pularity of the fubject, added to the ridiculousness of its first elements, has funk it into neglect; but it may be usefully studied, as an example of poetical ratiocination, in which the argument fuffers little from the metre.

"

In the poem on the Birth of the Prince of Wales, nothing is very remarkable but the exorbitant adulation, and that infenfibility of the precipice on which the king was then standing, which the laureat apparently fhared with the rest of the courtiers. A few months cured him of controversy, difmiffed him from court, and made him again a play-wright and tranflator.

Of Juvenal there had been a tranflation by Stapylton, and another by Holiday; neither of them is very poetical. Stapylton is more smooth; and Holiday's is more esteemed for the learning of his notes. A new verfion was proposed to the poets of that time, and undertaken by them in conjunction. The main defign was conducted by Dryden, whose reputation was such that no man was unwilling to ferve the Mufes under him.

The general character of this translation will be given, when it is faid to preserve the wit, but to want the dignity, of the original. The peculiarity of Juvenal is a mixture of gaiety and stateliness, of pointed fentences and declamatory gran deur. His points have not been neglected; but his grandeur none of the band feemed to confider as neceffary to be imitated, except Creech, who undertook the thirteenth fatire. It is therefore perhaps poffible to give a better representation of that great satirift, even in those parts which Dryden himself has tranflated, fome paffages excepted, which will never be excelled.

With Juvenal was published Perfius, tranflated wholly by Dryden. This work, though, like all other productions of Dryden, it may have fhining parts, feems to have been written merely for wages, in an uniform mediocrity, without any eager endeavour after excellence, or laborious effort of the mind.

There wanders an opinion among the readers of poetry, that one of these fatires is an exercife of the school. Dryden fays, that he once translated it at school; but not that he preferved or published the juvenile performance.

Not long afterwards he undertook perhaps the most arduous work of its kind, a tranflation of Virgil, for which he had shewn how well he was qualified by his verfion of the Pollio, and two episodes, one of Nifus and Euryalus, the other of Mezentius and Laufus.

In the comparison of Homer and Virgil, the discriminative excellence of Homer is elevation and comprehenfion of thought, and that of Virgil is grace and splendour of diction. The beauties of Homer are therefore difficult to be loft, and thofe of Virgil difficult to be retained. The maffy trunk of fentiment is safe by its folidity, but the bloffoms of elocution easily drop away. The author, having the choice of his own images, felects those which he can beft adorn; the tranflator muft, at all hazards, follow his original, and express thoughts which perhaps he would not have chofen. When to this primary difficulty is added the inconvenience of a language fo much inferior in harmony to the Latin, it cannot be expected that they who read the Georgicks and the Æneid should be much delighted with any verfion.

All these obftacles Dryden faw, and all these he determined to encounter. The expectation of his work was undoubtedly great; the nation confidered its honour as interested in the event. One gave him the different editions of his author, another helped him in the fubordinate parts. The arguments of the several books were given him by Addison.

The hopes of the public were not disappointed. He produced, fays Pope, "the most noble and fpirited translation "that I know in any language." It certainly excelled whatever had appeared in English, and appears to have fatisfied his friends, and, for the moft part, to have filenced his enemies. Milbourne, indeed, a clergyman, attacked it; but his outrages feem to be the ebullitions of a mind agitated by

stronger refentment than bad poetry can excite, and previously refolved not to be pleased.

His criticism extends only to the Preface, Paftorals, and Georgicks; and, as he profeffes to give his antagonist an opportunity of reprifal, he has added his own verfion of the firft and fourth Pastorals, and the first Georgick. The world has forgotten his book; but, fince his attempt has given him a place in literary history, I will preserve a specimen of his criticism, by inferting his remarks on the invocation before the first Georgick, and of his poetry, by annexing his own verfion.

Ver. 1.

"What makes a plenteous harvest, when to turn
"The fruitful foil, and when to fow the corn.

"It's unlucky, they fay, to fumble at the threshold; but "what has a plenteous harvest to do here? Virgil would not "pretend to prescribe rules for that which depends not on "the husbandman's care, but the difpofition of Heaven alto"gether. Indeed, the plenteous crop depends fomewhat on "the good method of tillage; and where the land's ill"manur'd, the corn, without a miracle, can be but indiffe"rent; but the harveft may be good, which is its propereft "epithet, tho' the husbandman's skill were never fo indiffe"rent. The next sentence is too literal, and when to plough " had been Virgil's meaning, and intelligible to every body; " and when to fow the corn, is a needlefs addition.”

Ver. 3.

"The care of sheep, of oxen, and of kine,

"And when to geld the lambs, and theer the swine,

"would as well have fallen under the cura boum, qui "cultus habendo fit pecori, as Mr. D.'s deduction of par"ticulars,"

Ver. 5.

"The birth and genius of the frugal bee

"I fing, Mæcenas, and I fing to thee.

"But where did experientia ever fignify birth and genius? " or what ground was there for fuch a figure in this place? "How much more manly is Mr. Ogylby's verfion?"

"What makes rich grounds, in what celestial signs
""Tis good to plough, and marry elms with vines;
"What beft fits cattle, what with sheep agrees,
"And feveral arts improving frugal bees;
"I fing, Mæcenas,

"Which four lines, tho' faulty enough, are yet much more "to the purpose than Mr. D's fix."

Ver. 22.

"From fields and mountains to my fong repair.

"For patrium linquens nemus, faltufque Lycei-Very well "explained!"

Ver. 23, 24.

"Inventor Pallas, of the fattening oil,

"Thou founder of the plough, and ploughman's toil!

"Written as if these had been Pallas's invention." The ploughman's toil's impertinent.

Ver. 25.

The shroud-like cypress

Why Shroud-like? Is a cyprefs, pulled up by the roots, "which the Sculpture in the last Eclogue fills Silvanus's "hand with, fo very like a fhroud? Or did not Mr. D. "think of that kind of cypress us'd often for Scarves and "hatbands at funerals formerly, or for widow's vails, &c. ì "if fo, 'twas a deep, good thought."

"The royal honours, and increase the year.

What's meant by increafing the year? Did the gods or goddefjes add more months, or days, or hours, to it? Or "how can arva tueri fignify to wear rural honours? Is this " to tranflate, or abuse an author? The next couplet is bor"rowed from Ogylby, I fuppofe, because less to the purpose "than ordinary.".

Ver. 33.

"The patron of the world, and Rome's peculiar guard, "Idle, and none of Virgil's, no more than the sense of the "precedent couplet; so again, he interpolates Virgil with "that and the round circle of the year to guide powerful of bleffings, which thou ftrew'ft around; a ridiculous Lati nism, and an impertinent addition; indeed the whole pe"riod is but one piece of abfurdity and nonfenfe, as those "who lay it with the original must find."

Ver. 42, 43.

"And Neptune fhall refign the fafces of the fea.

"Was he conful or dictator there?

"And watry virgins for thy bed shall strive.

"Both abfurd interpolations."

Ver. 47, 48.

"Where in the void of Heaven a place is free.
"Ah happy D-n, were that place for thee!

"But where is that void? Or, what does our tranflator mean by it? He knows what Ovid fays God did to pre"vent fuch a void in Heaven; perhaps this was then for"gotten: but Virgil talks more fenfibly."