Imatges de pàgina
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lovers of Greek poetry, may have the effect we desire, and that is, to engage them to perufe the whole in its original and infinitely more beautiful state.

We shall select a paffage or two from the poem itself, which particularly ftruck us for its exquifite merit; and from them the learned reader may form fome judgment of the ftyle and manner of the ancient Bard.

When Ceres approached the threshold of Celeus's palace, though under the difguife of a nurfe, every object around her teemed to confefs * the perfon of a deity. Metanira felt an ineffable impreffion of reverence and awe, and arofe to offer her fplendid feat to the ftranger. This circumftance is beautifully exprefled by the Poet.

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δι

αρ

επ' εδον εβη ποσι. και ῥα μελαθρε
Κυρε καρη. πλησεν δε θύρας σελαος θείοιο.
Την δ' αιδως τε, σεβας τε, ίδε χλωρον δέος ειλεν.
Ειξε δε οι κλισμοιο, και έδριαασθαι ανώγεν.

The goddess modeftly waved the distinction, as unsuitable to the appearance fhe, had adopted to veil her divinity; and stood (as the Poet fays) filent; fixing her beauteous eyes on the ground,'

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Αλλ' 8 Δημητηρ ωρήφορος, αγλαοδωρο,

Ηθελεν ἑδριαασθαι επι κλισμοιο φαεινό,

Αλλ' ακεσα εμιμνε, κατ' όμματα καλα βαλεσα.

The Poet finely defcribes the circumstance, mentioned in our general account of this Hymn, viz. of the goddess's refuming her original splendor when Metanira intruded on her fecret operations, as he was preparing the child for immortality.

Ειμι δε Δημητηρ τιμαρχος, ή τε μέγισον

Αθανατοις θνητοισι τ' ονειας και χαρμα τετυκται. . Αλλ' αγε, μοι νηον τε μεγαν, και βωμον υπ' αυτῷ, Τευχοντων πας δημος υπαι πολιν, αιπυ τε τειχο, Καλλίχορα καθυπερθεν, επι πρέχοντι κολωνῳ. Όργια δ' αυτη εγων υποθησομαι, ως αν επειτα, Ευαγέως ερδοντες, εμου νοον ιλασκοισθε. Ως ειπέσα θεα, μέγεθος και είδος αμειψε, Γηρας απωσάμενη. περι τ' αμφι τε κάλλος αυτό, Οδμη δ' ίμερόεσσα θυηέντων απο πεπλων Σκίδνατο, τηλε δε φειγ α απο χροος αθανάτοιο Λαμπε θεης, ξανθαι δε κομαι κατενηνοθεν ώμες, Αυγης δ' επλήσθη πυκινα δομ©, αςέροπης ως. The following tranflation may convey to our lefs learned Readers fome faint idea of the beauties of the original :

I am Ceres ; and claim my right to the higheft honours, fince 1 yield delight and profit both to mortal and immortal beings.

* Signa dedi veniffe deum, &c. Vid. Οvid. Μetam. lib. i. ver. 220.

Ga

Go-let all the people unite in erecting for me a fpacious temple on Callichorus's o'erhanging mount. Raife my altar beneath its ftately roof. This I ordain; that those who facrifice to me with pure hearts may enjoy the tribute of my acceptance. Thus fpake the goddess: when the form he had affumed of wrinkled age inftantly disappeared; and all her native beauty fhed its charms around her. From her incenfedropping robes a delicious fragrance was diffufed. Light ftreamed afar from her radiant and immortal form. Her golden locks flowed around her beauteous fhoulders: while the fplendor of the goddess, darting like the lightning of heaven, irradiated the gloomy palace.

Our claffical Readers will doubtlefs recollect the elegant lines of Virgil (refpecting the difcovery of Venus by #neas), which, however, are by no means equal to thofe of the Greek Poet for dignity and force:

Dixit: et avertens rofea cervice refulfit,
Ambrofiæque come divinum vertice odorem
Spiravere: pedes veltis defluxit ad imos ;
Et vera inceffu patuit dea.

The last specimen thatwe shall give of this poem, is the defcrip-
tion of Mercury's conveying Proferpine to the temple of Ceres.
Ιππος δε προπαροιθεν υπο χρυσεοισιν όχεσφι
Εντυεν αθαναίες πολυσημαντωρ Αίδωνευς.
Ηδ' οχέων επέβη, παρα δε κράτυα Αργειφόντης,
Ηνια και μαςιγα λαβων μετά χερσι φιλησι,
Σένε δι' εκ μεγαρων• τω δ' εκ ακοντε πετέσθην
Ρίμφα δε μακρα κελευθα διήνυσαν· δε θαλασσα,
Ούθ' υδωρ ποταμών, &T' αγκα ποιηεντα,
Ιππων αθαναίων, ετ' ακριες, εχεθον ορμήν,
Αλλ' υπερ αυταων βαθυν ηερα τεμνον ίοντες.
Στησε δ' αγων, οθι μιμνεν ευσεφανο Δημήτηρ,
Νηοιο προπαροιθε θυωδε η δε ιδέσα

Ηιξ' ηυτε

μαινας οριο κατα δάσκιον υλης. Of which the following is a tranflation, chiefly defigned to gratify the English Reader:

Pluto, the monarch of a vaft dominion, led forth, to open view, his immortal feeds, and harne Jed them to his golden chariots. Proferpine afcends, and takes her feat. Mercury, the dauntles hero, who fent Argus to the fhades, grafps the reins in his steady hand, and waves his lafh. Inftant they rush from Pluto's drear abode, and unreluctant urge their rapid courfe. Soon they pass o'er a long extended track. Nor feas, nor torrents, nor the deep vallies filled with herbage, nor mountains railing their lofty heads, impede their progres. Through mid-air they cut their way, nor flack their ardeur till they arrive at Ceres' temple, fragrant with incenfe. There, when the goddess beheld her daughter, he rushed towards her, with the fwiftness of a hind, bounding d'er the fhady fummits of the mountain.

*

Lege potius κέμμας.

We

We have already obferved that this poem is enriched with a number of very learned Notes; in which the Editor hath dif covered a moft perfect acquaintance with the Greek Poets, and a happy talent at emendation and conjecture. We must now quit this pleafing fubject, and leave our learned Readers to improve thefe imperfect hints.

(N. B. We are indebted to " A Country Correspondent" for the foregoing very curious Article.)

ART. II.

Roufeau Fuge de Jean Jacques, &c.-Rouffeau the Judge of Jean Jacques. In Dialogues. Dialogue the Firft: From the Manufcript of M. Rouffeau, left in the Hands of Mr. Brooke Boothby. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Dodfley. 1780.

HIS fingular work, for fuch it certainly is, is evidently

Tdifferent from that mentioned by Mr. Magellan [in his Account of The Circumstances attending the Death of M. Rouf feau,' M. R. December 1778, pag. 412] under the title of Mes Confeffions: as an allufion to a work under that very title occurs twice in the prefent performance. In an advertisement prefixed to it by the Editor, we are told that it was put into his hands by M. Rouffeau, in the month of April 1776; with conditions annexed to the truft, which he has thought it to be his moft indifpenfable duty to fulfil.

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I ought to inform thofe,' fays Mr. Boothby, who might be induced, by the celebrated name of the Author, to feek amufement in thefe fheets, that they will find nothing here to gratify their tafte, or to indulge their curiofity.' He adds, very properly in our opinion, the cool philofopher will deign perhaps to fee in them an interefting collection of materials well adapted to ferve towards a hiftory of the human mind."

If there be a pen,' adds the Editor, capable of delineat ing the most fimple and the moft fublime manners; a benevolence that took a fhare in all the miseries of mankind; a courage always ready to facrifice every thing to the caufe of truth; and particularly thofe continual afpirations after the moft fublimevirtue, too elevated perhaps to be ever attained by human weaknefs, but which place those who feel them in a fituation above that of ordinary minds; let fuch a pen write the life of Jean Jacques Rouffeau.'

After the Editor's Advertisement follows a Table of Contents; from which we learn that the present work, which is compofed in the form of dialogue, is only the firft of three that have been left by the late Author. Its title is- Of the Syftem of Conduct adopted by Adminiftration toward Jean Jacques, with the Approbation of the Public. First Dialogue.' The titles of the other two dialogues,

dialogues, which the Editor informs us were not put into his hands, are " Of the Temper [naturel] of Jean Jacques, and of his Habits [habitudes]. Second Dialogue.-Of the Genius of his Writings, and Conclufion. Third Dialogue."

To this firft dialogue is prefixed a kind of Introduction, in which M. Rouffeau treats of the fubject and the form of this work.' On the page preceding and facing this Introduction, the Reader meets with the following fingular addrefs; from the purport and ftyle of which he is in fome measure prepared for the ftriking fingularities that follow:

"Whoever you be to whom heaven has given the difpofal of these papers; to whatever ufe you may refolve to put them; and whatever opinion you may have of the Author; that unfortunate Author conjures you, by the feelings of humanity [par vos entrailles humaines], and by the repeated anguish which he has fuffered in writing them, not to part with them till you have read the whole. Reflect that this favour, requested of you by a heart broken with grief, is a duty of equity [un devoir d'équité] which Heaven requires of you.'

As to the dialogue itself, we fcarce know what account to give of it. It is fupported by a Frenchman, and Rouffeau ; and the fubject of their difcourfe is the moral and literary character of Jean Jacques (the Chriftian name of the Author), who is confidered as a third perfon. The Author puts into the Frenchman's mouth all the charges which he fuppofes the Public to have alleged against Jean Jacques, both as an Author and as a man; and makes him affign the fuppofed fecret springs of their conduct towards him, in these two characters, as far as he can penetrate into them, Rouffeau, in anfwer, defends Jean Jacques; and to account for the treatment which he has met with from the world, conftantly supposes that a league has been formed, the object of which is the debafement and defamation of poor Jean Jacques.

'Why do I say, fuppofe ?-says the Rouffeau, in the dialogue.- Whatever were the motives for forming this league, it exifts. Even according to your own account, it seems to be univerfal; it is, at least, great, powerful, numerous; it acts in concert, and with the most profound fecrecy with respect to all those who do not form a part of it, and especially to the unfortunate creature who is the object of it. To defend himself from this combination he has no fuccours, no friend, nor any fupport, counfel, or light to direct him. He fees nothing around him but fnares, falfehoods, treacheries, and darkness. He finds himself abfolutely alone, and has no refource but himself. He has no reason to expect any aid or affiftance, from any one perfon on the face of the earth. A fituation fo fingular is an Unique, ever fince the human race came into exiftence.'

From

From the ftrange tenour even of this fingle paffage, the Reader will judge of the flate of mind of the Writer. The fenfe we mean to convey by this laft expreffion will readily occur on the perufal of what follows. At the clofe of this dialogue M. Rouffeau gives the following account of the plan which he had formed, to tranfmit this pofthumous publication, unaltered, tó pofterity.

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"Here follows," fays he, a copy of the fuperfcription of the manufcript, containing thefe three dialogues, which I had refolved to depofit, under the fole protection of Providence, on the high altar of the church of Notre Dame at Paris. But on attempting to put this refolution in execution, on the 24th of February 1776, I found that, through a precaution perfectly new, the grates which inclofe the choir, and through which alone I could reach the altar, had been fhut up. I then faw myself obliged, if not to renounce my project, at least to change it; for I fhall always think that I have very happily accomplished it, if I find a difcreet and faithful depofitary. Is there a more worthy inftrument of the work of Providence than the hand of a virtuous man?'

• Depofit configned to Providence.

• Protector of the oppreffed, God of juftice and of truth, receive this depofit, which is placed upon thy altar, and confided to thy Providence by an unfortunate ftranger, alone, without fupport, without a protector on the whole earth, abused, derided, defamed, betrayed by an entire generation, ftudiously oppreffed during fifteen years with treatment worfe than death, and with indignities hitherto unexampled among men, without ever hav ing been able to learn the caufe. All explanation is refused me, all communication is taken from me; I no longer expect from men, become still more exafperated by their own injustice, any thing but affronts, falfities, and treachery. Eternal Providence! my fole hope is in thee. Deign to take my depofit into thy keeping, that it may fall into young and faithful hands, who may transmit it exempt from fraud to à better generation; who, deploring my fate, may learn what treatment was received from the prefent, by a man without gall and without disguise, an enemy to every kind of injustice, but patient in fuffering it, and who never either did, or willed, or returned, evil to any man. No man has a right, I know, to hope for a miracle, not even innocence oppreffed and not known as a time will come when order will take place, it is fufficient to wait. If my work be loft; if it is to be delivered up to my enemies, and to be deftroyed or disfigured by them; as this appears unavoidable, I fhall not the less rely upon thy work, although I am ignorant of the time, and the means; and after having exerted, as Fought, all

my

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