TheDivineComedyofDanteAlighieri。TranslatedbyHenryWadsworthLongfellow。3vols。Boston:Ticknor&Fields，1867。
THEtaskofatranslatorisathanklessoneatbest。Beheneversoskilfulandaccurate，beheneversoamplyendowedwiththedivinequalificationsofthepoet，itisstillquestionableifhecaneversucceedinsayingsatisfactorilywithnewwordsthatwhichhasoncebeeninimitablysaid——saidforalltime——withtheoldwords。Psychologically，thereisperhapsnothingmorecomplexthananelaboratepoem。Thesourcesofitseffectuponourmindsmaybelikenedtoasystemofforceswhichisinthehighestdegreeunstable；andtheslightestdisplacementofphrases，bydisturbingthedelicaterhythmicalequilibriumofthewhole，mustinevitablyawakenajarringsensation。“MatthewArnoldhasgivenusanexcellentseriesoflecturesupontranslatingHomer，inwhichhedoubtlesssucceedsinshowingthatsomemethodsoftranslationarepreferabletoothers，butinwhichheprovesnothingsoforciblyasthatthesimplicityandgrace，therapidity，dignity，andfire，ofHomerarequiteincommunicable，savebytheverywordsinwhichtheyfirstfoundexpression。AndwhatisthussaidofHomerwillapplytoDantewithperhapsevengreaterforce。WithnearlyallofHomer’sgrandeurandrapidity，thoughnotwithnearlyallhissimplicity，thepoemofDantemanifestsapeculiarintensityofsubjectivefeelingwhichwasforeigntotheageofHomer，asindeedtoallpre-Christianantiquity。Butconcerningthisweneednotdilate，asithasoftenbeendulyremarkedupon，andnotablybyCarlyle，inhis“LecturesonHero-Worship。“Whothathasonceheardthewailofunutterabledespairsoundingintheline“Ahi，duraterra，perchenont’apristi？“
canrestsatisfiedwiththeinterpretation“Ah，obdurateearth，whereforedidstthounotopen？“
yetthisrenderingisliterallyexact。
AsDantehimselfobserves，“Eperosappiaciascuno，chenullacosaperlegamemusaicoarmonizzatasipuodellasueloquelainaltratrasmutaresanzaromperetuttasuedolcezzaearmonia。EquestaelaragionepercheOmerononsimutodigrecoinlatino，comel’altrescritturecheavemodaloro:equestaelaragionepercheiversidelPsalterosonosanzadolcezzadimusicaed’armonia；cheessifuronotrasmutatid’ebreoingreco，edigrecoinlatino，enellaprimatrasmutazionetuttaquelladolcezzavennemeno。“Convito，I。7，OpereMinori，Tom。