" A GREEKLESS LAND."

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12129, 27 February 1905, Page 8

" A GREEKLESS LAND."

Professor Haslam's letter to " The Times" with its harrowing story of how somo Australian visitors to the Christchurch Oliservatory spoke of Bootes as " Boots," has evidently inspired onr London contemporary, "Truth." with an idea for a competition. In a recent number prises were offered for " suggestions of some of the false quantities that may be expected in classical names should Greek cease to be taught at our Universities." We -may cite the following as samples of the horrors called forth by this invitation :— Along th* sweetly smelling glebe, f Beneath Hesperus' light I stray. And mark the milkmaid, ires-t aa Hebe, Com* tripping on her homeward way. I watch each glimmering star that shoot* Above mc, shining like old Bootes. Suraly, I munnnr, on this globe. No *w*et«x -vuion o'er app-ars; Dewdrop*,. like tears "of fond _ttob«, Kefresh tho bless'd by Cere*; Aad nwtliag* twitter in th* trees, Untroubled by tin rude Boreas.

Young En-ymio- well might dream * Within this glade ao -till, io f»ir, Enchanted -y Artemis' beam, Z«pbyru»' breath _pon his' hair. Who would not a Corydon feel lv scenes ao sacred to Cybele? Tussock. Aw»y with Greek! Who but disdains. Abjures, condemns, detests,, deridatf The jokes of old Aristophanes, W the musty plays of Euripides? ;• Xo Uriton heeds the man who cackles About the Isbours of Heracles. Who, 1 am to.d, in Homan circles W-s'generally known'as Hercules. Ail Grecian history- so tame is, . * Save for some yarn all coloured highly, Such as the battle of Salamis. Or the great fi(*ht of Thermopyl_i, Or, what past schoolboys pinned their faith on, The Rory struggle of Marathon. Quite lacking in artistic grace is Poor old Zenophon's Anabasis. . Then, their mythology is queer. And scandal frequently its theme is, Which touches c'en the goddesa Here. And hardly spares tbe chas_l "Artemis, And, only think, how very edd it Was of the beautiful Aphrodite, Who reputation doubtful bears. To flirt so very much with Ares. Cookaon.