Laocoon. an Essay Upon the Limits of Painting and Poetry. with Remarks Illustrative of Various Points in the History of Ancient Art

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Laocoon. An Essay Upon The Limits Of Painting And Poetry. With Remarks Illustrative Of Various Points In The History Of Ancient Art. PREFACE. A TRANSLATION of the Laocoon was given to the English public by E. C. BEASLEY, one of the tutors of Leamington College, in 1853. Very few copies found their way to America, and the book is now difficult to obtain. The desire of the present translator has been to make a version which could be easily read by persons ignorant of any language save English. To this end an attempt was made to banish all foreign languages from the text, and substitute for the original quotations their equiv- alents, as near as possible, in English. This method was found, however, on trial, to be incom- patible with the closeness of Lessings criti- cism, depending, as that in many cases does, on the shade of meaning of the original word. For the sake of consistency, therefore, Lessings method has been adhered to in every instance the words of the author cited being retained in the text, and a translation given in a foot-note wherever the meaning was not sufficiently indb cated by the context. The same course has been pursued with the modem as with the ancient languages. Drydens translation of Virgil has been used throughout, and Bryants of Homer in every case but one, where a quotation from the Bneid and the Odyssey stood in close connection. In this single instance Popes version was preferred his style being more in harmony with that of Dryden, and his want of literalness being here not objectionable. -, Such notes as were not necessary to the understanding of the text have been transferred to the end of the book. The translator would here acknowledge the valuable assistance- received from Mr. W. T. BRIGHAM in the rendering of quotations , from the classics. BOSTON, June, 1873. ELLEN FROTHINGHAM