334 News from Paiimsaits.^ — No. If 



Vor the Monthly Magazine, 



[May 1, 



NEWS FROM PAUNASSUS. 

 No. V. 



A NEW (ranslation of Tasso is an 

 ^ jL event of con.sidcrnljh^ iniporlaneo 

 hi the poetical worlil, and tlic specimen 

 which is now before ns is so rich in 

 pioinisc, that, we gladly turn from the 

 original non.ieiine -whh whicli we are 

 overwhelmed, to tlie translated beait- 

 lies of that 



« Prevailiiijj poet whose un- 

 doubling mind 

 " Believed the magic wonders which he 

 Rung." 



In his new translation of " Jerusa- 

 LKM Deliverkd," Hook the Fourth, 

 just puhlished, by J, II. Wiffen, the 

 author comes to the task he has under- 

 taken eminently gifted for the i)ur- 

 pose, with a chastened taste, a fine 

 car, and a rich imaiiination. His for- 

 mer productions justify us in saying 

 thus much. The present specimen is 

 prefaced hy a sensible and liberal criti- 

 cism on the merits of those wlio have 

 preceded him in tliis great work. The 

 pretensions of lloole, which, to the 

 astonishment of all who are acquainted 

 with the subject, have been so long suf- 

 fered to pass unquestioned, are ably and 

 judiciously exposed ; and the version 

 of Fairfax, so much talked of, aud so 

 little known, receives the tribute of 

 praise which is its due, unmixed, how- 

 ever, with any portion of that slavish 

 ndiniralion which mistakes blemishes 

 for beauties, and want of taste for exu- 

 berance of genius. The result of Mr. 

 Wiffen's enquiries is inevitable — that a 

 new translation is necessary, and that 

 at present we possess none whieJi gives 

 any adequate idea of the oiiginal. 



The specimen of the intended trans- 

 lation consists of the Fourth Book, in 

 which the beiiu ties and hlandisJimeufs 

 of Armida are so admirably pourtrayed. 

 Mr. WitTen has, we tliink, judiciously, 

 made use of the Spenserian stanza. 

 Tills is the noblest rhymed measure in 

 tiie world, and that which bears the 

 greatest resemblance of any in our lan- 

 guage to the stanza of Tasso — for we 

 look tipon all the attempts whicli have 

 been made at nalitraliMng Ihe otfava 

 rimn to have been uiere abortions, ex- 

 cepting, perhaps, in burlesque poetry. 

 But we hasten to justify our opinions 

 by extracts from the work. 



The portrait of " tlie grisly king " is 

 admirably painted in the veryeoloiivsof 

 file original • 



They took tlicir station right and left 



around 

 Tli9 grisly kingf ; tic, cruel of command, 

 Sate in the midst of them, and sourly 



frowned, 

 Tlif; huge rough sceptre in his brandished 



hand ; 

 No Alpine crag, magnificently grand. 

 No rock of th' sea in size with him ■.•dght 



vie ; 

 Caipe and Atlas, soaring from the sand, 

 Seemed to his stature little hills : so liigh 

 Reared he his horned front in that stupen- 

 dous sk}'. 



There was a majesty in liis fierce face 

 That deepening others' fears increased his 



pride ; 

 His eyes were bloodshot and instinct with 



rays. 

 That like a balcfnl comet far and wide 

 Ditfnsed a venomous splendour which out- 

 vied 

 The fascinating snake's ; barbarous atid 



hoar 

 His grand beard swept his breast, and 



gaping wide 

 As deep Charybdis on the Sieil shore. 

 Yawned his terrific jaws besmeared with 

 foaming gore. 



His breath was like those sulphurous va- 

 pours borne 



In thunder, slcnch, and the live shofstar's 

 light, 



When red Vesuvius showers, by earth- 

 quakes torn, 



O'er sleeping Naples in the dead of night. 



Funereal ashes ! whilst he spoke, affright 



Hushed howling Cerberus, Coeloeno's 

 shriek ; — 



Cocytus paused in his lamenting fliglit ; 



The abysses trembled -, horror chilled each 

 cheek ; 



And these the words they heard the shout- 

 ing giant speak. 

 Tile description of Armida's charms 



is exquisitely rent'ered : 



Never did Greece or Italy behold 



A form to fancy or to taste more dear ! 



At times the white veil dims her locks of 

 gold, 



At times in bright relief they reappear. 



Thus, wiien the storniyskios begin to clear, 



Now through transparent clouds the sun- 

 shine gleams. 



Now, issuing from its shrine, the gorgeous 

 sphere 



Lights up the vales, flowers, mountains, 

 leaves and streams. 



With a diviner ray — the spirit of bright 

 beams. 



New ringlets form the flowing winds amid 

 The natural curls of her resplendent hair ; 

 Her blue eye, rolled beneath its shadow- 

 i II slid, 



Locks 



