SKETCHES.

The idea and conception of Panslavism are the produce of the latent political events on the Continent, viz. the idea of a re-crystallisation of a race of people comprising even now sixty millions, and which in former epochs extended from Archangelsk to Tissalonichi, where it bordered on the abodes of the Hellenic race. Having lost their primeval (Indian) civilisation by migrations which extend to times historical, the only monuments testifying to their most ancient origin are the languages of these various tribes,—the Russians, Czechs, Poles, &c. But these languages have all acquired a more modern type, by a great susception of Greek, Tartarian, Latin, Turkish, and German phrases and constructions. Fortunately, however, there have been other branches of this huge nation-tree, which, settled on the shores of the German ocean, afar from the tracts of migration and the stations of war, have escaped the influence of the changes contingent on the contentions and intercourse of men. And thus, the Old Prussian, the Lithuanian, and the Lettish tongues (dialects) have escaped, as it were, the changes of improvement, and have remained, in the mouth of aboriginal inhabitants, such as they were many centuries ago. If the mythology of the Slavian nations, and their universal complex of languages, are undoubtedly Indian (Sanscrit), the above-named three dialects have retained most of their primordial type. I subjoin the Lord's Prayer, written in these three ancient Slavonic dialects, now hardly understood by any other save those very same tribes. The approximation to Sanscrit is most striking, and deserves the notice of philologists. As a number of persons conversant with Sanscrit, and even the dialects spoken in India, are to be met with in the British capital, their attention is most respectfully called to these venerable remains of old Panslavic tongues.

DR. J. LOTSKY, Panslave.

8. Robert Street, Hampstead Road.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Old Prussian.

Tava nuson, kas tu essei en dangon, svintints virst tvais emnes; pereit tvais ryks; tvais quaits audasin kagi en dandon tyt deigi no semien, nuson deinennin geitien dais numans s̄an deinan; bhe etverpeis numas nusons ausautins, kaimes etverpimai nusons aus̄autenikamans; bhe ni veddeis mans em perbandasnan, s̄lait isrankeis mans esse vissan vargan.

Lithuanian.

Tive musû, kurs essi danguie, te essie s̄venē amas tavo vardas; te ateinie tavo karaliste; te nusidŭdie tavo vale, kaip danguie taip ir ant z̄èmês; dŭna musû diesnis̄ka dûk mums ir sa diena; ir attèisk mums musû kattes, kaip mes attèidsam savo kattiemus; ir ne vesk mus i pagundima, bet gèlbèk mus nŭ pikto.

Letton (Lettish.)

Mûsu têvs debbesîs, svêtîts lai tôp tavs vârds, lai nâk tava valstiba; tavs prâts lai noteek, ka debbesîs ta arridzan zemmes virzû; mûsû deenis̄ku maiz dôd mums s̄odeen; un pametti mums mûsu parradus, ka arrimês pamettam saveem parradneekeem; un ne ceveddi mûs eeks̄ kârdinas̄anas, bet atpesti mûs no ta launa.

MONUMENTAL BUST OF SHAKSPEARE.

Mr. T. Kite, the parish clerk of Stratford-on-Avon, has recently completed a copy in imitation stone from a cast of the monumental bust of Shakspeare, which appears to me, after a very close and minute comparison, to be a far more faithful transcript of the original than any of the kind hitherto accessible to the public. It gives in detail most accurately those peculiarities which led Sir F. Chantrey to the opinion that the artist worked from a cast made after death; and if you would kindly spare a few lines of your paper for a paragraph to that effect, I feel sure you would not only confer a benefit on Shakspearian collectors, but at the same time pay a just tribute to Mr. Kite, for the intelligent pains he has bestowed upon the work. It is scarcely necessary to say an accurate copy of the Stratford bust is the best memorial of Shakspeare the public can possess, it being so much superior in authenticity to any other resemblance.

J. O. HALLIWELL.

Stratford on Avon, Oct. 15.

NOTES ON PASSAGES IN VIRGIL.

I. "Acti Fatis."—Virg. Æn. I. 36.

"Si fatis, nulla Junonis invidia est. Si Junonis invidiâ fatigabantur quomodo dicit acti fatis? Sed hoc ipsum Junonis odium fatale est. Agebantur fatis Junonis, i.e. voluntate; vel fatis, pro malis, ut iii. 182."—SERVIUS.

"Non tam quoniam hoc Junonis odium fatale erat, ut Servius; sed potius, quoniam hi ipsi Trojanorum, errores fatales erant."—HEYNE.

Not only these two, but all other commentators and translators, as far as I know, have wholly mistaken the meaning of this passage, which is not that the Trojans were jactati, fatigati, or agitati, harassed, or driven hither and thither by the fates, (actus being never used in the sense assigned to it in such interpretation), but simply that they were driven onward, or toward Latium, by the fates (acti fatis); while at the same time they were driven backward, or from Latium, by Juno, (arcebat longe Latio). The result was "multos per annos errabant maria omnia circum:" words could not more clearly express the opposition of the forces between which the Trojans were placed; an opposition on which hangs the whole action of the poem. The invidia of Juno, concerning which Servius queries, was manifested by her using her utmost exertions to prevent the Trojans from arriving at the place toward which they were impelled by the fates, i.e. at which it was fated they should arrive.

As "acti fatis" here, so "fato profugus venit," verse 6; "sedes ubi fata quietas ostendunt," verse 209; "data fata secutus," verse 386; "fata deum vestras exquirere terras imperiis egere suis" (Æn. VII. 239.); "fatisque vocantia regna" (Æn. v. 656.); &c.; through all which expressions runs the one constant idea of the fates calling, forcing, driving (agentia) the Trojans toward Latium.

II. "Sævus ubi Æacidæ telo jacet Hector ubi ingens
Sarpedon."—Virg. Æn. I. 103.[1]

[1] The numbering of the lines is that of the Delphin edition.

Observe how the poet surmounts the obvious difficulty of uniting Hector, the principal champion of Troy, and Sarpedon, the son of Jove, in one and the same sentence, without implying a preference for either, without exalting one at the expense of the other; viz., by counterbalancing, by an inferior position towards the end of a line, that advantage of priority of mention, which he must necessarily give to one of them; and by compensating the other for the disadvantage of being placed second in order, by the double advantage of first place in a line, and separation from the rest of the line by a sudden pause.