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Jephtha: A Drama Translated From the Latin
Excerpt from Jephtha: A Drama Translated From the Latin
The attention of the present translator was first drawn to this powerful drama by the following words of Mr. Hume Brown (life of George Buchanan, 1890, p. 121) Of his two original dramas, Jepkthes and Baptisms, the former, as he himself justly thought, is undoubtedly much the more striking dramatic performance. The story of J ephtha and his daughter is clearly one which presents all the materials for tragedy of the highest order; and Buchanan, shackled though he is by con ventional forms and a dead language, has certainly risen to the greatness of his theme. His conception of Jephtha and his daughter Iphis, is indeed quite Miltonic in intensity and elevation. But here, again, we can but express regret that there should have been lost to Buchanan's native literature a talent which, even under such untoward conditions.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
The attention of the present translator was first drawn to this powerful drama by the following words of Mr. Hume Brown (life of George Buchanan, 1890, p. 121) Of his two original dramas, Jepkthes and Baptisms, the former, as he himself justly thought, is undoubtedly much the more striking dramatic performance. The story of J ephtha and his daughter is clearly one which presents all the materials for tragedy of the highest order; and Buchanan, shackled though he is by con ventional forms and a dead language, has certainly risen to the greatness of his theme. His conception of Jephtha and his daughter Iphis, is indeed quite Miltonic in intensity and elevation. But here, again, we can but express regret that there should have been lost to Buchanan's native literature a talent which, even under such untoward conditions.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
138 pages, Hardcover
Published January 23, 2018
2 people want to read
About the author
George Buchanan
386 books14 followersGeorge Buchanan (Scottish Gaelic: Seòras Bochanan; (born: February 1506) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced."
Buchanan was a Catholic who committed himself to the Reformation. He was tutor to the great French essayist Michel de Montaigne, to Mary, Queen of Scots, and, later, to her son, the boy who was to become King James VI of Scotland and I of the United Kingdom.
For mastery of the Latin language, Buchanan has seldom been surpassed by any modern writer. His style is not rigidly modelled on that of any classical author, but has a freshness and elasticity of its own. His translations of the Psalms and of the Greek plays are more than mere versions; his two tragedies, Baptistes and Jephthes, enjoyed a European reputation for academic excellence. His Pompae verses were written for performance at the court entertainments of Mary, including the Offering of the Rustic Gods sung during a masque devised by Bastian Pagez for the baptism of King James.
In addition to these works, Buchanan wrote in prose Chamaeleon, a satire in Scots against Maitland of Lethington, first printed in 1711; a Latin translation of Linacre's Grammar (Paris, 1533); Libellus de Prosodia (Edinburgh, 1640); and Vita ab ipso scripta biennio ante mortem (1608), edited by R. Sibbald (1702). His other poems are Fratres Fraterrimi, Elegiae, Silvae, two sets of verses entitled Hendecasyllabon Liber and Iambon Liber; three books of Epigrammata; a book of miscellaneous verse; De Sphaera (in five books), suggested by the poem De sphaera mundi of Joannes de Sacrobosco, and intended as a defence of the Ptolemaic theory against the new Copernican view.
The first of his most important late works was the treatise De Jure Regni apud Scotos, published in 1579. In this famous work, composed in the form of a dialogue, and evidently intended to instil sound political principles into the mind of his pupil, Buchanan lays down the doctrine that the source of all political power is the people, that the king is bound by those conditions under which the supreme power was first committed to his hands, and that it is lawful to resist, even to punish, tyrants.
The second of his larger works is the History of Scotland, Rerum Scoticarum Historia, completed shortly before his death, and published in 1582. It is remarkable for the power and richness of its style, and of great value for the period personally known to the author, which occupies the greater portion of the book.
Buchanan was a Catholic who committed himself to the Reformation. He was tutor to the great French essayist Michel de Montaigne, to Mary, Queen of Scots, and, later, to her son, the boy who was to become King James VI of Scotland and I of the United Kingdom.
For mastery of the Latin language, Buchanan has seldom been surpassed by any modern writer. His style is not rigidly modelled on that of any classical author, but has a freshness and elasticity of its own. His translations of the Psalms and of the Greek plays are more than mere versions; his two tragedies, Baptistes and Jephthes, enjoyed a European reputation for academic excellence. His Pompae verses were written for performance at the court entertainments of Mary, including the Offering of the Rustic Gods sung during a masque devised by Bastian Pagez for the baptism of King James.
In addition to these works, Buchanan wrote in prose Chamaeleon, a satire in Scots against Maitland of Lethington, first printed in 1711; a Latin translation of Linacre's Grammar (Paris, 1533); Libellus de Prosodia (Edinburgh, 1640); and Vita ab ipso scripta biennio ante mortem (1608), edited by R. Sibbald (1702). His other poems are Fratres Fraterrimi, Elegiae, Silvae, two sets of verses entitled Hendecasyllabon Liber and Iambon Liber; three books of Epigrammata; a book of miscellaneous verse; De Sphaera (in five books), suggested by the poem De sphaera mundi of Joannes de Sacrobosco, and intended as a defence of the Ptolemaic theory against the new Copernican view.
The first of his most important late works was the treatise De Jure Regni apud Scotos, published in 1579. In this famous work, composed in the form of a dialogue, and evidently intended to instil sound political principles into the mind of his pupil, Buchanan lays down the doctrine that the source of all political power is the people, that the king is bound by those conditions under which the supreme power was first committed to his hands, and that it is lawful to resist, even to punish, tyrants.
The second of his larger works is the History of Scotland, Rerum Scoticarum Historia, completed shortly before his death, and published in 1582. It is remarkable for the power and richness of its style, and of great value for the period personally known to the author, which occupies the greater portion of the book.
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