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*The American Law Journal and Miscellaneous Repertory. By John E. Hall, Esq. of Baltimore. No. 8. Vol. 2. Baltimore; P. H. Nicklin and Co.

Carlton's Compendium, or Practical Arithmetick. Applied to the Federal Currencies. Designed for the use of schools in the United States. Containing what is necessary for the merchant, the mechanick, the mariner, and the farmer. With a brief but plain explanation of all the necessary rules; and a sufficient number and variety of examples in each to exercise a scholar. Compiled at the request of the associated instructers of youth in Boston. By Osgood Carlton, Esq. teacher of mathematicks. Boston; Thomas Wells.

* Bibliotheque Portative; or, Elegant French Extracts, No. 3. Bos

ton.

* A Sermon delivered at Trinity Church, March 25, 1810, on the decease of Dr. James Lloyd. By J. S. J. Gardiner, rector. Boston; Munroe and Francis.

Rules and Regulations for the Field Exercise, and Manoeuvres of the French Infantry, issued August 1, 1791; and the Manoeuvres added, which have been since adopted by the Emperour Napoleon. Also, the Manoeuvres of the Field Artillery with Infantry. By Col. Irenee Amelot de Lacroix. Late Chief of Brigade in the French service. In three volumes the third volume consisting of plates. Boston; T. B. Wait

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THE

MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY,

FOR

MAY, 1810.

FOR THE ANTHOLOGY.

1

REMARKS ON ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE ROMAN POETS.

No. 10.

FROM the observations already made on Creech's translation of Lucretius, and the specimens selected from the work, it must evidently appear, that this champion of the Epicurean philosophy among the ancient poets, if ever destined to become interesting or even intelligible to the English reader, must have a more pleasing and skilful interpreter. It requires no small versatility of intellectual powers to excel alike in sketches of personal character, in delineations of the beauty of the landscape, in the details of historical facts, and in the abstruse speculations of philosophy and, however varied the course of the poet may be, he who attempts to tread in his steps, and to give a transcript of his works, is expected to catch something of his inspiration. It is not the only thing required of him who undertakes to translate Lucretius, that he should thoroughly investigate the system of philosophy intended to be explained and propagated by the author: there is a vein of poetry extending through the mass, that is indeed in a great measure concealed by the rubbish of atoms and unformed substances, but which is sometimes to be discovered in a high degree of purity. This constitutes the real value of the whole; for, though intended only to allure us to explore the ground thoroughly, it is the only true reward of our labour.

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In the year 1805 was published, in two quarto volumes, a translation of Lucretius by John Mason Good; who appears to have been alike captivated by the philosophy and poetical beauties of his author. One hundred and thirty pages are filled with the preface, the life of Lucretius, (in which are included "some few memoirs of other illustrious Epicureans, who were his coevals and friends, together with an examination of the doctrines they professed,") and an appendix, containing a sketch of the alternate support and opposition experienced by this celebrated school in subsequent eras." In this appendix is comprised an account, as well of all the materialists and spiritualists, as of those who have contended for both matter and spirit, from the time of Lucretius down to the present century.

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After these preliminary essays, containing indeed much labour of supererogation, follow the text of Lucretius, as collated by Gilbert Wakefield, and the translation of Mr. Good, on opposite pages; and no small proportion of almost every page, is devoted to "notes philological and explanatory."

The invocation with which the poem De rerum naturae opens, though not admitted by all criticks to be appropriate, is generally acknowledged to be very beautiful.

Aeneadum genetrix, hominum divômque voluptas,
Alma Venus, coeli subter labentia signa

Quae mare navigerum, quae terras frugiferenteis,
Concelebras; per te quoniam genus omne animantum
Concipitur, visitque exortum lumina solis;
Te, Dea, te fugiunt ventei, te nubila coeli,
Adventumque tuum: tibi suaveis daedala tellus
Submittit flores; tibi rident aequora ponti,
Placatumque nitet diffuso lumine coelum.
Nam, simul ac species patefacta est verna diei,
Et reserata viget genitabilis aura Favonii;
Aëriae primum volucreis te, Diva, tuumque
Significat initum, perculsae corda tuâ vi.
Inde ferae pecudes persultant pabula laeta,
Et rapidos tranant amneis: ita, capta lepore,
[Inlecebrisque tuis omnis natura animantum]
Te sequitur cupide, quo quamque inducere pergis.
Denique, per maria ac monteis, fluviosque rapaceis,
Frundiferasque domos avium, camposque virenteis,
Omnibus incutiens blandum per pectora amorem,
Efficis ut cupide generatim saecla propagent.

Quae quoniam rerum naturam sola gubernas,
Nec sine te quidquam dias in luminis oras

Exoritur, neque fit laetum, neque amabile quidquam ;
Te sociam studeo scribundis versibus esse,

Quos ego de RERUM NATURA pangere conor
Memmiadae nostro ; quem tu, Dea, tempore in omni
Omnibus ornatum voluisti excellere rebus:

Quo magis aeternum da dictis, Diva, leporem:
Effice, ut interea fera moenera militiaï,

Per maria ac terras omneis sopita quiescant.

Let us see how this appears in Mr. Good's translation.

Parent of Rome! by gods and men belov'd,
Benignant Venus! thou! the sail-clad main,
And fruitful earth, as round the seasons roll,
With life who swellest, for by thee all live,
And, living, hail the cheerful light of day :
Thee, goddess, at thy glad approach, the winds,
The tempests fly: Dedalian earth to thee
Pours forth her sweetest flow'rets; Ocean laughs,
And the blue heavens in cloudless splendour deck'd.
For, when the spring first opes her frolick eye,
And genial zephyrs long lock'd up respire,
Thee, goddess, then, th' aerial birds confess,
To rapture stung through every shiv'ring plume:
Thee, the wild herds; hence o'er the joyous glebe
Bounding at large; or, with undaunted chest,
Stemming the torrent tides. Through all that lives
So, by thy charms, thy blandishments o'erpower'd,
Springs the warm wish thy footsteps to pursue :
Till through the seas, the mountains, and the floods,
The verdant meads, and woodlands fill'd with song,
Spurr'd by desire each palpitating tribe

Hastes, at thy shrine, to plant the future race.
Since, then, with universal sway thou rul'st,
And thou alone; nor aught without thee springs,
Aught gay or lovely; thee I woo to guide
Aright my flowing song, that aims to paint
To Memmius' view the essences of things';
Memmius, my friend, by thee, from earliest youth,
O goddess! led, and train'd to every grace.
Then, O, vouchfafe thy favour, power divine !
And with immortal eloquence inspire.

Quell, too, the fury of the hostile world,
And lull to peace, that all the strain may hear.

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