because no terms of art or cant-words fuit with the majefty and dignity of ftyle which epic poetry requires.Cui mens divinior atque os magna fonaturum. -The Tarpawlin phrase can please none but fuch qui aurem habent Batavam; they must not expect auribus Atticis probari, I find by you. (I think I have brought in two phrafes of Martial here very dextroufly.) Though you fay you did not rightly take my meaning in the verfe I quoted from Juvenal, yet I will not explain it; because, though it seems you are refolved to take me for a critic, I would by no means be thought a commentator.-And for another reafon too, because I have quite forgot both the verse and the application. I hope it will be no offence to give my most hearty fervice to Mr. Wycherley, though I perceive, by his laft to me, I am not to trouble him with my letters, fince he there told me he was going inftantly out of town, and till his return was my fervant, etc.` I guefs by yours he is yet with you, and beg you to do what you may with all truth and honour, that is, affure him I have ever borne all the respect and kindness imaginable to him. I do not know to this hour what it is that has estranged him from me; but this I know, that he may for the future be more fafely my friend, fince no invitation of his fhall ever more make me fo free with him. I could not have thought any man so very cautious and fufpicious, as not to credit his own experience of a friend. Indeed, to be. lieve nobody, may be a maxim of safety, but not fo much of honesty. There is but one way I know of converfing fafely with all men; that is, not by concealing what we fay or do, but by faying or doing nothing that deferves to be concealed, and I can truly boast this comfort in my affairs with Mr. Wycherley. But I pardon his Jealoufy, which is become his nature, and shall never be his enemy whatsoever he says of me. LETTER XXI. FROM MR. CROMWELL Your, etc. Nov. 5, 1710. I FIND I am obliged to the fight of your love-verses, for your opinion of my fincerity; which had never been called in queftion, if you had not forced me, upon fo many other occafions, to exprefs my efteem. S I have just read and compared Mr. Rowe's verfion of the ixth of Lucan, with very great pleasure, where I find none of thofe abfurdities fo frequent in Pieces printed in the 6th vol. of Tonfon's Mifcellanies. that POPE. that of Virgil, except in two places, for the fake of lashing the priests; one where Cato fays-Sortilegis egeant dubii-and one in the fimile of the Hæmorrhois -fatidici Sabai-He is fo arrant a whig, that he strains even beyond his author, in paffion for liberty, and averfion to tyranny; and errs only in amplification. Lucan ix. in initio, describing the feat of the Semidei manes, fays, Quodque patet terras inter lunæque meatus, Mr. Rowe has this Line, Then looking down on the Sun's feeble Ray. Pray your opinion, if there be an Error-Sphæricus in this or no? Your, etc. LETTER XXII. Nov. II, 1710. You ou mistake me very much in thinking the free dom you kindly ufed with my love verses, gave me the first opinion of your fincerity: I affure you it only did what every good-natured action of yours has done fince, confirmed me more in that opinion. The fable of the Nightingale in Philip's Paftorals is taken from Famianus Strada's Latin poem on the fame fubject, in his Prolufiones Academica; only the tomb he erects at the end, is added from Virgil's conclufion of the Culex. I can't forbear giving a paffage out of the Latin poem I mention, by which you will find the English poet is indebted to it: Alternat mira arte fides: dum torquet acutas, Jamque manu per fila volat; fimul hos, fimul illos Nunc cæfim variat, modulifque canora minutis * * This poem was many years fince imitated by Crafhaw, out of whofe verfes the following are very remarkable: From * Neither of these words are used by Horace or Virgil: reciprocat is to be found in Lucretius, Book iii. 1101, but in another fenfe. WARTON. From this to that, from that to this he flies, His fingers struggle with the vocal threads. I have (as I think I formerly told you) a very good opinion* of Mr. Rowe's ixth book of Lucan: indeed he amplifies too much, as well as Brebœuf, the famous French imitator. If I remember right, he fometimes takes the whole comment into the text of the version, as particularly in line 808. Utque folet pariter totis fe effundere fignis Corycii pressura croci.— And in the place you quote, he makes of thofe two lines in the Latin, Vidit *Rowe's tranflation of Lucan has certainly never met with the popularity and applaufe it deferved. It is one of the few translations that is better than its original. I venture to say the fame of three more tranflations; namely, of Hampton's Polybius; of Pitt's Vidu; and of Melmoth's Pliny. Brebeuf, says VigneulMarville, was Lucano Lucanior. Horace was the favourite of Brebœuf in his youth, as was Lucan of his friend M. Gautier. They difputed fo frequently and fo warmly on the preference due to each of their favourites, that they agreed to give these authors a very attentive reading. The confequence was, they became mutual converts; Brebœuf became intoxicated with the love of Lucan, and Gautier of Horace. Melanges, v. i. p. 25. These Melanges are, I perceive, become of late a popular book. Dr. Campbell, above fifty years ago, was the perfon who I remember first recommended them to me, and occafioned me to give feveral quotations from them. They have more learning than the Menagiana, or indeed than any of the numerous Ana, so much at prefent in vogue. Bayle was fond of them, frequently quotes them in his Dictionary, and in his Letters, 1699; where he was, the first who informs us of the real name of the author, Dom. Bonaventure d'Argonne, Prior of the Carthufians of Gaillon. WARTON. |