And this unpolish'd rugged verse I chose ; Tom Sternhold's, or Tom Shadwell's rhymes will ferve. ADVERTISEMENT. HIS tranflation of monfieur Boileau's Art ・TH was dein year 1686, of Poetry was made in the year by Sir William Soame of Suffolk, Baronet; who being very intimately acquainted with Mr. Dryden, defired his revifal of it. I faw the manufcript lie in Mr. Dryden's hands for above fix months, who made very confiderable alterations in it, particularly the beginning of the fourth Canto; and it being his opinion that it would be better to apply the poem to English writers, than keep to the French names, as it was first tranflated, Sir William defired he would take the pains to make that alteration; and accordingly that was entirely done by Mr. Dryden. The poem was first published in the year 1683; Sir William was after fent ambaffador to Conftan tinople, in the reign of king James, but died in the voyage. J. T. CANTO I. ASH author, 'tis a vain prefumptuous crime, Rare under, the facred art opt tous ce To undertake the facred art of rhyme; If at thy birth the ftars that rul'd thy sense And for each author can a talent find: One may in verse describe an amorous flame, Waller a hero's mighty acts extol, Spencer fing Rosalind in pastoral : But authors that themselves too much efteem, Lofe their own genius, and mistake their theme; Thus in times paft Dubartas vainly writ, Allaying facred truth with trifling wit, Impertinently, and without delight, Whate'er you write of pleasant or fublime, Rhyme must be made with reason's laws to close: The mind will triumph in the noble course ; Extravagant and fenfelefs objects chufe; All ought to aim at sense; but most in vain |