Horace's Li:A and Character. By R. M. Hovenclen. (Macmillan.)— One
of Horace's special charms is that he tolls us BO much about him- self, and his tastes and sentiments, with the most delightful frankness. Of all the authors of antiquity, he has perhaps the most distinct person- ality for kis, and hie Satires and Epistles are the sort of literature of which one can never tire, In the pretty little volume, before us, Mr. Hovenden, already favourably known by his metrical paraphrases of the Odes, has made a very liberal selection from the Satires and Epistles of such portions as he thinks will be most interesting to ordinary readers. His version seems to combine accuracy and fidelity with a ihorough perception of what will fall easily and pleasantly on tho ear. We take the following, from the poet's address to his book (page 123):— " When old and doting, it may be your fate To serve an printer in Some village school; Perhaps on some fine evening read aloud. Bearers may learn that I, the freedman's sou, Esno,yed from my poor nent a higher eight, And won by merit what my birth denied,— The favour of the groat, at home, abroad. Of stature low, noon grizzled, fond of warmth, Choleric, I own, but easily appeased. If any one should chance to aide my ago, Say I completed four-and.forly yearn, When Willis had for colleague Leektus."
Mr. Hovenclen has given us the epistle on the Art of Poetry in full, and has, we think, handled it very skilfull description of the characteristics of old ago (page 165) :—
"Old ago has many troubles, seek, and finds; Then, sparing in the nee of what it gets,
Timid anti cold, in business inert, It halts, looks far ahead, proem:alludes; Peevish, unnympathetic with the young, A tedious panegyrist of the pant. Advancing years much profit bring with them, Take much away in passing. An old bead
Pits net young shoulders, nor should boys ape men,
Each phase of life munt play its proper part,"
Si Looks far ahead' is by no moans a bad rendering of the somewhat difficult phrase spa longus, uhich is either equivalent to U5a?..0.4, or else
y- Here is the well-known may point to a tendency in the old not to expect the speedy realisation of their hopoe. We are sure that Mr. Hovendon's agreeable little volume will bo welcome to many who wish, without much expenditure of time or labour, to refresh their memories of one of the most popular and delightful of the Classics.
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