I had another, however, and far nobler motive, that I cou'd do myfelf the honour of prefixing the name of fuch a Gentleman to my performance, diftinguished for his taste and encouragement of

letters.

The most remarkable Patrons in all ages, have been those, who have put themselves forwards for the Glory of their native Country, affertors of her Dignity, and Champions in her fervice. Of this clafs was the gentleman, who thought it no difhonour to be incorporated in the foremost rank of British Grenadiers, who was one of the first to fet his foot upon the fhore of the common enemy, and who is now adorning peace with experimental improvements of natural Philosophy Of this clafs alfo were the Favourers of Horace, and, however unfuccefsful, I may have been in copying the peculiar felicity of his poetry, yet am I fingularly happy in having this opportunity of imitating his example.

I am, Sir,

With the greatest Respect,

Your moft obliged,

And moft obedient Servant,

CHRISTOPHER SMART.

And here I cannot omit the acceptable occafion of congratulating you on the merit of your ingenious brother Mr. Edward Delaval, who has been found to deferve a medal from the Royal Society, to the honour of his own family in particular, and the univerfity of Cambridge in general.

PRE FAC E. F A

As the following version was not written in oppofi

tion to others, I cou'd wish to be excufed from all invidious comparisons; tho' I am so well aware of them, that I hold it neceffary to make fome apology in order to bespeak the Reader's favour. There are certain interpreters of Horace, which have evidently been misled by the abfurd notion, "That genius is not neceffary "for a Translator, and that deep learning and found

judgement are the only requifites for fuch an under"taking." The works indeed of Euclid, Efop, and that exceeding foolish author, Elian, amongst the Greeks; of Florus, Quintilian, and Columella, amongst the Romans, may be well enough rendered by literary men, who are merely intelligent and judicious: but the redundant elegance of Tully, the concife politeness of Phædrus, the ingenuous manliness of Livy, the music and painting of Ovid, the easy sweetness of Tibullus, the ftate and dignity of Virgil, and (above all authors and their excellencies) the lucky rifk of the

Horatian boldness, cannot be attempted with any fuccefs, fave by men of some rank with them and affinity in the spirit.

*

Horace is by no means fo much an original in respect to his matter and fentiments (which are rather too frequently borrowed) as with regard to that unrivalled peculiarity of expreffion, which has excited the admiration of all fucceeding ages.

I beg leave therefore to affure the Reader, that I did not fet about my work without the confciousness of a talent, admitted of, and attefted to, by the best scholars of the times both at home and abroad. Mr. Pope in particular, with whom I had the honour to correfpond, entertained a very high opinion of my abilities as a tranflator, which one of the brighteft men amongst our Nobility will be ready (I trust) to certify, fhould my veracity in this matter be called in question.

There is a way of ftaring at an ancient, and being amazed at the magnitude of his spirit, which is owing to littleness of foul and want of penetration together; as a travelling Virtuofo admires the prodigious ftructure of Stone-Henge, a work that may eafily be conceived

From the Greek Lyrics in general, but particularly from Alcæus and Pindar, as well fuch of his Odes as are extant, as his Dithyrembics, which are not.

as performed by men of gigantic ftature, for it is evident that this island or a part of it had formerly fuch inhabitants. As for me, I ever look'd upon Horace with extreme approbation, but never fuppofed him to be fo wholly inimitable, that a man might not do him fome degree of juftice.

In the first place I have especially attended to, what the critics call his curiofa felicitas, of which many of my predeceffors feem not to have entertained the most remote idea. Mr. Pope himself, however happy in taking off the spirit and mufic of Horace, has left us no remarkable inftance, to the best of my memory, of this kind. In truth this is a beauty, that occurs rather in the Odes, than the other parts of Horace's works; where the aiming at familiarity of ftyle excluded the curiofity of choice diction.

In order to justify my pretenfions concerning this point, I beg leave to refer the reader to the † first Ode

• This has been put beyond all difpute by certain bones dug up at GogMagog-hills and other places of the kingdom. I cannot help adding here, that most probably the famous Giant's Cawfway in Ireland, was really, that which it is called.

+ This Ode, however amiable for its gratitude, and Special for its phrafe, is (by the confeffion of all Commentators as to its spirit) written.. Stylo mediocri. I have endeavoured to raise it all the way, partisularly at the conclufion.

of

of the first Book in fundry places, to the fifth, fixth, feventeenth, twenty-fecond, and (I hope) many others of the fame. I have alfo had the honour to infift upon the like merit before fome of the beft writers of the age in the following Odes of the fecond and third Books, viz. the eighth, ninth, tenth, eighteenth and twentieth of the former and the third, fourth, fifth, eleventh, twenty-fifth, twenty-ninth and thirtieth of the latter. With regard to the fourth Book, which Horace wrote with all his might by the united force of judgment and genius, under the patronage and applause of Augustus and the whole world; if I have rendered certain of the Odes in fuch wife, that they may be read after the verfions and imitations of Cowley, Pope and Atterbury, I truft, it will be thought no mean literary atchievement for a fingle man, who was very far from having such fuperlative advantages.

The Epodes of Horace are exceedingly beneath his other works, but have always fome local or perfonal propriety difcernible even at this diftance; but I have taken particular care and pains with the second, as the images are too pastoral, and universally pleasing, to escape the aprobation of all ranks and degrees. The Secular-Ode, that brightest monument of the Heathen Pfalmift and Roman worship, I have laboured with all

the