Item 84 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Sir George Trevelyan

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Pensione Palumbo, Ravello, prov. di Salerno:- Thanks his father for his letter [12/57[, and the enclosure from Professor Murray which he now returns; this 'raises some interesting and very debateable [sic] questions about the Greek Drama' which everyone answers differently 'according to his temperament'. Confesses that '[Euripides'] "shameslessness" in the matter of bad conventions, such as the prologues' does not appeal to him as it does to Murray; Murray's 'explanations of such offences may be true enough', but Robert does not think they are 'excuses'. Judges that Murray, going by what he writes in 'this book [his translation of Hippolytus and Bacchae] and his [History of Ancient] Greek Literature has an 'amiable weakness for Euripides' which Robert 'cannot share', despite admiring 'half a dozen of his plays'.

Expects this 'admiration' has stood Murray 'in good stead as a translator', since 'translating Euripides, not as he really is, but as he imagines him, or would like to imagine him to be, [Murray] gives a much more interesting result than a real translation would be'. Looks on Murray's translations 'more as original poems than translations of Euripides,' since 'the atmosphere is so different, so romantic instead of severely intellectual as almost always in the original'; the use of verse couplets instead of blank verse gives 'a totally different effect, which is accentuated by [Murray's] fluid, Swinburnian, if almost too flabby use of the metre', greatly contrasting with Euripides' 'clear-cut style'. That said, the Hippolytus especially is a 'fine piece of work';

Robert may be 'a little prejudiced' in knowing the Bacchae 'very much better in the original, and so being more exacting'. Liked the preface, but wonders whether Murray does not also there 'idealize his Euripides, and read into him a great deal more than the bare text of his plays justifies from a strict historical point of view'. For example Murray's translation of Bacchae 430-431 [given first in ancient Greek] is 'The simple nameless herd of Humanity / Hath deeds and faith that are truth enough for me': these are 'charming lines, and really admirable sentiments', but Robert is sure that 'the modern idea of Humanity with a big H. was never really present in Euripides' mind when writing such lines as these; though no doubt he, if anybody at the time, would be in sympathy'. Also cites Murray's translation of Bacchae 1005 as being 'far more elaborate and modern' than the original. However, he will not complain further as both Murray's translation and 'idea of Euripides' are 'very charming'.

Thinks he sympathises with Murray and Macaulay about the writers of [Greek] New Comedy, as far as he can judge from Wight's selection of fragments: would have thought their merits were those of 'very good prose rather than of poetry - Addison, in fact, rather than The Merchant of Venice'. Terence, however, may have chosen to adapt plays now lost, with 'more charm and tenderness than the fragments that remain'; he may 'have developed these qualities' and perhaps added much of his own, since he is 'certainly less purely intellectual, and more tender and human than the Greek Comedians seem to have been'.

Bessie says she has read Cicero's De Senectute and much admired it, so Sir George has 'an eminent classical authority' to support his opinion; he himself has not read it, but is sure he would also like it. Bessie is well. Some very nice people are now staying at the hotel whom they have befriended: a Mr Hardy, an actuary, and his wife and her sister. The weather has been very bad recently. They have not had news yet of the Liverpool election [the West Derby by-election], but should today; supposes there is little hope of [the Liberals] winning the seat. He and Bessie send love to his parents; hopes his father's book [the next volume of The American Revolution] is almost finished now.

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