ply. Even his Dorick Dialect has an incomparable Sweetness in its Clownifhnefs, like a fair Shepherdness in her Country Ruffet, talking in a Yorkshire Tone. This was impoffible for Virgil to imitate; because the feverity of the Roman Language deny'd him that Advantage. Spencer has endeavour'd it in his Shepherd's Calender; but neither will it fucceed in English, for which reafon [ forbore to attempt it. For Theocritus writ to Sicilians, who spoke that Dialect; and I direct this part of my Tranflations to our Ladies, who neither understand, nor will take pleafure in fuch homely Expreffions. I proceed to Horace.

Take him in parts, and he is chiefly to be confider'd in his three different Talents, as he was a Critick, a Satyrift, and a Writer of Odes. His. Morals are uniform, and run through all of them: For let his Dutch Commentators fay what they will, his Philofophy was Epicurean; and he made ufe of Gods and Providence, only to ferve a turn in Poetry. But as

fince neither his Critiċifms (which are the most inftructive of any that are written in this Art) nor his Satyrs (which are incomparably beyond Juvenal's, if to laugh and rally is to be preferr'd to railing and declaiming,) are no part of my prefent Undertaking, I confine my felf wholly to his Odes: Thefe are alfo of feveral forts; fome of them are Panegyrical, others Moral, the reft Jovial, or (if I may fo call them) Bacchanalian. As difficult as he makes it, and as indeed it is, to imitate Pindar, yet in his most elevated Flights, and in the fudden Changes of his Subject with almost imperceptible Connexions, that Theban Poet is his Mafter. But Horace is of the more bounded Fancy, and confines himself flrictly to one fort of Verfe, or Stanza in every Ode. That which will diftinguifh his Style from all other Poets,. is the Elegance of his Words, and the Numeroufnefs of his Verfe; there is nothing fo delicately turn'd in all the Roman Language. There appears in every part of his Diction,

or, (to speak English) in all his Expreffions, a kind of noble and bold Purity. His Words are chofen with as much exactness as Virgil's; but: there seems to be a greater Spirit in them. There is a fecret Happiness: attends his Choice, which in Petronius is call'd Curiofo Felicitas, and which I fuppofe he had from the Feliciter audere of Horace himself.. But the most diftinguishing part of all his Character, feems to me, to behis Briskness, his Jollity, and his good Humour: And thofe I have chiefly endeavour'd to Copy; his other Excellencies, I confefs, are above my Imitation. One Ode, which infinitely pleas'd me in the reading, I have attempted to tranflate in Pindarique Verfe: 'Tis that which is infcrib'd to the prefent Earl of Rochefter, to whom I have particular Obligations, which this fmall Teftimony of my Gratitude can never pay. 'Tis his Darling in the Latin, and I have taken fome Pains to make it my Mafter-piece in English: For which reafon I took this kind of

Verfe, which allows more Latitude than any other. Every one knows it was introduc'd into our Language, in this Age, by the happy Genius of Mr. Cowley. The feeming eafiness of it, has made it fpread; but it has not been confider'd enough, to be fo well cultivated. It languishes in almost every Hand but his, and fome very few, whom (to keep the reft in countenance) I do not name. He, indeed, has brought it as near Perfetion as was poffible in fo thort a time. But if I may be allow'd to fpeak my Mind modeftly, and without Injury to his facred Ashes, fomewhat of the Purity of English, fomewhat of more equal Thoughts, fome what of Sweetnefs in the Numbers, in one word, fomewhat of a finer Turn and more Lyrical Verfe is yet wanting. As for the Soul of it, which confifts in the Warmth and Vigour of Fancy, the mafterly Figures, and the Copioufnefs of Imagination, he has excell'd all others in this kind. Yet, if the Kind it felf be capable of more Perfection,

though rather in the Ornamental Parts of it, than the Effential, what Rules of Morality or Respect have I broken, in naming the Defects, that they may hereafter be amended? Imitation is a nice point, and there are few Poets who deferve to be Models in all they write. Milton's Paradife Loft is admirable; but am I therefore bound to maintain, that there are no Flats amongst his Elevations, when 'tis evident he creeps along fometimes, for above an Hundred Lines together? Cannot I admire the height of his Invention, and the ftrength of his Expreffion, without defending his antiquated Words, and the perpetual harthness of their Sound? 'Tis as much Commendation as a Man can bear, to own him excellent; all beyond it is Idolatry. Since Pindar was the Prince of Lyrick Poets, let me have leave to fay, that in imitating him, our Numbers fhould for the most part be Lyrical: For variety, or rather the where the Majefty of Thought requires it, they may be ftretch'd