BYRON AND DANTE.—A CORRECTION.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "S1'ECTATOR.1 Sia,—May I be allowed to point out that the writer of the interesting and appreciative review of my "Dante in English Literature" in the Spectator for June 26th is mistaken in supposing that Byron's rendering in "Don Juan" of the opening lines of the eighth canto of the " Purgatorio " is not included in the book ? The lines in question will be found in their chrono- logical place, under Byron, on p. 42 of the second volume. Most readers probably will share your reviewer's opinion as to the beauty of Byron's adaptation of these lines. Cary, however, curiously enough, could see no merit whatever in Byron's rendering. In his "Criticisms of English Poets" he writes of Byron :—" How insensible he was to the charm of a deep and tranquil feeling may be seen in his imitation of an exquisite passage in Dante, which many have attempted to imitate, but which no one except him could have so marred and distorted." He then prints the lines from the third canto of "Don Juan" quoted by your reviewer, together with the passage from the "Purgatorio " in the original Italian.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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