sometimes poetical; but we seldom find in them the nervous compression, and rich brevity of expression, which would remind us of Æschylus. In his translation of these odes, Mr. Symmons has released himself from the observance of all rule, and carelessly throws together lines of every description, except in a few instances, and in these we are seldom gratified by the structure of his verse, or the harmony of his numbers. Sometimes, in the dialogue, we have varied measures introduced. We would not say, in quoting the following passage, ex uno disce omnes, for we have better verses in the volume ; but we may venture to ask, what name Mr. Symmons would give to such lines as these.

· CASSANDRA.
O rueful, sad wedding! wedding black as midnight,
When Paris did wed for his kinsmen's death-dole !
O Scamander ! Alas! oh, my sweet native stream !
Ah, wretch that I am! then I roved by thy stream!
On thy broad beach reclining while yet I was young,
And fresh in thy bosquets I carelessly sung :
But now I am like to wander soon
By the banks of Acheron, and sing my lays

To the dank sedges of Cocytus dim ! p. 107. In comparing the translations before us with each other, and with Potter's version, we shall begin with the opening speech of the Watchman.

• For ever thus? O keep me not, ye Gods,
For ever thus, fix'd in the lonely tower
Of Atreus' palace, from whose height 1 gaze
O'erwatch'd and weary, like a night-dog still
Fix'd to my post: meanwhile the rolling year
Moves on, and I my wakeful vigils keep
By the cold star-light sheen of spangled skies.
The pole is studded o'er ; above the rest
Flame the bright rulers of the midnight hour;
Who shed an influence on us mortal men,

And change our seasons as they roll along' Symmons. The original of this passage is comprised in six liues; it is rendered by Potter as follows:

Ye fav’ring Gods, relieve me from this toil :
Fix'd as a dog, on Agamemnon's roof
I watch the live-long year, observing hence
The host of stars, that in the spangled skies
Take their bright stations, and to mortals bring
Winter and summer ; radiant rulers-'

The prose version of Mr. Boyd may be applied as a measure to adjust the pretensions of these poetic translations.

Of the Gods I do intreat a deliverance from my toil; an escape from this yearly watching, at which, stationed as a dog on the roof of the Atride, I have beheld the choir of nightly stars, and those bright potentates, beauteous in the firmament, who bring winter and summer unto mortals.'

No reader of taste can, we think, hesitate to admit the superior merit of Potter's version, compared with that of his competitor. It is much more in accordance with the simplicity of the original; the reading of which it also much more correctly represents. There is nothing in Eschylus, of keeping vigils by the cold star-light sheen of spangled skies.' The pole is studded o'er,' is not either a very close or a very happy rendering of αστρωννυκτερων ομήγυριν. Bright rulers of the midnight hour,' is not agreeable to the expression of the original passage; and above the rest,' which is also unwarranted by the Greek text, suggests the question, whether higher than the rest of the stars, or brighter than the rest of the stars, be intended by the Translator. If the choir of nightly

stars' be different from the bright potentates, as we think the original imports, then both Potter and Syınmons have erred in confounding them. Schutz understands the bright potentates as denoting the sun and moon, as Virgil's los O clarissima mundi Lumina.' What is the influence which, separate from changing the seasons, is ascribed to the bright rulers? Eschylus is interpreted correctly by Potter and Boyd- who bring winter and summer unto mortals.'

The passage which immediately follows the preceding extract, presents a difficulty which has exercised the ingenuity of the critics, whose several explanations may perhaps be entirely set aside by some future commentator.

Even now, I watch for the symbol of a torch, the shining flame that brings from Troy glad tidings, the announcement of its capture; for thus, I hope that the daring spirit of this woman will be restrained.' Boyd.

• Here now I watch, if haply I may see

The blazing torch, whose flame brings news from Troy,
The signal of its ruin: these high hopes,
My royal mistress, thinking on her Lord,

Feeds in her heart.'

Now my eyes watch to see th' appointed signal,

The fire in the horizon, whose red dawn

Will spread the downfal of proud Ilion's towers,

Potter.

Swifter than noisy fame or rumouring tongues :

For so I do interpret the command,

And read her thoughts who gave it, haughty soul,
Our queen, a man in counsel.'

Symmons. Stanley's version of ardgoovλov, viro insidiantem, is clearly a mistaken one, and is very properly censured, as it is not to be supposed that the watchman was acquainted with the murderous designs of Clytemnestra. Thinking on her lord,' the version of Potter, seems to be equally remote from the true meaning of the original, which Symmons, after Blomfield, renders, Virilia ineuns consilia, a man in counsel, a manly'minded woman.' Mr. Boyd follows Schutz in reading,

which words they understand the watchman as using, to express his hope that the queen, so soon as she should be apprised by the kindled beacons of her lord's return, would be restrained from her licentious conduct. We doubt the propriety of so interpreting the words; ad can refer only to the watchman's looking out for the signal; and merely his looking out for it, while no signal was yet perceived, could not be the restraining circumstance. Blomfield reads xparis instead of xparuv, and substitutes for A, and gives the meaning more agreeably to Symmons's reading, Sic enim jubet mulier corde virili prædito, expectans. sc. Troja capturam.' Symmons retains which he expounds in the sense of I think, just as the Americans use the word I guess, though intending a greater degree of positiveness than the word would seem to imply.' We doubt the accuracy of this explanation, which is not supported by the example cited in its favour, and rather incline to read and interpret with Dr. Blomfield.

There is a noble passage in the first choral ode, introductory to the description which follows of the distress of Agamemnon at Aulis, when the sacrifice of Iphigenia was demanded and accomplished for the release of the Grecian armament, which we transcribe, in the prose of Mr. Boyd, and in the verse of Mr. Symmons.

Jove, whoever that Being is, if this title be acceptable to him, by this I now address him. Deeply pondering in my mind, I am unable to discover, if there be any save Jove, through whom I may cast off this unprofitable weight of care. He who formerly was great, prevailing in unconquered hardiment, can now impart no counsel and he who next arose, meeting with the threefold conqueror, passed away. But the man who proclaimeth Jove, in the hour of his triumph, shall obtain the fulness of understanding: Jove, who leadeth

mortals on the road to knowledge, who enableth them, by suffering, to take hold of wisdom. In sleep, their unforgotten sorrows steal around the heart, and thus, even against their will, wisdom entereth. Such is the rigid dispensation of the Gods, on their hallowed thrones sublimely seated.' p. B.

• Jove! I invoke thee by the name of Jove,
If so that title thou dost love,
Whoe'er thou art, mysterious One above :
Reflecting much, nought can I find but thee,
Thou mighty Pow'r! so let my soul be free,
Nor dread misnomer of thy deity ;
For he, thy predecessor great,
All arm'd with giant confidence elate,

Has been of yore

And is no more.
And he who second came,

Is but a name,
By champion victor in the fight
Vanquish'd and turn'd to flight:
But ready be the Pæan loud to ring,

And Jove's triumphal praises sing,
(Wise is the man who adores th’ Eternal King,)

Jove, the great God,
Who shewd us mortals wisdom's road,

And who, by sapient rule,
Has made adversity instruction's school.
Fear draws the curtain oft at night,
And makes the sleeper think of woe,
By coward conscience struck
In midnight's secret hour;
And those who would not learn before,

Have learnt perforce great Virtue's power,
Gift of the Gods who sit enthroned above
On azure blazing thrones and seats of living might.'

Symmons, p. 18. The obscurities of this passage in the original are very great.

• I think,' says Mr. Boyd, it is impossible to understand it, unless it refers to the ancient Theogony. Ouranos, or Cælum (Calus) was considered as the most ancient deity. After reigning for a time, he was deposed by his son Saturn; and Saturn was at length dethroned by Jupiter. It is most probable that Jupiter is here styled the threefold conqueror, because he had subdued the Titans; van quished his father Saturn; and overcome the giants.'

So the scholiast and most of the commentators explain the passage. Potter considers it as containing a general reflection on the instability of human greatness. The indefiniteness of the expressions used by the Poet, affords some countenance to

this opinion. ουδ ̓ ὅστις πάροιθεν ἦν μέλας, are words td which we should have some difficulty in asigning so specific a reference as is assumed in applying them to Coelus. Fear drawing the curtain,'' coward conscience striking the sleeper,' and, mid'night's secret hour,' are embellishments from the pen of Mr. Symmons. The diction of Eschylus in this passage is remarkably simple and unadorned. The latter part of the preceding quotation, is strikingly coincident with a passage in the book of Job, ch. xxxiii. 15-17., which is not noticed by either of the translators.

The answer of Clytemnestra to the Chorus, who ask, whether the rites which she was celebrating were performed in consequence of her having received gratifying intelligence, or only as the effect of the hopes which she was cherishing, appears to be erroneously given by both the translators. May the morning springing from the night its mother, prove a herald of good, according to the proverb,' is Mr. Boyd's rendering. But this appears strange from the lips of the queen, at the very moment when she was announcing to the Chorus the intelligence which she immediately relates :- Thou shalt hear of a joy beyond thy hopes, for the Greeks have taken the city of Priam.' The preceding part of the speech should, therefore, be rendered: Morning springing from its Mother Night, may, according to the proverb, prove a herald of good.' The meaning of Mr. Symmons's version we do not understand.