V.

tation he gives from Jeremiah might have made him approach nearer the truth. —v. LXX, instead of either translating literally though late!' or, at least, paraphrasing it rightly, he makes a paraphrase which is in all probability a false one. v. cI, he interprets the greyhound, Can of Verona, like the commentators, in which he and they may be correct; but the note which he adds is undoubtedly a mere error. When Dante wrote Can was a child, not a "liberal Patron." The prophecy was made af ter the event. So, Mr. Cary should have had too much veneration for the poet he selected to translate, not to pause before adopting an opinion injurious to his memory, that of representing him as the flatterer of a man who was feeding and insulting him. -v. cix, his mis-construction of the entire allegory leads him into the common difficulty of making Can chase avarice" through every town;" which, who can comprehend? -v. cxvII, by citing from Rev. IX. 6. he leads the reader into the mistake of ascribing to second death a signification which it does not, cannot bear, the Biblical one. V. cxxxiv, he mis-interprets S. Peter's gate the gate of Purgatory, instead of Paradise. In the second Canto: v. ix, he is a little inaccurate in translating nobilitate " eminent endowments."

V. XCIII,

For thus he strictly limits the signification of nobility to one and indeed its higher sense; whereas it was probably intended to convey some, though a secondary reference to the birth-rights of its Author at the same time--an observation founded not only on the context of the whole of this poem, but on the aristocratic tone of all his works. "that fierce fire." Yon, etc. would be clearer: for it is necessary to show, that there was no painful fire where Virgil resided. —— v. xciv, Donna gentil is made to mean Divine Mercy; without a notion of her having been a real lady. Yet without it, it were hard to enter into the spirit of the author. Who can well express what he does not feel? V. CVIII, it is an unreasonable deficiency not to have marked the true signification of the allegorical images "death" and "torrent" (fiumana): for it is not so obvious, that every reader may discover it. This observation were not made, had Mr. Cary no notes: but he has many that are mere superfluities, when compared with the necessary explanation of the text. It is to be recollected, Dante was well aware he needed interpretation; and wrote with the intention of commenting himself. - v. cxxiv, Mr. Cary calls the "three maids” Divine Mercy, Lucia, and Beatrice; an odd

jumble of fact and allegory. In all this, he seems not to have quite understood his original. v. CXLII, he makes cammino alto e silvestro "deep and woody way:" it should be steep, etc. per celsa cacumina, as Aquino translates for Dante's descending did not prevent the path from being steep.

Having enumerated what I conceive to be his defects (considered merely literally) and repeated, for the last time, my entire disapproval of his style throughout the whole poem, I do not hesitate to avow again that Mr. Cary's verbal fidelity is in general laudable. Had he written in prose, he might perhaps have been faithfuller to Dante's characteristic concision, and as much so to his various melody as blank verse can well be.

The drawings which I give from time to time, are mere sketches; that pretend to nothing beyond the explication of the text. Particularly as to the topography of Hell (a matter on which so much has been confusedly written) the pencil is occasionally an assistant almost necessary to the pen. With regard to such explanatory drawings, the editions of the Divina Commedia are very defective: not so, with regard to ornamental ones. Some have lately appeared in Italy embellished in a princely

style: but nothing can compare with what we have ourselves. The designs of Mr. Flaxman are of the noblest productions of art, and frequently display a sublime simplicity which is worthy of his great original. Indeed he, who is so able to transfer such creations from one fine art to another, seems of a mind but little inferior to his who could first conceive them. To borrow the words of an excellent Italian sculptor: Mr, Flaxman has translated Dante best; for he has translated him into the universal language of nature.

In undertaking this comment, I am conscious of setting out on a very uncertain enterprize. Life, much less health, no one can calculate on. Yet with these and the encouragement of the public, I shall continue cheerfully. To solicit such encouragement, I send forth the present volume: if it be accorded, a second volume may quickly follow. Protection shall (at least as far mortal vicissitude authorizes a promise) produce attention.