ch of Damas Hinard, in the 'Chef d'oeuvre du Theatre Espagnol,'
1841-3, which also includes the works of Lope de Vega: in all five small
octavo volumes--if you are so lucky as to find them.

With regard to Don Quixote, as a boy our book-hunter made more than one
attempt to explore 'the ingenious gentleman' but always gave it up after
proceeding less than half-way through the first volume. It was all so dry
and outlandish, and the version he possessed was written in such stilted
language. There were no notes to his edition, and whole passages and
allusions were beyond his comprehension. Looking back now I more than
suspect that they were beyond the comprehension of the translator as
well. 'Rocinante,' spelt 'Rosinante,' he thought was rather a pretty name
for the Don's charger; but he saw no humour in it until he discovered,
many years later, that _rocin_ means a 'cart-horse' and _ante_,
'previously.' Nor could he see anything amusing in the landlord's boast
that he too had been a knight-errant in his time, roaming the Isles of
Riaran in quest of adventures--until he learnt that this was a city slum,
the resort of thieves and cut-throats. The whole work abounds with local
and topical allusions, and it is essential that our edition be well
supplied with notes. There is one which fulfils this condition and in
addition provides a most scholarly text, more closely approaching the
original than any other which has appeared hitherto. This is the masterly
translation of John Ormsby, which appeared in four octavo volumes in
1885. It contains a valuable history of the work, together with a life of
Cervantes, and the appendices to the last volume contain a bibliography
of the immortal book.

Dante must be read in the original tongue. There is a lofty and spiritual
grandeur in the language of the three great epics which one can never
hope to realise in reading translations, be they never so good.
Nevertheless those versions which are most in favour among students are
of considerable value as commentaries, and are of great assistance in
reading the original. One cannot do better at the outset of one's
acquaintance with the great poet than to procure Dr. J. A. Carlyle's
excellent version of the 'Inferno.' A third edition was published in
1882. It has explanatory notes and a prose translation, in measured,
dignified language, above the text of the original; forming in all
respects a handy and convenient volume. Dr. A. J. Butler's vers