BOOKS.

A NEW TRANSLATION OF LUCRETIUS.* MR. BARING has chosen for the metre of his new translatiort fourteen-syllabled verse of the iambic measure. It is a metre which has the merit of giving the translator plenty, so to speak, * The Scheme of EFieurus a Rendering into English 'Verse of the Unfinished Poem of Luerdius, ClItttled "Do Rerum Naturd." By Thomas Charles Baring* M.P. London : liegan Paul, Trench, and Co. 1884.

of room. If lit wants to render his original verse by verse, its length, giving an equivalent for the greater compression of the Latin, makes it a convenient instrument for his purpose. And there are authors to whom a verse-by-verse rendering is appropriate, if not necessary—to Homer, for instance—so that it be not slavishly followed. If Homer is to be translated at all—a proposition which we should be sorry to make—perhaps this fourteen-syllabled verse is the best for the purpose. For the purpose for which Mr. Baring uses it in this volume, it has, as far as we can see, no fitness whatever. So we should think beforehand ; and so, in our judgment, actual experience proves.

On the other hand, blank verse would be a most appropriate instrument. A philosophical poem is ex vi termini, artificial, and blank verse is the most artificial of metres. With its great variety of pauses, its unlimited power of expressing various moods and kinds of thought, it is, if skilfully handled (a very large supposition, we allow), an instrument of unrivalled adaptability. As it would be suitable to Virgil, so it would be to Lucretius ; and we cannot but regret that Mr. Baring did not choose it as the vehicle of the careful and scholarly version which we have before us.

It is, we think, on the occasions—not very frequent—when Lucretius is in the satiric mood, that his translator is happiest. Here his style, which commonly wants dignity, and his versifi- cation, to the principle of which we have expressed our objec- tion, are least at fault. Here is a passage from the latter portion of the Fourth Book :—

"The black is a brunette; the foul and filthy degagee ; The tiny pigmy is a Grace, and brims with wit, they say ; The over-tall is striking and in dignity excels ; The cat-eyed is a Pallas ; skin and bones they term gazelles; One stutters' cannot talk, she lisps ; the dumb is so discreet ; The restless hateful chatterbox a lantern to our feet ;- One is mignonne gracieuse et svelte, who scarce can live for want Of flesh; and one half dead with cough is simply ravissante."

More might be quoted, were not the subject so repulsive. Most readers of Lucretius are content to leave this part of his poem untouched. Mr. Baring deserves praise for the skill with which he has picked his way along very dirty paths.

And here is another specimen :—

"Man thus moreover brings his strength in useless toil to wreck, And all the better part of life spends at another's beck ; Meanwhile his fortune slips away on wares of Babylon ; Duties are scanted ; good repute ails, totters, and is gone. Her feet with slippers soft and gay from Sicyon are seen Bedecked, and massive emeralds with clearest lights of green Are set for her in gold.

...... . .

His sire's well-gotten wealth in caps and headbands disappears, Or cloaks sometimes of Alidan or Cam mercers' wares. Banquets with dainty napery and choicest viands, play, Wine in profusion, unguents, crowns of roses, garlands gay, In vain are furnished, when from out this well-head of sweet things Some bitterness still rises up, and midst the blossoms stings."

We do not see why the translator renders" guaniam medio de fonte leporum," &c., by when, or why by writing" this well-head of sweet things," he limits to the particular instance what the poet surely intended for a general reflection. A little further on we see "amore proprio summeque secundo," rendered by "lasting love, though crowned with full success." The "though" seems quite out of place. There is no sort of opposition intended between the two epithets. As for "lasting," we can hardly accept it, even though it is supported by the high authority of Mr. Munro. We should rather take it to be something very like

a synonym of seeundus. "Suns "is used just in this sense as in ventis iturus non suis (Hr. Epod. ix., 30). It is difficult to dis- tinguish it from the epithet that follows ; " Prosperous " might do ; a " lasting " love may be quite the reverse of successful ; nor is there anything to justify the epithet in the amour described.

When the poet rises to a somewhat higher tone, his translator is not so successful. We may take a specimen from the famous conclusion of Book III. Here are some lines from the famous passage,"Atque ea nimiram quwcunque Acheronte profundo ":—

" And, soothly, all the ills that folk in Acheron's profound

Profess to find, while yet we live are everywhere around.

No wretched Tantalus for one big stone, that overhead Hangs in mid air, as fable tells, grows numb with causeless dread : But empty awe of wrath divine distresses men alive, Who fear ill-luck, that accident may bring on them that thrive.

No vultures peck at Tityus outstretched in Acheron, Nor could they in his vasty chest discover food, whereon To batten through the ceaseless roll of years that know no end ;- Nay, though his frame were really so hugely to extend As to take up not merely nine poor acres' width of ground With his outspreading limbs, but all the whole terrestrial round, Not even then could he endure eternity of pain ; Nor would his frame an infinite supply of food contain :— Bat we see Tityus in him who, prostrate in the dust, By torturing anxieties, the fowls unclean of lust, Is gnawed, or rent by greedfal cares of any other kind.

Just so a Sisyphus in life before our eyes we find In one agape the rod and axe of ruthless power to win From rabble votes, aye going home repulsed and sad of mien : Because to seek for empty rank, and rank they never give, To bear the stern duress of toil, and all in vain to strive, Is but to push with might and main up a confronting hill • A massive stone, which, when it just has neared the summit, will Slip, and ran back by leaps and bounds the level plain to find."

This is sadly wanting in dignity. The lines about Tityns are particularly poor. It is, however, very faithful ; and for the most part, neither takes away nor adds. The words, "that thrive," in the sixth. line, seem to be suggested by the exigencies of the metre, and " rod " is presumably a misprint for "rods." Otherwise, there is little or no fault to be found.

If the reader wishes to see how Mr. Baring acquits himself in a purely philosophical passage, he may examine the following :—

" So wrought in solid singleness are first-beginnings found,

Compact, by smallest particles together tightly bound : Not formed by gatherings of these existent previously, But rather mighty in their own eternal unity.

And Nature suffers not that these should minished be or rent.

At all, but keeps them safe as seeds new bodies to present.

Besides unless, there be a 'least,' the smallest bodies sight

Acknowledges will be composed of portions infinite ; Because the half of any half will evermore admit . Halving again, and means will lack to put an end to it.

And then betwixt the sum of things and least thing where would be The difference ? 'T would disappear. For howso thoroughly

The sum of things be infinite, still things that smallest are Would of parts infinite consist in manner similar.

But since sound reason here protests, refusing to allow The mind to count this true, thou must to her decision bow, Confessing that some bodies do exist which parts have none, And are in Nature made the 'least ;' and, after this is done, That these are truly solid and eternal must confess.

Morever if it were the wont of Nature, authoress Of all things, to insist that all should be dissolved into Their smallest parts, she would not have the power to make anew Aught out of them : for bodies which are dowered with no parts Must lack the attributes with which begetting matter starts, Weight, unions of whatever sort, encounters, movements, blows, All the machinery in short whereby creation grows."

"By smallest particles" is hardly correct for " minimis stipata paitibus," when the ablative is rather of matter than instru- mental.

On the whole, the student will find Mr. Baring's translation faithful and correct, and while Mr. Munro's edition remains out of print, not without its use as a practical help. Of the higher praise which belongs to a really fine representation of a great original, it deserves, we are sorry to say, but little.