324 
should think, who has read his enter- 
taining “* Diary,” will hesitate in re 
cognizing his peculiar style. It com- 
menees with some lively, just, and 
spirited remarks upon the perusal of 
epistolary correspondence. The letters 
of contemporary characters often, as be 
well remarks, furnish us with a sueees- 
sion of picturesque peeps, that are infi- 
nitely more interesting than the bald 
naked view of the same objcets, usually 
presented to the eye of the traveller 
who journeys along the plain strait road 
of narrative. In the one case we be- 
hold nothing but the dial-plate ; in the 
other, we are initiated into the myste- 
ries of that machinery by which the 
hands are constramed to point to a par- 
ticular hour. The Epistele Holliane, 
or familiar Ejyrstles of James Howell, 
are certainly among the most interest- 
ing of these bye-paths to the temple of 
history ; and the extracts which Mr. 
Matthews has here made fully justify 
his eulogium. The book, however, 
though neglected, may easily be ob- 
tained; and we wish that Mr. Matthews 
had been more sparing of his extracts, 
and more bountiful in his excellent ori- 
ginal matter. 
The Shdhndémeh (from a Persian 
MS.) forms the subject of the seeond 
article, whicheommences witha learned 
and ingenious comparison of the only 
original epic poets whom the world 
ever produced, Homer and Ferdusi. 
Each wrote on the heroic age of his 
country ; and each well knew, how, by 
alternate pictures of battle and banquet, 
by mixing dramatie dialogue with nar- 
rative, and by the occasional introduc- 
tion of episode, to diversify the mono- 
tony of the scenes of war. The *silver 
harp is, we think with justice, a- 
warded to the Greek ; but, from our un- 
acquaintance with the Persian language, 
we confess ourselves incompetent to 
decide. Translations, it is true, of dif- 
ferent passages, have at various and 
distant periods been given to the 
world; but, those who have compared 
Homer in the majestic simplicity of the 
original Greek with the “ very pretty 
poemst which his {doers-into-English 
have produced; nay, those who have 
* The ancient bardic prize of our ances- 
tors, the Britons, was a silver harp: see 
much learning upon the subject in that in- 
teresting work the Cambro @ritoa, 
+ Bentley. ’ 
~ Chapman should be excepted from 
this sweeping censure, (see Ret. Rev. vol. 
1.).; but who now reads Chapman ? 
3 
The Piilosophy of Contemporary Griticism—No. XX. - [May }, 
contrasted the elegance of Virgil with 
the translation even of a Dryden, will 
appreciate the disadvantage of such an 
unnatural costume. Specimens are 
given of the English translation of 
Champion and Atkinson, and of a Latin 
translation in the Virgilian metre by 
thataccomplished orientalist,* Sir Wm. 
Jones; but the best examples of the 
simplicity of the original, are undoubt- 
edly those from the pen of the Re- 
viewer. 
Of article III. on Gaule’s “ Distrac- 
tions, or holy Maduesse fervently, not 
furiously, inraged against evill Doers,” 
we shallsay but little. The book cer- 
tainly does not possess very great merit ; 
but we cannot agree with the editor of 
the European Magazine in thinking 
that, “had the author indeed been as 
stark and staring as he aflects to be, he 
eould not have ranted more insensibly 
than he does in his sober senses.” + 
What will that gentleman say to the 
spirited sketch of *‘ him that is proud 
of this, that he is not proud, one that 
glorieth vainly even in contempt of 
vain glory?” He surely should have as- 
signed some reason for making this the 
sole exception to the laudatory charac- 
ter he has bestowed upon the work, 
and should not have pronounced such a 
sweeping censure, without, at least, 
some shadow of argumentin its support. 
But, however widely opinions may,: 
and do, differ concerning the merit of 
the preceding paper, we apprehend 
that no one will deny the excellence of 
the article (iv.) upon Thealma and 
Clearchus. This poem, which is equally 
remarkable for smoothness and easiness. 
of verse, and for the pastoral feeling 
which pervades the whole, was pub- 
lished as the posthumous work of a de- 
ceased friend, by that patriarch of 
Anglers, Izaak Watton. It has hitherto 
been assigned, upon the authority of the 
title-page, to John Chalkhill, esq. of 
whom no more is known than is eon- 
tained in about four lines of a very brief 
preface. Mr. Todd, Mr. Ritson, and 
Mr. Campbell, to whom may be added 
Sir Egerton Brydges, and other literary 
antiquaries, have all considered Chalk- 
hill as a real personage. Mr. Singer, 
* Seehis Life by Lord Teignmouth, in one 
vol. 8vo. and Loudon Magazine for Nov... 
+ The editor of the Champion, (Mr. 
Thelwall,) who devoted several. columns 
to an account of this number, has pro- 
nounced a judgment nearly as unfavoura- 
ble as that above noticed. 
indeed, 
