympus dwell Give Priam's treasures to you for a spoil And ye return in safety) take my gifts And loose my child in honour of the son Of Jove, Apollo, archer of the skies." The plain prose English of the passage in Homer is this:-" Ye kings and ye the rest of the armed host, may the Gods in their heavenly mansions grant to you to destroy the city of Priam and to return safely home; but free my dear daughter; take this ransom in reverence to the far-darting-Apollo, the son of Jove." How extremely modest and decorous all this is, how unlike the language of defiance and threatening which Pope puts into the priest's mouth! Cowper makes Chryses a mere uninterested messenger, who does not seem to care a pin whether the lady is let go or not. Mr. Sotheby thus echoes with great truth the humility of the suitor, mixed with the tender anxiety of a parent.

"Kings, and arm'd warriors! may consenting Jove,
And all the dwellers of the realm above,

Lay Troy in dust, and, charg'd with Ilion's spoil,
Guard you in triumph to your native soil!

But my lov'd child restore: her ransom take,

And reverence Chryses for Apollo's sake."-p. 2.

We must say, however, that consenting Jove' is not so well, because Jove is not specified at all in the application, and if he were, he certainly must have consented, or not complied with the prayer. But in order to render this passage perfect in the English, it is necessary that the epithet enBoxov should be preserved. What can be more admirable than the art of the poet, in winding up the prayer of the old man with an allusion-almost unperceived, but not the less to be felt on that account,-to the divine power which he had in reserve, in case his entreaty was not listened to? Pope sufficiently understood this point, but he has elicited it in a manner that destroys all its effect. Travers has marked it in a much better way thus"To Phœbus, son of Jove, your reverence shew, The God who bends the far-destroying bow."