PARA 8 1 principles 3. It deserved venst that Mr. Pope had less infalliJamesake at Rome 9. POPE ONLY A VERSIFIER. IO 1 numbers of the Dunciad are all nd it, nor has it any other merit 1o. wned that he hath got a notable knack and writing smooth verse ". MR. POPE'S HOMER. >mer which Lintot prints does not talk er, but like Pope; and he who translated would swear, had a hill in Tipperary for assus, and a puddle in some bog for his rene 12. He has no admirers among those in distinguish, discern, and judge 13. hath a knack at smooth verse, but without genius or good sense, or any tolerable knowof English. The qualities which distinguish ner are the beauties of his diction, and the harny of his versification.-But this little author, To is so much in vogue, has neither sense in his oughts, nor English in his expression 14. MR. POPE UNDERSTOOD NO GREEK. He hath undertaken to translate Homer from the Greek, of which he knows not one word, into 8 Preface to Gulliveriana, p. 11. 9 Dedication to the Collection of Verses, Letters, &c. r 10 Mist's Journal of June 8, 1728. 11 Character of Mr. P. and Dennis on Homer. 12 Dennis's Remarks on Pope's Homer, p. 12. 13 Ib. p. 14. 14 Character of Mr. Pope, p. 17, and Remarks MR. DRYDEN ONLY A VERSIFIER. His whole libel is all bad matter, beautified (which is all that can be said of it) with good metre 10. Mr. Dryden's genius did not appear in any thing more than his versification, and whether he is to be ennobled for that only is a question "1. MR. DRYDEN'S VIRGIL. Tonson calls it Dryden's Virgil, to show that this is not that Virgil so admired in the Augustan age, but a Virgil of another stamp, a silly, impertinent, nonsensical writer 12. None but a Bavius, a Mævius, or a Bathyllus, carped at Virgil; and none but such unthinking vermin admire his translator 13. It is true, soft and easy lines might become Ovid's Epistles or Art of Love—but Virgil, who is all great and majestic, &c. requires strength of lines, weight of words, and closeness of expression; not an ambling muse, running on carpetground, and shod as lightly as a Newmarket-racer. -He has numberless faults in his author's meaning, and in propriety of expression 14. MR. DRYDEN UNDERSTOOD NO GREEK NOR LATIN. Mr. Dryden was once, I have heard, at Westminster School: Dr. Busby would have whipped him for so childish a paraphrase 15. The meanest pedant in England would whip a lubber of twelve for construing so absurdly 16. The translator is 10 Whip and Key, pref. 11 Oldmixon, Essay on Criticism, p. 84. 12 Milbourn, p. 2. 13 Ib. p. 35. 14 Ib. p. 22, and 102. 15 Ib. p. 72. 16 Ib. p. 203. accursed Popish principles. It deserved vengeance to suggest that Mr. Pope had less infallibility than his namesake at Rome. MR. POPE ONLY A VERSIFIER. 10 The smooth numbers of the Dunciad are all that recommend it, nor has it any other merit 1o. 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 Parnassus, and a puddle in some bog for his Hippocrene 12. He has no admirers among those that can distinguish, discern, and judge 13. 13 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 expression 14. MR. POPE UNDERSTOOD NO GREEK. He hath undertaken to translate Homer from the Greek, of which he knows not one word, into 8 Preface to Gulliveriana, p. 11. 9 Dedication to the Collection of Verses, Letters, &c. p. 9. 10 Mist's Journal of June 8, 1728. 11 Character of Mr. P. and Dennis on Homer. 12 Dennis's Remarks on Pope's Homer, p. 12. 13 Ib. p. 14. 14 Character of Mr. Pope, p. 17, and Remarks on Homer, mad, every line betrays his stupidity ". The faults are innumerable, and convince me that Mr. Dryden did not, or would not, understand his author 18. This shows how fit Mr. Dryden may be to translate Homer! A mistake in a single letter might fall on the printer well enough, but εἴχωρ for ἰχωρ, must be the error of the author : nor had he art enough to correct it at the press 19. Mr. Dryden writes for the court ladies.-He writes for the ladies, and not for use 20. The translator put in a little burlesque now and then into Virgil, for a ragout to his cheated subscribers 21. 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 22, Poëtis quidlibet audendi shall be Mr. Dryden's motto, though it should extend to picking of pockets 23. 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 24. 17 Milbourn, p. 78. 18 Ib. p. 206. 21 Ib. p. 67. 19 Ib. p. 19. 22 Ib. p. 192. 24 Whip and Key, pref. |