to want any character or quality whatever, good or bad. Our ob ject in recommending to the reader's attention these "Reveries for a Recluse," is, that in case a stray copy of them should chance to fall in his way, he may have an opportunity of seeing the kind of works which occasionally issue from the press of the "Modern Athens!"-We have here between three or four hundred pages of Essays, on various popular and interesting subjects, the very mention of which, one would suppose, were enough to inspire the dullest of thinkers with ideas, selections from which, if expressed in tolerable English, could scarcely fail to afford something like amusement, as well as instruction, to not fastidious readers-which, who shall say that modern ones are?-We have " a glance at the last half century;" a sufficiently fertile subject, as it should seem: also, on newspapers-on novels-on social conversation-on modern criticism-on curiosity-on the French and English populace-on Napoleon-and on various other themes equally susceptible of an almost endless variety of pleasant, spirited, and novel remark and illustration. And yet we will venture to say, that not one of these themes shall be started in any "social conversation," that shall take place even in the "Modern Athens" itself, during the next talking season, which will not be productive of as least as much originality and amusement as we meet with in these "Reveries of a Recluse."-Recluse indeed must the writer of these pages have been during "the last half century," if he imagines that, in fact, any one could even have talked what is here set down, in any company of elderly ladies of either sex who are in the habit of devoting their winter evenings to tea and tittle-tattle. 9.-Translations from the German, and Original Poems. By Lord Francis Leveson Gower, 8vo. 1814. Murray. TILL within a few years, Wieland's Oberon, by Mr. Sotheby, and Göthe's Iphigenia, Lessing's Nathan, the Wife, and Bürger's Leonora, and other ballads, by Mr. Taylor, of Norwich, constituted the whole body of poetical translation from the German. Mr. Beresford's German Erato, though of very moderate execution, introduced to the English reader a number of lyrical pieces set to music. But, within a short period, German literature has become a study among our younger poets, and a copious anthology might already be collected from the versions which have recently appeared in our popular magazines. The present publication is a respectable addition to our stock of poetical translation, though we cannot class our author with Gillies or Carey, who have lately carried this elegant art to a high degree of excellence. Lord L. Gower has had the judgment to select compositions which have in their matter a claim to public attention, independently of their poetical form. This is particularly true of the poems of Schiller (of which eight are rendered in this little volume). A translator might distrust his power of transferring to a foreign language the exquisite grace, which a perfect mastery of style throws over all the minor poems of Göthe, be they elegies or epigrams, ballads or songs; who yet might hope to impart the sterling sense of the significant and weighty lines of Schiller. The Veiled Statue at Sais and the Ideal, are philosophical poems, much better entitled to that character than the popular common-places of the Essay on Man. "The Gods of Greece" is a polemical ode, which, at its first appearance (like the author's first tragedy, the Robbers), drew down upon him a host of angry adversaries. But it will not be mistaken here. The orthodox Johnson at least has sanctioned it by the remark, that the Grecian mythology will always be the religion of poets. Even the Epithalamium has in it more of contemplation than of desire. We make one extract only from "Honour to Woman," that our readers may appreciate the translator's effort in copying the metre of the original, to give a male and female character to the verses which respectively characterise the sexes:— Reason's voice and Truth's directions, Haughty man delights to brave; For she clings to the earth where her fortune has placed her With the exception of one romantic ballad from Göthe (the song of the Imprisoned Knight), the rest are from Bürger, Salis, and Korer, writers of far less importance than the great tragedian. The original poems will not engage the attention of any reader beyond the circle of the noble author's personal connections. They are entitled to this epithet only by the courtesy which gives it even to every novel which has nothing new but its names. There is a large class of writers (among whom Lord L. Gower is one) whom we would rather see applying their skill in versification, and their powers of language in the production of avowed translations of poetical master-pieces, than in repeating thoughts and ringing the changes on incidents, characters, and descriptions, familiar to us all, even to satiety. 10.-A Philosophical Dictionary, from the French of M. De Voltaire. Vol. 1. 12mo. 1824. IT is remarkable, that the only work of Voltaire which has not found an English translator, is the Philosophical Dictionary; a work, to say the least of it, not inferior to any of his others in wit and instruction. The Philosophical Dictionary was, originally, nothing more than a collection of the sweepings of the author's study in which numerous short essays on subjects of every description, some originally designed for parts of larger works, others written for public journals, and some composed without any view to publication at all, were arranged alphabetically for the purpose of more convenient reference. To these, some articles intended for insertion in the celebrated Encyclopédie were afterwards added, and the whole were sent to the press with the title of Philosophical Dictionary. In subsequent editions, the articles actually inserted by Voltaire in the Encyclopédie, together with other essays found after his death, were incorporated in this collection; so that the work, as it stands at present, consists of the greater part of the short treatises of this eminent man, on every subject to which his attention was attracted during a literary life of more than sixty years. From this collection, with certain judicious omissions, the present translation has been made. The omissions we allude to, consist chiefly of certain essays on physical science, in which later experience has produced a total change of opinion; of criticisms on French poetry and the drama; of remarks on local institutions and obsolete provincial laws, with other matters which have equally lost their interest. It seems superfluous to descant upon a book, whose merits have been so long decided. There is probably no work of equal size in any language which has been so frequently reprinted in so short a space of time. Its wit, its variety, the simplicity of its style, and, in spite of the numerous imputations against its author's learning, its extensive and curious research, present a combination of attractions which cannot fail to secure a lasting popularity. It contains so happy a mixture of openness and plain-speaking, with so guarded a respect and even deference to prevailing notions, that the most punctilious will be rather tempted to laugh than frown; for what can we say to an author whose courtesy is so extreme, that, in the words of the translator's preface, "he seldom treads upon the toes of our prejudices without touching his hat with the most finished politeness." The translation before us is executed with accuracy and spirit. To transfuse the wit of Voltaire into a foreign language is, of course, no easy task. The attempt, however, has been made with as much success in the present instance, as in any preceding translation from the writing of this author, and with much greater than in most of them. The English reader will certainly feel great obligation for a present at once so instructive and amusing as this book has been made by the translators. A preface is prefixed to this edition, which contains a laboured attempt to justify-we think unnecessarily the occasional compliances with the court, the flattery of the aristocracy, and the pretended deference to men and institutions, who were alike the objects of his contempt, which have so frequently been objected to Voltaire. If no truth is to be told at all, under circumstances which will not allow us to tell the whole, we should be glad to know what chance remains for the improvement of the human race, whilst the interests of those who are in possession of power are adverse to the promulgation of truth in almost every shape and quantity? We look upon it as the signal merit of Voltaire, that no casual or partial difficulties could suspend his attacks on the mischievous institutions and pernicious prejudices of his country. He pursued his object in spite of every obstacle. No failure could dishearten, and no opposition deter him. To dissimulate was, in his circumstances, a necessary part of his system. He saw, from the first, that his only plan was to seize every occasion of doing good, and on all occasions to do as much good as possible. For this purpose he found it necessary to yield to some circumstances, in order to make others yield to him. Employing, as it suited his purpose, argument or raillery, verse or prose, tragedy, comedy, history, epigram, or essay-making reason so simple as to attract the most frivolous, and so amusing as to conciliate the most prejudiced; he undertook the gigantic task of regenerating, by the force of his own genius, the government and religion of his country. His success has not been unmixed. In some instances it may be thought that he has gone too far; in others, that he has not proceeded far enough. Be this as it may, he has produced a balance of good; so much so, that it is quite needless to usher in one of the most effective of his works with an exculpatory essay. 11.-The Old English Drama. No. 1. The Second Maiden's Tragedy, 12mo. C. Baldwyn. 1824. THE first Number of a new collection of those noble specimens of English genius, the early Drama, has just made its appearance. The work, it seems, is intended to be general and extensive, and to supersede the collections of Dodsley, &c. The present Number contains The Second Maiden's Tragedy, the production of an unknown author, which is now printed for the first time from a MS. of Warburton's (the Somerset Herald), which had the good luck to escape a too intimate acquaintance with his pie and pudding dishes, a calamity which happened to many valuable relics of the English Stage, and which has been a standing subject of regret with all the tribe of commentators for many years. The Second Maiden's Tragedy is unquestionably well deserving of its escape from the clutches of the antidramatic Cook, who seasoned Mr. Warburton's dinners with such etherial viands; and its publication will, we are sure, afford much gratification to the lovers of our sterling plays; it is evidently the production of a man of genius-is superior to the general run of plays of the time when it was written (about 1611,) and what is commendable as well as extraordinary, is entirely free from the extravagance which frequently marks the productions of that age of our dramatic literature. It consists of two distinct plots, one of which is founded upon the story of the Curious Impertinent, in Don Quixotte, which the author has closely followed: the other plot is so independent of it, that they might well, but for the deficiency in the requisite number of acts, form two separate plays. The dramatic excellence of this tragedy is perhaps not very great, but there are scenes of tenderness, and occasional touches of pathos, which go to the heart; the great defect is the want of intensity in the more passionate scenes; but to compensate for this deficiency, there is dignity, nobleness, and purity of feeling, and some delicious pieces of poetic beauty. In short, we have read the first Number of the Old English Drama with great pleasure, and if the proposed collection often presents a treat equally novel and agreeable, we shall hail the appearance of the succeeding numbers with unfeigned pleasure. END OF VOLUME I. T. C. HANSARD, PATER-NOSTER-ROW PRESS. |