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The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

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liv INTRODUCTION.<br />

what in modern language would be unintel-<br />

ligibly concise.<br />

Thus, most <strong>of</strong> the compound epithets <strong>of</strong><br />

which the following hymns chiefly consist,<br />

though extremely beautiful in the drreek lan-<br />

wage, yet when literally translated into<br />

h<br />

ours lose much <strong>of</strong> their propriety and force.<br />

In their native tongue, as in a prolific soil,<br />

they diFuse their sweets with full blown ele-<br />

vance ; and he who would preserve their theo-<br />

h<br />

logical beauties, and exhibit them to others<br />

in a different language, must expand their<br />

elegance by the superve~lilig and enlivening<br />

rays <strong>of</strong> a light derived from inystic lore ;<br />

and, by the powerful breath <strong>of</strong> genius, scatter<br />

abroad their latent but copious sweets.<br />

If it shall appear that the translator has<br />

possessed some portion <strong>of</strong> this light, and has<br />

dirused it in the following work, he will con-<br />

sider himself to be well remarcled for his<br />

lal~orious undertaking. <strong>The</strong> philosophy <strong>of</strong><br />

Plato, and the theology C <strong>of</strong> the Greeks, have<br />

been for the greater part <strong>of</strong> his life the only<br />

study <strong>of</strong> his retired leisure; i11 which he has<br />

found an inexhaustible treasure <strong>of</strong> intellectual<br />

wealth, and a perpetual fountain <strong>of</strong><br />

wisdoln and delight. - Presuming, therefore,

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