A voice will then be heard that thou must hear, When Troy and Greece round Ilion clash'd in war.". We hesitate not to say, that Cowper's version is perfect. Unequalled it is at present; excelled it can benever. It is coloured not by the faintest hue of translation, but breathes throughout the pure, free air of a divine original. It is just as good as Homer. The first six lines of Greek are given in six of English, and their calm, firm spirit is finely preserved. All the others are exquisite. We cannot say the same of Sothe. by's. It is good-Pope's (which look at) is better-for with more faults, it has greater beauties-but Cowper's, we repeat, is best. For it alone is "the tender and the true." In Sotheby the first six lines of Greek become ten in English-and Hector seems to vaunt himself rather too much. "My peace destroy," is neither Homeric nor Hectorian; "yet less," and again "less," are feeble and formal, cumbrous and clumsy. "The grasp of war" is an unaffecting generality, compared with its definite original; we do not admire here the alliteration of "labouring reluctant the allotted woof," though others may; "measured wave" are two words not to our taste, especially the last, which is falsely poetical for " water.” "A voice will then be heard that thou must hear,” is not happy for καί ποτέ τις εἴπησιν. "Seest thou yon captive pouring tear on tear," is a negligent misconception of four times" thoughts of thee in tears"-" of thee in tears"-"pouring tear on tear"-" see thy tear." With more than double the effort, the translator produces less than half the effect. Old Chapman felt Hector's address-and he labours to render it, if possible, still more dismal. He makes Hector say, "And such a stormy day shall come, in mind and soul I know, When sacred Troy shall shed her towers, for tears of overthrow." Not in Homer, indeed, but dreadful -and afterwards "As thy sad state when some rude Greek shall lead thee weeping hence, Those free days clouded, and a night of captive violence, Loading thy temples, out of which thine Chapman says, breathe the worthiest life Of all their army." Dryden, "This dame was Hector's wife, ἰδὼν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσαν, as Sotheby A man that at the wars of Troy did must in an instant see. "When Troy and Greece together clashed in war,” is not the natural language of a bystander, like ὅτε Ἴλιον ἀμφεμάχοντο. The final line "Ere I behold thee slave, or see thy tear," is a poor impostor, detected at once in the attempt to pass itself off for Πρίν γ' ἔτι σῆς τε βοής, σοῦ θ' ἑλκηθμοίο πυθέσθαι. Hector in Homer speaks twice of Andromache's weeping - danguisorav κατα δάκρυ χέουσαν; in Sotheby "While groaning under this laborious life, They insolently call thee Hector's wife; Upbraid thy bondage with thy husband's name, And from thy glory propagate thy shame." Pope, "There, while you groan beneath the load of life, They cry, behold the mighty Hector's wife !' Some haughty Greek, who loves thy tears to see, Embitters all thy woes by naming me." Cowper, "This was the wife of Hector who excelled All Troy in fight when Ilium was besieged." Sotheby, as you have seen, "Lo, Hector's wife, the hero bravest far, When Troy and Greece round Ilion clashed in war!" Who, we ask again, is best? Cowper. Who next? Perhaps Popeperhaps Chapman. Who next? Perhaps Sotheby. Dryden is the worst inasmuch as he is the least Homeric and his lines, though they have his usual copious flow, are failures; for " insolently" in the second is beyond and out of Hector's meaning; the third is superfluous, and the fourth absurdly and coarsely and vulgarly" propagated." Dunces, with "hearts as dry as summer dust," have here found fault with Homer and Hector. Cold comfort this, they have said, from husband to wife. Hector is here chicken-hearted-cowed-crowed-down -cool in the pens-fugy, as cockers say; but he ought to have sung clear as unconquered chanticleer, dropt his wing, strutted crousely, and sent his fair hen and chicken chuckling gayly to Troy. Such is the spirit of their fault-finding, though they were not up to the use of such appropriate terms of reprobation; for they are Fools. Hector speaks to Andromache, at first, like the heroic soldier-" jealous and quick of honour"-and conscious that in his arm lies the salvation of his country. But all at once," O my prophetic soul!" He sees Troy taken-and Andromache captive. The vision asks not his leave-but em bodies itself in words, leaving the choice of them to Love and Pity. Of that dismal day, " far off the coming shone" on his soul—and it will therefore speak as another great poet makes a sad seer say, "Though dark and despairing my sight I may seal, Yet man cannot cover what God would reveal." But now for our concluding specimen of Sotheby, which completes the "Tale of tears, the mournful story.", "He spoke, and stretch'd his arms, and onward prest From the high helmet cast its sweeping shade, Heard be a voice, whene'er the warrior bends, And grant that home returning, charg'd with spoil, "He spake, and gave, now sooth'd from vain alarms, The lovely infant to his mother's arms, And the fond mother, as she laid to rest The lovely infant on her fragrant breast, Smil'd in her tears, while Hector, as they fell, Kist her pale cheek, and sooth'd with fond farewell. 'Grieve not, my love, untimely; ere the hour My fate predestin'd dread no hostile pow'r ; But at the time ordain'd, the base, the brave, There is a screed-a sweep of Sotheby-gentlest reader-and as the parallel passage in Pope-who, you may depend upon it, was a poet-is one of the most popular in poetry, doubtless you have it by heart, and it comes in palpitations, pat for comparison. But first of all, see the ebb and flow of the tides of our sealike passions. A while ago the waves of sorrow came fast and loud, tumbling in, as "Drumly and dark they roll'd on their way," and rueful was the plight of Hector's soul as a surf-beaten ledge of rocks. It was drowning-drowned. But the overwhelming mass of foam all at once lulled, and wheeled back into the sea, leaving bare the brightshelled sands to the sunshine of Heaven. Let that image suffice in its insufficiency; and say simply that Hector again is, as the warful world goes, happy, and so is Andromache. Why not? They know their fate, and to it are now "deeply reconciled." In such reconcilement there is often profound peace-sometimes still,yea even brightest joy ;-and now the hour is blest, even "As when some field, when clouds roll thick and dun, sky. ; For see παιδ' ον, how he smiles, as Hector high in the air holds up "his beautiful and shining golden head," starlike even in mid-day, before the "weepingly smiling" eyes of Andromache! That is a vision "able to drive all sadness-even despair." That bud shall be a blossom that blossom a flower; and that Hector, or his prophetic soul, had This Now, let us take things calmly, and criticise the execution by the several translators, or engravers, of two of these celebrated pictures contained in this passage; and first, that of the Helmet. Ὣς εἰπὼν, ὅ παιδὸς ὀρίξατο φαίδιμος "Εκτωρ Δεινὸν ἀπ' ἀκροτάτης κόρυθος νένοντα νοήσας: CHAPMAN. "This said, he reached to take his son; who, of his arms afraid, DRYDEN. "Then holding forth his arms, he took his boy, POPE. "Thus having spoke, the illustrious chief of Tro COWPER. "The hero ended, and his arms put forth They are all "beautiful exceedingly." Chapman gives strongliest of them all, the terror of the child" then balancing his weight in dancing him," though it has not the conciseness of τ xg, is perhaps even more picturesque; " and laid aside his fearful helm, that on the earth cast round about it light," for τὴν μὲν κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ παμφανόωσαν, is very noble. In short, in Chapman's copy, you see the true character of a divine original of the greatest of and other hope of is a needless line. The first half of it weak, and the second a repetition of what has been said before. "His unknown father," is a charming touch of Dryden's own, and flashes forth the soul of the sense; "dismissed his burnished helm," is a formality much inferior to the simple original, and he says nothing of it" lying all ashine on the ground;" "the pride of warriors, and the pomp of war," is sad slavering; but the end, with the exception of" hugged," which is not the right word, is excellent. Faulty but not feeble, you still see in the sketch the hand of "Glorious John," and therefore you may purchase it. Pope's copy is almost as good as the original-to a common judge like Christopher or Nicodemus. The third and fourth lines seem to us perfect" And Hector hastened to relieve his child," is, you will perceive, taken from Dryden. "Glittering terrors," in line seventh, are the same thing as "beaming helmet" in line eighth, which ought not to have been; and, indeed, Homer knew better than to have said "glittering terrors," a mode of speech the invention of a later day, when poets became impatient of speaking like other people, which Homer never was, nor even Apollo. Still, this copy from Homer by Pope, is a fine cabinet picture, and hangs in the Sanc tum. Perhaps you think Cowper's copy somewhat dim, and perhaps it is; but keep your gaze fixed steadfastly upon it, and the figures will come out upon you a bright and beauteous group. "With a scream," &c. for xλiven iάxwv, &c. is the truth most entirely; so is the word "dreadful" for devov, which we see not in the other copies-" shaggy" is fine; but "crested terror," borrowed from Pope's "glittering terror," is but a poor plagiarism, unworthy of Cowper. " Played away his infant fears," may give the picture to the imagination, but not to the eye; and Homer, you know, through the eye doth here appeal both to the imagination and the heart. Sotheby's is far from a failurebut it might have been a more distinguished success. "Onward prest," &c. is minuter and more particular than Homer, who is here minute and particular just up to the proper point. "Bright splendour flashed too fierce a light," is not the best of modern English, and has no resemblance to old Greek. "Cast its sweeping shade," is a picturesque particular, but though it might frighten a child, it is not so well adapted for that especial purpose as the circumstance Homer mentions; the scaring, shrieking, (both in themselves good,) come in too late in Sotheby, for Homer, as was right, shews them the very first thing; and we are sorry to see that Sotheby steals the "terror" from Pope, who had just pocketed it from Dryden, and we insist on both pilferers returning the property to the lawful owner-which they may do without being the poorer, he the richer; for after all, it is not better than a Bandana. Yet with these faults, real or imaginary, the copy is a spirited-nay, a splendid one-and speaks of Sotheby. Look here, before we part, at another picture. Ως εἰπὼν, ἀλόχοιο φίλης ἐν χερσὶν ἔθηκε CHAPMAN. "This said, the heroic sire Gave him his mother, whose fair eyes fresh streams of love's salt fire |