[To THE EDITOR or THE SPECTATOR...1 SIR.—I shall be very
grateful if you would kindly refer me to the author of the lines quoted in the article "The Greek Spirit versus Greek Grammar" appearing in your issue of March 15th. I mean the lines beginning :—
"There the blue sea gave them greeting when their triremes' conquering files," Ac.
And I should like to know the name of the volume they appear in with publisher's name. I had learned a very little Greek at school, and a couple of years ago, long after it had all been forgotten but the alphabet, I determined to teach myself as much as was necessary to read the Gospels in the original. I got on much better than I had hoped, and have now been through almost all the New Testament A month ago I began Hecuba, and am now nearly through without having had to slip a Biagio passage as regards either translation or con- struing. I seem to have been infected with a great enthusiasm, and your article coming just when it did has made me more ambitions and determined than ever "to feel the full force of that divine pulsation." But I am a very busy man, and have lees leisure than I should like. For that very reason, however, and to correct in some measure the sordid trend of a bank manager's life, I am moat torsions to continue my Greek [Here are the relevant stanzas of Mr. Ernest Myers's delight- ful poem:— " Grant me all the store of knowledge, grant me all the wealth that is,
Swiftly, surely, I would answer, Give MO rather, give me this
Bear use hack across the ages to the years that are no more, Give me one sweet month of spring time on the old Saronie shore; Not as one who marvels mournful, seeing with a sad desire Shattered temples, crumbling columns, ashes of a holy fire; But a man with men Hellenic doing that which there was done.
There among the sons of Athens, not a stranger but a son. There the blue sea gave them greeting when their triremes' conquering files
Swam :superb with rhythmic oarage through the multitude of isles.
There they mot the Mede and brake him, beat him to ]tit elavish Boat; Who was he, a guest unwished-for bursting on their fr man's feast?
There the ancient celebration to the maiden queen of fight Led the long august procession upward to the pillared height There they sought the feet of Wisdom, pilgrims on a holy quest; Ray by ray the sun of knowledge dawned upon the wakening West.
Every thought of all their thinking swayed the world for good or ill,
Every pulse of all their lifeblood beats across the ages still." The publishers of Mr. Myers's poems are Messrs. Macmillan and Co.—En. Spectator.]
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