VII.

A PARALLEL OF THE CHARACTERS

OF

MR. POPE AND MR. DRYDEN.

AS DRAWN BY CERTAIN OF THEIR CONTEMPORARIES,

1

MR. POPE.

HIS POLITICS, RELIGION, MORALS.

MR. POPE is an open and mortal enemy to his country, and the commonwealth of learning. Some call him a popish whig, which is directly inconsistent. Pope, as a papist, must be a tory and high-flyer. He is both a whig and tory.

3

He hath made it his custom to cackle to more than one party in their own sentiments."

In his Miscellanies, the persons abused are, the King, the Queen, His late Majesty, both Houses of Parliament, the Privy-Council, the Bench of Bishops, the Established Church, the present Ministry, &c. To make sense of some passages, they must be construed into Royal Scandal.6

He is a Popish rhymester, bred up with a contempt of the Sacred Writings.7 His religion allows him to destroy heretics, not only with his pen, but with fire and sword; and such were all those unhappy wits whom he sacrificed to his accursed Popish principles.8 It deserved vengeance to suggest that Mr. Pope had less infallibility than his namesake at Rome.'

MR. POPE ONLY A VERSIFIER.

The smooth numbers of the Dunciad are all that recommend it, nor has it any other merit.10 It must be owned that he hath got a notable knack of rhyming and writing smooth verse."

MR. POPE'S HOMER.

The Homer which Lintot prints, does not talk like Homer, but like Pope; and he who translated him, one would swear, had a hill in Tipperary for his

has numberless faults in his author's meaning, and in propriety of expression.1

MR. DRYDEN UNDERSTOOD NO GREEK NOR LATIN.

Mr. Dryden was once, I have heard, at Westminster school: Dr. Bushy would have whipped him for so childish a paraphrase.2 The meanest pedant in England would whip a lubber of twelve for construing so absurdly. The translator is mad, every line betrays his stupidity. The faults are innumerable, and convince me that Mr. Dryden did not, or would not understand his author. This shows how fit Mr. D. may be to translate Homer! A mistake in a single letter might fall on the printer well enough, but esxœp for ixup must be the error of the author. Nor had he art enough to correct it at the press. Mr. Dryden writes for the Court ladies. He writes for the ladies, and not for use.7

The translator puts in a little burlesque now and then into Virgil, for a ragout to his cheated subscribers.8

MR. DRYDEN TRICKED HIS SUBSCRIBERS.

I wonder that any man, who could not but be conscious of his own unfitness for it, should go to amuse the learned world with such an undertaking! A man ought to value his reputation more than money; and not to hope that those who can read for themselves, will be imposed upon, merely by a partially and unseasonably celebrated name.9 Poetis quidlibet audendi shall be Mr. Dryden's motto, though it should extend to picking of pockets,10

NAMES BESTOWED ON MR. DRYDEN.

AN APE.-A crafty ape dressed up in a gaudy gown-Whips put into an ape's paw, to play pranks with--None but apish and papish brats will heed him."1

AN Ass.-A camel will take upon him no more burden than is sufficient for his strength, but there is another beast that crouches under all.12

A FROG.-Poet Squab endued with Poet Maro's spirit! An ugly, croaking kind of vermin, which would swell to the bulk of an ox.13

A COWARD.-A Clinias or a Damætas, or a man of Mr. Dryden's own courage,14

A KNAVE.-Mr. Dryden has heard of Paul, the Knave of Jesus Christ ; and, if I mistake not, I've read somewhere of John Dryden, servant to his Majesty.15

A FOOL.-Had he not been such a self-conceited fool.16-Some great poets are positive blockheads.17

A THING. So little a Thing as Mr. Dryden.18

Parnassus, and a puddle in some bog for his Hippocrene. He has no admirers among those that can distinguish, discern, and judge.2

He hath a knack at smooth verse, but without either genius or good sense, or any tolerable knowledge of English. The qualities which distinguish Homer are the beauties of his diction and the harmony of his versification. But this little author, who is so much in vogue, has neither sense in his thoughts nor English in his expressions. 3

MR. POPE UNDERSTOOD NO GREEK.

He hath undertaken to translate Homer from the Greek, of which he knows not one word, into English, of which he understands as little. I wonder how this gentleman would look, should it be discovered that he has not translated ten verses together in any book of Homer with justice to the poet, and yet he dares reproach his fellow writers with not understanding Greek." He has stuck so little to his original as to have his knowledge in Greek called in question.6 I should be glad to know which it is of all Homer's excellencies which has so delighted the ladies, and the gentlemen who judge like ladies.7 But he has a notable talent at burlesque; his genius slides so naturally into it, that he hath burlesqued Homer without designing it.8

MR. POPE TRICKED HIS SUBSCRIBERS.

'Tis indeed somewhat bold, and almost prodigious, for a single man to undertake such a work. But 'tis too late to dissuade by demonstrating the madness of the project. The subscribers' expectations have been raised in proportion to what their pockets have been drained of." Pope has been concerned in jobs, and hired out his name to booksellers.10

NAMES BESTOWED ON MR. POPE.

AN APE.-Let us take the initial letter of his Christian name, and the initial and final letters of his surname, viz., A P E, and they give you the same idea of an ape as his face," &c.

AN Ass.-It is my duty to pull off the Lion's skin from this little Ass.12 A FROG.-A squab short gentleman- —a little creature that, like the frog in the fable, swells, and is angry that it is not allowed to be as big as an ox.13 A COWARD.-A lurking way-laying coward.14

A KNAVE. He is one whom God and nature have marked for want of common honesty.15

A FOOL.-Great fools will be christened by the names of great poets, and Pope will be called Homer.16

VIII.

A COPY OF CAXTON'S PREFACE TO HIS TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL.

AFTER dyuerse Werkes, made translated and achieued, hauyng no werke in hande I sittyng in my studye where as laye many dyuerse paunflettes and bookys. happened that to my hande cam a lytyl booke in frenshe. whiche late was translated oute of latyn by some noble clerke of fraunce, whiche booke is named Eneydos (made in latyn by that noble poete & grete clerke Vyrgyle), whiche booke I sawe over and redde therein. How after the generall destruccyon of the grete Troye, Eneas departed berynge his olde fader anchises upon his sholdres, his lytyl son yolas on his hande, his wyfe with moche other people followynge, and how he shipped and departed wyth alle thystorye of his aduentures that he had er he cam to the atchieuement of his conquest of ytalye, as all a longe shall be shewed in this present boke. In whiche booke I had grete playsyr. by cause of the fayr and honest termes & wordes in frenshe Whyche I neuer sawe to fore lyke. ne none so playsaunt ne so wel ordred. whiche booke as me semed sholde be moche requysyte to noble men to see, as wel for the eloquence as the historyes. How wel that many hondred yerys passed was the sayd booke of Eneydos wyth other workes made and lerned dayly in scolis, specyally in ytalye and other places, whiche historye the sayd Vyrgyle made in metre, And whan I had aduised me in this sayd booke. I delybered and concluded to translate it into englyshe, And forthwyth toke a penne and ynke and wrote a leef or tweyne, whyche I ouersawe agayn to corecte it, And whan I sawe the fayr & straunge termes therein, I doubted that it sholde not please some gentylmen whiche late blamed me sayeng that in my translacyons I had ouer curyos termes whiche coude not be vnderstande of comyn peple, and desired me to vse olde and homely termes in my translacyons. and fayn wolde I satysfye euery man, and so to doo toke an olde boke and redde therein, and certaynly the englyshe was so rude and brood that I coude not wele vnderstande it. And also my lorde Abbot of Westmynster ded do shewe to me late certayn euydences wryton in olde englyshe for to reduce it in to our englyshe now vsid, And certaynly it was wryton in suche wyse that it was more lyke to dutche than englyshe. I coude not reduce ne brynge it to be vnderstonden, And certaynly our langage now vsed varyeth ferre from that whiche was vsed and spoken whan I was borne, For we englyshe men, ben borne vnder the domynacyon of the mone. whiche is neuer stedfaste. but euer wauerynge, wexynge one season, and waneth & dyscreaseth another season, And that comyn englyshe that is spoken in one shyre varyeth from another. In so moche that in my dayes happened that certayn marchants were in a ship in Tamyse for to haue sayled ouer the see into Zelande, and for lacke of wynde thei taryed atte forlond, and wente to lande for to refreshe them And one of theym named Sheffelde a mercer cam in to an hows and axed for mete. and specyally he axyd after eggys And the goode wyf answerde, that she coude speke no frenshe. And the merchant was angry. for he also coude speke no frenshe. but wolde haue hadde egges, and she vnderstode hym not, And thenne at laste another sayd that he wolde haue eyren, then the good wyf sayd that she vnderstod him wel, Loo what sholde a man in thyse dayes now wryte. egges or eyren, certaynly it is harde to playse every man, by cause of dyuersite & change of

langage. For in these dayes euery man that is in ony reputacyon in his contre. wyll vtter his comynycacyon and maters in suche maners & termes, that fewe men shall vnderstonde theym, And som honest and grete clerkes haue ben wyth me and desired me to wryte the moste curyous termes that I coude fynde, And thus bytwene playn rude, & curyous I stande abashed. but in my Judgemente the comyn termes that be dayli vsed ben lyghter to be vnderstonde than the olde and ancyent englyshe, And for as moche as this present booke is not for a rude oplondyshe man to laboure therein, ne rede it, but onely for a clerke & a noble gentylman that feleth and vnderstondeth in faytes of armes in loue & in noble chyualrye, Therefore in a meane betwene bothe I haue reduced & translated this sayd booke in to our englyshe not ouer rude ne curyous but in suche termes as shall be vnderstanden by goddys grace accordynge to my copye. And yf ony man wyll enter mete in redyng of hit and fyndeth suche termes that he can not vnderstande late him goo rede and lerne Vyrgyll, or the pystles of Ouyde, and ther he shall see and vnderstonde lyghtly all, Yf he haue a good redar & enformer, For this booke is not for euery rude and vnconnynge man to see, but to clerkys & very gentylmen that understande gentylnes and scyence. Thenne I praye alle theym that shall rede in this lytyl treatys to holde me for excused for the translatynge of hit. For I knowleche my selfe ignorant of connynge to enpryse on me so hie and noble a werke, But I praye Mayster John Skelton late created poete laureate in the vnyuersite of Oxenforde to ouersee and correcte this sayd booke. And t'addresse and expowne where as shall be founde faulte to theym that shall requyre it. For hym I knowe for suffycyent to expowne and englyshe euery dyffyculte that is therein, For he hath late translated the epystlys of Tulle, and the boke of Dyodorus Syculus. and diuerse others werkes oute of latyn in to englyshe not in rude and olde langage but in polyshed and ornate termes craftely, as he that hath redde Vyrgyle, Ouyde, Tullye, and all the other noble poetes and oratours, to me unknown: And also he hath redde the ix muses and vnderstande theyr musicalle scyences. and to whom of theym each scyence is appropred. I suppose he hath dronken of Elycon's well. Then I praye hym & suche other to correcte adde or mynyshe where as he or they shall fynde faulte, For I haue but folowed my copye in frenshe as nygh as me is possyble, and yf ony worde be sayd therein well, I am glad, and yf otherwyse I submytte my sayd boke to theyr correctyon, Whiche boke I presente unto the hye born my tocomynge naturall & souerayn lord Arthur by the grace of God Prynce of Walys, Duke of Cornewayll & Erle of Chester first bygoten Son and heyer vnto our most dradde naturall & souerayn lorde & most crysten kynge, Henry the vij. by the grace of God kynge of Englonde and of Fraunce & lord of Irelonde, byseeching his noble grace to receyve it in thanke of me his moste humble subget & seruant, And I shall praye vnto almyghty God for his prosperous encreasyng in vertue, wysedom, and humanyte that he may be egal wyth the most renomed of alle his noble progeny tours. And so to lyue in this present lyf, that after this transitorye lyfe he and we alle may come to everlastynge lyf in heuen. Amen.

AT THE END OF THE BOOK.

Here fynysheth the boke of Eneydos, compyled by Vyrgyle, whiche hathe be translated out of latyne in to frenshe, and out of frenshe reduced in to Englyshe by me Wyllm. Caxton, the xxij daye of Juyn. the yere of our lorde. M iiij C lxxxx. The fythe yere of the Regne of kyng Henry the seuenth.