THE MAGIC HORSE
' Le bon cheval s*élèye au-dessus de la tour Tandis que Lyriade et Gayette et Florettc,
Sans bruit r^;agnent leur couchette.
Dans ce même moment au milieu de sa cour Comuant prenait l'air, admirant la campagne Si fraîche au premier point du jour.
"Je suis le fit du Roi d'Espagne !" Lui dit Cléomadès du haut de son dieval,
" Sire ! ne soyez pas en peine De la Princesse, — elle est des cœurs la Souveraine, Son établissement sera certes royal ;
A SéviUe Vattend ma mère, Et pour la couronner Pattend aussi mon père, Le jour, je Vespère prochain.
De notre hymen.
Sur son sort donc ici ne versez pas de larmes; Si le Prince Liopatris, Qui ne connaissant pas ses charmes.
Comme moi n*en peut être épris, ^
Veut recevoir ma sœur Maxune Pour son épouse légitime.
Je serai très heureux de cet arrangement ; Mais s*il n*est pas content suis prêt assurément A me trouver avec lui face à face Et d'un champ clos à mesurer l'espace, La lance au poinç avec ou bien sans bouclier. Comme il convient à noble chevalier." Et ce disant, Cléomadès salue.
Tandis que le cheval plus haut pjrenant son vol S'éloigne ainsi de plus en plus du sol Et se perd enfin dans la nue.' "
Tlhe Br^hton Examiner y Feb, 2, 1869.
DU CHEVALIER DE CHATELAIN
" The Chevalier de Châtelain has for many years been known as a translater of standard English poets into the French tongue, and eminently as the translater of the * Canterbury Taies ' of Chaucer. His interest in this last work has led him to attempt the solution of a question which has long puzzled commentators — ^namely, die origin of the fragmentary poem of the * Squire's Taie,' since Chaucer was known to avail himself of any appropriate plot that was ready to hand, and this story of Cambuscan Bold and the brazen horse had evidently some foreign original. By diligent investigation, the Chevalier appears to hâve hit upon this original in a curions manuscript lately found in the library of the arsenal at Paris, consisting of a poem twice as long as the Iliad, written by Adénès Le Roy, and called ' Cléomadès.' The small volume before us contains such portions of this lengthy poem as appear to the Chevalier to prove that Chaucer was cognizant of ' Cléomadès, rendered into easy and lively modem French verse." — TAe Coventry Herald^ Feb, 12, 1869.
" This is the second édition of a work much praised by the critics when it first appeared some years ago — a translation of what is believed to be the original poem from which Chaucer's 'Squire's Taie' was taken. Milton alludes to the fragment when in his 'Penseroso' he says —
* Or call him up that left half told The story of Cambuscan bold.*
The taie, it will be remembered, as given by Chaucer, breaks off abruptly in thèse words —
' And often wil I speke of Camballo, That fought in listes with the bretheren tuo For Canace, er that he might hir wynne, And ther I left I wol ageyn beginne.'
But he never did begin agaîn, and it is said that we fînd the sequel in this long composition of Adénès the minstrel king — long, as it extends to 30,000 verses, though
the Chevalier de Châtelain has judidously condensed it to some 2yOOO. The translation is stat^ to be able, though upon that point, as we hâve net the original text before us, we can offer no opinion. Certainly the modem French verse in which we now find the poem gives évidence of considérable literary ability, and of what the Chevalier indubitably possesses, an intimate acquaintance with the niceties of his own tongue." — The ChesUr ChronkUy Fd), 13, 1869.
"The Chevalier de Chatelain's excellent translation of this naive old taie has reached a second édition. It is seldom a work appealing to so limited an audience is equally successful. This story, some of our readers may not know, is the original on which was founded the unfinished * Squire's Taie ' of Chaucer. In bringing this within reach of ordinary readers the Chevalier rendered a service to literature which, we are glad to see, has met with récognition." — Sunday TïfmSy Feâ. 14, 1869.
" If the story we hâve just alluded to Q) deserves a place amongst the chapters which afibrded the Aiabian nights' entertainment, what shall be said of * Cléomadès '? It is a very prototype of the Arabian taies ; and, althou^ it has been before the world ten years it has not yet attained that popularity which it deserves, although we are pleased to find that it has run into a second édition. When it was first known that the Chevalier de Châtelain had discovered in the Parisian arsenal the MS. of Adénès le Roy — the original of the 'Squire's Taie,' which Chaucer commenced to tell, but left unfinished — there was quite a sensation in the literary world, and it was expected that the translation which the Chevalier at once set about would meet with an immense demand at the hands of ail admirers of the * Canterbury Taies.' At that time (1858) the. Chevalier de Châtelain had just trans-
(^) * Mirelle,' a Pastoral Epie of Provence, from the Provençal of F. Mistral. Translatée! by H. Crichton. London: Macmillan andCo.
DU CHEVALIER DE CHATELAIN
lated thèse taies into French, and his enterprise, if we remember rightly, was attended with eminent success; and although it is faîr to assume that ' Cléomadès met also with great demand in France on its appearance, we are surprised it has not attained greater popularity in £ngland. The reason may be that the poem has never (we believe) been translated from the French to our own language. If this be so, hère is an admirable opportunity for the Chevalier to display his extraordinary translative abilities. We hâve on many occasions spoken of the graphie, graceful, vivacious, and interesting manner in which the Chevalier de Châtelain exécutes his translations, and in common with many others we should be pleased to see his energy bestowed on the task we hâve just suggested. However, this modem French version deserves an extended sale ; and the enterprise which the Chevalier has shown, fîrst in judiciously curtailing the poem from 19,000 octo-syllabic lines to àe more reasonable proportions of 2,000 lines, although retaining ail the salient points and features, and secondly in producing this excellent, compact, and cheap second édition, should be encouraged" — The Brighton Observer^ Feb, 19, 1869.
"A second édition of 'Cléomadès' (Pickering), by the Chevalier de Châtelain, the well-known translator into French of Chaucer's * Canterbury Taies.' It may be well to mention that * Cléomadès ' is probably the source of Chaucer*s * Squire's Taie,' to which Milton refers as the story of * Cambuscan Bold.' Its author was Adénès Le Roy, a minstrel of the Thirteenth century, whose twenty thousand lines the Chevalier de Châtelain has reduced to two thousand, and at the same time he has presented them in the more intelligible guise of modem French." — From the Daily Télégraphe Feb. 15, 1869.
"The Chevalier de Châtelain has issued a second édition of his * Cléomadès, a Story translated into Modem French Verse from the Ancient Language of Adénès le Roy, King of Minstrels to the Duke of Brabant in the
Thirteenth Century ' — [* Cléomadès, Conte traduit, etcS (Pickering). Having entered fully into the subject 0: the work on its first appearance, we hâve now only teexpress our surprise that the author should hâve thougfat proper to incorporate with his version a heap of extracts from reviews of the former édition, and of his other pn> ductions, besides a prospectus and spedmen-pa^es of a work in préparation, occupying in this way more than half the volume. But for the fortunate loss of a file of papers during a removal, there would hâve been still more of this extraneous matter, we are told." — 7>6^ Athataumy No, 2165, Aprii 24, 1869.
Décidément * rAthenaeum ' est un mauvais coucheur, et dans Tespèce est un ingrat. Cette fois au lieu de nous critiquer sans rime ni raison, lui qui dans la personne de son éditeur Mr. Hepworth Dixon, fait puffer à satiété dans ses colonnes les ouvrages de ce grand homme, il eut dû nous offrir ses plus humbles et ses plus sincères remerciements. Si nous n'eussions pas pris la sage précaution de réimprimer les Opinions de la Presse sur notre 'Cléomadès* paru en 1858, nous eussions passé sous silence les éloges qu'il a plu à * T Athenœum ' le 22 octobre 1859, ^^ décerner à notre ouvrage. Or, depuis le fameux Shakespeare Committee^ qui a couvert le nom de Mr. Hepworth Dixon d'un ridicule indélibile, Mr. Hepworth Dixon, le secrétaire du dit comité-failure est devenu notre efinemiintinu. Donc Mr. Hepworth Dixon, éditeur de TAthenœum,' seigneur et maître dans son journal, n'eut pas manqué de nous faire éreinter par un des sbirres anonymes à sa solde, et de damner^ ou de faire damner notre * Cléomadès ' deuxième édition, pour satisfaire à sa rancune à lui le beau Ténébreux, le vertueux prédicateur de la morale .... et de la moralité . . . des Mormons ! ... de bien braves gens
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allez ! . . . Demandez plutôt à Lazari ... je veux dire à Tédîteur de *rAthenaeum ' !
Mr. Hepworth Dixon nous doît donc une belle chandelle . . . quil ne brûlera jamais pour nous — ^pour l'avoir préservé, lui, de tomber dans un guet apens creusé par lui-même, et où il eut donné tête baissée, au risque de se casser le nez ou toute autre chose, sans cet avertisement salutaire.
" Cave ne codas /"
Que le mauvais vouloir de l'éditeur de ' Athenœum' envers nous, lui soit léger ! Nous ne lui en voulons pas ; non! franchement nous nous moquons de lui ! . . . c'est raide à dire, et surtout à imprimer. Mais que voulez-vous ? On doit la vérité à ses amis, et a fortiori à ses ennemis, et le cher monsieur est un de nos ennemis les plus intimes ! . . . Grand bien lui fasse !
Chevalier de Châtelain.
1862. Beautés de la Poésie Anglaise. 2 vols, in 8^ Prix Une Guinée. Rolandi, N** 20, Bemers Street, W.
Nombre de notices ont été 'écrites sur cet ouvrage; nous ne pouvons retrouver que les deux suivantes :
" We hâve had so frequently to call attention to the mastery which the Chevalier de Châtelain has acquired over our language, as proved by his admirable translation of Chaucer, etc., that we can only express our hope that he is an exception to the law which dénies honour to a prophet in his own country, and that the Chevalier's translation of the numerous gems of English poetry collected in thèse volumes will make the names and genius of many of our best poets familiar to our literary brethren on the other side of the channel." — Notes and Queries,
"... Often as the Chevalier de Châtelain has afforded the English and French public, before now, évidence of
his facUe capacity as a national translator from £nglisb into French, he has never before now given such unmLr takeable proof of its scope as in this singularly variai collection." — The Sun, May 6, 1863.
1863. Rayons et Reflets. Faisant suite aux ' Beautés de la Poésie Anglaise.' i vol. in 8vo., 43S pages, Introduction xxx. pages. Prix los. 6d Rolandi, 20, Beraers Street, W.
" The Chevalier de Châtelain should be popular with Englishmen. No one has ministered to our self-love more amply or indefatigably. The Chevalier has not only an undoubted command of his native tongue, but some imaginative faculty of his own. The latter gift is essential to the translator of poetry ; and some of the happiest renderings in this book are the fruits of it. We could point to repeated instances in which the fancy of the • Frenchman has really embellished his English original, and afforded the best excuse for its re-appearance. In occasional passages, too, from our best poets, the translator shows a felicity of reproduction which, were it invariable, would give high value to his labours. The rendering of Goldsmith's *Deserted Village* is, on the whole, so happy, that we quote the opening.
" M. de Châtelain copies to better advantage on a large canvas, where ample scope and verge give him freedom. In spite of his tendency to paraphrase and even to substitution, it must be granted that his work displays great élégance and intelligence." — TluAthmaum, Oct, 17, 1863.
" Nothing can exceed the success with which the Chevalier de Châtelain has again tumed some of the most difficult spécimens of English poetry into the purest French verse that can be written. How difficult the task of rendering such a poem, for instance, as Goldsmith's ' Deserted Village ' into French, can well be conceived ;
DU CHEVALIER DE CHATELAIN
and yet the rendering has ail the force, beauty, and pathos of the original. What can be more élégant than the opening of that exquisite poem, which redly seems as if it were an inspiration rather than a translation, as every one will perceive who has sufficient acquaintance with the tongue of our neîghbours to understand the following version : —
' Délicieux Aubum, etc., etc.*
"The minor poems are equally well translated, and even the energy — often more forcible than pleasing — of Tenn3rson, the most difficult of ail modem poets to translate into a foreign tongue, is hit oif with a force that savours more of originality than translation." — Belles Weekiy Messenger^ Oci, 24, 1863.
"... The work of le Chevalier de Châtelain is justly entitled to eulogy : it is the production of an accomplished Frenchman." — ITu Moming Aàveriiser^ June 25,
" In clothing some of our most popular poets in a French dress, the translator has, for the most part, executed his task with fidelity, and, at the same time, preserved much of the spirit and vigour of the originals ; for instance, Tennyson's melodious Unes from * In Memoriam,* * Ring out, wild Bells,* Kingsley's * Three Fishers,' and Longfellow's * Excelsior,* are rendered with felicity and rhyth mical power." — TTie Era^ yune 28, 1863.
" The translator has been singularly happy in his version of Mrs. Browning. The antique quaintness of her ' Wisdom Ill-applied,' and the tendemess of the * Moumfiil Mother' of the dead blind are both good spécimens." — rAr Globe, July 9, 1863.
"Among the most daring of M. Chatelaîn's versions are Bums's * What can a young lassie do wi' an auld man,' and the Laureate's * Ring out, wild Bells,' both rendered with wonderful précision and the genuine * ring.' " — The Swansea and Glamorgan Herald^ y^fy 20, 1863.
"... ThiSy as weU as many of the rest of the short pièces, being accurate reflections of the meanîn^ of the original, thus fiilfil the object of the translator — ^that of familiarizing the French people with the various characters of the genius of English poetry — ^an object which, assidu> ously and meritoriously executed by the Chevalier de Châtelain, has, while securing the applause, eatitled him to the thanks of both coimtries, as the chief inteTX>reter of English poetic genius to the French people." — TIt Natùm^ Dublin^ y une 27, 1863.
" Shquld there be any of our readers who may wish at once to improve themselves in the French language, and to inhale the very essence of Hyblaean poetry, we would say to them — Cet * Rayons et Reflets,* and then *'Noctuma r^ersaU manuy versate diuma^ " — Saunder^s News Letter^ ZHMin,
"We may mention, as among the Chevalier's most successful attempts, his rendering of Goldsmith's * Sweet Aubum ' — ^by far his best, in our opinion, — Coleridge's 'Geneviève,* Campbell's * Hohenlinden,' Longfellov's * Beleagured City,' and * God's Acre,* and Charles Kingsle/s * Three Fishers.* The Chevalier displa3rs much skill in his choice of subjects and variety of mètres, and is on many occasions very happy in his sélection of corresponding mètres in his translation." — The lÂterary lïmes, Avg, I, 1863.
" The Chevalier, in the handsome volume before us, has not only shown his good taste in the selecdon of the numerous pièces, but has displayed the perfect mastery which he possesses over both languages. The book may be called the third volume of * Les Beautés de la Poésie Anglaise/ Among the poems will be found entire, Goldsmith's * Deserted Vill^e,' Charles Swain's ' Mind,* R. H. Home*s *The Noble Heart,* and numerous other pièces of a shorter kind ; in fact, every name with which we are at ail familiar in the poetic scroU is hère represented. We especially award our meed of praise to the
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* Deserted Village,' in the rendering of which the Chevalier has been exceedingly happy. The book contains more than 400 close-printed pages." — JRetford, Wbrksapy Isle of Axholme and Gainsborough Advertiser^ Aug, 8, 1863.
"J*ai toujours grandement admiré le courage et la patience des littérateurs qui entreprenaient de traduire en vers un poëme écrit dans une langue étrangère. Il m'a toujours semblé que l'adaptation d'un certain rhythme à tel autre rhythme qui lui est tout à fait dissemblable, en conservant d'ailleurs intacte la pensée première, était une œuvre des plus ardues. Cela est vrai surtout quand la traduction doit être faite en vers français, où les exigences de la rime présentent à chaque pas des obstacles que je serais tenté de considérer comme insurmontables.
' La raison dit ceci^ mais la rime cda,^
"Si Boileau trouvait déjà une grande difficulté dans cette maudite rime, quand le poëte n'avait qu'à laisser vagabonder la folle du logis, qu'eut-il dit s'il se fût agi de mettre l'imagination au pas, de lui imposer une allure réglée, de l'assujétir même, pour ainsi dire, au régime cellulaire !
" C'est cependant à ce travail impitoyable que M. de Châtelain a consacré ses plus vaillants efforts. Depuis dix ans et plus, il traduit en vers fiançais poètes anglais, allemands et même orientaux. Son b£^age déjà paru dépasse cent mille vers — je ne parle que des traductions. Devant un pareil labeur je m'arrête éperdu.
" Le nouveau volume de traductions que nous donne aujourd'hui M. de Châtelain, 'Rayons et Reflets,' est, en quelque sorte, une suite aux ' Beautés de la Poësie Anglaise;' il a continué à puiser dans cette mine qui semble inépuisable. Les Français doivent être bien étonnés d'apprendre que l'Angleterre a produit dans les temps passés, et nourrit encore à cette heiu-e-ci, un si grand nombre de poëtes. Rien que dans ce dernier ouvrage, M. de Châtelain n'en a pas traduit devant le public moins de deux cents — dont plusieurs anonymes.
BB
"Le lecteur des 'Beautés' retrouvera là d'ailleurs, grand nombre de noms de connaissance: Ainsworth, Bums, Byron, T. Campbell, Chatterton, Coleridge, Cowper, Dryden, Goldsmith, Gray, Longfellow, T. Moore, Pope, W. Scott, Shakespeare, Southey, pour ne citer que les plus illustres. Il est bien difficile de décider au milieu des morceaux choisis par M. de Châtelain ; et s'il faut absolument signaler quelque chose, je nommerai 'le Village Abandonné,' d'Oliver Goldsmith; *La Vieille horloge de l'escalier,' de Longfellow ; * le Fauteuil vide,' du Rev. John Anderson ; * Diflférences,* de C. Mackay ; * Quelque chose cloche quelque part,' et * le Tisserand qui ne chôme mie,' d'auteurs anonymes. Lord Ravensworth, l'élégant traducteur d'Horace, et dont le * Courrier de l'Europe' a publié une pièce, il y a quelques mois, figure dans la liste avec une jolie ballade sur les ' Deux Roses.' L'élément féminin abonde dans les citations-de ce volume : j'ai distingué, au milieu de ces fleurs, deux charmants morceaux, l'un de Mrs. Osgood, * l'Enfant gâté de la Fantaisie,' l'autre de Mrs. F. P. Fellows, * l'Hôte non invité;' puis les noms de Miss E. Braddon, d'Eliza Cook, etc.
" C'est un véritable service que M. de Châtelain a rendu aux littérateurs français, que de leur donner ainsi l'occasion de faire connaissance avec les divers membres du Parnasse Anglais — membres qui, sans lui, seraient pour la plupart exposés à rester complètement inconnus en France. Il a employé la forme qui pouvait le mieux faire ressortir les qualités des poètes qu'il nous présente, en rendant de la poésie par de la poésie. Pour lui, d'ailleurs, ce travail qui me semble, à moi, si colossal, est aujourd'hui jeu d'enfant. Il déploie, en effet, une facilité très grande dans l'exécution, sans exclusion d'élégance et d'énergie, là où ces qualités doivent se produire." — E. R,, Courtier de r Europe^ Août 8, 1863.
1864. Le Fond du Sac i vol. de 500 pages. Prix 7s. Londres : Rolandi, 20, Bemers Street, W.
This work forms the fourth and last volume of ' Les Beautés de la Poésie Anglaise.'
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'' In this large and handsome volume, the Chevalier de Châtelain brings to a conclusion his translations from the English Poets. He names the work, somewhat humorously, ' The Bottom of the Bag,' and a most capacious bag it must hâve been — ^broad and deep, and well-fiUed. It is unnecessary for us hère to repeat what we hâve on several previous occasions said of the merits of the Chevalier as a translater of English verse into his native French. It is enough to say that in that department of literature he stands, by the unanimous verdict of the English press, unrivîdled." — The Nation^ Dublin,
" M. le Chevalier de Châtelain has completed in this work the séries of the ' Beauties of English Poetry,' the translations of which hâve been commenced in his former publications, and which, as a whole, now présents to our Gallic neighbours the most complète history which has appeared in the présent âge of English poetry from the days of Chaucer to the présent time. Amongst the sélections in the présent volume will be found extracts translated not only from the most celebrated of our modem poets, but also from our most popular ballads, together with many spécimens from writers well-known and appreciated hère, whose famé had not attained Continental celebrity. Amongst the latter may be reckoned many old English, Irish, and Scotch poems. This is certainly an . extraordinary work, seeing that, notwithstanding the varied styles of the différent poets from whose efïusions thèse gems hâve been taken, M. de Châtelain has so fully caught the spirit of it, as to hâve, as far as is possible in the poetic translation, preserved their beauties imimpaired." — Thé Observer ^ Sunday^ Oct. i6, 1864.
" The by-ways and wildemesses of our literature are strewn thickly with gems, which scarcely any readers will stoop to pick up, because no one has told them how exquisitely beautiful they are. It is in the gathering togetiier of thèse things, putting upon them a French dress, and by such means directing public attention to their
