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εντεα τῶν μολπᾶν ηρτησαμεν αμφι κλαδοισιν,
εντεα νυν αχρηστ', αδίδακτα τε πατρίδος ῳδης
άμμες γαρ λυπαισι βαρυνόμενοι λιγύφωνον
ούκετι ταν κιθαραν ηλαυνομες... Αλλα και ανδρων,
ανδρων δυσμενέων τινες ητήσαντο λυρῳδειν,

66

δευρ' αγετ”” ειποντες " μέλπεσθε Σιώνιον ασμα.”
Πως ουν χρη τον αοιδον εν αλγεϊ θειον αείδειν ;

Ει σεο γ' αμνησαιμι, πατρι, στοματεσσιν επ' ακροις.
(ὰ πριν άδυεπης πείθεσθαι) γλωσσα παγοιτ' αν.
Ει στο ληθοιμην, Σόλυμα, και αμήχανος ο χειρ
μηποτε ταν μολπαν μελέων πολυχόρδον εγειροι
αρα κλύειν εδοκησατ' αραιον Εδωνίον ασμα,
ήματι τῳ, ότε λεξαν, " έραζε τα τειχέα πυργων.”
Ω θυγατερ Βαβυλωνος οιζυροις οδύναισιν
τακομένη μακαριστὸς ὁς αξι' ἀποιν ̓ ἀποδώσει
τιν πενθών· ριψει τε φιλ' ός τα σα τεκν' ανα πέτρας.

Eur. Heracl. 1014.

Πρόσειπας, ἀντήκουσας· ἐντεῦθεν δὲ χρὴ
Τὸν προστρόπαιον, τόν τε γενναῖον καλεῖν.
Οὕτω γε μέν τοι τάμ' ἔχει· θανεῖν μὲν οὐ
Χρήζω, λιπών δ ̓ ἂν οὐδὲν ἀχθοίμην βίον.

R. T.

"Sensum horum verborum minime assecuti sunt interpretes. Quorum conjecturis omissis, meam interpretationem proponam. Plerumque solent homines, qui aliquid ab ætate, sexu aut conditione sua alienum faciunt, ipsi sui accusatores fieri, ne in ἀναισ θησίας suspicionem incurrant, et ex ignorantia peccare videtur [videantur.] Ita Macaria v. 475. Alcmena v. 978. et hoc loco Eurystheus. Verte, Nunc autem licet supplicem et timidum me vocare. Cicero pro Milone c. 34. Timidos et supplices, et, ut vivere liceat, obsecrantes. Scilicet non diffitetur se abjectum et timidum vocari posse, qui sævitiam suam in Herculem ejusque liberos excusando mortem detrectare conatus sit. Huc enim spectavit tota ejus oratio. Nulla difficultas est in voce προστρόπαιον, quæ ἱκέτην significat ap. Soph. Αj. 1178. Phil. 930. Major in altero vocabulo γενναῖον, Fortem, Animosum, quod cum mea interpretatione conciliari nequit, nisi per iromiam.”

The above note, which is taken from Elmsley's edition, does not remove the obscurity of the passage. It will scarcely be disputed that in the same sentence both adjectives must be ironically or literally understood. In this instance the latter

must evidently be the case. Τον προστρόπαιον, τόν τε γενναῖον ἐς the same as τὸν προστς. ἢ τόν γ. The words of Eurystheus by no means imply an acknowledgment of pusillanimity, but rather indifference as to the impression produced on his auditors. The meaning of the passage is this. You have brought your accusation, and you have heard my defence. From this you may form your judgment; you may call me a crouching suppliant, or the reverse. However, thus the matter stands : I neither desire death, nor shall I be wanting in courage to meet it." Had Eurystheus intended to anticipate the charge of cowardice, as Macaria and Alcmena (alluded to in the note) those of forwardness and cruelty, these deprecatory expressions would have prefaced and not concluded his speech. On the contrary, he commences in a fearless manner:

Γύναι, σάφ' ἴσθι μή με θωπεύσοντά σε,

Μὴ δ ̓ ἄλλο μηδὲν τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς πέρι

Λέξονθ ̓, ὅθεν χρὴ δειλίαν ὀφλεῖν τινά.

The inconsistency of this commencement and the termination, if interpreted as in the note, is obvious. Had his address been supplicatory as well as exculpatory, the argument (a strong one in those times) that he acted at the instigation of Juno, er Exencev, eitε μn, would have been more vehemently insisted on. In fact, the language and conduct of Eurystheus, when in the power of his enemies, is manly and courageous, and not perfectly consistent with the character attributed to him in v. 800. sqq. where he is represented as declining the combat with Hyllus.

M.

1

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The CHARACTERS OF THEOPHRASTUS, translated from the Greek, and illustrated by Physiognomical Sketches. By FRANCIS HOWELL. London, Taylor: royal octavo, price 11. 1s. imperial 17. 11s. 6d.

We are glad to see Theophrastus before us once more, in a new coat retaining much of the original cut, yet free and flowing enough to admit of the old Grecian moving himself with grace in its easy amplitude. We have also in this translation the original text appended, which is, to say the least of it, a

very candid mode of inviting comparison and criticism; and, in addition to the text, we have an elegantly written preface, wherein the Science of Mind, as studied in modern times, is concisely alluded to, and a series of notes at the end of the volume, in which it is more attentively considered, and treated with a closeness of reasoning and seriousness of sentiment, a degree of knowlege of the world, and observation of individual character, which shows the writer to have brought to his task of translation a mind congenial with that of the celebrated person, whose most celebrated work he has translated, in a manner which will make the Needhams and Newtons of days gone by "hide their diminished heads."

As one of the most forcibly delineated characters of Theophrastus, one which we may contemplate any day from the life, in the hundreds of Essex, the fens of Lincolnshire, or the wolds of Yorkshire, we would quote The Rustic, p. 16. to 18. As a specimen of the original vein of thought, and solidity of reflection, which distinguish the translator of, and commentator on, these Characters, we will give his remarks on THE FEARFUL, not as the best, but as the shortest, and therefore the most suitable to our comments in this place.

THE FEARFUL. Reason is an unfit remedy for alarms that spring from the poverty of the animal system. The more the Coward reasons, the more he quakes: when danger must be met, the best course he can take is to leave reason and imagination behind, by a reckless leap into 'the very midst of things. The only remedy that can be applied to the mind, is that which is furnished by habit, and familiarity with danger. But it is the body that is chiefly in fault; and it should be corroborated by ample and generous diet, and a full measure of exercise in the open air. In the early cure of physical timidity, the different constitution and circumstances of the sexes must be observed: the fears of a girl may, with propriety, be allayed by reasoning; because it is not desirable, nor indeed possible, if it were desirable, to give hardy insensibility to the body; and also because the perils, to which women are ordinarily exposed, more often allow of some recurrence to reason; and demand calm recollection, rather than force, or enterprise: but the fears of a boy ought never to receive so much attention and respect. Every motive of shame, every prudent familiarising with danger, and every physical corroboration, should be employed to conquer a defect which, so far as it prevails, renders a man miserable, contemptible, and useless.

It only remains for us to say, that this volume is illustrated with fifty engravings on wood-one from the antique, the rest from original designs, very forcible and characteristic in expression. The engravings themselves are exquisitely done, and particularise those of Williams above the rest, it is only because his name being less known to fame than his merit deserves, it becomes a duty to promulgate it, in those who have

if we

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