BENJAMIN KEEN.
(PARAPHRASE.)
I was erewhile young Lesbia's pet, A nimble long-ear'd leveret ; Short was my sojourn upon earth, But from the hour that gave me birth, By Lesbia's tender hands carest, Or to her fostering bosom prest, The object of her ceaseless cares, I lived the happiest of hares.
For me the gentle maid would bring The sweetest flowers that greet the Spring;
For me in Summer's heat she sought The pinks with richest perfumes fraught, For me the choicest herbs she cull'd, For me the freshest parsley pull'd,
The epigram is to us easy; but some people have thought it difficult, and the close oracular. Jacobs complains of its obscurity, and in his notes, proposes (in the shades) for EV OVELGOIS, (in dreams) casting off the s like a pair of old stockings, for sake of the feet; and for orns (couch) he substitutes ovns, (luxury,) and thus renders the passage, "ut apud in feros quoque nunquam non videam -i. e. habeam sepulchrum pabulo propinquum.". that the ghost of Puss might still have the pleasure of feasting on the ghosts of springplants, early lettuce, sea-kail, and the more delicate cabbages-a notion perfectly in the spirit of antiquity. Manso, a fine scholar, and elegant Latinist-(look at his version)-indulges his feeling and fancy in a still more dainty idea; and makes Mawkins say that her mistress buried her ad stabulum," that the "epulum funebre" might be with the deceased in pleasant dreams. And what was this "epulum funebre?" Phanion," says Manso, "had nourished her pet on milk"-milk from her own bosom. He therefore, in death as in life," epicuri sectator," is glad to be buried" prope stabula," that he may always have the cause of his death before his eyes-Phanion's breast of milk. For it is manifest, adds Manso, that these words are said not in blame but in praise of the Puella. Phanion, then, though a Puella, was (we hope) a married woman, and her child (we hope) had died of teething, (we hope,) as it must otherwise have been much incommoded, and indeed defrauded, by that hairy foster brother. If this be Manso's
Till, by her love too well supplied, A surfeit seized me, and I died. Young Lesbia mourn'd my early doom, Her fair hands dress'd my simple tomb, And placed it close beside her bed, Where oft, when visions fancy-bred Present my cherish'd form to view, Fresh tears her lovely breast bedew. Blest drops! that sparkle as ye flow, And trickling to the tomb below, Sure pledge, that though the maiden sleeps
Soft pity still due vigil keeps, And prompts her never to forget Her nimble, long-ear'd leveret.
Frederick thinks Hugo should have said
"Ut videat somnis proxima fata suis.” For he believes that Meleager intended that the hare should say that Phanion buried him near her bed, that her heart-even in dreams-might be led to meditate on this image of near death, "hanc propinquæ mortis imaginem." And he says this "epigrammatis conversio," pleases the reader the more, "quo minus prævidebatur." Rather far-fetched, my good fellow, Frederick Graeffe. Affection for her favourite would naturally prompt a tender-hearted girl like Phanion (she was no wet nurse) to bury the fur near her couch; but at that time of life, girls in good health are not so fond of the image of death as to desire to have one, simply for death's sake, near their pillow. Jacobs, and Manso, and Graeffe, and every body else, are the best of commentators and Christians; but Phanion, a Greek girl, sorry that her pet had died of too much kind
ness, begged her own Lawrence Macdonald to imagine an exquisite design for a marble monument to her poor dear hare, and having got one, she then asked Meleager for an epitaph, who returned one by post, as punctually as her poets obey Maga.
There is much-ado-about-nothing, too, among the commentators, on #gos as-which may mean either Phanion's or her hare's cote, couch, or bower. 'Tis an agreeable ambiguity depending on μου; but μου νικον, every body may know who chooses it, is good and common Greek for "me dead;" so you may make what you will of gos is, and it matters little or nothing to which puss it refers-for they either slept together, or Long-ear lay in a sort of cradle at the foot of Phanion's bed.
It has been questioned too, you will perceive, whether be the seeing of-we should rather say the perception by-Puss or Phanion. Jacobs and Manso make the hare the seer. Perhaps good-natured grammarians will excuse us for hinting that Jacobs-in his construction of the lineviolates a general rule-to which we can recollect no exceptions-to wit that when the personal pronoun is left out before an infinitive, the subject of that infinitive is always the subject of the introductory verb. Thus, in the line before us, sxgua, exgutas, sxgus sgav, denote respectively, I, Thou, He or She buried-that I, Thou, He or She might see, according to the person of the introductory verb. We have so translated it; and so have all our correspondents, though more than one of them were aware of the interpretation of Jacobs.
And Merivale's First Volume is nearly out of print-and a Second is announced to appear in Spring? That shews there is some sense of beauty in people's minds yet, in spite of the Penny-Reform-Bill that has wrought,
they say, a new era in Literature. The Second Volume cannot be a more delightful one than the first, nor a richer mine for plunder-but we are no plunderers. Merivale and North are fellow-labourers in the same shaft; working sometimes at the same, sometimes at a different vein; nor in friendly rivalry ever quarrelling about the division of the golden ore. Each is provided with a safety-lamp-danger none of explosion-and as one or other raises up the light for a survey of the walls, how they sparkle with starry gems like the vault of heaven!
Series ended! Why 'tis but beginning; and the First of March—inclement though may be the season
shall wear a Crown of Attic Flowers. January too must have her Diadem and February her Tiara "alike, but oh! how different;" nor shall April need to be ashamed of an unadorned forehead. But for each month there is preparing a characteristic crown. And remember-oh! ye kind contributors to March-that dim gem nor faded flower can be woven into such wreaths; and that all that is sent must be new as the dawn-dew Earth offers as incense to Phœbus.
Our paper is done our pen blunt-our ink dry; and, hark, "ae wee short hour ayont the twal!" So Burns eerily calls what Shakspeare eerily called the "witching time of night," and what that watchman is eerily calling "past ane o'clock and snaw!" Yet are we broad awake as the beautiful Mediterranean Sea looking out by moonlight for a Fleet from England; and snow-white ships come gliding down upon us-apparitions in still possession of the whole night-scene from waves to clouds! Phantoms all of our Imagination teeming with Poems!
Printed by Ballantyne and Company, Paul's Work, Canongate.
ABRANTES, Duchess of, her Memoirs, 658.
Aird, Thomas, A Father's Curse, by, 814. Alpine Horn, the, by Mrs Hemans, 858. America, No. I. 285-its institutions
not applicable to older countries, ib.- American character, 289-naval offi- cers, 290-democratic spirit, 291- stability of its government doubtful, 293-talents not appreciated, 294— not improving in taste and intellect, 296-state of the press, 298-and of religion, 299-defects in its political regulations, 300-description of the President's levee, 306. No. II. How viewed by a Briton, 549-American breakfast, 554-men of education, 555 -ladies,ib.-dandy, 557-dinner party 558-houses, 559-servants, ib.-ho- tel dinner, 560-breakfast in a steam- er, 561-equality merely nominal, 565-degree of knowledge, 567. Anthology, the Greek, No. II. 115- No. III. 258-No. IV. 373-Appen- dix to, 407-No. V. 961. Authors, how treated by publishers, 443. Barbadoes, a poem, by M. J. Chapman, 503-specimens of, 518.
Barrington, Colonel, anecdote of, 581. Barrington, Sir Jonah, Historic Memoirs of Ireland, by, 573.
Barry, the painter, remarks on, 491- Burke's letter on painting to, 492. Bavaria, conduct of the Liberals in, 57. Beards, Thoughts upon, 670-negroes want, ib.
Bird, the Academician, 879--defects in Cunningham's Life of, 880. Blackwood, Sir Henry, memoir of, 1- his entry into the navy, 2-accused of treason before the French Conven- tion, 3, note-Captain Pakenham's high opinion of, 4-his account of his daring action with two French frigates, ib.-important share in the capture of the Guillaume Tell, 6-Nelson's let- ter acknowledging his gallant conduct, 7-appointed to watch the movements of the combined fleets of France and Spain, 8-Nelson's letters to, ib.-his letters to his wife before and after the battle of Trafalgar, 10, 11-opinion of Collingwood, 12-services noticed by the latter, 14-appointed to command the Ajax, 15-his letter detailing the loss by fire of that ship and half her crew, ib.-holds the command at Chatham, 22-his death, 23-sketch of his character, ib.
Bourbons, cause of their decline after the Restoration, 100, 906.
Boyton, Rev. Charles, character of, 171. Britain, change in her foreign policy, 803-and its effects, ib.
British tropical colonies, M'Queen's letters on, No. I. 231-mistaken con- clusions of Mr Stanley as to the state of, 233-economy of a sugar estate described, 237.-No. II. 611-popu- lation and crops, 618-value of pro- perty, 620-slave population, 634– vexatious conduct of Government au- thorities to the agricultural proprie- tors, 636-unwise and unjust mea- sures pursued by Government, 638. Brother's Dirge, the, by Mrs Hemans, 858.
Burke, Edmund, Part III. 25-forfeits the favour of his constituents at Bris- tol by advocating the cause of Ireland, ib.-object of his motion on economi- cal reform, 26-extracts from his speech on that subject, ib.-neglected by his party on account of his political vir- tue, 32-Dunning and Gibbon's opi- nion of his speech, ib.-criticisms on it, 33-address to his constituents at Bristol, vindicating his conduct, ib.- an example of the inability of the multi- tude to decide on the merits of public men, 35-returned member for Malton, ib.-instances of his disregard of public calumnies, 38-his application to the Prince of Wales in favour of a curate, ib.-befriends Crabbe the poet, 39- repels the charge of aristocratic priu- ciples, 40-extract from his speech on the right of taxing America, 41-con- nexion with the Rockingham admini- stration, 43-speech on the India bill, 45-Part IV. 317-Grattan's pane- gyric on, 318-his speech on the Na- bob of Arcot's debts, 320-motives for impeaching Hastings, 328—pas- sages of his speech on opening the impeachment, 330-his knowledge of the human heart, 337-peroration of his speech, 338-character of his elo- quence, 342. Part V.-His labours in the impeachment served to prepare him for more important duties to his country, 486-feelings with which he regarded the commencement of the struggle for liberty in France, 489- and correspondence on it, 490—varied acquirements, 491-supposed to be the chief writer of Sir Joshua Rey- nolds's Discourses, ib.-letter to Barry, 492-quits the Opposition on account of their attachment to the French Revolution, 497-character of his Re-
flections on the French Revolution, 499 and tributes of admiration paid him on account of that work by the highest authorities, 500-degree of LL.D. conferred upon him by the Dub- lin University, ib.-correspondence with Paine, 502. Part VI. 739-Cor- respondence with Mercer regarding France, 742-notice of, and passages from his Reflections, 746-castigation of Dr Price, 756-celebrated fragment on the Queen of France, 760. Calder, Sir Robert, his victory broke Na- poleon's designs upon England, 666. Carlos, Don, disputes the crown of Spain, 804-his claim considered, 805. Carnatic, Burke's description of Hyder Ali's dreadful invasion of the, 322. Cathedral Establishments, English, 677 -answer to objections against the service in, ib.-original intention of, 684-eminent men reared in, 686, 691. Chapman, M. J., Barbadoes, and other Poems, by, 503-account of, 515. Claneboy, the Return of, 929. Clare, the late Lord, account of, 590. Coleridge, Dr, eulogy on, 527. Colonies, British Tropical, Letter I., on the, 231-Letter II. 611. Colonists, West India, vindication of, 242-their grievances, 636. Colours, various characters of, 311. Corporation Commission, its object, 801. Cousin, his admiration of the Prussian system of education, 67. Crabbe the poet, anecdote of, 39. Cringle, Tom, his Log, Chap. XXII. Third Cruise of the Wave, 71-Chap. XXIII. The Last of the Log-Tom Cringle's Farewell, 141. Cunningham, Allan, strictures on his Lives of British Artists, 880. Cyril Thornton, Men and Manners in America, by the author of, 286; 548. David's picture of Napoleon asleep in his study, lines suggested by, 813. Democracy, in what circumstances prac- ticable, 102-in America, 214. Democratic changes, progress of, 777. Democrat, life of a, a sketch of Horne Tooke, Part II. 206.
Drama, the Hindu, No. I. 715. Duckworth, Sir John, not blameable for
the failure before Constantinople, 19. Duels, remarks on, 586-list of Irish, 587. Dupleix, his career in India, 327. Early Riser, morning monologues by an, No. I. 430.
English Cathedral Establishments, 677. False Medium, the, 440.
First Session of the Reformed Parlia- ment, 776.
Fox, his character as a party leader, 40— popular qualities, 43-coalition with Lord North, 44-India bill, ib.—eulo- gizes the French Revolution, 498- Burke's separation from, ib.
France, state and prospects of, 95- prosperity under the Restoration, 96— all her calamities the fruits of the Revolution, ib.-dreadful effects of irreligion, 102-degradation of cha- racter, 103-character of the present Government, 104-Burke's prediction concerning her realized, 105-liberti- nism led to the Revolution, 739. France in 1833, No. I. Its political state, 641-irresistible power of the Central Government at Paris, ib.- immense military force, 644-liberty of the press, 647-the National Guard the ruling power, 648-and cause of their allegiance to Louis Philippe, ib.— insignificance of the Chambers, 649- causes that threaten the stability of the Central Government, 651-great in- crease of taxation, 655. No. II. Effects of the Revolution of the Barricades on Government, religion, morals, and li- terature, 902-causes of the mild go- vernment of the Bourbons and the despotism of the present dynasty, 903
republicanism of the press, 910- France admits of a despotic Govern- ment only, 912-approaches to orien- tal despotism, 913-prevalence of infi- delity, 915-depressed condition of the clergy, 916-pleasure and excite- ment the universal objects of pursuit, 918-manners of the capital, ib.-de- praved state of literature, 921-speci- mens of the drama, 923. French Revolution, its commencement how viewed in England, 220-its true spirit never yet fully developed, 495— had been long maturing, 739. Gentoos, their national peculiarities, 330. Germany, democratic principles in, 56. Godwin, Mrs, Lyrics of the East, by, No. VII. 596-No. VIII. 597-No. IX. ib. Governments, democratic, ever the most profuse, 181-three bases of, 656. Grainger, Dr, his poetry, 507. Greek Anthology, No. II. 115-No. III. 258-No. IV. 373, Appendix to the three Articles on, 407-No. V. 961. Green Cloth, Court of the, 30.
Hall, Captain, charges brought against him as a traveller, 552.
Family Poetry, No. IV. The Country Hamilton, Miss E. M., a Character, by,
604-Knowledge, by, 605-A Few Years, by, 606-The Weeping Ash, by, 607-Fragment, by, 608-To a Lover of Autumn, by, 865.
Hamilton, Mr, author of Cyril Thorn- ton, his qualifications as a traveller, 288-extracts from his work on Ame- rica, ib.-and character of it, 307. Hardenberg, ability as a politician, 63. Hastings, Warren, some account of, 326
-his trial, 329-justly acquitted, 338. Hayti, wretched condition of, 250-con- trast between its present and former state, 615-specimen of its laws, 630. Hemans, Mrs, Hymns of Life, by, No. III. 111-No. IV. 174-The Water- Lily, by, 177-No. V. 594-Songs of Captivity, by, 857-Hymns of Life, by, No. VII. 861.
Henley, Lord, his proposed reforms in the Church, 677-unfairness of his whole argument, 695.
Hindu Drama, The, No. I. 715-rules
of, 718-specimens of, 724.
History of John Bull, Fragments from the, Chap. V. 890-Chap. VI. 893—Chap. VII. 898.
Hope, A Song of, by Mrs Hemans, 859. Horne Tooke, A Sketch of, Part II. 206 -his contest with Junius, 211-and bad success, 213-abandons the cleri- cal profession, 214-prosecuted for libel, 215-fined and imprisoned, 216 -his application for a call to the Bar rejected, ib.-violent pamphlet, 217- sycophancy to Ministry, 218-un- successful candidate for Westminster, 220 espouses Jacobinism, 222-com- mitted to the Tower for treason, 223 -his trial, 224-again candidate for .Westminster, 225-returned for Old Sarum, 226-and excluded on account of his clerical profession, 227-his Di- versions of Purley, 228-connexion with Sir F. Burdett, 229-death, ib.- reflections on, ib.-his exposure of Wilkes, 230.
Howard, sketch of, by Burke, 35.
Hume, Mr, instance of his economy, 670. Hymns of Life, by Mrs Hemans, 111, 174, 594, 861.
I dream of all things free, by Mrs He- mans, 859.
India Company, deferts in its constitu- tion, 330-depressed state of its fi- nances, 793-probable consequences of the late regulations, ib. Invocation, the, by Mrs Hemans, 859. Ireland, cause of her degradation, 573- English settlers in the north of, 575– flourished under the penal laws, ib.- Parliament of 1780, ib.-to be govern- ed only by an army, 577-transactions during the reign of James II., 580- measures of the Popish Parliament, 582-prevalence of duelling, 586-in- crease of crime owing to the system of conciliation, 784. Irish Union, the, 573.
Irish Coercion Bill, 783.
Irish festivity described, 583. Jacobinism, characteristics of, 495. Jamaica, slaves manumitted from 1818 to 1830 in, 634.
Jefferson, private character of, 296. John Bull, Fragments from the History of, Chap. V. Riot on the other side of the pond, 890-Chap. VI. Pro- ceedings in the matter of Quashee the black servant, 893 Chap. VII. John's rents in arrear, 898. Journals, rise and increase of public, 206. Junius, character of, 209—authorship of, 210-his opinion on reform, 212. Lighthouses, Northern, 358. Louis Philippe, his absolute authority, 645-universally disliked, 647. M'Queen, James, Esq., Letters to the Right Hon. E. G. Stanley, Secretary of State, by, 231, 611.
Melodies for Middle Age, No. I. 867. Mess, Nights at, Chap. II. 47—Chap. III. 196-Chap. IV. 350-Chap. V. 541.
Ministers, domestic and foreign policy of, 776 erroneous views in regard to finance, 797-system of democratic centralization adopted by, 800. Minorities, not represented, 781. Morning Monologues, by an Early Riser, No. I. 430.
Napoleon, his Memoirs, 657-plan for
invading England, 664—and probabi- lity of conquering her had he landed, 666 astonishing march from Boulogne to Swabia, 668.
Navy, British, its importance, 1. Neckar, his injudicious retrenchments, 28-effects of his policy, 29.
Negroes, character of, 246-when free, refuse to work for wages, 252-wretch- ed state of free, 254.
Nelson, Lord, his letters to Sir H. Black-
wood, 7, 8-and parting words to, 11 -account of his death, ib.
Ney, Marshal, Memoirs of, 657-and their authority, 658-his birth, 659- early dispositions, ib.—his impetuous courage, ib.-attention to the wants of his soldiers, 661-anecdotes of his jus- tice and humanity, 662-military ad- ventures, 663-reflections on the qua- lities of French soldiers, 669. Nightingale Valley, scenery of, 874. Nights at Mess, Chap. II. 47-Chap. III. 196-Chap. IV. 350-Chap. V. 541.
Northern Lighthouses, 358-account of works executed by the Commissioners of, ib.-classes of lights in, 362. Norton, Hon. Augusta, Sir Eustace, by, 172 'Twas Night, by, 819. O ye voices, by Mrs Hemans, 858.
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