bold a proceeding, it could not darken that fame which I am fure fhe thinks fhines fecurely even after the vain attempts of Plato himself against it: caused only perhaps by a like reafon with that of Madam D'Acier's anger against M. de la Motte, namely, the finding that in profe his genius (great as it was) could not be capable of the fublime heights of poetry, which therefore he banished out of his commonwealth. Nor were these objections to Homer any more lesfening of her merit in tranflating him as well as that way is capable of, viz. fully, plainly, and elegantly, than the most admirable verfes can be any difparagement to as excellent profe. The best excufe for all this violence is, its being in a cause which gives a kind of reputation even to fuffering, notwithstanding ever fo ill a management of it. The worst of defending even Homer in fuch a paffionate manner, is its being more a proof of her weaknefs, than of his being liable to none. For what is it can excuse Homer any more than Hector, for flying at the first fight of Achilles? whose terrible aspect fure needed not fuch an inexcufable fright to set it off; and methinks all that account of Minerva's reftoring his dart to Achilles, comes a little too late, for excufing Hector's fo terrible apprehension at the very first. LETTER XIV. TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. September 1, 1718. I AM much honoured by your Grace's compliance with my request, in giving me your opinion of the French dispute concerning Homer. And I fhall keep my word, in fairly telling wherein I difagree from you. It is but in two or three very small points, not so much of the dispute, as of the parties concerned in it. I cannot think quite fo highly of the Lady's learning, though I respect it very much. It is great complaisance in that polite nation, to allow her to be a Critic of equal rank with her husband. To inftance no further, his remarks on Horace fhow more good Senfe, Penetration, and a better Taste of his author, and those upon Aristotle's Art of Poetry more Skill and Science, than any of her's on any author whatever. In truth, they are much more flight, dwell more in generals, and are, befides, for the most part, lefs her own; of which her Remarks upon Homer are an example, where Euftathius is tranfcribed ten times for once that he is quoted. Nor is there at all more This is a juft character of that excellent Critic's writings; who seems not to have juftice done him, either at home or abroad. WARBURTON. more depth of learning in those upon Terence, Plautus, or (where they were most wanted) upon Aristophanes, only the Greek scholia upon the latter are some of the best extant. Your Grace will believe me, that I did not fearch to find defects in a lady; my employment upon the Iliad forced me to fee them; yet I have had fo much of the French complaifance as to conceal her thefts; for wherever I have found her notes to be wholly another's (which is the cafe in fome hundreds) I have barely quoted the true Proprietor without obferving upon it. If Madam D'Acier has ever feen my obfervations, she will be sensible of this conduct, but what effect it may have upon a lady, I will not anfwer for. In the next place, as to M. de la Motte, I think your Grace hardly does him right, in fuppofing he could have no Idea of the beauties of Homer's Epic Poetry, but what he learned from Madam D'Acier's Profe-tranflation. There had been a very elegant Profe-tranflation before, that of Monfieur de la Valterie *; fo elegant, that the ftyle of it was evidently the original and model of the famous Telemaque t Your To which tranflation Pope himself was not a little obliged. + That vain and haughty defpot, Louis XIV. would never forgive Fenelon for the many farcafms fcattered up and down in this Telemachus, on pride, profufion, luxury, and arbitrary power. For thefe, much more than for the " Maxims of the Saints," was this virtuous and exemplary prelate banished from the court to his diocefe. Your Grace very justly animadverts against the too great difpofition of finding faults, in the one, and of confeffing none in the other: but doubtlefs, as to violence, the lady has infinitely the better of the gentleman. Nothing can be more polite, difpaffionate, or fenfible, than M. de la Motte's manner of managing the difpute and fo much as I fee your Grace admires the beauty of his verse, (in which you have the fuffrage too of the Archbishop of Cambray,) I will venture to fay, his profe is full as good. I think therefore when you say, no difputants even in Divinity could be more outrageous and uncharitable than these two authors, you are a little too hard upon M. de la Motte. Not but that (with your Grace) I doubt as little of the zeal of Commentators as of the zeal of Divines, diocese. And Cardinal Fleury would not suffer Louis XV. to read Telemachus. As to La Motte, in addition to what has been said of his Odes being more philofophical than poetical, it may also be obferved, that fo were his Fables. In the latter also were introduced too many new and improper perfonifications; and Dom Jugement, Dame Memoire, and Demoiselle Imagination, Talent, and Reputation, feem to be ftrange actors in a fable. See Fable XIII. His Difcourfes on Fable, on Lyric Poetry, and on Homer, (though fo vehemently profcribed by Mad. D'Acier,) contain many acute and original remarks. The cheerfulness and equanimity with which he endured the calamity of blindness, for many years, does him more real honour than could be acquired by the best compofitions of profe or verfe. To the fame good temper may be afcribed his cordial reconciliation with Mad. D'Acier, after their fevere combat, to whom he addressed an Ode full of delicate compaments. WARTON. Divines, and am as ready to believe of the paffions and pride of mankind in general, that (did but the fame interests go along with them) they would carry the learned world to as violent extremes, animofities, and even perfecutions, about variety of opinions in Criticism, as ever they did about Religion: and that, in defect of Scripture to quarrel upon, we should have the French, Italian, and Dutch Commentators ready to burn one another* about Homer, Virgil, Terence, and Horace. I do not wonder your Grace is fhocked at the flight of Hector upon the first appearance of Achilles in the twenty-fecond Iliad. However (to fhew myself a true Commentator, if not a true Critic), I will endeavour to excufe, if not to defend it, in my Notes on that book. And to fave myself what trouble I can, instead of doing it in this letter, I will draw up the fubftance of what I have to fay for it in a feparate paper, which I will fhew your Grace when next we meet. I will only defire you to allow me, that Hector was in an abfolute certainty of death, and depreffed over and above with the confcience of being in an ill caufe. If your heart be fo great, as not to grant the first of thefe will fink the fpirit of a Hero, you'll at least be fo good, as to allow the fecond may. But, I can tell your Grace, no less a Hero than my Lord Peterborow, when a person complimented him for never being afraid, made this answer, "Sir, fhew me a danger |