"O goddess, virgin-child Of Jove, relate some part of this to me." Homer calls the lady neither a "virgin" nor a "child," but simply "goddess, daughter of Jove" (9ɛa, vyαTεp Aιos). Mr. Bryant is equally fond of making use of such terms as 66 queen, ," "queenly," "mighty," etc., etc. For instance, we only proceed a few lines farther (v. 19) when we find Calypso styled "queenly nymph," the epithet used by Homer being "venerated" (TOTVI). A little further on we have from Mr. Bryant "the queen of Atreus' son" (v. 48), for the "espoused wife" (aloxov uvηoτnv). Four or five lines lower down (v. 53) we have "queen" again for wife. In the same way Mr. Bryant gives us "Prince Orestes" (line 41) for Homer's "famous” or “ distinguished Orestes” (τηλεκλυτος Ορέστης). Mr. Bryant observes a similar style of politeness in regard to certain of the lower animals; but in this too he is probably influenced by his gallantry, it being well known that there are a great many ladies at the present day whose ears would be offended by such rude terms as "" bulls." Be this as it may, Mr. Bryant translates as follows: 66 oxen, "He went to grace a hecatomb of beeves, And lambs, and sat delighted at the feast."—v, 34-35. Again, "Some beguiled the time With draughts, while sitting on the hides of beeves In one passage Homer uses the genitive V, 133-6. of bulls " (Tavoor), in the other he uses that "of oxen" (Bow). It or a bull," but "There goes a beef." But, on the same principle ought we not to say, "There goes the veal," not "There goes the calf?" Sometimes, however, Mr. Bryant goes to the opposite extreme, and calls the goddesses, as well as the gods, hard names. Thus, for example, in translating Vulcan's complaint against his wife, Venus, he makes the jealous old smith say, -"the impudent minx, His daughter, who is fair, indeed, but false."-B. viii, v. 392–3. In the same passage he calls the God of War the "butcher Mars" (b. 380). Homer is neither so ungallant nor so rude. The term translated "minx" is simply "girl," or "young woman (μovpηs); and what is rendered "false" means in the original "weak-minded" or "fickle," ('arap ou n'exèovμo). Then the term translated "butcher" is merely the adjective "pernicious," or "mischievous" (a'ionλov"). We are sincerely sorry that Mr. Bryant has thus marred some of the finest passages in his translation. Still, there is not a book either of his Iliad, or his Odyssey in which there is not much to admire. Indeed, he sometimes fascinates us so much, in spite of his glaring deviations from the original, that we readily forget his blunders, ludicrous as they sometimes are; and when we cannot forget, we as readily forgive him for them. This has been our feeling in reading most of the sixth book of the Odyssey-especially the advice of Pallas to Nausicaä, in regard to her marriage robes, and the sports of her maidens after the washing is duly performed. There are hints in the following lecture from the blue-eyed goddess, from which many ladies, even of the present day, might profit: "Nausicaä, has thy mother then brought forth A careless housewife? Thy magnificent robes For thus the praise of men is won, and thus I too would go with thee, and help thee there, Of the Phæacians, for thy birth like theirs Since distant from the town the lavers lie."-B. vi, 32—52. The beautiful Nausicaä modestly requests her father to let her go. The result is finely rendered by Mr. Bryant. We extract a part of the narrative, partly for its exquisite beauty, and partly for the agreeable insight which it gives into the social habits of the Greeks of the heroic age. With this truly admirable passage we take leave of Bryant's Homer, only wishing that every one of our readers may read it carefully, and derive as much pleasure from it as we have :— "He spake, and gave command. The grooms obeyed, And, making ready in the outer court The strong-wheeled chariot, led the harnessed mules The scourge and showy reins, and struck the mules For with her went the maidens of her train. Now when they reached the river's pleasant brink Trampled them there in frolic rivalry. And when the task was done, and all the stains And played at ball. Nausicaä the white-armed -Ib., 91-107. ART. VII.-1. Journal of a Residence in Circassia during the years 1837, 1838, and 1839. By JAMES STANISLAUS BELL. 2 vols. London. 1840. 2. Voyage autour du Caucase, chez les Tcherkesses et les Abkhases, en Colchide, en Géorgie, en Arménie, et en Crimée. Par FREDERIC DUBOIS DE MONTPEREUX. vols. Paris. Paris. 1839. 6 3. Receuil des Principaux Traités d'Alliance, de Paix, de Trêve, de Neutralité, de Commerce, de Limites, d' Echange, etc., conclus par les puissances de l'Europe depuis 1761 jusqu'à présent. De G. FR. DE MARTENS. 8 tomes. Göttingen. 1835. 4. Transcaucasia. Sketches of the Nations and Races between the Black Sea and the Caspian. By BARON VON HARTHAUSEN. London. 1854. SINCE the absorption of the whole region of the Caucasus into the Russian empire, and the fall of the heroic Schamyl, the prophet-warrior of the Circassians, the world's interest in a brave and hardy race has greatly diminished; and what little is now felt is mainly directed to speculations as to the result which the annexation of their territory will have upon the Turkish empire. The possession of the countries lying between the Black Sea and the Caspian has undoubtedly given to Russia a commanding position as regards both Turkey and Persia, of which she will not be slow to avail herself when the fitting occasion arrives. It would really seem as if an irresistible force is slowly but surely working on her behalf, by removing from her path the obstacles which have hitherto kept her in check. Eighteen years ago, England and France united their forces to destroy her stronghold on the Black Sea, and force her to abandon her designs on Turkey. At the sacrifice of one hundred thousand men and some hundreds of millions of money, they destroyed Sebastopol, and drove her troops out of the Turkish dominions, limiting the number of her ships-of-war in the Black Sea, and her access to the Mediterranean. And what is there to show for this sacrifice now? Nothing. The treaty of Paris has been practically torn up; Sebastopol is being rebuilt; a chain of military forts and roads is in process of construction from Odessa to Teflis and Erivan; railways are spreading all over Russia, which, according to the most recent travellers, now resembles a vast camp, and Turkey is in greater danger than ever. Whilst the Circassians and the other Caucasian tribes were independent, they were a barrier to the Colossus of the North; and they might have remained so but for the weakness of Turkey and Persia, and the vascillating and short-sighted policy of the European powers, especially England and France. It is curious to note how little was really known by the leading statesmen of England with regard to the position of the Circassians, and the sovereignty over them. In 1838, the subject was brought before the House of Commons, on a |