ble as other Parts of Scholarship, to rough Difputes, or violent Animofity.

Yet it has fo happen'd, that noWriters, even about Divinity itself, have been more outragious or uncharitable than these two polite Authors; by fuffer-ing their Judgments to be a little warped (if I may ufe that Expreffion) by the Heat of their eager In-. clinations, to attack or defend fo great an Author under Debate: I wish for the Sake of the Publick, which is now fo well entertain'd by their Quarrel, it may not end at last in their agreeing to blame a third Man who is fo prefumptuous as to cenfure both, if they fhould chance to hear of it.

To begin with Matter of Fact. M. Dacier has well-judg'd, that the best of Poets certainly deserv'd a better Tranflation, at least into French Profe, becaufe to see it done in Verse was defpair'd of: I believe indeed from a Defect in that Language, incapable of mounting to any Degree of Excellence fuitable to fo great an Undertaking.

She has not only perform'd this Tafk as well as Profe can do it, (which is indeed but as the wrong Side of Tapeftry is able to represent the right) she has added to it also many and useful Annotations. With all which the most obligingly delighted not only her own Sex, but most of ours, ignorant of the Greek, and confequently her Adverfary himself, who frankly acknowledges that Ignorance.

'Tis no Wonder therefore in doing this, fhe is grown fo enamour'd of that unfpeakably-charming Author, as to have a Kind of Horror at the leaft Mention of a Man bold enough to blame him.

Now as to M. de la Motte, he being already defervedly famous for all Sorts of Lyrick Poetry, was fo far introduc'd by her into thofe Beauties of the Epic Kind, (tho' but in that Way of Tranflation)

as not to refift the Pleasure and Hope of Reputa tion by attempting that in Verfe, which had been applauded fo much for the Difficulty of doing it even in Profe; knowing how this, well executed, muft extremely exceed the other.

But, as great Poets are a little apt to think they have an ancient Right of being excus'd for Vanity on all Occafions; he was not content to out-do M. Dacier, but endeavour'd to out-do Homer himself, and all that ever in any Age or Nation went before him in the fame Enterprize; by leaving out, altering, or adding whatever he thought beft.

Against this prefumptuous Attempt, Homer has been in all Times fo well defended, as not to need my small Affiftance; yet I must needs fay his Excellencies are fuch, that for their Sakes he deferves a much gentler Touch for his seeming Errors. These if M. de la Motte had tranflated as well as the rest, with an Apology for having retain'd them out of meer Veneration; his Judgment in my Opinion would have appear'd much greater than by the best of his Alterations, though I admit them to be written very finely. I join with M. de la Motte in wondering at fome odd Things in Homer, but 'tis chiefly because of his fublime ones, I was about to fay his divine ones, which almost furprize me at finding him any where in the fallible Condition of humane Nature.

And now we are wondering, I am in a Difficulty to guess what can be the Reason of thefe Exceptions against Homer, from one who has himself tranflated him, contrary to the general Custom of Tranflators, Is there not a little of that in it? I mean to be fingular, in getting above the Title of a Tranflator, though fufficiently honourable in this Cafe. For fuch an Ambition no body has lefs Occafion, than

one

one who is fo fine a Poet in other Kinds; and who must have too much Wit to believe, any Alteration of another can entitle him to the Denomination of an Epic Poet himself: though no Man in this Age feems more capable of being a good one, if the French Tongue would bear it. Yet in his Tranflation he has done too well, to leave any Doubt (with all his Faults) that her's can be ever parallel'd with it.

Befides he could not be ignorant, that finding Faults is the most easy and vulgar Part of a Critic; whereas nothing fhews fo much Skill and Tafte both, as the being throughly fenfible of the sublimest Excellencies.

What can we say in Excufe of all this? Humanum eft errare: Since as good a Poet as I believe the French Language capable of, and as fharp a Critic as any Nation can produce, has by too much cenfuring Homer fubjected a Tranflation to Cenfure, that would have otherwife ftood the Teft of the fevereft Adverfary.

But fince he would needs chufe that wrong Way of Criticism, I wonder he mifs'd a Stone fo easy to be thrown against Homer, for his filling the Iliad with fo much Slaughter, (for that is to be excufed, fince a War is not capable of being described without it) but with fo many various Particulars of Wounds and Horror, as fhew the Writer (I am afraid) fo delighted that Way himself, as not the least to doubt his Reader being fo alto. Like Spanioletta, whose difmal Pictures are the moft difagreeable for being. always fo movingly painted. Even Hector's laft parting from his Son and Andromache, hardly makes us Amends for his Body's being dragg'd thrice round the Town. M. de la Motte in his strongest Objection about that dismal Combat, has fufficient Cause to blame

blame his enrag'd Adverfary; who here gives an Instance that 'tis impoffible to be violent without committing fome Mistake; her Paffion for Homer blinding her too much to perceive the very groffeft of his Failings. By which Warning I am become a little more capable of Impartiality, though in a Difpute about that very Poet for whom I have the greatest Veneration.

M. D'Acier might have confidered a little, that whatever were the Motives of M. de la Motte to fo bold a Proceeding, it could not darken that Fame which I am fure the thinks fhines fecurely, even after the vain Attempts of Plato himself againft it; caufed only perhaps by a like Reafon with that of Madam Dacier's Anger against M. de la Motte, namely, the finding that in Profe his Genius (great as it was) could not be capable of the fublime Heights of Poetry, which therefore he banish'd out of his Commonwealth.

Nor were these Objections to Homer any more leffening her Merit in translating him as well as that Way is capable of, viz. fully, plainly, and elegantly, than the most admirable Verfes can be any Difparagement to as excellent Profe.

The best Excufe for all this Violence is, its being in a Cause, which gives a Kind of Reputation even to Suffering, notwithstanding ever so ill a Management of it.

The worst of defending even Homer in fuch a paffionate Manner is, its being more a Proof of her Weakness, than of his being liable to none. For what is it can excufe Homer any more than Hector for flying at the first Sight of Achilles? whofe terrible Afpect fure needed not fuch an inexcufable Fright to fet it off; and methinks all that Account of Minerva's reftoring his Dart to Achilles, comes a little

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