[Sidenote: CHAP. III. 1597-1610.]
The success of the siege of Ostend covered Spinola with glory: his reply
to a person, who asked him,--who, in his opinion was the greatest
general of the age,--is generally known: "Prince Maurice," he said, "is
the second."[014]
The principal poetical performances of Grotius in the collection we have
mentioned, are--_three tragedies_, "Adam in Banishment," "Christ
Suffering," and "Sophomphaneos," which signifies in the language of
Egypt, "the Saviour of the world:" it exhibits the story of Joseph.
Sandys translated it into English verse, and dedicated his translation
to Charles I. From the second of these tragedies, Lauder transcribed
many of the verses, upon which he founded the charge of plagiarism
against Milton.
An eminent rank among modern Latin poets, has always been assigned to
Grotius: his diction is always classical, his sentiments just. But those
who are accustomed to the _wood notes_ of the Bard of Avon, will not
admire the scenic compositions, however elegant or mellifluous, of the
Batavian Bard.
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