barbarous executioners of the Mufes, whom I was just now speaking of. It often happens, that guilty Poets, like other guilty Criminals, when once they are known and proclaim'd, deliver themselves into the hands of juftice, only to prevent others from doing it more to their disadvantage; and not out of any ambition to fpread their fame, by being executed in the face of the world, which is a fame but of fhort continuance. That Poet were a happy man, who could but obtain a grant to preferve his for ninety-nine years; for those names very rarely last so many days, which are planted either in Jacob Tonfon's, or the Ordinary of Newgate's Miscellanies. I have an hundred things to say to you, which fhall be deferr'd till I have the happiness of seeing you in town, for the season now draws on, that invites every body thither. Some of them I had communicated to you by letters before this, if I had not been uncertain where you pafs'd your time the last season: So much fine weather, I doubt not, has given you all the pleafure could defire from the country, and your own you thoughts the best company in it. But nothing could allure Mr Wycherley to our foreft, he continued (as you told me long fince he would) an obftinate lover of the town, in fpite of friendfhip and fair weather. Therefore henceforward, to all thofe confiderable qualitics I know you poffefs'd of, I fhall add that of Prophecy. But I ftill believe Mr Wycherley's intentions were good, and am fatisfy'd that he promises nothing but with a real design to perform it: how much foever his other excellent qualities are above my imitation, his fincerity, I hope, is not; and it is with the utmost that I am, Sir, &c. LETTER V. Jan. 22. 1708-9. papers before this time Had fent the inclos'd * you I but that I intended to have brought them myfelf, and afterwards could find no opportunity of fending them without fufpicion of their mifcarrying; not that they are of the least value, but for fear fome body might be foolish enough to imagine them fo, and inquifitive enough to discover thofe faults which I (by your help) would correct. I therefore beg the favour of you to let them go no farther than your chamber, and to be very free of your remarks in the margins, not only in regard to the accuracy, but to the fidelity of the tranflation; which I have not had time to compare with its original. And I defire you to be the more fevere, as it is much more criminal for me to make another speak nonfenfe, than to do it in my own proper perfon. For your better help in comparing, it may be fit to tell you, that this is not an entire ver. fion of the first book. There is an omiffion from the 168th line-Jam murmura ferpunt Plebis Agenoreato the 312th-Interea patriis olim vagus exul ab oris This was a tranflation of the first book of Statius, done when the author was but fourteen years old, as appears by an advertisement before the first edition of it, in a miscellany pubifhed by B. Lintot, 8vo, 1711. (between these two Statius has a description of the council of the Gods, and a fpeech of Jupiter; which contain a peculiar beauty and majefty, and. were left out for for no other reafon, but because the confequence of this machine appears not till the fecond book.) The tranflation goes on from thence to the words Hie vero ambobus rabiem fortuna cruentam, where there is an odd account of a battle at fifty-cuffs between two Princes on a very flight occafion, and at a time when, one would think, the fatigue of their journey, in fo tempestuous a night, might have render'd them very unfit for such a feuffle. This I had actually tranflated, but was very ill fatisfied with it, even in my own words, to which an author cannot but be partial enough of confcience; it was therefore omitted in this copy, which goes on above eighty lines farther, at the words -Hic primum luftrare oculis, &c.-to the end of the book. You will find, I doubt not, that Statius was none of the discreetest Poets, tho' he was the best versifier next Virgil: In the very beginning he unluckily betrays his ignorance in the rules of Poetry (which Horace had already taught the Romans) when he afks lis Mufe where to begin his Thebaid, and feems to doubt whether it fhould not be ab ovo Ledao. When he comes to the scene of his Poem, and the prize in difpute between the brothers, he gives us a very mean opinion of it-Pugna eft de paupere regno.-Very different from the conduct of his master Virgil, who, at the entrance * These be since tranflated, and they are extant in the printed verfion. of his Poem. informs his reader of the greatness of its fubject.-Tante molis erat Romanam condere gentem. [Boflu on Epic poetry.] There are innumerable little faults in him, among which I cannot but take notice of one in this book, where fpeaking of the implacable hatred of the brothers, he says, The whole world would be too fmall a prize to reward so much impiety. Quid fi peteretur crimine tanto Limes uterque poli, quem Sol emiffus Eoo Cardine, quem porta vergens profpectat Ibera? This was pretty well, one would think, already, but he goes on. Quafque procul terras obliquo fidere tangit After all this, what could a Poet think of but Heaven itfelf for the prize! but what follows is aftonishing. Quid fi Tyria Phrygiæve fub unum Convectentur opes? T I do not remem ber to have met with fo great a fall in any ancient author whatfoever. I fhould not have infifted fo much on the faults of this Poet, if I did not hope you would take the fame freedom with, and revenge it upon his Tranflator. I fhall be extremely glad if the reading this can be any amusement to you, the rather because I had the diffatisfaction to hear you have been confined to your chamber by an illness, which, I fear, was as troublesome a companion as I have fometimes been in the fame place; where, if ever found any pleasure in my company, it muft furely have been that, which moft men take in obferving the faults and follies of another; a pleasure, which, you fee, I take care to give you even in my abfence. you If you will oblige me at your leifure with the confirmation of your recovery, under your own hand, it will be extremely grateful to me, for next to the pleafure of feeing my friends, is that I take in hearing from them; and in this particular I am beyond all acknowledgments obliged to our friend Mr Wycherley. I know I need no apology to you for fpeaking of him, whofe example, as I am proud of following in all things, fo in nothing more than in profeffing myself, like him, Your, &c. LETTER VI. March 7. 1709. OU had long before this time been troubled with You me, a letter from me, but that I deferred it till I could fend you either the Mifcellany, or my continu * Jacob Tonfon's fixth volume of Poetical Mifcellanies, in which Mr Pope's Paftorals, and fome verfions of Homer and Chaucer were first printed. |