Space is infinite, material atoms are infinite, but the world is not infinite. This, then, is not the only world, or the only material fyltem that exifts. The cause whence this visible fyftem originated is com petent to produce others; it has been acting perpetually from all eternity; and there are other worlds and other fyftems of worlds exifting around us. In the vaft immenfity of space, there are alío other be ings than man, poffeffed of powers of intellect and enjoyment far fuperior to our own: beings who exifted before the formation of the world, and will exift when the worid fhall perish for ever; whofe happinefs flows unlimited, and unallayed; and whom the tumults and paffions of grofs matter can never agitate. Thefe, the founder of the fyftem denominated gods :-not that they created the univerfe, or are poffeffed of a power of upholding it; for they are finite and created beings themfelves, and endowed alone with finite capacities and powers ;but from the uninterrupted beatitude and tranquillity they enjoy, their everlasting freedom from all anxiety and care. I. cviii. cxi. Some such abstract as this, indeed, we conceive to be altogether indispensable to every English reader, who may have courage to venture upon this translation. The system is not developed in the original with any extraordinary regard to method or perspicuity; and we must say for Mr Good's prose, that it is infinitely more luminous, as well as more harmonious, than the greater part of his verse. The poetical merits of Lucretius have been a good deal obscured by the faults of his philosophy, and still more by their injudicious application to a system of so intricate and comprehensive a nature. It has been said of him, that when he put on the philosopher, he put off the poet; and laid aside his philosophy, in like manner, when he chose to be poetical. It would have been better for his reputation, in both capacities, if this had been true,-if he had reserved his poetry for episodes and introductions, and confined himself, in the body of the work, to an argumentative exposition of his system, which might have been in verse, without any disadvantage. But the boldness of his genius, his unfeigned enthusiasm for the subject he had undertaken, and the immature state of the critical and poetical art among his countrymen, effectually excluded such a distribution and led him to incumber and embellish his reasonings with tender, sublime, and fanciful illustrations, while his genius was perpetually recalled from its flights by the details and intricacies of his philosophy. His work, therefore, is extremely unequal, and, in many places, insufferably tedious and fatiguing. But it is full of genius; and contains more poetry, we are inclined to. think, than any other production of the Latin muse. With less skill-less uniform propriety-and less sustained dignity than Virgil, it has always appeared to us, that he had more natural gemus genius and original spirit; that his diction in his happier passages was sweeter and more impressive; and all the movements of his mind more free, simple, and energetic. His latinity is beautiful; and a certain mixture of obsolete expressions, gives it an antique air that is very interesting. These are the chief merits of the work; and certainly they are not to be found in every part of it: yet it has an interest of another kind, which would be lost, if it were reduced to a collection of choice passages. From the great extent of the subject, and the infinite variety and miscellaneous nature of the illustrations, it presents us with a more lively and comprehensive picture of the state of the arts and sciences at the time of its composition, and of the way of thinking and arguing that was then in fashion, than any other work which has come down to us of the same period. But though, for all these reasons, we would recommend the study of Lucretius to all who have any relish for ancient learning, we can scarcely say that it gave us any pleasure to hear that a new attempt had been made to introduce him to the English reader. There is no poet, perhaps, so difficult to translate happily. His graceful, pure, simple, and melodious diction, could scarcely be transfused into another language; and there is an occasional tenderness and delicacy in his finer passages, which must defy the imitation of any one who could toil through his philosophy. Then the philosophy itself, occupying three fourths of the poem, is wholly insufferable to a modern reader: and to preserve the semblance of verse, without an entire sacrifice of perspicuity or coherence, must be more difficult than to put Homer's catalogue into harmonious couplets. To say that Mr Good has failed to make an interesting English poem out of the work of Lucretius, would only be saying that he had not wrought an impossibility. But we are afraid he has more than this to answer for; and that he is chargeable with a pretty considerable share of the ennui and perplexity, the giddiness and intellectual lassitude which we encountered in our perusal of his two huge quartos. His pace in verse, we are compelled to say, is very heavy and shuffling. He has some strength, but no grace or spirit; and neither catches the fire, nor copies the elegance of his original. The grave, dignified, and sententious passages, are those he manages most tolerably ;--the noble and magnificent, he tames and subdues completely;-the tender and mellifluous, he makes stiff and ordinary;-and the common argumentative ones, he contrives to rob of their only merit, by the use of a pompous and obscure diction, which effectually conceals the simplicity and precision of the original statement. It appears to us, also, that he has sometimes mistaken the sense of his author; and we are positive that he has often expressed it most most imperfectly. We shall now give a few specimens, both of his failures and successes. One of the most splendid passages in the original, is that part of the invocation to Venus, where she is represented as holding the god of battles in her embraces. Quo magis æternum da dictis, Diva, leporem. Hunc tu, Diva, tuo recubantem corpore fancto Funde, petens placidam Romanis, incluta, pacem. Of this beautiful picture, Mr Good presents us with the fol lowing indifferent copy. 33 Then, O, vouchfafe thy favour, power divine! I. 15.-19. And vain th' attempt to claim his patron's ear. The following sketch of the dæmon of Superstition has infinite spirit and sublimity in the original. Humana ante oculos fede quom vita jaceret In terris, obpreffa gravi fub Religione; Quæ caput a coli regionibus obtendebat, Horribili fuper adfpectu mortalibus inftans; Primum Graius homo mortaleis tollere contra Eft oculos aufus, primufque obfiftere contra: Quem neque fana deûm, nec fulmina, nec minitanti Murmure Murmure compreffit cœlum; fed eo magis acrem Atque omne immenfum peragravit mente animoque : which Mr Good has thus rendered. Them long the tyrant power Of Superftition fway'd, uplifting proud Of heaven incens'd, or deities in arms. Urg'd rather, hence, with more determin❜d foul, Of heaven to scale, and dart his dauntless eye, 1 Till the vaft whole beneath him ftood display'd.' I. 22-25. Now, this is not only feeble, but extremely licentious, In the first place, we have always understood that the poet meant to lodge his whole spectre in the clouds; at least there is nothing in the original about brooding o'er earth with horrific limbs; and still less about a combat,' or 'breaking an iron rod.' In the next place, we conceive that Mr Good has misrepresented the meaning of the lines, Quem neque fana deûm,' &c. which we conceive to be, not that he escaped the vengeance of the gods, but that he was not deterred by the awe of their temples, or the sound of the thunder, from inquiring into the mysteries of nature. We give the whole translation of the sacrifice of Iphigenia, as a fair specimen of Mr Good's qualifications for the task he has undertaken. Nor deem the truths Philofophy reveals Corrupt the mind, or prompt to impious deeds. Urg'd the fell Grecian chiefs, with virgin blood, Repentant Repentant half, and hiding their keen fteel, Of Grecian navies, favour'd thus with gales. Such are the crimes that Superftition prompts!' I. 25—31. Nothing can be more loose, or more unlike the manner of Lucretius, than the introductory lines of this version. The ten lines after Th' officious priests,' are not without merit; but the close is mean and ungraceful. The introductory lines to the second book, Suave, mari magno,' &c. are presented to the English reader in this cold and spiritless translation. How sweet to stand, when tempefts tear the main, On the firm cliff, and mark the feaman's toil! Not that another's danger fooths the foul, To mark the ftrife for honours, and renown, For wit and wealth, infatiate, ceafelefs urg'd, Day after day, with labour unreftrain'd. ' I. 181-183. The beautiful passage which has been so often imitated, Si non aurea sunt juvenum simulacra,' &c. is given with more fidelity; and is, upon the whole, a very favourable specimen of Mr Good's execution. What, though the dome be wanting, whofe proud walls A thousand lamps irradiate, propt fublime By frolic forms of youths in maffy gold, Flinging their fplendours o'er the midnight feaft; VOL. X. NO. 19. P Near |