535 
manner tinétured with the idea of his 
Foyal fublimity and dignity; that all who 
iurround him are not only on every occa- 
fion lavifhinge upon him the moft fulfome 
praifes of his virtues and his fublime 
genius; bur that he generally liftens to 
fuch ehcomiums with apparent {atisfac- 
tion, and confiders them as due to his 
royal perfon.—In order to banith the ab- 
furd and frequently licentious ballads that 
prevail in Germany, and to introduce 
tunés which, together with proper themes 
adapted’ to the meane& capacities, fhould 
difleminate found and virtuous fentiments, 
there has lately appeared at Leipzig the 
firft number of a colieGion  intitled 
& New popular Songs, to accompany the 
barpjichord ;° compofed by J. R. Ber Ls, 
&c. pp. 64. fol. This number contains 
thirty fongs fet to mufic, all of which are 
above mediocrity in refpe& to veriifica- 
tion as well as mufical compofition. Laft- 
ly, under this head, we cannot cmit to 
mention the appearance of a new and 
‘ thoroughly improved tranflation of ** W71/-. 
kam Shekjpeare’s Plays,’ by J. J. Escu- 
ENBURG, Vol. 1. pp. 565. 8vo. 1798. 
With great juftice may this be called a 
new tranflation ; for fince the fecond and 
improved edition of Shakfpeare’s plays 
appeared in 2775, by the fame editor who 
undertook to improve the firit edition at- 
tempted by Wieland, and to enjarge or 
rather complete it by adding 18 more of 
Shakfpeare’s plays which, Mr. W. had 
emitted, no other tranilator could be found 
who would fatisfy and realize the rigorous 
lemands then made’ by the German cri- 
tics, who went fo far as to maintain that 
Shak{peare’s plays ought not to be read, 
unlefs in the original. Notwithftanding 
thole extravagant aflertions, it is now ge- 
erally allowed that the prefent tranfla- 
tion by Mr. Efchenburg (who may be 
juitly ftyled the Neltor of German and 
Englith literature) is, without exception, 
the moft ‘correét and elegant of all the 
tranflations ever publifhed of our great 
bard, in any of the European languages. 
PHILOLOGY. 
Among the numerous tranflations 
which from time to time appear in Ger- 
many of the Latin claffics, we find -but 
very few, indeed, which deferve honour- 
able mention in this Retrofpect. One of 
the molt faithful verfions in which the {p1- 
rit of the original has been completely 
preferved, is ** Cicero's Treatife onthe Lip- 
ciency of Virtue to Happinefs ,"’ one ot the 
-Tuicuian queftions, rendered into Ger- 
man, and accompanied with remarks and 
prefatory explanations, by C. F. BowMe, 
Retro[peé? of German Literature....P hilolazy. 
[Sup. 
pp- xvill. and 120. 8vo. We cannot fpeak 
with fimiliar praife of * M.T. Cicero's 
Dialogue on Friendjbip,” tranflated and ac- 
companied with remarks, introdu@tion, 
&c. by J. A. Ehring. pp. xvi. and 2x30. 
8vo. ‘This is the fib tranflation of the 
above-mentioned treatife, fince the year 
1774, and in the lateft Leipzig Catalogue 
of new books, we find a /ixth offered to 
public notice. Although the prefent ean- 
not in juftice be calied the moft contempti- 
ble of the five tranflations we have feen, 
yet it is far from deferving the charaéter 
of accuracy, as in a variety of inftances 
it deviates from the true fenfe of the ori- 
ginal. “ WM. Accii Pleuti Comedia Cap- 
tezvei; the Prifoners, a comedy, by Plau- 
tus, tranflated and illuftrated by Dr. | 
A.C. Borheck, &c.”” The Epic Poems- 
of Publius Ovidius Nafo’’,.tranflated from 
the Latin into fambic verfes, and accom- 
panied with illuftrations, by G..F. W, 
Tuyme; and “C.D. Janis Explana- 
tory Remarks to the Odes cud Epodes of Ha- 
race,” vol. iil. 1798. pp. 278. ‘8vo. 
Lhefe three publications we have placed 
together, as, on account of their great in-- 
feriority, they do not deferve' to be fepa- 
rately reviewed. Leis deferving of cens 
fure, though far from being a perfeét and 
elegant verfion, is ‘ Virgil’s 7Eneid,”. 
tranflated by J. SPITZENBERGER, 
pp- 456, Svo. Confidering that Mr. S. 
had all the difficulties of the Bawarian dia- 
lsc to encounter, and that the language 
of this Roman poet is nearly bordering 
on perfection, the prefent tranflation de- 
ferves much praife with refpeét to fidelity; 
although it cannot be pronounced free 
from inaccuracies in point of verfification, 
To facilitate the ftudy of the dramatic 
works of Seneca, and to lay the founda- 
tion of a future complete commentary on 
thefe admirable produ@tions, we meet with 
a claffical produ€tion, which cannot be 
recommended to the Englith fcholar in toe 
favourable terms, whether it be confideréd 
as a fpecimen of found criticifm, ers an 
elegant piece of compolition, “ Hercales 
Jurens. Spectmetinove recenfonis tragedia- 
rum L. Annact Senece. Audore,’ Tor-. 
KILLO BADEN, 1798, pp.xv. and 176, 
vo. The learned editor has made ufe 
ef numerous and refpectable fources; for 
befides feventeex manujcripts never before 
compared, he has availed himfelf of the 
oldeit editions of Seneca, with which the 
royal library at Copenhagen has amply 
furnifhed him, fo that he has here com: 
municated to us all the valuable remarks 
made on this fubjeé fince the days of Gra. 
movits, whole text he has reyifed in the 
va 
