Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 12.djvu/171

 xii. AUG. 29, 1903.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

163

is likely to get far in 'The Anatomy."' Allowing, however, the desirability of trans- lations, we find that this part of the editor's work is particularly open to criticism.

In the first place there is a want of system. While such simple phrases as "secreta Minervse" are translated, whereby the im- patient reader is reminded of Carlyle's " oui (yes) " in his account of Queen Sophie Char- lotte's death, a large number of more difficult Latin passages have no English rendering attached to them.

Secondly, Shilleto's practice of inserting within the actual text translations, enclosed in square brackets, of Latin words has an irritating effect, and tends, moreover, to obscure characteristic features of Burton's style.

For example, in vol. i. p. 65,1. 11 ('D. to the R.'); p. 33, 1. 8 from foot, in 6th edit. : " Like those Celts in Damascene, with ridiculous valour, k ut dedecorosum putarent muro ruenti se subducere,' a disgrace to run away for a rotten wall, now ready to fall on their heads," A. R. S. inserts "[so that they thought it]" before "a disgrace." But Burton not un- frequently adds a translation or paraphrase of the latter part of a Latin quotation, as in the instance just quoted, where the object is restated in English, the meaning of the Latin verb which governs it being felt in the reader's mind. This is one of the peculiar "notes "of Burton's method of writing. It is clear that the impression produced by it differs widely from that given by a complete English version, and that the filling out of the translation by the editor has a coarsening effect. Shilleto, it may be observed, gives no reference here. See the passage of Nicolaus (Damascenus) in Stobseus's ' Florilegium,' vii. 40, and C. Miiller's 'Fragg. Hist. Grsec.,' vol. iii. p. 457.

Another example of this peculiarity of Burton occurs in vol. i. p. 441, 1. 9 from foot (Part. I. sect. iii. memb. i. subs. i. ; p. 180, 1. 4, in 6th edit.): "'ingentes habent & crebras vigilias (Aretseus),' mighty and often watch- ings, sometimes waking for a month, a year together." Here again Shilleto inserts "[they have]" before "mighty."

Vol. ii. p. 132, 1. 2 from foot (Part. II. sect. ii. memb. vi. subs. iii. ; p. 299, 1. 5, in 6th edit.) : ing meg [roaring-meg in 4th edit, and 6th edit.] against melancholy." A. R. S. here inserts "[music is]" before "a roaring meg." For the line " Musica mentis medicina mcestse " see 'N. & Q.,' 3 rd S. xii. 412, and Prof. Skeat's 'Student's Pastime,' p. 28.
 * t * Musica est mentis medicina moestee,' a roar-

A curious instance of the way in which

Burton combines English and Latin words as part of one " construction " is in vol. iii. p. 32 (Part. III. sect. i. memb. ii. subs. iii. at the end; p. 426 in 6th edit.): "they shall male audire in all succeeding ages." We may com- pare with this Bentley's "But of some incidental things I do trrt\civ " (Sir R. Jebb's ' Bentley,' p. 28 j.

In vol. iii. p. 256, 1. 7 from foot (Part. III. sect. ii. memb. v. subs. iii. ; p. 569 in 6th edit., where the member is given as vi.), " * Nihil est magis intolerable dite,' there 's nothing so intolerable," Shilleto, after printing " dote " instead of dite, proceeds to insert " [as a large dowry] " ! That dite is right is shown by the "Dives ruinam sedibus inducit" which has just been quoted. "Nihil est magis intolerable dite" looks like a memory quota- tion of Juvenal, vi. 460 : " Intolerabilius nihil est quam femina dives."

In the third place many of Shilleto's trans- lations contain serious errors, and he some- times contrives entirely to miss the point of the quotation with which he is dealing.

One of the most extraordinary instances may be seen on p. 136 of vol. i. After having said, "I must needs except Lipsius and the Pope, and expunge their name out of the catalogue of fools," Burton is printed by Shilleto as saying, "For besides that para- sitical testimony of Dousa,

A sole exoriente Mseotidas usque paludes, Nemo est qui justo se sequiparare queat ;

Lipsius said of himself," &c. ["said" ought to be" saith " ; see 6th edit, and 4th edit.]. The editor offers the following translation in a foot-note: "From the rising sun to the Mseotid Lake, there is not one that can fairly put himself in comparison with them." To use Macaulay's words, " it requires no Bentley or Casaubon to perceive that " justo is the scholar's Christian name, and ought to have a capital letter. It is Lipsius, not Lipsius and the Pope, that the lines declare to be beyond the reach of rivalry. The sixth edition (p. 75, ' D. to the R.') has justo here, but the fourth lusto. It might be noted that these lines are adapted from the lines of Ennius quoted by Cicero in the * Tusculan Disputations,' V. xvii. 49.

In vol. ii. p. 153 (Part. II. sect. iii. memb. i. subs. i. ; p. 311 in 6th edit.), in the Sapphic stanza from Boetius, Shilleto's edition has the unmetrical "domat" instead of donat, and the words " superata tellus sidera donat " are translated in a foot-note " The earth brings the stars to subjection."

And here, as in private duty bound, I may protest against " Terra Australis incognita'" (vol. i. p. 108, 1. 10 from foot 'D. to the R.'; p. 59,