translation by judgments very different from theirs, and by perfons for whom they can have no kindness, if an old obfervation be true, that the strongest antipathy in the world is that of fools to men of wit. Mr. Addifon was the firft whofe advice determined me to undertake this task, who was pleased to write to me upon that occafion in fuch terms as I cannot repeat without vanity. I was obliged to Sir Richard Steele for a very early recommendation of my undertaking to the publick. Dr. Swift promoted my interest with that warmth with which he always ferves his friend. The humanity and frankness of Sir Samuel Garth are what I never knew wanting on any occafion. I must alfo acknowledge, with infinite pleasure, the many friendly offices, as well as fincere criticisms of Mr. Congreve, who had led me the way in tranflating fome parts of Homer; as I wish for the fake of the world he had prevented me in the reft. I must add the names of Mr. Rowe and Dr. Parnell, though I shall take a farther opportunity of doing juftice to the laft, whose good-nature (to give it a great panegyrick) is no less extenfive than his learning. The favour of these gentlemen is not entirely undeserved by one who bears them so true an affection. But what can I say of the honour fo many of the Great have done me, while the first names of the age appear as my fubfcribers, and the most distinguished patrons and ornaments of learning as my chief encouragers? Among these it is a particular pleasure to me to find, that my highest obligations are to fuch who have done most honour to the name of poet: that

his grace the duke of Buckingham was not displeased I should undertake the Author to whom he has given (in. his excellent Effay) fo complete a praise :

"Read Homer once, and you can read no more; "For all Books elfe appear fo mean, fo poor, "Verse will seem Profe; but ftill perfift to read, "And Homer will be all the Books you need." That the earl of Halifax was one of the first to favour me, of whom it is hard to fay whether the advancement of the polite arts is more owing to his generosity or his example. That fuch a genius as my lord Bolingbroke, not more diftinguished in the great fcenes of bufinefs, than in all the ufeful and entertaining parts of learning, has not refused to be the critick of thefe fheets, and the patron of their writer. And that fo excellent an imitator of Homer as the noble author of the tragedy of Heroic Love has continued his partiality to me, from my writing paftorals, to my attempting the Iliad. 1 cannot deny myself the pride of confeffing, that I have had the advantage not only of their advice for the conduct in general, but their correction of feveral particulars of this tranflation,

I could fay a great deal of the pleafure of being diftinguished by the earl of Carnarvon; but it is almost abfurd to particularize any one generous action in a perfon whose whole life is a continued series of them, Mr. Stanhope, the prefent fecretary of state, will pardon my defire of having it known that he was pleased to promote this affair. The particular zeal of Mr. Harcourt (the fon of the late lord chancellor) gave VOL. I.

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me

than the just pitch of his ftyle; fome of his tranflators having fwelled into fustian, in a proud confidence of the fublime; others funk into flatnefs, in a cold and timorous notion of fimplicity. Methinks I fee thefe different followers of Homer, fome fweating and straining after him by violent leaps and bounds (the certain figns of falfe mettle); others flowly and fervilely creeping in his train, while the poet himself is all the time proceeding with an unaffected and equal majesty before them. However, of the two extremes, one could sooner pardon frenzy than frigidity: no author is to be envied for fuch commendations as he may gain by that character of style, which his friends must agree together to call fimplicity, and the rest of the world will call dullness. There is a graceful and dignified fimplicity, as well as a bold nd fordid one, which differ as much from each other as the air of a plain man from that of a floven: it is one thing to be tricked up, and another not to be dreffed at all. Simplicity is the mean between oftentation and rufticity.

This pure and noble fimplicity is no where in fuch perfection as in the Scripture and our Author. One may affirm, with all respect to the inspired Writings, that the Divine Spirit made use of no other words but what were intelligible and common to men at that time, and in that part of the world; and as Homer is the author neareft to thofe, his ftyle muft of course bear a greater resemblance to the facred books than that of any other writer. This confideration (together with what has been obferved of the parity of fome of his thoughts)

may

may methinks induce a tranflator on the one hand to give into several of those general phrases and manners of expreffion, which have attained a veneration even in our language from being used in the Old Teftament; as on the other, to avoid those which have been appropriated to the Divinity, and in a manner configned to myftery and religion.

For a farther preservation of this air of fimplicity, a particular care should be taken to exprefs with all plainnefs thofe moral fentences and proverbial speeches which are fo numerous in this poet. They have fomething venerable, and as I may fay oracular, in that unadorned gravity and fhortnefs with which they are delivered: a grace which would be utterly loft by endeavouring to give them what we call a more ingenious (that is, a more modern) turn in the paraphrase.

Perhaps the mixture of fome Græcifms and old words after the manner of Milton, if done without too much affectation, might not have an ill effect in a verfion of this particular work, which most of any other seems to require a venerable antique caft. But certainly the use of modern terms of war and government, fuch as platoon, campaign, junto, or the like (into which fome of his tranflators have fallen) cannot be allowable; those only excepted, without which it is impoffible to treat the subjects in any living language.

There are two peculiarities in Homer's diction which are a fort of marks, or moles, by which every common eye distinguishes him at first sight: those who are not his greatest admirers look upon them as defects, and

thofe

mer (as has been faid) is perpetually applying the found to the fense, and varying it on every new subject. This is indeed one of the most exquisite beauties of poetry, and attainable by very few: I know only of Homer eminent for it in the Greek, and Virgil in Latin. I am fenfible it is what may fometimes happen by chance, when a writer is warm, and fully poffeft of his image: however it may be reasonably believed they defigned this, in whofe verse it so manifeftly appears in a fuperior degree to all others. Few readers have the ear to be judges of it; but thofe who have, will see I have endeavoured at this beauty.

Upon the whole, I must confefs myself utterly incapable of doing justice to Homer. I attempt him in no other hope but that which one may entertain without much vanity of giving a more tolerable copy of him than any entire translation in verfe has yet done. We have only thofe of Chapman, Hobbes, and Ogilby. Chapman has taken the advantage of an immeafurable length of verfe, notwithstanding which, there is fcarce any paraphrafe more loofe and rambling than his. He has frequent interpolations of four or fix lines, and I remember one in the thirteenth book of the Odyffes, ver. 312. where he has fpun twenty verfes out of two. He is often mistaken in fo bold a manner, that one might think he deviated on purpose, if he did not in other places of his notes infift so much upon verbal trifles. He appears to have had a strong affectation of extracting new meanings out of his author, infomuch as to promife, in his rhyming pre.

face,