ARISTOPHANES AND SOPIIOCLES.
[To TEE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIB,—Will you allow me a corner to question a statement made in your review of " Thalwall's Remains," Vol. III.? The reviewer states, apropos of an "undue preference of 2Eschylua to Bpplio, oleo," that we are bound to remember that the yowager, poet—rk i.e., Sophocles—has upon his side a poet and critic not one whit superior to the best of /Eschylus's supporters ; and in know- ledge of Greek, superior to all of them,—Aristophanes." Is there not a slip here ? We can only know the literary opinions of Aristophanes from his dramas ; will your reviewer bring forward, out of them, any praise of Sophocles that will counterbalance -the overwhelming evidence of "The Frogs"? That whole play asserts the supremacy of /Eschylus; particularly, it is true, as compared to Euripides, but Sophocles is not forgotten. See vv. 786-94 (Oxford text), where Sophocles himself declines the -contest, as against tEschylus, though ready to contend with Euripides.—I am, Sir, &c., College, Winchester, April 13th. E. D. A. MORSHEAD.
[It was precisely from what appeared to be the overwhelming segative evidence of "The Frogs" that the inference was drawn as to Aristophanes' opinion.—En. Spectator.]
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