Fitzgerald (Edward) Works: Rubaiyat of of Omar Khayyam, the Astro nomer-Poet of Persia, rendered into English verse, sq. 8vo. third edition, with additions, xxiv and 36 pp. hf. morocco, 7s 6d 1872 "Mr. Edward Fitzgerald's translation itself may justly be termed masterly; the preface and notes are decidedly the work of a thoughtful scholar. He seems to have left untransJated all the amatory and sensual parts of the work, and to have devoted his attention chiefly to Omar's philosophy, and to those views of the relations of man to the Infinite which so deeply occupied that great wild heart. It is the soul's essence of Omar that Mr. Fitzgerald has delivered to us. He has most successfully reproduced for us, when reproducing Omar's verses that something, as in the Greek Alcaic, when the penultimate line seems to lift and suspend the wave that falls over in the last,' and we may consider, with satisfaction and gratitude, that the verbal music, as well as the deepest meaning of Omar, is before us to delight us. The translation, indeed, reads like an original work, and that work the work of a poet. Eastern scholars vouch for the fidelity; every competent reader can certify the beauty of the thing translated, as of the translation itself. "Goethe maintains that all highest poetry can be translated; nay, that it is a note of the highest work that it has a vital force that will bear to be re-told in other tongues. Mr. Fitzgerald's admirable work is an illustration of the great poet-critic's theory. In the casy flow and nervous strength of his glorious verses, which seem, owing to their very excellence, to be modern work-and his own work-we require to set our thought backward in order to realize the fact that we are face to face with the thoughts and imagery of a Persian poet of the eleventh century. All high abstract thought transcends the local and temporary. Omar has only so much of the East as lends colour to his imagery and magic to his music. The perennial essence of this song might belong to almost any country, and is scarcely limited by any particular century. "Thus much premised, in the way of needful explanation and information, we will pass on to an attempt to analyze these glowing and still vital verses, and to show, by sufficient extract, proof of their claim to the high character which they bear already in the estimation of the judicious few. "Omar is a sceptic, but he is no commonplace sceptic. His is no shallow and petulant negation. His doubts do not spring from thin and sour logic. He denied divinely the divine.' To be more accurate, he rather doubted than denied. He was full of that unconscious faith which complains to the Deity of its inability to comprehend the divine. His sense of the transient, his regretful protest against inscrutability, are deeply pathetic, are never irreverent. His was a sincere and earnest soul, profound in its dark depths, gay with sad humour upon its light surface. "Omar could not lift the veil, but he has sung his inability in verses which must deeply touch the human heart. Even Lucretius, with whom Omar is most naturally compared, seems to me to be inferior in depth, in force, in beauty and glory of rhythm. The extracts which I have given will, I believe, send all my readers to Mr. Fitzgerald's charming book. They will be rewarded by finding, through his admirable translation, that they have learned to know a new and real poet in Omar the Tentmaker."— H. SCHÜTZ WILSON, in the Contemporary Review, March, 1876, pp. 561-2, 570. "One of the best articles in this month's Contemporary Review is Mr. Schütz Wilson's account, written in a warmly sympathetic spirit, of the Rubáiyat of Omar Khayyam. It would be impossible to write an uninteresting description of a book so wonderfully interesting as Mr. Fitzgerald's translation, and Mr. Wilson's sympathy with the subject is complete.”—The Examiner, March 11, 1876. "Omar Khayyam composed the wonderful poem of which Mr. Edward Fitzgerald's marvellously fine translation now lies before us,— together with Mr. Schütz-Wilson's interesting essay in the Contemporary Review, which has called the attention of English literary men to it not too soon, for indeed it is somewhat a disgrace to us that such a translation of such a poem should have been among us for fifteen years without becoming generally known. 66 We cannot, however, agree with Mr. Schütz-Wilson's estimate of the poem in other respects. It should, we think, take rank rather as the poem of Revolt and Denial, the song of speculative Nihilism and cynical sensualism, than as a poem of the stamp which the Contemporary Review claims for it,- namely, one which denies divinely the divine,' and is full of the unconscious faith which complains to the Diety of its inability to comprehend the Divine. Of this character we confess we cannot find a trace in Mr. Edward Fitzgerald's magnificent translation,-a translation which confessedly selects all the finest verses of the Oriental poem, and leaves only the most sensual still under the veil of the Persian original. With something of the cynical force of Byron, and something, too, of the humourous and familiar ease of Goethe, the writer of this poem (through a contemporary, as Mr. Schutz-Wilson reminds us, of Henry II. and Fair Rosamond) expends his whole power in showing what a mockery of man is implied in irreversible laws of creation; and he accomplishes his task witb all the grasp of a thinker of first-rate calibre, and all the bitterness of a defiant heart. for nobleness in any moral sense, it seems to us utterly absent from this fine poem, which of course should be judged by a Mohammedan and not by a Christian standard. As "There is certainly something in the Oriental imagination which surpasses all that MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS. Fitzgerald (Edward) Works-continued. Western imagination can effect in attempts to give a glimpse of the infinite or absolute. No poetry existing, of course, approaches the poetry of Isaiah and some of the Psalms, in the sweep of its images. But this may be attributed to the divine truth which inspired the thought. "Turn then to this far from pious poetry, the very poetry of revolt and despair, and observe with what majesty the mere infinitude of the panorama is depicted, even on the author's assumption that the whole panorama is an illusion and a snare."-Spectator, March 11, 1876, pp. 334 and 336. 23 Agamemnon, a tragedy taken from Eschylus (by the Translator of OMAR KHAYYAM), sm. 4to. pp. vii. and 79, in Roxburghe half binding, 7s 6d 1876 Of this dramatic poem, a small number of copies were privately printed some few years ago, and gradually dispersed among the author's friends. Many who had heard of the book, desired to see and have it, and for that reason the present edition is given to the public who may be curious concerning the efforts in another line of poetic art of the translator of Omar Khayyam's Tetrastichs. As a version of Eschylus, it would not be fair to consider and judge it; the author having taken fuller license than a mere translator, adapting what suited him in the original, rejecting or changing what did not. 66 Mr. Fitzgerald has many admirers in this country, readers of OMAR KHAYYAM, who will count themselves fortunate to possess a copy of Agamemnon.' They are to be congratulated on the opportunity now offered.”—Extracts from a letter from L. L. Thaxter, Esq., Newtonville, Massachusetts, U.S.A., August 17th, 1876. Fellows' Coins of Ancient Lycia, impl. Svo. coloured map and 19 fine plates, (pub. at 21s) cloth, 10s 1855 Comprises the Coins of Ancient Lycia before the reign of Alexander, with an essay on the relative dates of the Lycian Monuments in the British Museum. Lady Charlotte Guest's Mabinogion: a new edition of the ENGLISH VERSION only, with all the valuable Archæological notes, one handsome volume, royal 8vo. with the woodcuts of the large edition, hf. morocco, 21s 1877 This new edition will be published under the sanction and under the patronage of Lady Charlotte Schreiber. Elliot's Bibliographical Index to the Historians of MOHAMMEDAN INDIA, Vol. I-General Histories (all pub.) 8vo. cloth, 58 Calcutta, 1849 As a Bibliography of the historical materials of Moslem India, the student of Oriental Literature will find this volume exceedingly useful. It is not superseded by Prof. Dowson's valuable recasting of the author's materials, inasmuch as the bibliographical character has been altered and the work assumes the form of a History. Further in the latter, the extracts in Arabic, amounting to over 90 pages in Sir H. Elliot's original publication, are omitted. An additional recommendation is the low price, which places within the reach of every sclhoar a valuable literary manual The Old Engraved Dresden Gallery: RECUEIL D'ESTAMPES D'APRÈS LES PLUS CÉLÈBRES TABLEAUX DE LA GALÉRIE ROYALE DE DRESDE, 3 vols. atlas folio, three Portraits, plans and 150 very large and beautiful engravings after the Old Masters, executed by Canale, Kilian, Folkema, Houbraken, Ridinger, Tanjé, Basan, Beauvarlet, and all the best artists of that time; Brilliant impressions, the text in French by Baron Heineken, hf. bd. morocco, £28. Dresde, 1755-67-1874 The rarest and most magnificent of all the old picture galleries. Brunet, who calls the work "Recueil précieux," states that the portrait of Augustus alone sold for 164 francs, Alibert in 1803, and for 125 francs, Saint-Yves. This beautiful reprint of the first and second volumes is carefully executed from the original copper-plates. The descriptive Letterpress, in French, is revised and corrected. Galleries-continued. GALERIE DE DRESDE. Volume III. separately, atlas folio, containing the portrait of Frederic Augustus I., King of Saxony, and 50 very large and beautiful engravings after the Old Masters, executed by Canale, Chr. G. Schultze, E. G. Krüger, Steinla, Gruner, Moitte, Stölzel, and other celebrated artists, with descriptive letterpress in French, unbound, Dresde, 1780-1874 £12. This third volume, commenced 1780 and just completed, is now offered for the first time as a complete book. Of this volume only few copies are left for the completion of original copies of the 1st and 2nd volume. CONTENTS OF THE THREE VOLUMES. VOLUME I. PORTRAIT D'AUGUSTE III. roi de Pologne, electeur de Saxe, peint par H. Rigaud, gravé par J. J. Balechou. 1. Corregio, St. Jean Baptiste et autres Saints St. George. 2. 3. St. Roc et St. Sebastian. 4. St. Madaléne. 5. Fr. Mazzuoli, dit le Parmesan, St. Sebastian. 6. Nicolo dell' Abbate, Martire de St. Pierre et de St. Paul. 7. A. del Sarto, Ste. Famille. 8. Sacrifice d'Abraham. 9. Guilio Romano, Ste. Famille. 10. Tiziano, la Famille du Duc de Ferrare devant la Ste. Vierge. Portrait d'une Veuve. 25. Vanni, Ste Famille. 26. Feti, David avec la Tête de Goliat. 28. Ribera dit l'Espagnolet, Martire 29. 30. 31. Martire de St. Laurent. Ste. Marie Egyptienne. 32. Preti dit le Calabrese, St. Pierre delivré de Prison. 33. 34. Martire de St. Barthélemy. l'Incredulité de St. Thomas. 35. Jordane, Entrevue de Jacob et Rachel. 11. 12. 13. Portrait de la Maitresse de Titien. 36. 37. 15. 14. Paul Veronese, Adorations de Rois Famille d'un noble Venitien aux 38. 39. Pieds de la Ste. Vierge. 40. 16. Portement de la Croix. 17. Procaccini, Ste. Famille. 18. Carracci, Christ de Pitié. 19. 20 21. L'Assomtion de la Ste. Vierge. St. Matthieu et autres Saints devant la Vierge. L'Aumone de St. Roc. 22. Guido Reni, l'Apparition de Jésus Christ à la Ste. Vierge. 23. 24. Ste. Vierge avec St. Jerôme et autres. la Mort de Seneque. Ariadne abandonée. Hercule et Omphale. 41. Carlino Dolce, le Sauveur. 42. 43. Herodiade. Ste. Cécile. 44. Maratti, l'enfant Jésus adoré par sa Ste. Mère. 45. Ste. Vierge avec l'enfant Jésus. 49. 50. l'Hiver. electrice de Saxe, peint par L. de Silvestre, 6. Bellino, le Sauvenr. 7. Dosso da Ferrara, les quatre Doc- 8. Tiziano, La Ste. Vierge avec l'enfant 10. 9. Paul Veronese, les Noces de Cana. PORTRAIT DE FREDERIC AUGUSTE I. roi de Saxe, peint par A. Grax. 1. Raphaël, la Madone de St. Sixte. 2. Rembrant, l'Enlèvement du Ganymède. . Regillo, Catarina Cornaro, Reine de Cypre. 4. Guido Reni, "Ecce homo." 5. Carracci, la Tête du Sauveur. 6 Viani, Venus. 7. Angelica Kauffmann, Portrait d'une jeune Femme. 8. Ariadne abandonnée par Thésée. 9. Bol, Joseph presentant son Père Jacob à Pharoon. 10. Netscher, Cavalier accompagnant le Chant d'une Dame. 11. Pesne, la Bohemienne. 12. Van der Werff, la Madelaine peni tente. 13. Rubens, Buste d'une jeune Femme. 15. Ant. van Dyck, Portrait d'un Homme. Portrait d'un Général en Cuirasse. 17. Pesne, une jeune Fille tenant deux Colombes. 18. Barbieri da Cento, dit il Guercino, Dorinda blessée à Mort. 19. Trevisani, la Ste. Famille. 20. Seemann, peintre, son Portrait peint par lui-même. 21. Berghem, Paysage. 22. Dietrich, un Sujet pastorale. 23. Wouvermann, Paysage. 24. Van de Velde, des Bestiaux au Pâtur age. 25. Poelemburg, un Paysage Italien. 27. Ruysdael, “la Chasse." 28. Tamagini da San Gimignano, la 31. Stanzioni, la Physique, Sujet alle- 32. Ribera, le Philosophe speculatif. 34. Vanloo, Paris et Oenone. 35. Van der Werff, la Ste. Vierge. 40. 41. Velasquez de Silva, Portrait d'un Homme. 42. Murillo, St. Rodriguez recevant la Coronne du Martyre. 43. Konincx, l'Ermite. 44. Palma, les trois Soeurs. 45. Barbarelli, Jacob saluant Rachel. 46. L'école de Leonardo da Vinci, Héro- 47. Durer, Jésus Christ sur la Croix. 50. Nogari Buste d'un Vieillard et d'une Galleries-continued. Dulwich Gallery, a Series of 50 beautifully coloured plates, from the most celebrated Pictures in this remarkable collection, executed by R. COCKBURN (Custodian). All mounted on tinted card-board in the manner of Drawings, imperial folio, including four very large additional plates, published separately at from 3 to 4 guineas each, and not before included in the series (pub. at £40.), in portfolio, with morocco back, £12. This is one of the most splendid and interesting of the British Picture Galleries, and till of late years was quite unattainable even at the full price. |