438 
While the days serenely glide, 
Sport the dice, throw cares aside ; 
Let’s enjoy with Bacchus these, 
And the flying moments seize ; 
Least disease shou'd haste and ery, 
«Thou must these libations fly !" 
In judging of versification, Dr. Gir- 
dlestone must certainly be in the habit 
of employing his eye more than his ear. 
He asks, where is the ear which, without 
the assistance of the eye, would detect 
the open vowels in that line of Pope’s 
essay— 
«* Though oft the ear the open vowels tire.” 
We presume to say; that there are very 
few ears accustomed to the perception 
of poetical melody, which would not, in 
similar instances, detect them, and be oi- 
ANCIENT CLASSICS. 
fended by them; though we mean not 
to say, that every instance of hiatus in 
English verse is absolutely productive of 
unpleasing effect. In the lines which are 
immediately afterwards produced, as af- 
fording specimens of open vowels with- 
out offence, the fact is, that very few such, 
specimens occur. Those which Dr. Gir- 
dlestone considers as such, are comion- 
ly produced by the final and mute ¢, m 
one word, followed by a vowel at the 
beginning of the next. In» words thus 
terminating, the final vowel, by, one of 
those anomalies which deform our lan- 
guage, has no other power than that of 
prolonging the preceding vowel, or. mo- 
difying its sound; and such words; as 
to all purposes of speech, are to be con< 
sidered as closing with a consonant. 
Art. IV. The Lyricks of Horace; comprising his Odes, Epodea, and secular Odes, in 
English Verse, with the Latin Text revised and subjoined. 8vo. 2 vols. 
WHAT service this translator can 
imagine that he has conferred upon the 
cause of literature, we find it difficult to 
conjecture. ‘l'o have rendered Horace 
into such lines as occur in many of these 
versions, is an act of treason against the 
Muses, which the writer will not expiate, 
till, like Milton, guilty in one imstance of 
a similar crime, he shall have produced 
a © Paradise Lost.”? What literal prose 
translation would not be preferable to 
the following attempt at poetry? 
«¢ By all the gods, pray tell, 
Why Sybaris with love you to his ruin haste! 
Why, Lydia, does he shun 
The Sunny Field*, to dust and heat habitu- 
ated? 
Why soldier-like not ride 
Among his compeers, or the mouths of Gal- 
lic steeds 
Break in with bitted reins? 
Why does he dread to feel the yellow Tiber? 
why 
- Like viper'’s blood avoid » 
Cautious the wrestler’s oil ? Nor livid are his 
arms . 
With weapons borne ; wha, fain'd, 
The discus oft, the spear beyond its bound 
oft threw. 
Why doth he lie conceal'd, 
As sea-born Thetis’ sou was said to do, ere 
‘Troy's 
Lamented fun’rals ; lest 
Man’s garb should force him to the fight, and 
"Lycian bands?” 
C » 
This is one of nineteen odes, corre= 
sponding to as many different species of 
Horatian metre, which the translator in- 
forms us that he has executed in blank 
verse, of the same measure as the Latin, 
as nearly as the English language would 
allow, for the purpose, we suppose, of 
affording to his readers, who are igno- 
rant of the originals, some knowledge of | 
the beauty of their versification. We — 
must, however, in justice say, that these 
are usually the worst specimens of the 
translator’s skill; and for the purpose of 
impartiality, we insert one of rather bet- 
ter note: 
«© Wherefore does the bard this day 
To consecrated Phoebus’ pray? 
What does he ask, while at his shrine 
He pours profuse his early wine? 
Not the harvests to obtain, 
Which load Sardinia’s fertile plain ; 
Not the gladsome flocks, which feed 
Ou hot Calabria’s sunny mead ; 
Nor gold, nor Indian ivory ; 
Nor yet those rural scenes which lie 
Near where the peaceful Lyris strays, 
Sapping its way with silent ease. 
Calenian culture wait the vines 
Of those who boast their costly wines ; 
And let the thrifty merchant pour 
The foreign cask’s delicious store, 
For which his Syrian wares he sold, 
Into capacious cups of gold, 
That merchant to the gods most dear, 
Since thrice, nay four times ev'ry year, 
«© * The Campus Martius.” 
