Attended Prayers and recitation in Topography. After breakfast, I went as usual to lecture. He commenced today the account of Musaeus. He was the scholar and imitator of Orpheus and Linus. He was by some called the founder of the mysteries, his name has led to the supposition that he was not actually a man, but this, as he had already mentioned, was no way of judging. Almost all ancient and many modern names having meanings of some sort attached to them. He is supposed to have been an Athenian and to have lived 1253 before Christ. Many works were ascribed to him under a variety of names, mentioned in the pamphlet.1 He was highly respected, as may be proved by the decision mentioned yesterday concerning Onomacritus. Orpheus is made in the present hymns to ascribe his first to him and Virgil makes him first of the Elysian bards. He is supposed to have been the son of Eumolpus, itself a name signifying a good singer, who led a Thracian emigration into Greece, two or three generations before Theseus. It is very probable that he flourished at Athens as this city had already begun to flourish. It was the only place for a long time which had received a fixed permanent population by it’s navigation. 362It’s being surrounded by mountains in the north and the isthmus in the south, it was comparatively safe from the incursions of enemies.

But notwithstanding the credibility of traditions concerning him, his works are lost. Plato, Aristotle and Pausanias have preserved Fragments but it is impossible to believe their authenticity. There is one work with his name but writers with only one exception ascribe it to the age before Nonnus, as the work of an Alexandrian Grammarian of the eighth century. The names are given in the pamphlet. It is the story of Hero and Leander, so well known it does not require mentioning. Father Hardouin argues that as a medal existed representing a man swimming across the Hellespont, that by it was meant a great exertion of strength such as man ought to make, and that the motto meant the strength of a man instead of Hero and Leander. This is a fine specimen of Father Hardouin’s general force in criticism and in plausibility, he mentioned the other day. The work though much valued at the revival of letters is now very little read. The princeps edition is one of the Aldine press.

Suidas speaks of an author older than Homer by the name of Palaephatus. There were four of the name, one of whom wrote a work which is partly extant now. We read part of it in the Graeca Minora. They were concerning the fabulous parts of mythology, giving explanations to all the accounts which are related. These explanations are all made by the Alexandrian Grammarians as it is very certain no ideas of the sort ever existed in writing concerning the sacred parts of their religion. The style is so mixed moreover that it is very possible that much in it is of very high antiquity with large interpolations. There are two more Greek authors of the Anti Homeric age, of whom only Latin versions are supposed to exist. One wrote, Isidore says, of the wars of the Greeks and Trojans, his name was Dares and he was a Phrygian. AElian says, his Iliad was extant in his time. The Latin work now extant treats of the fall of Troy. It is supposed to be a translation made by Nepos and sent to Sallust with a letter which is inserted in the pamphlet.2 This is not known to be the version of the Greek work noticed by AElian. Fabricius supposes that AElian referred to a prose work and consequently to one of later date, but he thought from the context which he quoted that there was no ground for such an hypothesis. The work extant would of course not be a translation of it. The work extant is a prose summary of a Latin Poem written in the dark centuries.

The second pretended Anti Homeric author is Dictys of Crete. He is not spoken of by any ancient author whatever. John of Antioch first 363mentions his book on the Trojan War in six parts. He is said to have been a native of Greece and wrote a journal of the Trojan war on the bark of the linden tree which was buried in Crete. At the earthquake in the time of Nero, this chest of tin which contained the book was thrown up, found and sent to Rome where it was translated by Septimius, according to the account given in his own preface to the history which is also inserted in the pamphlet.3 This work is by some supposed to be a fabrication of the age of Diocletian, though not written as Perizonius intimates with any intention of opposing Christianity. Some people have supposed it original in Latin but the more probable account is that it was translated by Septimius. Laccaus asserted that no Greek text of it is extant but Leo Allatius states that there is, although he mentions no particulars.

After Lecture, I went home and read my Astronomy over. I do not think the work a good one for instruction. It has nothing clear and distinct in it, one has to refer from one part of the book to another and then back again, receive impressions entirely incorrect in the mean time, which you have only to get off your mind again. I have gathered but little even from his lectures. He today explained the motions of the satellites of Jupiter, and calculations made on them. He also explained the theory of gravitation round their primary, as it appeared to be a law among all that we know, to present the same side always. This is not the case with respect to the primaries revolving round the Sun as they are at a distance too great from the Sun to feel it’s effects so powerfully. He explained the reasons why we saw the shadow of the satellites of Jupiter upon that body, when they were passing before the Sun and on the whole was unusually amusing today.

After recitation and dinner, I sat down and got my lesson in Paley. We are now upon a part of his work which I can see but little objection to but which I feel to be a system of morals adapted rather to make me a villain by seeing how easily the barriers may be broken than by really making me conscious of principles, bind me to a regular course of action.

The afternoon over with Prayers, I spent an hour writing my Journal and then attended Mr. Ticknor’s Lecture. In 1642 1643 Corneille presented the Menteur, a comedy which made an example upon the French stage which awakened Moliere. In 1646 he came out with Rodogune a play which he himself preferred above all others but the four first acts are entirely sacrificed to form the tremendous power of the fifth. Next came Don Sancho of Arragon, a piece drawn from 364the Spanish of Lope de Vega—it is full of wild and romantic incident but it fell at last—it failed upon representation. This reminded him it was time to leave the stage, as has been previously mentioned, and he did not come again upon it until 1659 when he wrote Andromeda and Psyche and for the thirteen years following he wrote twelve pieces, none however so good as his former attempts. Hitherto he had enjoyed the field undisputed, without a rival, but now he was about to find an obstacle in a man who was to be a rival and in time to become his superior upon the French stage, in 1664.

Racine at this time produced his Andromaque in 1667. Henrietta, the princess who was at this time residing here, determined that these two great writers should take the same subject and she managed it so that they knew nothing of what each other were doing. Thus they produced at about the same time the tragedy of Berenice. She had formerly been in love with the king, but as policy required a separation, she had given way. This sacrifice to principle is so similar to what she had read in the story of Berenice in Tacitus that she requested a play to be made of it. That of Racine’s was represented a week before Corneille’s and was completely successful, while the other as totally failed. He afterwards produced Surena but he felt that it was time for him to retire. He had written much lately but there was no probability he would ever equal what had gone before. Racine had now come out with Iphigenia and was evidently fast eclipsing him, he therefore employed himself in writing afterwards books of a religious nature such as the version of Thomas a Kempis which are of little or no value. He was the author of thirty four dramas and by it was the founder of French tragedy and comedy. A revolutionary movement had commenced in the preceding age and he was under its influence. The power of the nobles even had been crushed by Louis the 11th and liberty was gone. This was what galled Corneille and many passages of the Horatii breathe principles which evidently show a violent contest in his mind between his natural feelings and his desire to please the reigning power.

He then summed up in more space than I can give the character of the man which he said we liked when we discovered what was really his own. Racine was born in 1639, at five years of age he became an orphan, he was educated at Port Royal and would never have been distinguished had it not been for a chance ode to Cardinal Mazarin which attracted notice and was followed up by another to the Queen. They neither have much merit but they got him a pension. In 1664 he produced les Freres Ennemis, a regular play but not at all predic-365tive of his future merit as a writer. He said more which I shall insert in my tomorrow’s account as I have filled enough today. I returned home, wrote my Journal, spent half an hour with Otis and retired.

XI.

Attended Prayers and recitation, was called upon and acquitted myself as well as usual. After breakfast attended Lecture which consisted of observations upon the Anti homeric writers as he had given them. These works he said had been upon for the sake of making a regular series until the time of Homer but true authenticity begins with him. The causes of the greatness of the Greeks is a question often discussed. We do not treat of the respective merits of nations standing on the same point of refinement but we inquire into the first efforts of humanity which will of necessity happen in some age or other. On this account, before the Homeric age, local causes had little influence in directing light to particular parts of Greece. No division of tribes had been made nor was there any distinction of country made. Indeed as to the reasons for different sorts of improvement in different situations, we can make out but few after assigning some gross, geographical causes. The inference which was drawn by Rousseau, although it has obtained much notice, is not correct, that a man when in a savage state must be in a state of nature. A man is truly in a state of nature when all his faculties, mental and bodily, are developed to the greatest perfection and not as in a savage state when he knows but half himself.

But the first fact we have in Grecian history is that improvement was capricious, and the second, that where once commenced, it all tended to that part of Greece which afterwards became the metropolis of refinement. There was no political distribution so late as the Trojan war and but one tribe, the Achaeans, had a name. Before that, exploits and expeditions were conducted by families and merely concerned them, there was no great national spirit, though it was evidently increasing. Of this sort of expedition are the three cases mentioned in the pamphlet, the Seven against Thebes, which has since been the subject of a beautiful play by Aeschylus, The Cretan under Theseus and the Argonautic, as piracy at that time was not considered blameable. These deeds had their effect by introducing much refinement 366into the country and prepared them for the Trojan war which was the first thing which brought them all together, and by it’s length formed a union, as they soon discovered that without it they never could hope to succeed in the object of their contest.

Modern criticism has doubted the whole history of Troy, but those who doubt it ought to bring as probable an account of the rise of the Greek character. There is a great similarity between this history and that of the Crusades which first gave a character to the different nations of Europe. But he assumed for a moment the Trojan war as actually having happened, and observed that the consequences of it did not answer the first promise, as for sometime the nations were engaged in civil broils and local contests which checked the progress of civilizations. Four tribes were formed however which may be reduced to two, the Ionic and the Doric which last was not settled until the return of the Heracleids Heraclidae after the Trojan war. These internal troubles however had one good effect, by settling Asia Minor with Ionians who founded many extremely flourishing states. It has been urged by English writers with respect to this country that no colony could ever equal it’s parent but here we have in the very first example in history a contradiction of the assertion. For while improvement was arrested in the elder country Man’s genius had reached it’s achme in it’s first flight and the books of Homer were produced. We are in possession of poems which after all deductions, were substantially composed in Ionia, and which have never since been equalled. They had a great effect upon the literature of the country although not so much as could have been expected had it not been for the troubled state of the times. The heroic age passed away and with it went all attempt at equal excellence. The Cyclic poets succeeded, of whom he will speak hereafter. The most glorious effect of Homer’s poems was that it gave such an impulse upon the national spirit that Lycurgus, who in his institutions was opposed to the admission of literature and who being a Dorian was bound to oppose an Ionian poet, nevertheless had them collected and brought to Sparta to animate his country men with a national spirit. Solon did the same at a later period.

After Lecture, I returned home, copied my Theme and carried it to Mr. Channing. He informed me that he never read my themes, indeed he treats me in a way so singular that I do not know what to make of it, and only hope to have some future opportunity of repaying him. I spent the rest of the morning in writing my Notes out which is a most interminable labour. In the Afternoon, I found that if on Saturday morning we had obtained one gratification, we had lost another in 367having an exercise now, but I found we are rather on the winning side as we gain every Saturday and we lose only every other Thursday. I paid considerable attention to my lesson but he went upon the other side. This is an excellent way Mr. Hedge has of confining himself to the one or other half of the class and in this way putting a part, at least, out of all anxiety.

After Prayers the whole battalion drilled for the Rifle Exercise and most heartily disgusted me with the Company. I feel mortified at the way I had been treated and grieved for the conduct of men or rather boys tonight, I made a formal complaint against Brigham and am determined never to have him in my company again, this I also stated, and that I should resign rather than see him there. My feelings had been irritated to an uncommon degree, and I had tried what consisted with my duty to myself, this having failed, the same principle actuates me to my decision. Our drill having been so long, I had no opportunity to go home and obtain my note book so that I could take no notes this Evening and shall have to depend on my memory and an illegible manuscript of Sheafe’s. Human nature is a singular contradiction. I did the very thing at Mr. Ticknor’s lecture, to tease him, which had been done by others to me. To be sure, I did not disgrace myself, but was merely foolish and have since been ashamed.

Alexandre may also be called not much of a tragedy. In 1667 however he1 produced Andromaque, being 27 years old. In this he evidently manifested that he had caught the spirit of the Ancients. Love is the plot of this play, a passion on which almost all later pieces have turned. In 1668 he produced the “Plaideurs,” a Comedy which he imitated from Aristophanes. This is divided into three acts and although not a perfect Comedy is a most exquisite Farce. He hit off with true Attic wit the wretched manner of delivering judgment in law and may be called an admirable model. This play did not succeed first, but when represented at Versailles before the King, he, though a grave man, was continually laughing during the whole piece. It became of course a favourite at the court and has continued ever since to be represented with applause upon the French stage. In 1669 Brittanicus came out, a play which had cost him much labour, indeed more than any of his others, but which at its first representation scarcely passed without condemnation. The subject is drawn from Tacitus and is one capable of high finish. The play has since risen to it’s proper place and is now very popular. In 1670 Berenice appeared, the success of which has been already mentioned. In 1672 Bajazet appeared and Mithridate in the year following. Voltaire, who has a right to judge upon such an occa-368sion, pronounces Iphigenie, his next play which came out in the succeeding year, to be the best piece on the French stage. The characters are marked and prominent, his diction is exquisite and his manner is elegantly fluent. The second quality he probably possessed in greater perfection than any other French author. In 1677 Phedre was represented. This was his final piece and it was not destined to pass through without undergoing the severe criticism of a party who were jealous of his success and could not forgive him for surpassing Corneille. They consequently excited so much opposition to him that it affected him very much, he felt offended at the attacks of his rivals and was deeply wounded at the reception of this last of his productions.

He determined to leave the Stage and at the age of 38 he took farewell of the stage. At first he thought of entering a monastic order but at last he determined to retire and devote himself to educating his children. His character instantly changed with his course of life and he became insensible to the favour of the court and to the fame of his works. He was appointed in conjunction with Boileau, an intimate friend of his, historiographer to the king, a place to which he was by no means suited. Religion which had so early taken hold in his mind again took possession of him and he became melancholy. At this time Madame Maintenon had become the wife of Louis the 14th and she had formed a College for young females at St. Cyr. These used to 2 parts of plays and found it difficult to select those which should be entirely proper to represent them. She therefore applied to Racine to write one according to her conception which should be perfectly fitted for such a purpose. I must restrict myself so I shall write a continuation when I have leisure. After returning home, I spent the rest of my time in writing my Journal. X:30.