(Hebrews text, xiii. 8.) is the proem, or introduction; the last, (Pfalm Ixxiv. 9.) the peroration, or close. In the five inter mediate discourses, the main body of the evidence is collected; and its accumulated force is brought forward with an effect of which we fhall be able to convey but a feeble idea in the analyfis, to which we fhall proceed in the fubfequent month. A defign planned with more judgment, or executed with more felicity, the Chriftian church has not witneffed, from the days of Chryfoftom to the prefent hour. For the prefent we shall take our leave of this admirable performance, with the infertion of the dedicatory epiftle to the author's illuftrious friend and patron. We think that few of our readers will differ from us in opinion, that in this style of compofition, which requires the refined judgment of a master, our author has nearly reached the palm of perfection. "It is not to shelter the following Difcourfes under the protecting influence of an illuftrious name, that I dedicate them to your Royal Highnefs; becaufe, whatever merit they may be thought to poffefs, it will only be acknowledged, in proportion as their interesting truths fhall appear to be fanctioned by higher authority. "At the fame time, let me own myself far from being indifferent to your Royal Highness's approbation of them; fince, in addition to the weight of fuch teftimony, in these times, in favour of Religion, when all earthly poffeffions are fhrinking from the grafp, when every decoration fplendour of this life is fading away, they will have furnished reflections to render peaceful its awful clofe, and, perhaps, perpetuate in your Royal Highness's memory an esteem for him, who, with pride and gratitude, fubfcribes himself Remarks on the Caffandra of Lycophron; a Monody. By the Rev. H. Meen, B. D. 8vo. Pr. 54. Rivingtons. London. 1800. WE VE were not unacquainted with the critical abilities of this gentleman, though we were ftrangers to his name till "THE REMARKS" were put into our hand. We long ago perufed his occafional annotations on Lycophron in the European Magazine, under the ignature of E. And though we were momentarily pleafed with fomething like fagacity; yet it was rather that quality which is poffeffed by an unriddler of enigmas, than the acutenefs and difcrimination of the claffical NO. XXXII. VOL. VIII, L commentator. commentator. In the prefent publication, there is a great deal of the difficiles nuga, though the general obfervations are not abfolutely devoid of merit. "That the Caffandra (fays this writer) is but little read, and perhaps lefs understood, must be afcribed to its obfcurity. Obfcurity is that bane of good writing, which every inftructor in the art of rhetoric has condemned by precept, and which every writer, who afpires at excellence, has in practice avoided. But, before the author of Caffandra be included in that cenfure, and configned to that oblivion, which the generality of obfcure writers most justly merit, it may be proper to inveftigate the caufes of his obfcurity; and to fhew, whether from a defect of genius, or from the choice of his fubject, whether from neceflity, or defign, his obfcurity * originates." The author attributes this obfcurity to the nature and character of the poem itself. "The poem, that is confeffedly oracular and prophetic, muft conform to that ftyle, in which prophecies and oracles have been delivered. It must be figurative. It muft abound in metaphors and hyperboles. Mixed metaphors, words arbitrarily compounded, and of different dialects, may be adopted, as in this poem, with propriety. The names of animals may be fubftituted for the names of human creatures; and, as thofe animals excel in ftrength or intrepidity, in fwiftnefs or fagacity, their names may suggest the like qualities in men. The known appellations of heroes and of gods may be fuppreffed, and their atchievements and attributes may be admitted in their ftead. By fuch artifices may the shades of obfcurity be occafionally, but not conftantly heightened. The veil that feparates the past from the future must not be equally opaque. Its texture muft vary as circumftances require. Some profpect, though diftant and confufed, must be presented to the inquirer's view, fufficient to arrest his attention and encourage his refearches." The name of Lycophron (a native of Chalcis) has often occurred among thofe competitors for fame who reforted to Alexandria, to enjoy the patronage of Ptolemy Philadelphus. And the "æra of the Ptolemies, (fays Mr. M.) the most aufpicious to literature in general, was fingularly favourable to the production of a prophetic poem. The celebrated library at Alexandria *We can perceive, that this writer, though a good claffical fcholar, has not been much accuftomed to English compofition. He is deficient in eafe. His periods are fometimes moft painfully laboured. With what a ftrange inverfion are we prefented in the above fentence; an inverfion, worthy the critic and the tranflator of Lycophron ! was was open for the infpection of the curious. The Greek verfion of the Old Teftament, undertaken by the Seventy at the command of Ptolemy Philadelphus, was here depofited. The researches of the learned were gratified by a ready access to the works, not only of profane poets, but of facred prophets. Here not pagan fongs alone, the fancied di&tates of fome fabled mufe were fubmitted to their perufal; but hymns of an higher order; the facred fongs of Sion, the unparalleled productions of genuine infpiration.” "The prophetic form, into which his poem is caft, was, moreover, happily adapted to the taste and genius of the people among whom it was written. Egypt was early famous for judicial aftrology and the occult fciences. Seers of every name and defcription were here fostered and encouraged. The learning, which was diffused through the nation by their celebrated magi, was involved, both with regard to its fubftance and its form, in myftic obfcurity. It is recorded of Lycophron, that he excelled in anagrammatic writing. Thefe productions were probably the playful amufement of his lighter hours; pursued with lefs attention to the bent of his own genius than to the taste of the times, whofe predilection for the intricate and obfcure was evidenced by their fondness for this fpecies of compofition." For the fubject," let it not be objected to this pfeudo-prophetic poem, that the tale of Troy's deftruction, so often told, once more folicits the reader's attention. The epic, the lyric, and the tragic mufe have at different periods dignified and adorned it. On this fubject the mufe of Pindar has occafionally defcanted. Æfchylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, have fucceffively taken up the tale, and devoted to the fervice of the drama its moft interefting parts. It now meets us in another form; and comes recommended to our notice by thofe fingular decorations, and that novel drefs, with which the frantic prophetess has clothed it. Let it not abate our ac miration of Caffandra's rhapfody, that, however defultory and vague it may seem, some resemblance to these illuftrious archetypes is ftill retained; and that, even through the disguise of artificial obscurity, we recognize these excellent originals." In order to prepare us for his own criticifms, Mr. M. informs us, that his favourite poet hath been honoured with the attention of Canter, Meurfius, Potter, and other commentators of eminence, who have endeavoured to reduce the ravings of Caffandra to fome degree of confiftency. But, as the frantic prophetess was too hard for them all, Mr. M. has ventured forth into the regions of poetic obfcurity; a bold adventurer indeed, confiding in his fingle arm, and calling upon the learned world to furvey his prowefs, and reward h s atchievements. Yet our daring knight may call as loudly as he pleases the learned world will not attend his fummos his voice will become lefs and lefs diftinct, as he follows Caffandra to the field; and he will renew the combat almost with out a spectator. Enveloped in thick mifts, in vain will he "elicit from the dark lanthorn of Lycophron, some scintillations of light." To little purpose will he "work his way through the most perplexing wilds," or approach the feat of prophecy, the turret of Caffandra, "the avenues to which had been hitherto inacceffible." If he ftorm the caftle, who will witness his valour? If he fnatch the trophies of victory, "they will difappear in darkness." Lycophron, it seems, has never yet been tranflated into any modern language. Mr. M. therefore, exhibits himself as a poetical tranflator, as well as a critical commentator. And, in order to display the felicity, and fet forth the merit of a first attempt, he thus fpeaks of the verfifier of the claffics in general: "Tranflation, once the arduous enterprize of a few, is placed within the reach of every verfifier. If therefore literary vanity look for gratification, it must seek it in fome other department than that of tranflation. Yet, though its day of fame be paffed, its utility remains. Every first, however feeble be the attempt to clothe an ancient author in a modern drefs, is entitled to fome attention. For a vernacular verfion comes in aid of illuftration. It gives to an obscure original a more general notoriety and an easier access.” Perhaps, poetic tranflation was never fo highly valued, or fo juftly appreciated, as at the prefent day. However facilitated by former verfions, the laft English tranflations of the Grecian bards could never have been produced but by claffical learning and poetic genius. Faftidious as the age may be, thefe laft tranflations have been received with great applaufe. Cowper's Homer is the only inftance to the contrary. We fhall now proceed to bring our author's double character of critic and tranflator to the teft. This may be done, perhaps, to the fatisfaction of our readers, by a few fpecimens. from the notes and from the verse. Ην τόργος υγρόφοιτος ἐκλοχέυεται. "Quam [Helenam] Aquila undivagus gignit. "Interpreters remark, that rúgyes, which ufually fignifies a vul ture or eagle, means here a fwan. The epithet vygóros feems to have fuggefted this interpretation. Let it, however, be obferved, that in every other paffage of Lycophron, where régyos occurs, it fignifies a very different animal. "Oracular language delights in circumlocutions, figurative expreffions, and fymbols. Jupiter is here emblematically reprefented; and his emblem is an eagle. The bird of Jupiter is fubítituted for Jupiter himself. The compound epithet annexed, vygópuros, reminds the reader of the swan, whofe fhape the god affumed. It fhould feem then, that régyos ought not to be rendered olor, but aquila. The former former interpretation is inartificial and unauthorized; the peculiarities of Caffandra's oracular diction are preserved by the latter.” In our opinion, rogyos has been properly tranflated olor, a fwan. That Jupiter begat Helen upon Leda, in the shape of a fwan, is a fable known to every fchoolboy. And the epithet ygoporos, appropriate to the swan, would never have been applied to an eagle, by Caffandra, in the maddeft of her fits. But our commentator is much attached to double meanings; and would render even the riddling Lycophron ftill more enigmatical. L. 144. We approve of Teтxyaubgix for merayaubę; but we should be glad to know from what fource of informa tion Mr. M. learned, that "Virgil read Lycophron's Caffandra with fingular delight; imitating often, as his cuftom was, the most admirable paffages in that poem." Virgil's Imitations (could he have produced them) would have enlivened the dreariness of his fubje-would have imparted even fruitfulnefs to fterility. L. 324. Ipidos Rewv. The obfervations, in Ιφιδος λεων. this note, are more ingenious than folid. It would be difficult to prove, that Ptolemy's Poets read the Bible, either in the Greek Verfion, or the original Hebrew. The fuppofition is abfurd. Polwhele, in his notes on Theocritus, fell into a fimilar error. Longinus feems to have been the first Heathen author, who was converfant with the facred Scriptures. L. 357. Here the conjectural emendation is fpecious enough; but the old reading is unexceptionable. The advantage of Mr. M.'s reading above the common one is, that youpaion agns express only the beak of the hawk; but that yaupa agrais, bended books, comprehend both beak and talons. L. 359. We object to Kogny as applied to Venus, and prefer the old reading and interpretation to the new. L. 1435. "If, inftead of yax and Takas, we read, Sivais años, the antithefis will be preferved." A violent tranfmutation not warranted by the occafion. Strong measures are fometimes neceflary in politics, and bold conjectures in criticifm; but they are juftified only by the greatnefs of the object. L. 1,443. This is a good note. We give the following as a fpecimen of the tranflation. "SECT. 17.-The ransom, paid by Priam for the recovery of Hector's body, remanded by the Trojans when Achilles was flain-his afbes depofited in an urn, given to Thetis by Bacchus-his death lamented by the Mufes-bis concealment to avoid the war-Caffan dra's grief renewed for Hector. "But he, to whom was paid the ranfom-price, L3 |