From Walter Bagehot’s “Béranger,” 1857:“The point in which Béranger most resembles Horace is that which is the most essential in the characters of them both – their geniality. This is the very essence of the poems of society; it springs in the verses of amusement, it harmonises with acquiescing sympathy the poems of indifference. And yet few qualities in writing are so rare. A certain malevolence enters into literary ink; the point of the pen pricks. Pope is the very best example of this. With every desire to imitate Horace, he cannot touch any of his subjects, or any kindred subjects, without infu… waisberg.micro.blog
Walter Bagehot on Horace (From “Béranger,” 1857):“…the spirit of Horace is alive, and as potent as that of any man. His tone is that of prime ministers; his easy philosophy is that of courts and parliaments; you may hear his words where no other foreign words are ever heard. He is but the extreme and perfect type of a whole class of writers, some of whom exist in every literary age, and who give an expression to what we may call the poetry of equanimity, that is, the world’s view of itself; its self-satisfaction, its conviction that you must bear what comes, not hope for much, think some evil, neve… waisberg.micro.blog
By the time of his death in 1955, Sir Ronald Storrs had collected about 350 translations of the Ode to Pyrrha, including 150 to English, 54 to French, 35 to Italian, 24 to German, 14 to Spanish — and the others to some 25 different languages. By 1959, Sir Charles Tennyson had found 100 additional translati... waisberg.micro.blog
Remembering Nicholas Rescher, A Gentle Giant by John Haldane
“This little collection is dedicated above all to those persons who have no system and belong to no party and are therefore still free to doubt whatever is doubtful and to maintain what is not.” (Paul Valéry, Foreword to Outlook for Intelligence)
The Humanity of Horace by Llewelyn Morgan.
Hod Hasharon, Israel, 2024
All the President’s Mien by Theodore Dalrymple.
Theodore Dalrymple on The Food Police.Jacques Barzun on Administering and the Law:
“Administering as opposed to administration may be defined by this example. Some years ago a distinguished physician in Boston was doing research on several related afflictions characterized by anemia. He developed a new treatment, which included a strictly controlled diet. One day, entering a patient’s room, he met the nurse coming out with the lunch tray, where he saw each of the prescribed dishes eaten only in part or not at all. He had a sudden revelation of his oversight. The carefully measured gluten, proteins… waisberg.micro.blog
Patrick Kurp on Joseph Epstein
Collections of English Translations of the Odes. Update: 53 Translations Added!172 translations of Solvitur Acris Hiems (Odes I.4) 218 translations of Vides Ut Alta (Odes I.9) 223 translations of Carpe Diem (Odes I.11) 249 translations of Integer Vitae (Odes I.22) 181 translations of Vitas Hinnuleo (Odes… waisberg.micro.blog
Another year! – another deadly blow! Another mighty Empire overthrown! And We are left, or shall be left, alone; The last that dare to struggle with the Foe. ‘Tis well! from this day forward we shall know. That in ourselves our safety must be sought; That by our own right hands it must be wrought; That we ... waisberg.micro.blog
Broken Codes of Conduct by Theodore Dalrymple.
New Collection of Translations: 232 English Translations of Horace’s Persicos Odi (Odes I.38). Including Translations by: William Cowper, Hartley Coleridge, William Makepeace Thackeray, C. S. Calverley, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Austin Dobson, Willa Cather, Franklin P. Adams, Ford Madox Ford, and Muriel Spark.
New Collection of Translations:
Collections of English Translations of the Odes (Updated):169 translations of Solvitur Acris Hiems (Odes I.4) – NEW! 207 translations of Vides Ut Alta (Odes I.9) 220 translations of Carpe Diem (Odes I.11) 245 translations of Integer Vitae (Odes I.22) 175 translations of Vitas Hinnuleo (Odes I.23) 162 tra… waisberg.micro.blog
A friend of ours who is not Catholic remarked that changing long-held religious beliefs makes it harder to believe, since what was once accepted as made by God is now presented as made by man.