The pepill of Crete, and thaym of Driopes, And eke the payntit folk Agathryses, Schowtand on thair gyse, wyth clamour and vocis hie, A poun the top of Mont Cynthus walkis he, His waiffand haris sum tyme doing doun thryng, With ane soft garland of laurer sweit smellying, And umquhile thaym gan balmyng and anoynt, And with gold addres at ful gud poynt, Here, too, the translator has added something to the original. Virgil says only, "He walks on the tops of Cynthus, and arranging his flowing locks, presses them down with soft leaves, and interweaves them with gold.' Douglas expands this.Sometimes, (says he, for he requires here to be translated, more than the original,) pressing down his waving hairs with a soft garland of sweet smelling laurel, and anon steeping them in balm and ointment, and artificially disposing them in ornaments of gold." "His grundin darts clatterynge by hys side," is a fine picturesque turn, for the "Tela sonant humeris;" there is nothing corresponding in Dryden. The Earl of Surrey translated the Second and Fourth Books of the Eneid into blank verse, and we believe this translation, though rather stiffly executed, first brought that freest of all our measures into use in English poetry. We give a few lines of his attempt. Like when Apollo leaveth Lycia, &c. When that he walks upon Mount Cynthus' One Vicars translated the Æneid in 1632. We suppose he is the poet to whom Butler alludes, when he invokes the muse, That with ale or viler liquors, Did inspire Withers, Pryn, and Vicars. There is, in truth, little poetry in his attempt, although one of his friends, in a commendatory copy of verses, does not scruple to say, Virgil in Vicars' sacred breast survives. His translation of the passage before us is as follows: Like fair Apollo, when his Delphick seat With his Epirian, Cretian, Scythian rout, hold. Lovely like him was (now) Eneas' pace, Such sparkling splendour shone from his fair face. The Earl of Lauderdale, who translated Virgil immediately before Dryden, although the work was not published till some time after Dryden's translation, was of very considerable service to that poet, who had the use of his Lordship's MSS.-he supplies him with many lines and half lines, quite in the manner in which Dryden and Pitt have supplied Mr Ring. We next quote this noble translator. The Trojan captains great Æneas led (With young Ascanius marching at their head,) Conspicuous over all; the Tyrians join'd. Ev'n thus Apollo, when he leaves behind In winter, Lycia's shore and Xanthus flood, Visits his native Delos' sacred wood ; Renews the games; the Cretans, Dorians sound, And painted Scythians dance the altars round. He walks on Cynthus, wreaths perfumed infold His flowing hair, his locks are ty'd with gold, We cannot afford room for Trapp, Beresford, or Symmons, but shall stop, for the present, with Pitt, who, we find, is much more Mr Ring's model, than Dryden. We are not very versant, we confess, in his translation. It seems, on the whole, to be but tame, and a tame Virgil is an uncommonly hum-drum sort of a performance. The best thing about Dryden is, that he gives, every now and then, some addition of his own native fire to the unvarying stateliness of his great original, but this, it must be owned, he generally does at the expence of all propriety, decency, and elegance. We wish Pope had tried his hand here rather than with Homer; he probably would have succeeded better than any other competitor, always, to be sure, excepting Gawin Douglas. Pitt says, Next, with the youthful Trojans to the These four lines our readers see are Pitt's word for word, and they are not good. Supremely tall" is a vile phrase, quite as bad as the "most beautified Ophelia," which gives such offence to that sage critic Polonius. As when Apollo from the Lycian coast, Bear the first fruits and flowerets of the spring, And songs of triumph at his altar sing. He comes, he comes, o'er lofty Cynthus, bound With golden wreaths, with verdant laurels crown'd! His hair in ringlets from his shoulder flows, And all his arrows rattle as he goes. Here, too, are circumstances added which we do not think improvements. There is nothing in Virgil about “the first fruits and flowerets of the spring;" and there is surely nothing so happy or original in that idea, as to make its insertion desirable. We think, too, that our worthy translator spoils the only good line in Pitt. "And all his arrows rattle as he goes,"-is neither so lively nor elegant as "His golden quiver rattling as he goes." What can be Mr Ring's objection to gold? We have no wish, however, to discourage this ingenious gentleman, although too much of a Pittite for us, but hope the public will pay more attention to his specimens than we have had time to do at present. If his work be not already finished, he may, perhaps, be persuaded to take our advice, and examine a few more translations (especially Gawin's) than he has yet done. JOURNAL OF A VISIT TO HOLLAND. LETTER IV. ly brick and timber, for there is not a stone quarry in the whole of Holland. The most singular part of the Dutch farm-steading is a kind of box, mea (Continued from Vol. III. page 38.- suring about three feet square, erect July 1818.) DEAR J Rotterdam, FROM Helvoetsluys, where our party first Wednesday landed in Holland, we 6th August. had the option either of continuing the voyage with our yacht to Rotterdam, by Dort; or of going over land to the town of Briel, and from thence crossing the Maes, and so on by Schidam; or, thirdly, by boat from Briel to Rotterdam; which last mode was preferred. Accordingly, on the morning after our arrival at Helvoet, the party were seated in two voitures, and another followed with the servants and the luggage. These carriages, as the name implies, are open, and well adapted for affording a view of the country. They are usually drawn by two horses. They resemble curricles, but have the suspension bar under the bellies of the horses instead of being on their backs, agreeably to the English mode. The body of the carriage is not placed on springs, but is hung from leathern straps attached directly to the framework of the shafts; while the traces and reins are made of white or bleached yarns, neatly plaited, which are considered lighter and stronger than leathern traces. Upon English roads a carriage hung in this manner would afford but a very rough and unpleasant ride. But in Holland the made roads are generally paved with small thin bricks, called clinkers, which form a path as smooth as an iron railway. On these chaussees the Dutch postillions drive with great rapidity, at the rate of from six to nine miles an hour. The aspect of the country from Helvoet to Briel presents one uniform and uninteresting flat, seldom enlivened with trees, and never varying with the undulating line of beauty; the eye being only met by the appearance of the church tower, and numerous villages and farm houses, all bearing the evident marks of the care and industry of an abundant and overflowing population. The building materials here are universal VOL. V. ed upon the ridge or highest part of the tenement, like an additional chimney where one is not expected. In this box the stork, a large bird, which is frequent all over the country, builds its nest, and dwells in the greatest security, being considered sacred by the Dutch. The Briel is rather a handsome town, and contains about 3000 inhabitants. It is remarkable for cleanliness, and forms a regular and strong fortification, with a ditch or canal round it. The inn of such a town as this was not to be expected to have a first rate appearance, and therefore our surprise was increased upon entering an extensive lobby laid with marble, and having the walls decorated with paintings in the French style. The suite of rooms which the hostess led us through were also fitted up in a very handsome and tasteful manner. Finding that we should have two hours to spend here before the boats set sail for Rotterdam, we visited the church. This is not fitted up with pews or fixed seating in the English manner; but the congregation sit upon rush-bottomed chairs, which were now piled up in great numbers in the middle of the church. The steeple is said to be 160 feet in height: though it does not seem to be a very sound or substantial building, we, notwithstanding, ascended, and enjoyed a most commanding view of the country, including Rotterdam, Hague, Delft, Flaarding, Schidam, &c. with the distant islands of Schoen and Goree, the whole appearing much chequered and intersected with numerous rivers and canals. At two P. M. we left the Briel in one of the passage-boats or schuyts for Rotterdam, and passed up the Meuse with a fair wind and a favourable tide. The Briel, relatively to Rotterdam, may be considered like Gravesend to London; and here also ships are often detained in the roadstead, waiting an opportunity of getting to sea, or of passing up the Meuse. This noble stream appears to be larger than the Thames at Vauxhall, and flows with a majestic Ee calm stream to the sea, where it forms a dangerous bar and extensive sand banks, which often prove fatal to the shipping of this port. The Meuse is every where intersected by cross cuts and canals, not only to the large towns of Flaarding and Schidam, but even to the most trifling villages and lonely farm houses, which must all have the advantage of water-carriage. The banks of this river in many points resemble those of the Thames, but we have here much less shipping, and fewer elegant villas to enliven the scene and engage the attention of the traveller. The company in the schuyt was numerous. Although the passage was only about sixteen miles, our Dutch friends seemed to be prepared with provisions and necessaries for a considerable voyage. They had no sooner embarked than they took possession of the cabin, and began to prepare coffee and to make a hearty meal. In spite of the heat of the weather, this sinall place continued crowded to excess, and was besides furnished with a choffer containing a fire of peat for lighting their pipes, the smoke of which issued at every crevice or chink of the door and windows. One circumstance at embarking seemed rather remarkable; the sailing party were accompanied to the boat from all quarters of the town by their friends, when a most affectionate adieu took place, with mutual tears of regret and benediction, so different from the practice of England upon trifling occasions, that the English party on board concluded that their fellowtravellers must be taking leave for some distant country; and having learned that a vessel was then receiving emigrants for America, it was naturally conjectured that the major part on board were bound for that distant land. But upon more particular inquiry, we found that they were chiefly people belonging to Rotterdam, who were merely returning home, and that such affectionate adieus are universally practised by the Dutch. Having sailed at two, the schuyts reached Rotterdam about halfpast five, without any occurrence worthy of notice, farther than that some pretty plain and rather barefaced instances occurred of a great want of delicacy in both sexes. On reaching Rotterdam, we proceeded to the Bath, an English house upon the Boom Quay. This Boom Quay forms a most beautiful walk on the banks of the river, about a mile in length; the houses being shaded by a row of stupendous elm trees. Our ship having previously arrived at Rotterdam, was anchored off the hotel, and had given notice of our intended visit. We were courteously received, and found dinner waiting in a splendid apartment, the walls of which were ornamented with tapestry, and several beautiful paintings adorned both the ceiling and other parts of the room. The dinner was served up with all the taste and elegance of an English house, and the most choice wines of the Continent were set on the table at very moderate prices. Anxious to see this great commercial place, we had no sooner finished dinner than the party went forth in a body, and traversed the town from street to street, crossing one canal after another, till day-light began to fail. From this cursory view of the place, I shall only notice, that Rotterdam is bounded towards the south by the Meuse, which glides past it in the most beautiful way. Like the other cities of Holland, its site is quite flat, the streets being raised above the common level of the country by the excavation of the canals. While the stranger is apt to be astonished at the economy of the Dutch in conducting the water and the shipping to almost every street, he forgets that this is really a matter of necessity, because it requires the whole of the canal excavation to raise the streets about eight or ten feet, or a convenient height, above the common surface of this land of waters. You are here, my dear J, to consider the streets of Rotterdam as divided each into three compartments, the central part being a canal for shipping, while those our each side are paved with stone and brick about 24 feet in breadth, having almost invariably a row of fine trees in front of the houses, admitting of quays for shipping goods both in front and rear of the merchant's house. The houses are universally built with brick; the front to the street forming a most singular elevation, for, in conformity to an order of the burgomasters, each house must incline forward or overhang the street at the rate of about one inch per foot of height, with a view, it is believed, to throw the drop and moisture in wet weather off the foundation of the house. This order, though not strictly adhered to, has been followed closely enough to give the houses a most awkward and dangerous appearance, so that it is impossible for a stranger at first to walk the streets without apprehension that the houses are ready to fall upon him. Externally the Dutch houses are often painted of various colours, and internally they are superbly decorated with gilded ornaments and elegant pictures, with a profusion of white marble, particularly in the passages, stairs, and kitchen, In walking through the streets of Rotterdam, there is everywhere a peaceful serenity. Every one seems busily employed, but there is no jarring noise of complicated cries such as is met with in the streets of London; no grating and chirping of waggons, or rattling of carriages, to guard against which the Dutch are averse to the introduction of wheel carriages of all kinds, and, therefore, the whole of their extensive merchandise is conveyed upon a kind of sledge, to which the horse is connected by traces. The sledge horse is shod with a kind of patten or shoe, furnished with high points at the toe and heel, on which he walks, the pastern or foot being about half an inch clear of the ground. This occasions a singular clinking noise as he passes along, at first far from agreeable to a stranger's ear. To prevent the sledge from heating with the friction on the street, the driver supplies himself with a small barrel of water from the canal; this he places in front of the sledge, and the continual dropping of the water keeps the track of the sledge moist. The only description of wheel carriages you meet with in the streets of Rotterdam are a few carriages, which belong to the principal merchants for the use of their families, and are generally drawn by beautiful Flanders mares of elegant figure, and whose movements afford an idea of the prance of the war horse. We also often meet with the child's chariot, drawn by a pair of goats, handsomely caparisoned. In these little vehicles it is common to see one or two children sitting or lying with all the composure and se date circumspection of age, while children of England, under similar circumstances, would certainly be in continual danger, from their restlessness and activity, of being plunged into the contiguous canals. The most remarkable circumstance in the dress of the people you meet with in the streets, when compared with the costume of England, consists in the men pretty commonly wearing cocked hats, large metal buttons, and buckles, the fashions of Holland having all the appearance of being about twenty years behind those of England. The women wear ear-rings, from the size of a pea almost to that of a middle-sized plum; some of the better sorts, particularly those from North Holland, have not only ear-rings dangling upon their shoulders, but bands or plates of gold round their foreheads, passing behind the ears and back part of the neck. They generally wear black or white stockings of cotton or silk, with a black or red high-heeled slipper, without any quarter-leather for the heel. They are in general, to appearance, very clean. The streets of this great town are for the most part paved with brick, unless in the public thoroughfares, which are paved with stone brought chiefly from Scotland. They are lighted at night with large square lanterns, fitted with glasses, and containing argand burners. These lanterns are suspended with ropes between the houses and the trees, and are lowered at pleasure by pullies. They have not only a very beautiful appearance at night, but illuminate the streets remarkably well; and, under all circumstances, it is quite astonishing that so few accidents happen in these streets bounded by water, considering the immense population, and the numerous bridges and foot-paths which the public have to pass along. But such is the force of habit, that nothing is found hazardous, or even inconvenient, to which we are habitually accustomed. S. (To be continued.) |