An ESSAY &c.
EVENING the FIRST.

ANTIPHAUS manag'd his Affairs so as to get this Winter sooner than usual to the Country-seat of his Friend Philypsus. It is there that he passes his time, when ever he can clear himself from the hurry of Business, in a retirement every way agreeable; and in a full en­joyment of those Pleasures, which at­tend on a particular Friendship, in an open and improving Conversation. The Conversation there does not run in the present polite way of saying and saying nothing; when alone, they usually fall in­to some Points of Learning; and as bo [...]h of them are particularly fond of Poetry, [Page 2] their Disputes turn more frequently on that Subject, than any other. Indeed their differing in Sentiment can scarce be call'd Disputes; for whenever their Thoughts do not meet, each of them shews a diffidence in his own Opinion, and a willingness to submit to the Judg­ment of his Friend.

It is by this means that they fall in­to each others Sentiments, more than cou'd well be expected from Men of so different a Turn. The enlarged Geni­us of Philypsus always led him to dwell upon the most beautified Parts of a Poem with the greatest Pleasure; while Anti­phaüs, who has a very clear Head, and has given much into a strict way of think­ing, is taken most with just Descriptions, and plain natural Ideas: The one was so possest with the Pleasure which he felt from fine Thoughts and warm Expres­sions, that He did not take a full Satis­faction in low Beauty, and simple Re­presentations of Nature; the other, on the contrary, had such an aversion to glitterings and elevation, that he was distasted at any the least appearance of either. If the latter was prejudiced for the Ancients, from the Purity and Just­ness, which we find in most of their Works; Philypsus had his foible too, and [Page 3] was sometimes caught by the Flourish and Colouring of the Moderns. In a word, if Philypsus wou'd sometimes con­temn a Point as low and mean, tho' in reality proper enough, and naturally ex­press'd; Antiphaus, in his turn, might happen now and then to blame a Passage which requir'd a good degree of Orna­ment, as being too glaring and artificial.

Among several other Topicks, one Evening, they happen'd to fall into a discourse on Mr. Pope's new Translation of the Odyssey. As they both found Beau­ties in that Piece agreeable to their par­ticular Tastes, they had read it over with a great deal of Pleasure: however Philypsus was the Person who admired it the most. "There are some Lines, says he to Antiphaus (pointing to the Odyssey which lay before them) there are some Favourites of mine in that Poem, which you must not look upon with your usual severity: Prithee Antiphaus, be more sensible to the Flame and Spirit of a Writer, who is evidently Our present Laureate in Genius, and the most enliven'd Translator of the Age. "I will very readily allow what you say of that Great Man, return'd Antiphaus; and shall al­ways pay a deference to your more live­ly taste of the Fine and Sublime in Poetry; [Page 4] but you must give me leave to dis­sent from you in some Particulars: if I do not agree with your Sentiments, in relation to several Lines and Passages of that Translation, 'tis perhaps because I fall so much short of you, in your inward sense of the high and elevated Beauties of Language. As I cannot imagine that to be the reason, says Philypsus, I beg to hear those Particulars you talk'd of; I am perswaded, several of the Passages, which I have observ'd you to be less taken with in reading the Translation, will upon a closer view appear to be really Beauties; to tell you the truth, I long to make a Convert of you; and beg you wou'd be full and large in com­municating whatever Remarks you have made on this Performance. The Eve­nings are long; we have sufficient time upon our Hands; and I know not how we can pass it away more agreeably.

Antiphaus paus'd for some time, and seem'd to be taken up in recollecting his Thoughts on this Point: at last taking a Tablet out of his Pocket, ‘Since you desire it (says he) I will shew you what Observations I made as I went over the Work; they are the Thoughts which struck me en passant, and many of them will perhaps appear little and trifling.’

[Page 5] You will allow me, I believe, in the first place, That Lines very good in themselves, may be bad when consider'd as a Translation. The aim of a Tran­slator is to give us the Spirit of the Ori­ginal; and where the Original is just, the very manner is to be observ'd. By the Manner, I would not intend the ex­press words, or the meer turn of a Peri­od; but that the Imitation ought to be easy, simple, and unadorn'd, wherever the first Writer uses either of those Styles with Judgment. You are well ac­quainted with that plain humble manner of Homer, which is more particularly kept up by him in the Odyssey: And as much as I admire several parts in this Tran­slation, I cannot but think there are places in it, which differ from the Man­ner of Homer, without sufficient reason for a Change. The Poet, in several parts of that Work, seems to me to have let fall some Lines that are forc'd; some of too much flourish, and ornament; and a few, even swelling, and unnatural; where the Original is with good reason plain, and natural, [...]nd unadorn'd.

Where we admire the Simplicity of Homer with Justice, we cannot avoid blaming the want of it in his Translator. Mr. Pope intimates in one of his ^a Notes, [Page 6] That no Reproach has ever fall'n up­on Homer, in relation to his sinking too Low, or being too Familiar; That as to these Particulars he preserves an Uni­versal Justness: and that there is not any one place in his Poem, which can be just­ly censur'd upon this account. If so, a Translator of Homer has no occasion for raising any thing, beyond what it is in the Original; If he follows his Master it is sufficient: All additional Flourish and Glitterings, where we should meet with the plain and the familiar, are at best so many beautiful Excrescencies.

There is one Case, which seems more particularly to lead Mr. Pope into a gla­ring Stile: 'tis almost ever to be found in his Descriptions of Day, of Light, and of the Morning. 'Tis true, these are subjects which in themselves may require some brightness in the language; but there is a great difference between giv­ing one Light, and dazling ones Eyes. Beside the conformity to the Original, there is another certain and easy way of judging, whether the Brightning in these or any other Points, be proper or not: that Light, we may be sure, falls in a wrong manner, or an undue proportion, which does not make the thing more visible.

[Page 7] There are of these Descriptions, Phi­lypsus, which seem both to refine too much upon the Original, and to err ac­cording to this Rule. Did you ever ob­serve those lines on one of the most a­greeable Images in the World, The break of Day? they are in the beginning of the third Book: If you will give me leave, I will read them to you.

Several of these Expressions seemed to me at first sight to take from the Nature and Simplicity of the Description; and when I turn'd to the Greek, I found those very Expressions to have no Foun­dation there. 'Tis the same Case in the following Lines:

You will find these short Sketches in Homer to be much more simple and natural: [Page 8] I leave it to your Judgment, whe­ther they appear better with these Co­lourings, or not. To add one Instance more of the same thing. Is it more pro­per for Circe to tell Ulysses, That he should stay that Night with her, and set sail the next Morning? or to hear her giving him leave, to

I must own, says Philypsus, this would have been more fit for the Description of a Voyage, than for a Speech: in a Place too, where we only find Orders given for setting Sail at such a time.

To me, proceeded Antiphaus, Mr. Pope seems to Beautify too much in several o­ther Points, beside those Topicks we have been talking of: as where he calls the Nobles of Phoeacia, ^b A radiant Band of Noblemen; and where he introduces Helen with ^c a Gale of rich Perfume breathing before her. If Homer mentions Cups of solid Gold; in Mr. Pope,

[Page 9] You cannot but observe, by the way, that the Original here is designed to sig­nify the real intrinsick Value; while only the outside and more glittering Cir­cumstances are what the English dwells upon entirely: but to go on.—The Horns of a Bullock are in this new Lan­guage, ^a Budding Honours; and those of a Ram (if I am not much mistaken) ^b translucent Crescents. Pallas is well known to have had Blue Eyes given her by the Ancients; now it is

^c Celestial Azure brightning in her Eyes.

This heightning of things, by a severe Critick might be thought blameable; and indeed whenever it interferes, where the Passions ought to be touch'd, it cer­tainly is so in an higher degree. The Reader is delighted when, after a me­lancholly Scene, he sees Penelope reviv'd by a Message from the Gods; and ^d secretly enjoying the Satisfaction of her Soul: but what Passion, what Idea has he, when instead of this he is told of her ^d Hearts dilating and glowing with florid Joy?—Paint to him that unhappy [Page 10] Princess in her Distress, retiring silently, and crying herself toS leep; only shew the Circumstances, and the Reader must be moved: Does her Behaviour and her Sufferings strike him so forcibly, when he finds it embellish'd into

But however these Passages may seem to be weaken'd by the finery and luxu­riance of the Language, this certainly is not so much the fault of Pope, as of the Age: We give much into an airy way: If a Verse runs off smooth, 'tis no mat­ter for depth or clearness; and as the Ancients valued Thoughts more than Sound, we seem to be taken with Sounds more than Thought. To speak out, we are got into an idle manner of Versify­ing; and if Mr. Pope sometimes falls in­to it, we are not so much to blame him for those Particulars, as to wonder, that he does not do it more frequently, in so general a debauch of Taste among us.

Hold (interrupted Philypsus) if You go on at this rate, You will seem only to be got into the old Cant of running down our own Times: I do not believe, but that I cou'd name some Poet among us, [Page 11] to answer any of those who flourish'd in the Augustan Age. As to the present Point, we rarely hear of any such thing as Translation among them: In Satyr, we have the great Names of Rochester, Dry­den, and Oldham: (not to mention the new kind of Satyr, introduc'd among us by Butler.) In Critical Poems, there are (You know) two or three very good, be­side that incomparable Piece by Mr. Pope, all to weigh against poor Horace. As for miscellaneous Subjects; think of Cowley, Pope, Waller and Pryor, to mention no more of them. In the Epick, Milton may dispute the Laurel with either Virgil, or Homer; and in Dramatick Pieces, of either kind, we have Writers that indisputably exceed any of the Ancients.

Antiphaus was not inclin'd to enter in­to a dispute of this nature. "I was on­ly speaking, says he, of our present Taste in Poe [...]ry, and the prevailing manner of those writers who are now upon the Stage. As to this, Philypsus, give me leave to say, that the language of our Writers, and the practice of the World, is much infected with the Finesse. I think 'tis Mr. Locke observes, that the humours of a Peo­ple, may be learnt from their usage of words. This symptom of the disease is very strong in the pre [...]ent Case: thus to say that a verse [Page 12] is bien tourné is the highest commenda­tion among the French Criticks: in ge­neral, the Beau Monde is the only name now, for what was call'd by a very diffe­rent one formerly; as a fine Scholar, po­lite Literature, and the Belles Lettres are the leading expressions, when we would speak of Learning in the best sense. And I appeal to you, who are so well acquaint­ed with all our Poets, whether their practise, in particular, does not fall more and more into the Finesses, we have been complaining of. We may partly judge of this from some Lines in the Best of them, the Writer whose Works lye before us: I was just going to give you a few more instances of it, from the Odyssey.

Is there any Figure so much abus'd by the Moderns, as what they call the An­tithesis? they run it into a down right playing upon Words. Cowley's Poetry cou'd not live without it: Dryden uses it almost perpetually, in his Translation o [...] Virgil; and was ridicul'd, You know, o [...] that head by the late Duke of Bucking­ham. I have observ'd with pleasure, that Mr. Pope, in his Translation, very much avoids this little beauty, which the other affected so excessively; yet I have a place before me, where one of this kind ha [...] slipt from his Pen: It runs thus. (He [Page 13] is speaking of a Stranger's Arrival at the Court of Penelope, disorder'd so much by the riot of the Suitors.)

Pardon me, says Philypsus, there you do not seem to do the Translator Justice; the Figure is countenanc'd by Homer him­self: You see here is an Antithesis in the Original. "That (answer'd Antiphaus) seems rather to be a Contrast, to set the riot of the Suitors in a stronger light: But call it what you please, it is only single there, whereas you see it multiplied, and worn to Rags in the Translation. This over-doing a Point is observable in many other Cases, as much as in the for­mer; and in some, is carried on to a de­gree which borders upon the Forc'd, and Unnatural.

Telemachus, bursting into Tears at the Name of his Father, end [...]avours to hide his Sorrow from Menelaus, who was then talking with him. Homer says only, that ^b Menelaus observ'd him; [Page 14] which words Mr. Pope draws out into this Couplet:

For an humble natural Description o [...] a Tripod (or Caldron) set upon the Fire, I wou'd recommend you to the following lines:

But above all, in my Opinion, are these on a Person tired and quite spent [...]

Or these:

Wou'd you Imagine, that all which countenances this in the Original, is a Passage in Ulysses's Speech after his Shipwreck, [Page 15] in which he intimates, That he had not bath'd for a considerable time?

I find it so, (says Philypsus) and own the Lines to be somewhat forc'd and un­natural; indeed those you have repeated seem generally to draw too near to that Character. But I cannot conceive by what means they sound so harsh to me at present: when I read the Piece, there was scarce a Line of them which gave me any offence.—Yes; it must be by your tearing them from the Body of the work, that they now seem not so agreeable. Really, Antiphaus, this is not sair usage of an Author; You rob them of their Order and Connection; and 'tis thenc [...] that they perfectly lose the Beauty, which they had in the Whole. Very true, r [...] ­ply'd Antiphaus; the warmth of Read­ing, the thread of the Story, and a gene­ral tunableness in the Verse, will carry [...] a Man on strangely; and may sometimes cheat him into a [...]alse Pleasure. But then it is for this very reason, that I shou'd think, the justest method of form­ing a judgment on Particulars is, to con­sider them apart. However, let us try it for once in a more entire Passage, than any of the former. Let me see; The place I have dipt upon, is where Miner­va tells Ulysses that she will transform [Page 16] him into the figure of an Old Man; that he may view the posture of his Affairs unsuspected and unknown: The Lines in Homer may be thus read into English:

You know that Mr. Pope, in com­paring some Passages in the Prophesies of Isaiah with the famous Eclogue of Virgil, turns the latter into Prose; If we follow that Example in the present case, his Translation of these Lines runs thus:

Give me leave to go out of my way a little, to try the same Experiment on a single Passage from the Iliad, which is flourish'd, and set off in an extraordina­ry manner. It is in the Nineteenth Book, where we have a poetical account of a fine Breed of Horses; The Origi­nal runs thus:

Mr. Pope's Translation, (only allow­ing equivalent Expressions to blind the Rhimes) runs thus:

This, if over-wrought, is the more blameable, because the matter is carri­ed very far even in the Original, and so is the less capable of being stretch'd any farther. Mr. Pope, in his note upon the Place observes, That Homer has the hap­piness of making the least Circumstance con­siderable; and that the plainest matter shines in his dress of Poetry. It is true, it shines sufficiently in that. Some bright­ning is necessary in Poetry: but an ex­cess of it, Philypsus, may dazle, or may blind our Eyes; it can never assist, or delight them.

By comparing these Passages, You will see that which I intend; the difference of Manner in the Ancient and Modern Poetry: In the latter we find Expressions added, which seem to be added for beau­ties, and which in reality perhaps only turn the Plainness and Strength of the Original, into the Fine and the Arti­ficial.

[Page 19] Upon [...] Philypsus's acknowledging that he thought the Point too much labour'd, and the Translation unequal; Yes, says Antiphaus, the Translator himself seems to be sensible of it in the present Case; for soon after, when the former Passage is repeated in the ^a Original, he gives an entirely new ^b Turn to it; And I believe, upon hearing the Lines, you will be of opini­on that (excepting a word or two) it is render'd with a better grace and with more Justice, than we find inthe former.

Mr. Pope without question is happy in a great share of Judgment, as well as Vi­vacity and Spirit in Writing: but it is next to impossible, in so long a Transla­tion, especially as it is in Rhime, not to give sometimes into Sound and Orna­ment; when to crown all, the Vogue of the World goes so strong for both. Do not ask, whether I should desire to see [Page 20] both of them banisht out of Poetry; far from it: Expressive Sounds are of use in the most natural, and Variety in the ma­nagement of them, is necessary to keep up Attention in the Reader: That, and Ornament, is what sets Poetry above Prose. All I wou'd say is this, that Sound is not sufficient where we might expect Sense; and that in humble Passages, in natural Descriptions, or in moving most of the Passions, additional ornaments are so many blemishes. Dressing up the ex­pressiveness of Homer, in such fineries, is much the same as if one shou'd throw a very gay modern dress over the Hercules of Farnese, or any of the most Nervous Statues of the Ancients.

But You will allow Ornament, where the subject will bear it, and where the Original leads the Way?—In a translation (answer'd Antiphaus) it is proper perhaps, only in the latter Case; but allowing it in both, it shou'd never be over-wrought in either. Too much Finery is always Affectation: and I wish our Writers at present were not so generally given to elevate and surprize, and all that, as Mr. Bayes calls it.

The running into this excess so much, is what has unsinew'd our Poetry. 'Tis with Poetry, as it is in Buildings; the [Page 21] being vastly Studious of Ornament does not only take away from the Strength of the Work, but is a sure token of a viti­ated taste in the Designer.

You are always blaming the Modern Refinements, says Philypsus; but will you not allow that this taste of the Age is a sufficient justification at least of Mr. Pope, in those cases where he complies with it?—We must write so as to please the World, and speak so as to be most easily under­stood: Custom will often wear away the propriety of things of this Nature; and as for the propriety of language, that de­pends upon it entirely. I allow, to u [...]e your own thought, that a profusion of Lace and Embroidery wou'd be a disguise upon an Old Hero; but they are so far from being improper, that they are be­coming on the Heroes of our Age.—

They may become the Heroes of our Age (replied Antiphaus smiling) perhaps on a far different account: there is ano­ther Character now wove into and blended with that of a Soldier, to which these things are very agreeable: How many are there of these Heroes, as you call them, whose Courage reaches no farther than their Sword-knot, and whose Con­duct is taken up wholly in their Dress? But consider a Man barely as a Soldier; [Page 22] think of him in the midst of some warm Action, and these little Ideas of him will disappear: Then it is that posture, that pressing on the foe, that grasping of his Sword, that fierceness in his Eyes, that serenity and that eagerness on his counte­nance, which strike us wholly, and take up all our attention. Yes, Philypsus, if you view a real modern Hero in a true light, those fineries do not set well upon him: and I think, I never saw any thing more truly ridiculous, than the Piece we were laughing at the other Day, in your Picture-Gallery.—Good Heaven! The Duke of Marlbrough in the heat of an Engagement, with a full-bottom'd Wigg, very carefully spread over his Shoulders!

But to return to the present taste in Poetry.—If this Corruption of the Age cou'd excuse a Writer for what he com­poses now, must it be carried down as far as Homer's Days? must his Heroes love, and talk, and fight a-la-mode? must his strong, sententious lines, be set to the new polite airs of Handel and Bononcini? Yet, were what you wou'd alledge of any force, it wou'd carry the matter thus far; and the whole Iliad and Od [...]ss [...]y ought to be enervated down to the present taste. No, whatever may be allow'd to any of the proper genuine productions of this [Page 23] Age, it ought not to make an inrode upon all others: let Homer's energy and pathos be violated as little as is possible; Nature ought to rule in his Works, and those of the Antients: as ornament, and sur­prize, and elevation, have in their turn the Empire of the Modern World.

You see I beg into shew the old heat, that this subject (I think) always betrays me into.—I beg pardon, Philypsus; and will attend more to what I am about for the future.—I shou'd have given you some instances of this Elevation from the tran­slation before us. A-propos, What a gla­ring description of a Sword have we in the Eighth Odyssey?

Homer says, that Hermione was as beau­tiful as Venus: this is low and humble in comparison of Mr. Pope's Hermione,

Where a prodigy is sent to the Itha­censians in Council, Homer says that they [Page 24] were struck at the sight of it, and revolv'd in their Minds what it might presage to them [...] this Mr. Pope renders after the following manner,

How mean is it, and how much lik [...] prose, to tell us, that Penelope heard t [...] mirth of the Suitors? to elevate this suffi­ciently, You must say

This false way of animating Poetry, a [...] no doubt many will be pleas'd to call i [...] grows particularly prejudicial and absur [...] in any case, where the Passions are to b [...] rais'd in the Reader, or describ'd in th [...] Persons of the Poem. Where we wou' [...] move Pity, in particular, nothing is ( [...] m [...]e odious than a shew of Eloquence. Na­ture has provided a Sympathy in o [...] Souls; She has put a biass into our Tem­per, that inclines us forcibly to Compassion; ²⁶ [Page 25] and we shou'd ^a leave her to her own work in such points, without any of the impertinent assistances of Art.

The lines You have just repeated, in­terrupted Philypsus, are such as I cannot admire: but I think you carry the point too far against Art in general. Is there not the greatest Art required in moving the passions? why then have Ci­cero, and all the Criticks of old, given us so numerous rules in this Case? Yes, re­ply'd Antiphaus, great Art, or rather a great Genius, is very necessary toward any excellence this way. But what I have said was intended not so much a­gainst the Use of Art, as the Appearances of it. 'Tis the greatest of Arts, to con­ceal the Art you use; and to have it very evident, is the greatest of Blemishes. The Criticks, and Cicero in particular, speak with the greatest plainness against any thing of that kind. Where the pas­sions are to be touch'd, apparent art is apparent fraud; so that here particu­lar care should be taken, that nothing be over-wrought.

'Tis on this account, that when You compare the following lines to the Original, [Page 26] You will not, I dare say, be over [...]ond of them:

And that entire passage of Penelope.

I wish this false elevation and profu­sion of Ornament does not carry Mr. Pope, in some few Cases, into down right Fustian. ^d A Man's being lost in Lassitude, and a Soul scarce waking, in the Arms of Death, look'd very much that way. Do You remember where he talks of ^e Princes on Princes roll'd, and ^f Gods being heap'd on Gods? Or how in another place we are told, that

You know the Character of some o [...] Sir John Falstaff's Attendants, in the Merr [...] [Page 27] Wives of Windsor; a sort of Men, who are industrious in talking hard Words; and whose Humour, is to be unintelligible. One wou'd almost Imagine, the hum­ble Account of shutting a Door, in the end of the First Odyssey, to be copied from those illustrious Originals.

I own (says Philypsus) I cannot but give up those lines to you, and several of the other You mention'd before. The first lines, when You repeated them, I took tobe the very worst, You could pick out of the Od [...]ssey: But I know not how i [...] comes about, You rise gradually in your demands upon me; and are got insensi­bly from lines in that piece, which were forc'd and too much beautified, to things unnatural, and shocking. When I thought of making a Convert of You to an entire admiration of Mr. Pope, I fancy, I was much mistaken; at this rate, you will turn the Tables upon me: and to tell You the truth, I cannot but confess, that [Page 28] the Poet has, in some Cases, fallen into each of the faults You mention.

In some Cases doubtless (reply'd Anti­phaus) that Gentleman is not to be com­mended: I take his Translation to be as good, as any Translation of Homer, into English, and in Rhime, cou'd be expected to be; In all probability, we might safely add, that no other Writers of the Age cou'd, in the whole, have perform'd such a task so well. But a perfect Piece of this kind cannot be expected: If Homer himself is allow'd to Sleep a little, his Translator certainly may Nod some­times.—

One thing I observ'd (interrupted Phi­lypsus) in the lines you have repeated that the faultiness of several of them was owing to an Excess in one of the great­est Beauties of Poetry, I mean, the Meta­phors too frequent in them. I observ' [...] the same (says Antiphaus) as I was collec [...] ­ing these little Remarks: it occasion' [...] my using a particular Paper for that single point: If it did not grow so late, [...] wou'd shew it to You; but—No, le [...] us have it now, cry'd Philypsus: I neve [...] knew any thing of yours too long, and [...] it be that Paper in your Hand, I shou [...] think it much too short; were it not fo [...] my concern for the Poet, and the desi [...] [Page 29] I have of finding as few Faults in his Writings as possible.

Metaphor, says Philypsus, is certainly the most universal enlivener of Poetry. At the same time that it adds to the dig­nity of Verse, it gives it an agreeable variety; together with a power of Paint­ing out all its Images, in the boldest and strongest manner in the World. 'Tis this which animates those objects, which must otherwise be still and unaffecting: it [...]lings every thing into Motion, Life, and Action: By this the Arrow is eager and on the Wing, by this the Sword thirsts for Blood, and the Spear rages in the Hands of the Warriour. Metaphor raises each subject out of the heavy nar­rative way: it creates new Beings; it represents the passions of Men, and even meer Names, as animated and imbodied; and shews them in the posture and atti­tudes of Agents. Thus when the Battles are going to join, You see Rage stalk a­midst the Combatants; pointing with one Hand to the Enemy, and in the o­ther, shaking the Torch of War. By this, the Valleys and Mountains rejoice, when Peace once more spreads her downy Wings, and Plenty descends from Heaven upon the happy climate. 'Tis Metaphor which makes the Woods and Caves answer to the [Page 30] voice of the Poet, and the murmuring Stream compassionate his complaints: 'Tis this which makes the Nile know Caesar; and the Sea, its present Monarch.

If Mr. Pope manages this powerful Fi­gure frequently to the best advantage, sometimes he happens not to be so happy in the use of it. The force of Metap [...]or is to make things strong, clear, and sen­sible: any confusion destroys the very end of it; and yet a little inaccuracy may occasion gross errors this way. Some­times what is just with the Figurative [...] may disagree with the Proper: sometimes again, an idea which might stand with the proper expression, will be inconsistent with the figurative. A misapplication either way is very obvious, and yet it gives a jar to the Ideas, and makes the sense of a line to be perplexed and in confusion.

It sounds but oddly to talk of a Person, and of his Picture, without any manner of distinction: To say, that the piece, drawn by Sir Godfrey Kneller for Mr. Pope [...] is an excellent Poet and Writes with th [...] greatest Command imaginable; Or, that Mr. Pope is a very good piece, and his fac [...] very well colour'd, tho' he is but just recover' [...] from a fit of Sickness; either of them w [...]u'd carry a mixt incoherent sense with [Page 31] them: This I take to be partly the Case in the following Lines,

To say the Go [...] of Light was driving his Car, down the Steep of Heaven (as Mr. Pope somewhere expresses it) is metapho­rical; To say the Sun is setting, is pro­per: but shou'd one say, The Sun is setting with s [...]oping Wheels, This would be neither Metaphorical, nor Proper; nor cou'd it raise any thing in the Mind, but a confusion of Ideas.

Again:

Again:

I think, Neptune has the luck of it; for 'tis the same Deity, that in another [Page 32] place makes just such a Figure, as I have seen him in some Mortlock-Hangings:

Such confusions of the Metaphor and the Proper have a great resemblance to that absurdity (of mixing Fable and Reality to­gether) which appears so grosly in Mr. Dryden's Hind and Panther; and which was the very thing, that provoked Lord Halifax to ridicule that Piece, with such infinite humour and good sense. The Noble Author's Words on that subject, may give a Side-light to what I mean in the present Case. Speaking of the An­cient Fabulists, ‘They wrote (says he ^c in Signs, and spoke in Parables: all their Fables carry a double meaning: The Story is one and entire; The Cha­racters the same throughout; not bro­ken, or chang'd, and always conforma­ble to the nature of the Creatures they introduce. They never tell you that the Dog, which snapt at a shadow, lost his Troop of Horse; that wou'd be un­intelligible.—This is his (Dryden' [...]) [Page 33] new way of telling a Story, and con­founding the Moral and the Fable to­gether.’ After instancing from the Hind and Panther, he goes on thus. ‘What relation has the Hind to our Saviour? or what notion have we of a Panther's Bible? if you say, he means the Church, how does the Church feed on Lawns, or range in the Forest? Let it be always a Church, or always the Cloven-footed Beast, for we cannot bear his shifting the Scene every Line.’

I had almost forgot to tell You, that upon consulting the Original there was no Metaphor at all to be found, for either of the Lines, I last repeated from the Odyssey. We have now Metaphors perpe­tually; the Translator is vastly fond of them. I need not say that an Excess this way is very blameable; You know the Criticks speak against it in a high strain, and one of them goes so far as to say, that this ^a Figure, when frequent, obscure [...] the Piece, and fatigues the Reader; when continual, 'tis no longer a Poem, 'tis all Allegory and Enigma.

As a [...]alse Mixture of the proper and the figurative confuses the sense; The [Page 34] joining Metaphors together, which do no [...] agree, makes it still more dark and per­plexed. These are like (what they call [...] Medley-Pieces; a huddled kind of Pictures [...] which shew a Variety of Objects, flun [...] together without any order or design [...] As that in the beginning of Horace's A [...] of Poetry, they join the Limbs of on [...] Creature to the Body of another; an [...] confuse all the properties and circum­stances of an Action.

If the Poet be not very careful he ma [...] by these means tye not only things im­proper, but even contrarieties, together [...] Do not the following Lines border o [...] this? to me the Metaphors in them see [...] to be improperly united.

At the same Time, nothing can b [...] more Proper and Narrative than the Ori­ginal in that place. Again:

In these the Action is describ'd in words, that import a violence; while the Act to be express'd, is plainly something still and gentle.

Nothing is more known in relation to the Metaphor, than that rule of Cicero 's; ^b That it shou'd be so modest, as to seem to have been handed into the place of the pro­per Word, not to have forced its Way thither: it shou'd fall into it in a free, voluntary manner. Otherwise it will make the sense dark and intricate; and that abso­lutely destroys all the use of it: for as Metaphor shou'd be the ^b greatest Light and Ornament of Language, Obscurity is the most absurd thing, and the most to be avoided in Metaphor.

If so, I wou'd ask whether it be very natural to talk of ^c the Womb of a Vessel? What congruity is there? What Idea have You of the Forehead of Night, of a Star, or of the Heavens? yet in the Translation [Page 36] we meet with Metaphors of thi [...] kind: and tho' it may be tolerable to talk of the ^a Front of Heaven; the othe [...] two, ^b The blazing Forehead of a Sta [...], and ^c the Matron Brow of Night, ar [...] scarce to be born with. For my part, I shou'd not have expected these Expres­sions from Mr. Pope: They rather pu [...] me in mind of another Gentleman, wh [...] in a Poem of his speaking of the Churc [...] of England, says that

I desire you would give me your Sen­timents on another passage: what do yo [...] think of the Images in the followin [...] Line?

Do You remember whom 'tis spoke of? Really, says Philypsus, I cannot we [...] determine, whether it is spoken of Me [...] or of a couple of Beasts fighting.—( [...] neither, answer'd Antiphaus: 'tis used [...] Eagles in the ^e Odyssey; and in the ( [...] Iliad, of a couple of Vultures.

[Page 37] There is an Observation arising from this, which ought to be consider'd, in transferring Metaphors: it may be said, that the word Cheeks in this Verse, is justified by the Original. Custom, Phi­lypsus, is the great Rule of Words: and what is easy in one Language, will not bear in another; because usage may have soften'd in one, what in the other is yet harsh and unwarrantable. This is evi­dent from the very Word in debate. Thus we use [...]Cheeks in English of some Creatures beside Men; the Term is so far familiarized, and sounds very well: Yet to talk of the Cheeks of a Pheasant, or the Cheeks of a Vulture, will by no means sound the softer for it's prevailing in those other particulars.

However, this is agreed on all hands; that a Metaphor is not to be used, unless it gives a greater light, and makes the thing more sensible to us. Are the Bor­row'd terms, in this Case, more expressive than the Native? Nay, do they give you as clear Ideas, as the Native would? Do they give you as clear, where the Poet talks of ^a asswaging Thirst with a generous [...]intage, or of Polypheme's doing the same thing with a ^b Milky deluge? What do [Page 38] you think of an ^a Ozier-fringed Bank, of a Voice (just heard) ^b wounding the Ear, or of the Seas being call'd the ^c howling desart of the Main? Mr. Pope ^d questio [...]s whether the nodding of a Mountain be a natural Image; shou'd not You be apt to think too, that a Mountain ^e shak­ing the Forests on his sides, is fitter for an Earthquake, than a Metaphor? What sort of Idea have You of a ^f well-fought Wall, or a ^g thrice-ear'd Field? in a Word, have You any Idea at all, when he tells us of Jove's ^h rearing a Tempest, or of the ⁱ whistling Winds waking the Sky?

Philypsus consulted his own Mind all along as these points were offer'd; and endeavour'd very fairly to discover, whe­ther the Images were as clear and evi­dent, as they ought to be: He knew that the great use and ^k beauty of Metaphor, was to give Light and Perspicuity to a de­scription; to cloath Words (as he us'd to say) with Substance; and to make Lan­guage visible: But as, upon this View, he cou'd not answer fully what had been [Page 39] produc'd, he was willing to evade it as much as he cou'd. These Instances, says he (turning to Antiphaus) tho' few for so large a Piece, when laid together, are apt to incline ones judgment to the pre­judice of the Translator: it will not be [...]air to look only on the worst side of him; We owe it to Justice, and to the Excel­lencies of that great Man, to give one Evening to his Beauties, as well as this to his Defects.—Be so good then (inter­rupted Antiphaus) as to undertake that part for the next: You know me so well I need not assure you, that I shall be as much pleas'd with hearing the Beauties, as I am uneasy in repeating the Faults of this Writer.

After some other discourse, Antiphaus, going for his own apartment, and re­flecting upon what had pass'd between him and his friend, took occasion to ob­serve; ‘How impossible almost it is for thegreatest Genius not to fail some­times, in an undertaking of this Na­ture: and how unavoidable it will be [...]or the Reader, (in a Poem generally well wrote) not to be led away from observing those faults, by the vast Pow­er of Ornament, the easy Fluency of the Verse, and his Engagements to the Beauties of a favourite Piece.’ [Page 40] The best qualified (added he) will thus err, when ever they write for Fame; and the most judicious will be thus deceiv'd, when they read for Pleasure.

An ESSAY &c.
EVENING the SECOND.

BETWEEN company and business, it was some time before Philypsus and Anti­phaus cou'd get an Even­ing to themselves; the latter had waited for it with some impatience; and did not fail, pretty early in it, to remind Philypsus of his promise. I long, says he, to see your Remarks: such a method of viewing a Poem, is something like the way of our favourite Vertot in writing History: we have the material Parts of it, without passing thro' the dead Lines, which go toward the Narrative; or the less sig­nificant Passages, which are to fill up the Chain of Events. You must not expect [Page 42] any great Matters, answer'd Philypsus: Tho' I have had longer time than we talk'd of at first, it has been sufficient only for collecting some of the scatter'd Beauties of this excellent Translation.

Some of the Lines which you repeated the former Evening, shew'd that the Great­ness of his Genius, had led Mr. Pope sometimes into an Excess: if things can be too much beautified, that fault does certainly belong to him. In a few lines, I confess, he discovers a greater love of Ornament, than is becoming. This is the fountain of all the several Peccadillo's which you observ'd from his writings; whatever there is to be found in them either too glaring, or forc'd, or figurative, or too much elevated, may fairly be accounted for this way. You, Sir, produc'd some Passages, as I remember, under each of these Characters: But how pardonable is it, for so exalted a Genius, to run some­times into an excess of Ornament? And how admirable for such, to excell often in the just, handsome, natural Manner? As Mr. Pope, in the former, may possibly want some favourable Allowances; He must certainly command the highest Esteem in the latter.

Is not almost the entire ^a Episode of [Page 43] Menelaus and Proteus particularly just, and beautiful? What can have a greater share of Nature, without any excesses, than the Adventure with ^a Nausicaa? How justly are the Passions preserv'd in ^b The Descent into Hell; and before, in all the Speeches ^c of Circe and Calypso?

Tho' these Passages are generally of too great a length to bear repeating in a single Evening, you will indulge me with the reading some of the most finish'd Parts of them.

The whole Episode is particularly well wrote; but the things chiefly to be ad­mir'd in it are, the Metamorphosis of Pro­teus;—His Speech on the unhappy Cu­riosity of Men;—the account immedi­ately after, of the Deaths of Ajax and Agamemnon; and, above all that enliven'd Conclusion, in Relation to Elysium, and, the future Happiness of Menelaus. You remember the various Transformations of Proteus; and, I believe, will allow them to be exceedingly well express'd:

The Lines are extremely good, says Antyphaus; but I had a Thought came into my Head, that possess'd me, all the time, you were reading them: I cou'd not forbear thinking, what an happy Contrivance it wou'd be in the Mana­gers of the Old House, to bring this Deity upon the Stage, in the same manner, that he appears in these Verses. Such a Per­formance wou'd set their Character in the most eminent Light: They wou'd infallibly get the start of their ingenious Rivals; and poor Doctor Faustus, and his Dragon, wou'd no longer be the highest Entertainment of the Beaux Esprits of this Age.

I am got into another Part of the Poem (says Philypsus) which might serve, in some measure, to arm their Rivals of Lincolns-Inn-Fields, against so formidable an Undertaking. There are Passages in the Descent into Hell, capable of fur­nishing out a great deal of the Wonderful, and Surprizing, in this way. But to re­turn: can any thing be more Pathetick, than this whole Book? especially, the latter [Page 45] part, when the Heroes come to make their Appearance. Tho' I am always lost in the Variety of Beauties, which we find in it; I must single out the Speech of Agamemnon, and read (at least) the Conclusion of it to you:

Surely nothing in Nature can be con­ceived of greater Strength and Emotion, than this Circumstance. We see the Hero weltring on the Floor, all cover'd with Blood, and in the last agonies of Death. It was then, that he heard the Cries and Shrieks of the Daughter of Priam, pursued by the Traytors, and stab'd to the Heart by the barbarous [Page 46] Clytemnestra: expiring as he was, he en­deavours to raise up his Arm, and at last gets his Hand upon the hilt of his Sword; which he had strength only to grasp, with a look full of Rage, Compassion, and Revenge. Methinks, Antiphaus, I see him now expired, and dropt upon the Floor: but tho' expired, there is still that Rage and Passion in his Coun­tenance; he still grasps his Sword, and seems to threaten the Traytors and the Adulteress with his looks.

I know nothing finer (says Antiphaus) than these last Efforts of dying Heroes. They affect the Soul wonderfully: And the weakness of their Body, which will not permit their acting at such times, in my Opinion sets off their Courage, and their Desire of Action, in the strongest Light imaginable. There is nothing un­natural in this; tho' indeed it follows Nature to its last Pitch: The best Historians, as well as the first Poets, make use of such Circumstances very finely; and I remember Instances of it ^a in Livy and ^b Sallust, that carry this [Page 47] Matter as far as ^a Virgil or Homer. But some Moderns, as usual, stretch it so immoderately, that they go beyond na­ture; and the Moment it is so, it must be ridiculous. How often have we laugh'd at those Rants of Tasso, and Ariosto? It wou'd be very well if their Heroes only threaten'd in Death, but they must die ^b away, without being at all the Weak­er: some of them (in the heat of Battle, you may be sure) forget that they are ^c kill'd, and so keep on fighting: like Strada's Soldiers, who after they are cut in Two, ^d survive themselves; and fight on with that half of their Bodies, that is left them; to revenge the other, which was knock'd on the Head, an hour or two before.

Such things as those (answer'd Phi­lypsus) are not Blemishes in a piece; they are downright falsities; meer outrages a­gainst Truth, as well as common sense. No­thing can be invented more ridiculous: they are like the incomprehensible Lies of Sir John Falstaff; and put one in mind of his fighting with Blount, an hour by Shrews­bury [Page 48] Clock, after that Gentleman had been kill'd before very heartily by Princ [...] Henry.

On the contrary; Homer is as great a friend to Truth and Nature, as he is to Poetry: He knows how to raise, every thing, as far as it will bear; he ha [...] always a Command of whatever is prope [...] to be said; and, which is yet greater [...] always understands when he has sai [...] enough.

But we forget our selves, Antiphau [...] this Digression has carried us so far, th [...] if we do not soon go on with this Spee [...] of Agamemnon's which occasion'd it, w [...] shall not know where it left off: Aft [...] that pathetick account of his Death an [...] the barbarity of his Queen, he proceed [...]

[Page 49] The turn of Expression in this, is much more lively and passionate, than the language of Homer himself. As you cannot value any delays, where we meet with such Improvements; I am sure you will give me leave to read you the Speech of Ulysses just after: That I mean, in which he gives Achilles an account of his Son Pyrrhus's behaviour in the War.

Give me leave (says Antiphaus, inter­rupting him)—that very Verse I have formerly taken notice of; the Transla­tor seems to me to have used an unne­cessary Caution in it: He is tender of making Ulysses commend himself by Name, where Homer does it with the greatest bluntness.—

I know it, says Philypsus; but that I should have put to the account of his [Page 50] Improvements on this Speech. Cou'd any thing have been more gross, than to have imitated that line in its own coarse, rustick Dialect? Is it not better on all Hands for such a Sentiment to be imply'd than to be express'd?

Custom and Prejudice (answered Anti­phaus) have now render'd it unpolite, and even shocking, for a Man almost in any Case to commend himself: But it was not thus anciently. It is certain, that it was not thus in the times of those He­roes, whom Homer describes; and Home [...] therefore acts with Propriety, in making Ulysses say, that Nestor and Himself wer [...] the wisest of all the Grecians. Now, is the Translator in this Case to follow his Au­thor, or not? Is he to preserve the Man­ners of the Ancients in the characters or his Heroes? or is he to modernize them and to make Ulysses and Achilles appear the most accomplish'd, finest Gentleme [...] in the World?

That will be carrying the Matter to [...] far, replied Philypsus; I speak it only as to this particular; and I own I am yet to be convinc'd, that this Humour o [...] commending themselves, was really s [...] prevalent among the Ancients. Perhap [...] this is one of the Places where Home [...] nods: it might be a slip of haste or inattention.—

[Page 51] No, interrupted Antiphaus, nothing can be more certain, than the freedom and honesty of Speech us'd among the Ancients, in this particular; not only before Homer, but very long after his time.—If Homer's Ulysses here calls him­self the wisest of the Grecians, his Achilles does not stick at calling himself the Best and most Valiant of them; and that too, in a Council of all the Princes: Virgil has given us his Approbation of both the one and the other, in making Aeneas talk frequently of his own piety and va­lour. I cou'd tire you with Quotations of this kind: Socrates, in Plato, is al­ways brought in to his advantage; and yet there he does just the same thing with Ulysses in the present case: he him­self quotes the Oracle, which pronounc'd him to be the Wisest of Men. Xenophon represents Cyrus, upon his Death-bed, as taking notice of the greatest Beauty of his own Character, his Humanity; in a Piece which, every one knows, was designed for the Character of a perfect Prince. In a word, whole Treatises [...]ave been wrote of this very thing, and [...]n this very strain. Ca [...]sar, and the great [...]ewish writer of his own Life, frequently [...]ommend themselves: the greatest Cri­ [...]ick, as well as the greatest Orator, among [Page 52] the Romans, who so often recko [...]s Modesty among the things which are most necessary toward rendering a Man great in his Profession; how open and frequent is he in praising himself, and in setting his own Merit in a true Light? But what puts this beyond dispute (and shews at the same time, that a just Commen­dation of one self, may by very consist­ent with the greatest Modesty) is to be found in the sacred Writings, in which Moses says of himself, that he was the Meek­est Man upon Earth.

Thus free were the Ancients in commend­ing themselves; and not to consider here, whether we, or they were in the right; (whether their Behaviour may not be thought to have had more of Veracity in it; and our Method to have been groun­ded, in a great degree, on a false Esti­mate of things: however that be) I think enough has been said, to shew that Homer was not drowsy, when he wrote this line; and that Ulysses might use it, without any thing of a vitious Arrogance.

To confess the Truth (says Philypsus) I was really ignorant in this point of the Usage of the Ancients, and had modelled their Manners too much by our own. I now see my error; and think the Translator [Page 53] might have spared the excuse, which he ^a makes for this Indecency in Ulysses behaviour: 'tis plain, it wou'd not have been so improper, before a People, less noted for Vain-glory, than the Phaeacians. I thank you, Antiphaus, for this new Light; and shall go on with the Heroe's Character of Pyrrhus, without thinking him so assuming, as he formerly appear'd to have been. After placing the Son of Achil [...]es next to Nestor and Himself in Wisdom, he proceeds to give an account of his Courage; and in that, sets him above all the Grecians, without Exception.

[Page 54] How well is the earnest Spirit of a young Heroe described throughout this whole Passage? How does the impetuousness of his Soul appear, in these previous Actions of the warrior? Had one the poetical Liberty of making comparisons, I shou'd not stick at sa [...]ing, that this has a great resemblance to that admirable descripti­on of a War-horse, in the most finisht Poem in the World.

I am apt to believe, that Mr. Pope had this behaviour of Pyrrhus in his Eye, when he gave those lively Strokes in the en­trance of his Ode for Musick. We see the Heroes there in the same Postures when animated by the martial strains o [...] Orpheus.

By the sudden flow of their Spirits [...] and the rapidity of their Imagination [...] they prevent the War [...] They shew a [Page 55] noble forgetfulness of the Place and Cir­cumstances of things about them, and think themselves already engaging with the absent Enemy.

There is one Speech more of those I mention'd at first, which I cannot for­bear repeating to you; tho' I am sensi­ble, that I have been too long upon this Head already. It is that of Circe to Ulysses, in the tenth Odyssey:

What starts? what terror, and a­ [...]azement? What passionate breaks are [...]here in these lines? How solemn is the [Page 56] beginning? how emphatical the account of the action? and how lively the sur­prize and con [...]usion of the Inchantress, upon finding the inefficacy of her Charms? Nature here appears in every Word that she says; if the Disappointment is great and shocking, the lines too are all im­petuous and abrupt: if the passions strong and various, the Expressions in the Translation are instant and pressing, and the stile often chang'd: How great and swift is the Alteration, from an im­perious cruel Tyrant, to a poor weak helpless Woman? And how is it equal'd by that judicious shifting of the scene in this piece? There the change is as sud­den and immediate; and nothing can be greater than the fall from the haugh­tiness of

to the meanness of the line, just after,

You cannot but observe farther, my Antiphaus, that the lines in this descrip­tion, are every where improv'd with those Figures, which the Ancient Cri­ticks have always look'd upon as the most proper to express an hurry of Passion. The Transposition, the Omission of Words, the pressing use of Exclaiming and Interrogation, [Page 57] and the general Inconnection which runs through it, are all apply'd in the most natural and poetical Man­ner. There is a Note of the Translator on a Passage not long before this, which gives us in one view several excellent Ob­servations of this kind, and which no doubt he had in his Eye here; for the rules of it are exactly follow'd in the pre­sent case. This Poet is the best Com­mentator on himself; give me leave there­fore just to look back for his ^a Note on the Speech of Eurylocus; that you may see how exactly those Observations tally with his performance here, in every par­ticular Article.

‘We have here (says he) a very lively picture of a Person in a great fright:—the very manner of speaking, repre­sents the disorder of the speaker; he is in too great an Emotion to introduce his Speech by any Preface, he breaks at once into it, without preparation, as if he could not soon enough deliver his thoughts.’— Again:

‘There is nothing, which gives more life to a Discourse, than the taking away ^b the Connections and Con­junctions; when the discourse is not [Page 58] bound together and embarass'd, it walks and slides along of it self. Pe­riods thus cut off, and yet pronounc'd with Precipitation, are signs of a lively Sorrow; which at the same time hin­ders, yet forces him to speak.’— Again (in a like case)

‘He speaks short, and in broken and interrupted Periods, which excellently represent the agony of his thoughts.—Afterwards we see he breaks out into Interrogations, which, as ^a Longinus observes, give great motion, strength, and action to Discourse. If the Poet had proceeded simply, the Expression had not been equal to the occasion; but by these short Questions, he gives strength to it, and shews the disorder of the speaker, by the sudden starts and vehemence of the Periods.’

All these animated Figures, all those Arts of expressing the Passions, are beau­tifully wo [...]e into this single piece of Poe­try: But there is one peculiar Excellence in it yet behind, which I admire be­yond all the rest. It is a power almost unknown even to Poetry before, and the Criticks have not as yet found out any Name for it. The extraordinary Beauty [Page 59] I mean, is that Insight which the Poet gives his Readers into Circe's Mind: We look into her Soul, and see the Ideas pass there in Train. At first she is ig­norant, then dubious, and at last dis­covers gradually in her Thoughts the Character, and very Name of the He­roe. Circe, skill'd as she was in all the arts of Magick, is limited in her Know­ledge and Discovery of things: and in the present Discovery of the Person of Ulysses, her Mind acts with Tumult and Rapidity, but at the same time with a series and gradual Collection of Truths, at first unknown. Every one may per­ceive the Tumult, and the successive En­lightnings of her Mind. We are led in­to a full View of the shifting of her thoughts; and behold the various open­ings of them in her Soul.

I never read any thing which sets the actings of another's Mind so distinctly to the view. Circe's very Thoughts are made visible to us; they are set full in our Eyes; and we see the different degrees [Page 60] as it were of Light, breaking in upon her Soul.—'Tis a most charming piece of Poetry! and upon turning it every way, and considering all its several perfections, I believe one might venture to pronounce it, the most finisht Piece, the most compleat Beauty in the whole Translation.

These are the productions of a Sub­lime Genius, and speak an uncommon Spirit, together with a firm extensive Judgment, and an exact Sense of things. But you Antiphaus chiefly complain of this Writer for his Refinements and Ele­vation: there is too much of the Enflure (as the French call it) in his Works; and you cannot bear with such a pro­fusion of Glitter and Embroidery in the Language. I do not deny, that the Passages you repeated, are generally blameable on these accounts; but beg leave to produce some instances, which may shew the Translator, to be a master in the just and proper stile; as the for­mer convince us of his Excellence in the polish'd, and enliven'd, and pathetick.

How humble are the lines in parti­cular, ^a where Ulysses meets with Mi­nerva in Ithaca, and how rural the ( [...]) ⁹² [Page 61] ^a Scene between him and Eumaeus in that Island? So far, that for my own Part I must confess, I shou'd be more apt to imagine, that Mr. Pope on these Occasions sinks now and then into Lownesses, beneath the dignity of the Epick; than that he soars too high, or uses any false Eleva­tion.

As for the just and chaste Manner of expressing things, it is very frequent in these Passages: There is a place just come into my Head, in which this very way of speaking is describ'd; the lines are close and expressive; and, according to Mr. Pope's Method in his incompara­ble Essay, are themselves the best example of the thing they treat of; they are ^b in the Eighth Book:

The Conclusion of Tiresias's Speech to Ul [...]sses (proceeded Philypsus) I dare an­swer for it, you will think excellent in this way:

By this we see, how Mr. Pope can en­liven any thing of this kind with the greatest Justice and Beauty: Such (to mention but one more) is that single Pas­sage, as I take it, in all Homer's Works, which describes the Regions of the Blest. The Lines are very beautiful in the Original; and the Translation has ex­press'd all the beauties of it, in a lively proper fluency of Verse:

What can be more Just and Beautiful? The Thought proper and adequate; the [Page 63] Words glowing; and the Language alive: To me, the Verses themselves seem to run on with joy, and pleasure. The delightful Softness of those lines in Homer [...] is diffus'd thro' the whole Description by Mr. Pope; and the latter has the ad­vantage of the Original, in concluding with a full elastick line, that carries a Spring with it, instead of the heaviness of— [...].

I entirely agree with you (says Anti­phaus) as to the turn of the Lines; 'Tis very fine and vigorous: but methinks even in these, what answers the two particular Greek Verses you have repeated, are too much flourish'd, and more remarkable for their Sound, than for any other Idea they may give the Mind. The Sense seems to be almost overlaid by the Finesse of them.

I shall not stand with you for that Couplet, answer'd Philypsus: what I chief­ly admire is the general [...]low of the lines in the whole Passage.

This manner of writing, Antiphaus, is very assistant in expressing the nature of the Subject: and indeed, tho' Mr. Pope does sometimes go too far in the Florid and Artificial, we may say in general, [Page 64] that he is a very natural Writer. His Imagination is lively, his Colours strong, and his Hand masterly in most of his strokes. We shou'd lose our selves in endeavouring to observe all that variety of Beauties of this kind, which are to be found in his Translation: one Point I have particularly admir'd in it; The Poet's peculiar Air, and Happiness in drawing Landscapes; especially hang­ing Woods, Slopes, and Precipices: Thus,

What Reader will be so unconcern'd, and so little taken with this Prospect, as Ulysses is represented to be in another Part of the Poem? For 'tis the same place, that we have a description of af­terwards, when we are told, That he

In Ulysses's first adventures on Phaeacia, we are led on successively, thro' several very beautiful Descriptions. First we [Page 65] have a ^a rocky Coast, excellently pictur'd in two lines only: thence we are carried into a ^b thick dark Wood, for that Night. The next Morning, we have a ^c View of the City; The first things which offer to the Eye are the Castle, and the Senate-house, rising above the other Buildings; at a distance, across the great Road, appears the Port with the Ships at Anchor, and their Sails flut­tering in the Air: on the Shore, just by the Temple of Neptune, you see the Phaeacians busied in the Dock, all in their several Employments. After this View, you pass thro' a ^d delicious Range of Groves, and Meadow-ground, up to the Walls; while on this side, ^e appear the Gardens all in bloom; and the Vine­yards of Alcinous close the Scene on the other.

There can be nothing better imag'd, and more natural, than these Descrip­tions are in Mr. Pope's Translation: they exceed even the Original it self.

I beg leave to repeat another Descrip­tion to you, which lies not so diffus'd as the former; 'tis one single View of Calypso's [Page 66] Grotto; and what an exact and beautiful Draught of it does it give us?

Nothing can be more beautiful to the Eye, than these Landscapes are in the Poem: they make every thing present to us; and agreeably deceive us into an Ima­gination, that we ^b actually See, what we only Hear: As the Poet may improve all his Circumstances at pleasure, what the Criticks have observ'd in this Case, is not so extravagant, as one wou'd imagine; we really see things more fully and with greater delight in the Poem, than we shou'd in the reality; The Picture im­proves upon Nature: and we might look [Page 67] on the Prospect it self with ^a less plea­sure, than we hear it describ'd.

Whoever is shock'd at this, may be pleas'd to consider the Cave of the Nymphs, in the Thirteenth Book: That alone may serve to shew, how largely Circum­stances may be added, in describing the works of Nature; or in drawing poeti­cal Prospects.

Mr. Pope shews an excellent Hand in several other Places; as in the first View of Circe's Palace at a distance, and con­stantly in the appearance of Land off at Sea.

Ulysses gives us an account of the for­mer at his landing upon the Island of that Goddess.

The other is very frequent: take a Description or two of it, that come into my Mind at present.

[Page 68] Again;

Nothing hath furnish'd Homer (as well as Virgil) with such a variety of natural Images, as this Element; and in nothing has Mr. Pope more finely copied his Ori­ginal. But all these Beautiful Pictures, are only Pictures of still Life; this Gen­tleman's Excellency reaches farther; he is as masterly in all his Motions, and Actions; he can teach his Pencil to ex­press Ideas yet in the Mind; and to paint out the Passions of the Soul.

Sometimes we have all the Imagery in Motion: If a Ship is to set sail, the Canvas swells to the Eye, the Streamers float in the Air, and the Sailors are all full of Noise and Business: ^b We see the Vessel move on, and here the rush­ing sound of the Water.

At another time, you behold the Row­ers, drawing ^a the Oar to their broad Breasts; and the different attitudes of them, as they ^b bend, or ^c stretch to the stroke.

This Idea of the Land seeming to sink and recede, is very beautifully added, in another Place, where we have the De­scription of a Person driving, very swift­ly, in a Chariot: I believe you will hear the entire Passage with Pleasure, as it is all very Just and Natural:

[Page 70]

Give me leave (interpos'd Antiphaus) to observe one thing, by the way. Mr. Pope (possibly, to make this the more sensible to us at present) deviates a little from the Truth; and chuses rather to shew the Poet, than the Antiquary. As I take it, the Horses in the Chariots of the Ancients were not beneath the Yoke. Do not their Medals, and all the Pictures of them represent it otherwise? And does not the Verse, here in the Origi­nal, shew its Position in respect of the Horses, very particularly and distinctly?

However, this is a slip of a small Na­ture: and had the thing been express'd in exact Conformity to the Grecian fashion in this particular, it might not have struck the Reader so strongly, as it does now, by its Agreement with the present Idea of the same thing.

I am not concern'd, says Philypsus, ei­ther in defending, or giving up that par­ticular: I only instance this Passage, in general, for its expressiveness of such an Action; and of the Ideas, arising in [Page 71] the Mind upon it: As to that End, I believe it will hold very well. The De­scription and Sentiment is very Natural, (reply'd Antiphaus) I beg you to go on without observing any little breaks for the future, which may be occasion'd by such Circumstances, as do not affect the chief Aim and Design of a Quota­tion.

If the Poet, proceeded Philypsus, can paint out the Ideas in the Mind with so much Justice, as he appears to do by this instance; and more particularly by another mention'd before (of the succes­sive openings and unfolding of an unknown Truth, in the Mind of Circe) we shall find him to have been equally Happy in expressing the Passions of the Soul. Some­thing of this has been mention'd already, and almost an infinite variety of Beauties of the same kind might be added. They [...]bound every where in the Translation, and are generally well touched. But there is the Description of one Passion in par­ticular, which is perserv'd throughout the whole Piece: It is Ulysses his Love for his Country. Give me leave to re­peat some of the first, and last Passages, in which it is exprest. How strongly does Minerva represent this, even in the [...]ery entrance of the Poem? She says the [Page 72] Hero is detain'd from Ithaca, by a God­dess (nothing human cou'd have forced him into so tedious an absence: by a Goddess)

The first Appearance of the Hero is most excellently imagined. Calypso has just receiv'd orders to detain Ulysses no longer from his Country; she finds him sitting alone upon the Rocks, the Tears trickling down his Cheeks, and his Eyes fixt upon the Sea. It was thus that he pass'd his Hours, in the Island of that Goddess: He constantly,

Pardon me, says Antiphaus; even her [...] (tho' the Passion be strongly set out yet) the Language of the two Passages which you repeated last, is not entirel [...] [Page 73] free from the old Fault: the Enflure is still discernible. That soothing an anxious Mind to dear delight, falls short of the plainness, and energy of the Original:—To make the Mountains groan with echoing Sorrow, is yet more over-wrought.—And the streaming again of his Eyes, is not exactly right in the Translation, which does not mention, his weeping before; at the same time, that it varies from the Original, which says that he never ceas'd from weeping.

We meet with another Image of this (reply'd Philypsus) in the Evening before Ulysses sets sail for Ithaca; which, I be­lieve, you will allow to be better ex­press'd. He was then in so delightful a Place, as the Court of Alcino [...]s. They had a multitude of Diversions there: the Phaea [...]ians were the happiest People in the World; Races and Entertainments, Mirth, Wine, and Musick were the chief Business of their Lives. Ulysses ap­pears among them with a quite different [...]ce: he looks like a Creature of an higher Make, of an Order above them; and his Mind is taken up with farther Views, and other Desires.

We are continually put in mind of this fondness of the Hero for his Country: and in the last Case, it is particularly fixt upon the Reader by a very expres­sive ^b Simile. We may imagine the ardency of Ulysses's Love for his Ithaca, his own proper Country, when we con­sider his Affection for his Country-men, the Grecians in general. Upon an oc­casional revival in his Thoughts of the Destructions and Misery they underwent before Troy, the Hero's Dissimulation (great as it was) is overcome; his Pas­sion breaks through every restraint: we immediately see him all in Tears. This tenderness of his, is painted in another Simile, the most pathetick that can be conceiv'd, and the most expressive of his Affection for his Country-men.

It wou'd be endless to repeat every thing of this Nature; There are a Thousand sketches of it in the Odyssey. 'Tis sufficient at present to observe, that Mr. Pope generally gives them to us in very lively Colours; and excells almost every where in the Pathetick. 'Tis cer­tain (says Antiphaus) that he has an ex­cellent Hand; his Images, which you have set before me, are as strong as any of the Works of the Pencil. They are so, answered Philypsus; and, on that account, you will Pardon me for bor­rowing so many Metaphors from Paint­ing in this Case; 'Tis unavoidable. The designs of Painting and Poetry are so united, that to me the Poet and the Painter seem scarcely to differ in any thing, except the Mean they make use of, to arrive at one and the same end. Both are to express Nature: but the Materials of the one are Words, and Sound; of the other, Figure and Colours. Poetry can paint more particularly, more largely, and with greater coherence [...] Painting is [Page 76] the more concise, and emphatical. If This may excell in shewing one View distinctly, That can shew several in suc­cession, without any manner of Con­fusion. Any figure in Painting is con­fin'd to one Attitude; but Poetry can give as great a variety of Motion and Postures, as the reality it self. What seems a Paradox of Art in either, is their Power of expressing two opposite Passions in the same face. Of this sort (among a Multitude of like instances) is the Mother of Lewis the Thirteenth, in the Gallery of Luxembourg; and every Piece in that fine Episode, which con­c [...]udes the sixth Iliad. In that Picture, the Queens Face strongly expresses the Pain and Anguish of her Condition, mix'd with a regard toward her Son, full of the greatest Pleasure and Complacence. In the Poem we have the greater variety, and each piece is perfectly just and finish'd. Hector shews a sierceness for the War, and a tenderness that inclines him to stay for a last interview; little Astyanax has a Fondness and a Terror in his Eyes, a [...] the sight of his Father; while Andro­mache's Face is all soften'd into a tende [...] Smile; and at the same time, wet with the Tears, that fall for her Hector.

[Page 77] I remember (says Antiphaus) it was to you that I was oblig'd for the first Ob­servation, I ever met with, on these Double Passions. I have since read seve­ral things, (in the Aeneid, as well as in the Works of Homer) with a pleasure perfectly new, on account of the light, you then gave me, into this particular: And out of a Thousand Places, that I have observ'd it in since, I know none so beautiful as that of Achaemenides in Vir­gil; which you mention'd to me, the first time we ever talk'd of this Subject.

That you know (reply'd Philypsus) to have been always my Favourite: I have read it over in Dryden so frequently, that I believe I can now repeat you his Translation of it:

'Tis but too evident (continu'd Phi­lypsus) that Mr. Dryden falls as much [...]hort of ^b Virgil in the chief turn, that relates to our present purpose; as Virgil has exceeded that ^c Passage in the Iliad, which seems to have given him the hint for drawing this admirable Image.

This Distraction of Achaemenides be­tween several Passions at once, puts me in mind of the dubiousness and shifting of thoughts, which is illustrated by Ho­mer by a very apt and expressive Simile; than which (says Mr. Pope) ‘There ^d is scarce any thing, in the whole com­pass of Nature, that can more exactly represent the State of an irresolute mind, wavering between two different Designs; sometimes inclining to the [Page 79] one, sometimes to the other, and then moving to that Point to which its Re­solution is at last determin'd:’

There is something of this Mélange of Passions, (and those too, the most beau­tiful in this Case, I mean of opposite Pas­sions) in that line of Milton, where he says that Death

One wou'd almost be perswaded, that Homer is the dernier Ressort of all the finest Thoughts in Poetry; for this like­wise is copied from him, tho' it fails very much (as to the Point in hand) both of the Original, and of Mr. Pope's Translation of it.— Juno makes a very mutinous Speech in an assembly of the Deities: The Infection took, as much as she cou'd desire: and that success, [Page 80] provok'd and inflamed as she was, forced her to be somewhat pleased, in spite of her self: Upon this she shews a sort of ^a uneasy satisfaction, and such a Smile, as Ovid ^b gives to his Envy in the Me­tamorphosis.

This struggle of Passions has been imi­tated by some Moderns: The first of the French Writers in Tragedy has a fine Occasion for it in the Wife of one of the Horatij; she was Sister at the same time to the Curiatij; so that you may imagine, how she must be distracted between the Interest of the two Cities, and that eminent contest which so par­ticularly involv'd the two Families: She is introduc'd upon that Occasion, speak­ing to this purpose ^d:

There are many things in Virgil's fourth Aeneid, which might be produc'd on this Occasion: but 'tis more to our present Subject to consider that part of the Odyssey, from which some of its finest strokes are borrow'd. Calypso, when she acquaints our Hero with the design of his departure from her Island; upon his doubting her sincerity, swears very so­lemnly, that her Resolutions are real: the next moment, she falls into a Speech full of Insinuations and Arguments to detain him: both these speeches may rather be said to be enliven'd and im­prov'd, than to be well translated by Mr. Pope; this only wou'd be too narrow a Commendation of them:—The first runs thus:

[Page 82] One wou'd think now that the God­dess was to do nothing but to advise a­bout his Voyage, and the Conveniencies for it: but her Passions immediately veer about; and the very next Page, the very next time she speaks, is all in a strain entirely opposite to what she has been saying in this:

I must not forget here, that the fines [...] of the modern Italian Poets has express'd this Melange, on an occasion which is attended with such a Circumstance, as exceeds any of the other: The particu­lar in which he shews it, shews at the same time the swiftness of the intervening passion; and expresses the strongest of any how immediately one flow of Spirits suc­ceeds upon a former and quite contrar [...] emotion. Armida, deserted by her Ri­naldo, breaths nothing but fury and revenge; [Page 83] she pursues him in the heat of the battle; forgetful of her former pas­sion, she aims an arrow at his heart: but see, while it is yet in its flight, how the passions vary on her face! her rage and fury soften into tenderness and appre­hensions of his danger! in an instant her Love is too strong for her Resent­ment: in an instant, she dreads least her Design shou'd be effectual, and longs to be disappointed in her aim:

How finely are the Passions blended in this piece? the Transition from the ex­tremity of fury to an excess of love, is manag'd in such a manner, as to be wholly [...]nsensible: as when two Colours are lost [...]n the Shades of each other, the Eye is [...]greeably deceived; and we are delight­ [...]d with the delicacy of their Union, [...]o' unable to discover where one com­ [...]ences, or the other ends.

In this particular there is not any [...]ing that can equal Poetry, or bear to [...] compared with it, except its sister- [...]t of Painting; that might copy every ¹³³ [Page 84] instance, I have mention'd here: And certainly what makes so beautiful a Fi­gure in the finest Poets, might deserve the imitation of the best Painters. Was not the Dolon and Calypso of Homer worthy the hand of a Zeuxis or Parrhasius, a Protogenes or Apelles? Wou'd not the Aruns or Achaemenides of Virgil have been a fine design even for Raphael and An­gelo to have work'd upon? If our Shake­spear can give us the struggle of Passions in the Breast of Coriolanus, Thornhill might trace the same, and speak them as well with his Pencil: And if Corneille ex­presses the contrary desires of the sister of the Curiatij, his Country-man Le Brun might have had a much finer Subject in the various Passions of the Sabines, rush­ing in amidst the two contending Ar­mies; to prevent those fatal Consequen­ces, in which the Victory of either par­ty must necessarily involve them.

But what I have often thought of as the finest Subject of this kind, either for Poetry or Painting, is the first Bru­ [...]us on the Judicial seat; just before the act of giving Sentence on his own Sons [...] for their treachery to the Common-wealth [...] What a noble strife was there betwee [...] natural Affection, and the Love of one' [...] Country? between Duty, and Desire [Page 85] between common Humanity, and the Spirit (perhaps the Pride) of a Roman? What a fine Groupe of Figures wou'd the Suppliants for the Criminals compose in such a Piece? On one side of the Tri­bunal, the Wife of the Judge and Mo­ther of the Offenders; and all the Re­lations divided in the same manner, be­tween a desire of moving Pity, and an abhorrence of the very Crime, for the Pardon of which they wou'd intercede: The People of Rome, on the other side, with looks full of mixt Passions; some struck with Pity amidst all their severity, some almost condemning and yet ap­proving at the same time, the rigid justice of the Father; while others commiserate the Youth of the Sons, and seem incens'd at the unnatural impartiality of the Judge.

'Tis a Misfortune, that Virgil's Hand was withheld from launching farther, ^a where he has touch'd upon this Subject: but it wou'd be well made up to us, if any eminent Person, in the other Art, wou'd undertake it: It might certainly make a finisht Piece: and Painting in this particular wou'd have the advantage of Poetry; as it could express this Mélange of passions directly, and wou'd strike the mind with them in their proper Union, all at once: whereas, when taken from [Page 86] the Poetical Picture, the combination is not so easy; and we scarce ever conceive it, so closely as we ought.

Were you to give me full scope, I shou'd carry the r [...]semblance between these Arts much farther than it has ever yet been carried: There is scarce a Figure or Man­ner in Poetry which I shou'd not imagine to have its tally in the Schools of the Painters: I cou'd find it even in the very next point, which comes in my way, in the Empha­tical. Natural Descriptions, as they are Pictures which take in the various Cir­cumstances of a place or action, give us generally several Groupes of finisht Fi­gures: This, on the contrary, is a way of expressing Nature in Poetry, not un­like Out-lines and Sketches in Painting: and as the lines in Sketches are fewer, but the more distinct; this must be al­ways concise, and very expressive.

There are several masterly strokes of the Emphatical kind in the Odyssey: Such is that Speech of Telemachus, where he says

Such is Circe's whole speech ^b which [Page 87] I repeated to you before, on account of its Pathos. Such, in an high degree, is the first rencounter of the Hero with that Goddess,

This Manner is necessary in all Senten­tious passages, and moral reflections; 'tis often strong in expressing the passions: and peculiarly useful in the Sublime. Take an instance of each, from Mr. Pope.

The reflection upon seeing Agamemnon in Ades, is of this kind.

Just after Atrides speaks thus passi­onately in the account of his own Death, by the treachery of Aegisthus: [Page 88]

In the Sublime, nothing can be higher than the language of his Gods, Neptun [...] and Jupiter:

This latter is that short full way of Expression, so frequent in ^c Virgil and ^d Homer, copied perhaps by both from the admired Example of it in ^e Moses, and grown since into an ^f Axiom a­mong the Criticks. It is the more to be commended in Mr. Pope, because the turn, [...]e gives the Line, is perfectly his own: Indeed in every one of these instances, as I take it, the Chief of their strength and emphasis, is owing to the Improvements in the Translation.

Antiphaus cou'd scarce imagine, that these were all clear improvements upon Homer: He immediately consulted the passages in the Original; and was sur­priz'd to find, how far they fell short of the Translation; especially, in the line [...] [Page 89] that answer Circe's threat, and the com­plaint of Agamemnon. I am pleas'd (says he) beyond measure, in consulting these parts of the Poem, to see how much strength and force there is added to them; have you not observ'd more instances of this kind? impart them to me, good Philyp­sus: 'Tis no matter for method or regu­larity; Give them to me immediately.—Had I time (answer'd Philypsus) I cou'd find out several other places which have all their proper improvements; at present, I shall refer you to the begin­ning of Menelaus his speech to Telemachus in the Fourth Odyssey, Nestor's ^a in the Third; and in the Tenth, the speeches between Ulysses and Circe.—I was going to point out some passages in the ^b De­scent into Hell: but 'tis difficult to single out particular beauties from that book; The whole of it is so excellently Tran­slated, and (I believe I may say) so ge­nerally improv'd.

The mentioning Circe just now, puts me in mind of another passage: 'Tis where Homer describes the Metamorpho­sis of the companions of Ulysses. They had (says he) the Shape and the Voice of [Page 90] Beasts, ^a but their Mind remain'd firm and unalter'd: this Mr. Pope improves in­to the following lines.

The addition here is very Natural, and full of Beauty; in such changes, particularities of this kind strike us very much: Virgil touches them on this Oc­casion ^c with his usual happiness; and ^d Ovid, who has shown a particular talent for such subjects, has left us the very same thought with this of Mr. Pope.

I remember that Mr. Pope appear'd to me, upon my first reading his Transla­tion, to have improv'd much upon the Original in his Poetical Repetitions of the same word, the Figure in which he is most frequent. Thus is it us'd in the following lines:

And in these other very Pathetical,

'Tis yet more beautiful, when the Re­petition holds farther; as in this Passage:

This sometimes gives an additional so­lemnity, and rises stronger and stronger each Line:

This is sometimes carried yet farther; and in Virgil particularly there is a fine Instance of this sort of Repetition ^f being doubled.

[Page 92] But in nothing is this figure more beau­tiful, than in the ^a Siren's Song: That Piece of antient Musick, is greatly en­liven'd in the Translation; the whole flows on in a peculiar Harmony, and the Chorus is very happily added in the Conclusion of it:

The peculiar justice and propriety of this, is the manner in which these God­desses apply to Ulysses; ^a by offering him knowledge; a thing the most oppo­site to their own Complexion; and a mo­tive, the most likely to obtain upon that Hero. Mr. Pope has shewn his taste, and his judgment, very much in improving so finely upon this Circumstance: but what runs through the whole, is that musical enliven'd turn of the Verses. This is ¹⁶¹ [Page 93] the happiness, which of all things I ad­mire in this writer: either in prose, or verse, he has the finest flow that can be imagin'd. I have often heard a very good Critick say, That whenever he is reading any Prose of Mr. Pope 's, he cannot help think­ing that he should never have wrote any thing else: and whenever he reads his Verses, he is angry with him, for losing any time from them, for Prose. How often has the same Gentleman apply'd to this writer those Lines in Milton, in which he speaks of the first Poet, as well as the first of Men?

Among so many excellencies, the repeat­ing those Lines, which make the Chorus of this Song of the Sirens is not the least beauti­ful Circumstance: there are a Multitude of other passages, which deserve to be men­tion'd on account of the fine Repetitions in them: these are what fell into my thoughts at present; and you have them in the same scatter'd manner, that they appear there: But one method of Im­provement in this Translation, I took [Page 94] particular notice of, and in that, I can be a little more full and di­stinct.

Mr. Pope has a very great happiness in Transferring Beauties. He often guides his Translation of Homer by some fine thought, or good expression in any other eminent writer; and this has been the occasion of several improvements in that work.

Have you never observ'd how he in­troduces the Elegance of Virgil, into the Majesty of Homer? There are two ^a speeches of Circe, which have much of the air of that of Proteus, in the fourth Georgick [...] and that of the Sybill's in the sixth Aeneid. The speech of ^b Tiresias is improv'd, from another of the Sybill; so also is the Prophetical speech, in the ^c second Odyssey.

There are several Imitations (in a shorter compass) of natural Images, and the like, introduc'd into Homer from the same treasury: Thus the following Lines

[Page 95] Although the Translator adds these fine strokes from other Hands, they are brought in so naturally, that they seem to spring out of Homer's sentiment: And if an Instance or two shou'd be found a­mong them which may vary a little from the Original, it is only to add some ap­posite Thought, that is not only finer, but at the same time perfectly agreeable to the Subject. In such cases a Transla­tor may demand the greater liberty of enlarging: as a Flattering Resemblance is always allow'd to Painters. I like that [...]ery ingenious Friend of yours, who calls [...]he French Translation of Tacitus, La [...]lle Infidelle: That piece, you know, [...]ho' not very precise and constant to its [...]uthor, is the more beautiful, and the [...]ore engaging.

However 'tis seldom that Mr. Pope va­ [...]es much in these additional Beauties; [...]s Translation is generally faithful, even [...]here it improves upon Homer: And he [...]eps the chief mark steadily in his Eye, [...]o' at the same Time it admits the side [...]ances of Light, from other objects. [...]hus you will scarce ever find him de­ [...]ting from his Author in such cases: [...]o' this manner of improving him by [...]itation from others is vastly frequent; [...]d often so plain, that one may trace it [Page 96] thro' whole scenes together: In particu­lar, I cou'd almost be positive that Mr. Pope read over the Eclogues of Virgil, be­fore he set about that Part of the Story, which lies between Ul [...]sses and Eumaeus; and indeed I should be apt to conjecture that he usually read those Pastorals, be­fore he sat down to any rural Scene in this Piece: If I am mistaken in this, 'tis the ^a resemblance of their beauties, which has deceiv'd me.

Sometimes we find the Diction beauti­fied by such Resemblances, or the Senti­ment improv'd from other hands. From the ^b Sacred Writings frequently; from parallel places in ^c Homer himself: From Ovid, Seneca, Horace, &c. among the An­cients; And from ^d Dryden, Addison, [Page 97] Milton, and several others of the most celebrated Moderns. In his Speeches, we meet with improvements from the Exam­ples and Rules of the Orators of old; and many, from our own Dramatick pieces. It wou'd not be difficult, for a Man of a good Taste, to discern the Air sometimes of Dryden, sometimes of ^a Shakespear, and at others of Otway, among the speeches in the Odyssey. I shall only point out to you those of Agamemnon, which are so very pathetick, in the ^b Eleventh Book: You will easily see that they have a new manner, which exceed­ingly resembles the hand of the most mo­ving of all our Tragick Writers, since Shakespear.

Antiphaus, upon consulting the passa­ges, immediately perceiv'd the spirit of O [...]way in them; He then desired Philyp­sus to direct him to the other imitations he had mention'd: at first he did not think they deserv'd so much commenda­tion; but when he came to Compare the original Lines from the Odyssey, with those of Mr. Pope, he was convinc'd of their ¹⁷⁶ [Page 98] beauty: It delighted him to see, what Foundation the Original gave for such a turn, and yet how new that turn was in the Translation; he found almost in every one of them some addition for the better, and scarce in any a deviation from the sense of Homer: It was Homer's sense, but the Expression of it was im­prov'd. I thank you, (says he turning to Philypsus) I thank you for this clearer view you have given me of the beauties of this Translation: beside these last, how many things have you repeated to me that are extremely just, pure, close, and emphatical? how many perfectly true, and natural? how many handsomly beau­tified, and enliven'd? what Pictures of Things? what Descriptions of Actions? and what beautiful Expressions, both of the thoughts, and of the passions of the soul? in a word, what improvements, in some strokes, upon the greatest Genius of the World?—Yes, added Philypsus, upon the greatest Genius of the World, assisted by the native use of the most Noble, and most Poetical of all Languages. Then were we to consider the inconveniences on the other side; the general difficul­ties of Translation [...] and the difficulty o [...] this in particular: How hard is it for [...] Poet to keep up his spirit and flame in [Page 99] another's Work? and how natural to [...]lag in representing Thoughts not our own? To maintain the vigour of Lan­guage and the poetick warmth thorough so long a work, and to express the Soul of Homer, what a Genius does it require? what Spirit wou'd not sink under so large an undertaking? Yet does Mr. Pope hi­therto sustain his Character in an hand­some equal manner: and we may safely promise ourselves the same of the remain­ing part of this work: As he enter'd upon this stage with the greatest expecta­tions of all Men, I doubt not but he will leave it with an Universal Plaudite.

But however great and handsome his performance is in the whole, I own with you that it has its faults, the common marks of Humanity: Yes, my Antiphaus, you convinc'd me the former Evening, that it is unavoidable for the greatest Genius not to fail sometimes. For my [...]art (says Antiphaus,) I shall make no Apologies for the freedoms with which I then us'd this excellent writer: Any [...]hing of that kind might look odd to you [...]rom one, whose constant Sentiment you [...]now to be this; that the kindest way of [...]mmending a writer, is to find fault with [...]im now and then, at proper intervals. [...]oes not this evince an Impartiality in [Page 100] your views, and add an air of Sincerity and Justice to those Commendations, which you give him? Your Criticks, who extol a Man Universally, and will not be satisfied with any thing under a [...]er [...]ect Character, without any the least defect, are a kind of Romantick Criticks; they are rather making an Hero, than describing a Man: They give you a Picture of something, which exists no where but in their own Minds: and a com­pleat Poet, according to their represen­tations of such, will after all be only (what the Earl of Mulgrave calls it;)

Very true, says Philypsus; that sort of Criticks [...]ail as much on one hand, as [...]u [...] more Modern Criticks have excee [...]ed usually on the other: Indeed the former err on the good-natur'd side; yet both of them are very much to blame: For as it shews a mischievous sort of Frenz [...] to start errors, where there are really none [...] so an Obstinacy not to see [...]aults, where they are very evident, requires either a good degree of Ignorance, or a most inve­terate Fondness.

I am entirely of your opinion, says An­tiphaus, and since I find you in such a [Page 101] temper for it, I cou'd almost of [...]er to shew you some farther remarks on that side of the Question,—Have you any other then? (says Philypsus.) A Few, answer'd Anti­phaus; but I beg one Evening more on this Topick. At present I shall only add my wishes, that we may constantly use thisfair method, in reading all the ce­lebrated Pieces, which come out among us: Let us keep up the true ballance; and not suffer ourselves to be prejudic'd either by too great fondness, or too vio­lent dislike. This is the great Rule of An­tient Criticism: Always to keep our Hearts open to the beauties of a Poem; and never to shut our Eyes against the defects of it.

An ESSAY &c.
EVENING the THIRD.

ALMOST all the next day Philypsus was taken up in reflecting on what had been said at the close of their last meeting: he be­gan to be not so uneasy, as usual, in thinking that the faults of a favourite Poet were to be lookt into that Evening; he did not value Mr. Pope less than formerly, but he was throughly convinc'd that there was not so much of severity in this Method, as he had once imagin'd. "No: (says h [...] to himself) Let us view impartially, that we may rationally admire: Where be­fore I was immediately in love with his [...]eauties and fond of the Work, I now [Page 103] feel an equal Pleasure and an equal Esteem; but it is in a different manner: I now seem to see the causes that move me to be pleas'd with those fine Passages, and feel a more just and manly Satisfaction in them: 'Tis true, the Soul is not hur­ried away with that vehemence of de­light, as formerly; but the agreeable Sense I now have from them, is both more refin'd, and more lasting. How much is this rational way of admiring to be prefer'd to the common, vulgar passionate one? This is as a flash of Lightning; but the other is like the Light of the Day: 'Tis a serene, dif­ [...]us'd, steady light, which at the same time that it discovers all Objects to us, is it self the most beautiful of any.

But then (continued he) how blind was I to the defects of this Poet. Has not Antiphaus shown me several, which before I had no sense of, and which now appear evidently to be such? Indeed that over-sight was more excusable in reading the Works of this celebrated Writer, than it wou'd have been in any other: Reason may well lose something of her Liberty, when she is taken up with an Object every way so agreeable and engaging: However, for the future, I resolve to keep my self obstinately from [Page 104] being over-pleas'd with any thing; and to read his, as all other the best Pieces, in spight of all their Beauty, by that Rule which Antiphaus has laid down.

With these Thoughts he open'd the Translation which lay on his desk; and was very busy in considering it, when Company came in, and interrupted him for that Night: The next Day he em­ploy'd himself in the same manner; This sort of view was new to him, and of course the more agreeable: Sometimes he met with a line or two, that disgusted him a little; but much more frequently was he struck with the Beauties of the Poem; and those he enjoy'd with a full Delight, as he found that Delight to be rational and just. This search drew him on strangely; he did not know how to leave off: And tho' Antiphaus stay'd for the Evening before he wou'd disturb him, he found him still closely employ'd at it: "My Philypsus, (says he) I'm glad to see you engag'd thus in the Odyssey: What new light shall we have into the excellencies of this writer? Have not you been collecting other Beauties out of the Translation?—I have met with several other, reply'd Philypsus: So many indeed, that it wou'd be almost endless to col­lect them. But to tell you the Truth, [Page 105] my business was quite contrary to what you imagine: I was upon a more difficult task; I was endeavouring to try what Faults I cou'd discover in it. That is by much the more difficult, says Anti­phaus: The few Faults of that Piece are scarce discernible among such a superi­our number of Beauties: How seldom do we perceive the disagreeableness of a single feature, in a Face that is very taking in the whole? Well; but have you been able to overcome this Difficul­ty? can you discover any thing farther of this kind in the Odyssey? Very little, answer'd Philypsus: There is but one point yet, that has afforded me any num­ber of Instances; And that is a Fault, directly opposite to what you particular­ly insisted upon, in our first Conversa­tion on this Subject.

It was then, you know, that we con­sider'd several Points in which Mr. Pope appears to Elevate and Flourish too much: Have you never observed, on the contrary, that there are a few Low­nesses in his Writings; and that he some­times sinks into a Diction, which bor­ders on the Mean and Vulgar? I have, re­ply'd Antiphaus, in some few lines: but if you have made any remarks of that kind, I beg rather to see those of your obser­vation.

[Page 106] The two Friends were always ready to comply with the desires of each other [...] Philypsus, as usual, without prefacing or debating the matter, immediately shew'd him the following Lines.

In the note upon this line (says Philyp­sus) we have a couplet repeated from the Iliad, which I fear is of the same stamp.

I must confess, says Antiphaus, that the Lines you have repeated, carry a mean ai [...] [Page 107] with them; but possibly what looks like a fault, may really be a beauty in some of them.

Some subjects require a simplicity of stile: Beside Mr. Pope is to follow Homer; and shou'd Homer use an humble stile in these places, even to appearance impro­perly, yet one should be apt to look upon it, as a sufficient justification of his tran­slator.

For my part (reply'd Philypsus) I have always thought, that there is a wide dif­ference between an humble and a mean stile; but (not to urge any thing of that kind) in the greater part of the instances just repeated, I am certain, there is not a sufficient likeness between the manner of the Original and the Translation.

I shall only except the two last, which [...]re indeed plain and proverbial in the [...]reek. There is a simplicity, as Mr. P [...]pe tells us in his notes, a noble simpli­ [...]ity in the diction; and which, in my [...]pinion, is not Equally kept up in the English: but those I shall not insist upon.

As for the rest, that mean close of the [...]rst of these Lines, is in Homer an ^a Handsome sentiment, deliver'd in a sounding [Page 108] verse: and the meanest Expression in the second, ^a is poetical in the Ori­ginal. The same will hold, in some degree, of the other Lines. As it hap­pens Mr. Pope in his ^b Note upon one of them,

has given us this prose translation of the same words;

Now it might be thought a rude que­stion, to ask whether is the more poetical, his prose or verse Translation of this Line?

Indeed where Homer leads the way, the case is very different: I cannot say how far it might be justifiable, to blame a Translator for following his Author: and it was for that very reason, that I shou'd not have taken any notice of the delight­ful History of the Coat and Cloak, which is given us in one of the longest speeches in the Fourteenth Odyssey.

But we have several instances of addi­tional Lownesses: I observ'd particularly that they were pretty frequent, when the Scene is in Ithaca: Thus;

Again;

Again;

The meanness here (interpos'd Anti­phaus) is occasion'd by a just design; that of writing in a stile, agreeable to the simplicity of the subject: In several other places, it has a less excusable rise; I mean, the labour and difficulty of Rhime. The Poet's being in haste to get this drudgery off his Hands, sometimes draws him in­to the use of Expressions, which are flat and contemptible. Thus I believe, we may account for the Lownesses in these Couplets:

[Page 110] You need only read over one single passage, to guess how frequently the sense may be lessen'd and broke by this means; and how often we are put off with low, wretched words, merely for want of a more generous Rhime.

You remember the Speech of Ulysses, when ship-wrack'd in his voyage from Calypso's Island; 'tis transfer'd, you know, by Virgil into his storm; and both are very strong, and animated. This is the passage which I beg lea [...]e to read to you from Mr. Pope:

The meanness of this passage, in comparison [Page 111] either of the original Greek, or of Virgil's imitation of it (which the English Translator, I doubt not, had in his eye) appears to be in a great measure owing to a poverty of Rhime. It has given a low turn to the whole passage; and that lowness is still most evident in the termi­nating of the Lines.

There are a Thousand other things (resum'd Philypsus) which contribute to the meanness of stile; even a desire to a­void it, will occasion it: 'Tis not un­commonly seen that the straining to ele­vate a point, will make it really the more mean and ridiculous: as nothing shews the littleness of a dwarf, more than strut­ [...]ng.

One wou'd be apt to suspect this to be the case in the following verses:

And in these other:

Sometimes one single word will lessen [Page 112] the sentiment, and break in upon the dignity of verse. Thus where the Greek call's Memnon, The glorious Son of Aurora, we find it in the Translation only ^a Swarthy Memnon. This, by sinking be­low the Original: it may be as faulty, to stick too close to it. ^b Hogherd and Cow­ [...]eeper, (says Mr. Pope in one of his Notes) are not to be used in our Poetry, tho' there are no finer words, than those which answer them, in the Greek language: for the same reason I shou'd think that the use of the word ^c S [...]y, which occurs so often in the Tenth Book, might be varied; and in t [...]e Sixth,

^d [...]

In general, what do you think ^e of Scudding before the gales to Pylos? of a ^f sore Soul? and of ^g Sacrificing throngs? are not these Expressions to, low for verse? and is it not too low and rustick even for prose, to talk of the ^h swelling loins of a Goddess, or of a Nymph's ⁱ pacing along the Sand?

[Page 113] Your Instances, reply'd Antiphaus, sufficiently shew, that (beside the incon­venience of Rhime) Mr. Pope does some­times, without that wrong Biass, deviate into a meanness of Expression: They are directly contrary to his usual Spirit. There is a case (says Philypsus) just come into my Head, which ought not to be forgot; we may see by it, on the other hand, how much this Gentleman can improve upon expressions in the Original, beyond the other translators of Homer. That venerable old Poet uses a phrase which, tho' I do not believe it to have been mean in his times, does most cer­tainly sound so in the present: In speak­ing of a Person entirely lost in melan­cholly, he says that he was continually ^a eating up his own Mind: So great a Man, as Cicero, has endeavour'd to give this in ^b Latin; but with that usual un­happiness, which attended him in all his Poetry. In another part of Homer, we have the same manner of Expression; and it is as meanly translated by several Hands. The Passage is a part of Ju­ [...]iter's Speech to Juno; in which, to set out the violence of her hatred to Priam [Page 114] and his family, the God says, that she wou'd ^a eat them, or swallow them up quick. Actius Labeo, a wretched tho' a Court writer, translated several Books of the Iliad into Latin; and if we may guess at the rest, by the only Verse left us of that Work (which, as it happens, answers this very Line) we have no great Reason to lament the loss of it: This an old Scholiast has preserv'd, for a taste of the Performance:

Labeo, as Mr. Pope observes in his Note upon the ^b place, is equal'd by Ogilby;

As is Ogilby by Hobbs;

Such a general meanness in giving us this Expression of the Greek Poet, must make us look upon Mr. Pope with the greater regard, if he can keep it from sinking in English: This he has not only done, but gives it to us in an hand­some poetical turn:

[Page 115] This expresses the full sentiment; and that, with an air of greatness, and ma­jesty in it: 'Tis now Language not un­fit to be put into the mouth of Jupiter.

Antiphaus was extremely pleas'd to see so great a change in Philypsus; and that (suddain as it was) it had not affected him in the usual manner. As Men ge­nerally run from one extreme to the other, he was afraid, that the making him sen­sible of the Faults of the Translator, might give him some distaste to his beauties: but as he found he was fall'n into the Indifferent just manner of Reading, he thought he might now safely go on with him farther in the same way. "The defect (says he) which you have prov'd in some particulars on Mr. Pope, is suf­ficiently recompenc'd by his Flame and Spirit, and the general beauty of his diction: 'Tis from this Quarter that I am still the most apprehensive of Faults, in that Gentleman's compositions. Surely, says Philypsus, you have nothing more to produce on that head? Yes (reply'd An­tiphaus) I have a word or two to add, to what we observ'd upon it, the other Night. There are a sort of Verses, very fre­quent in our modern writers, which run very smoothly off the Tongue; the stream is easy, but there is neither depth nor [Page 116] clearness in it: The truth of it is, they are undisturb'd with Meaning; And their calmness is as the calmness of the Night, which is dark withal. If I might have leave, I should call such verses as these, Un-ideal Verses; and I fear there are some few of them to be met with in the Odyssey.

Pray observe what an unthinking har­mony there is in this couplet, which comes first into my Head;

And what a Panegyrick in this?

I will read you but a few more:

And

But among all of them, upon compa­ring the Original and the Translation, this seems to be the non-pareil:

Mr. Pope has had a Critique on some Lines of his Iliad, which is chiefly taken up in discovering, or making False Eng­lish of them: If this can neither darken the Line, nor affect the Sense considera­bly, it seems to me not to be of any con­cern in Comparison of the former finesses. The antient Criticks were much kinder on this head: and 'tis hence that we owe many of our Figures in Rhetorick, to Pec­cadillo's against Grammar. I am the most unfit in the World to determine in this Case, because I have alway found my self [...] aver [...]e to t [...]e Grammatical [...]ort of Criticism, as I am fond of the Poetical: but I am apt to think, that there are not many faults of this kind justly chargeable on the Odyssey. Of the few which I have by chance observ'd, the chief are to be met with in the close of his verses; Thus it occurrs, if I remember right, twice or thrice in that short passage, which I re­ [...]eated to you the other Evening, on the Transformation of Ulysses. This Rhime Philypsus, is a terrible Thing: it has [...]poil'd more Lines—Good Antiphaus [Page 118] (cry'd Philypsus hastily) be not so invete­rate against Rhime: does not it soften and beautify verse? and turn poetry into a sort of musick, to a good Ear?—I am not Universally an Enemy to Rhime, you know; (return'd Antiphaus) It does very well in Odes and Sonnets to Armida: But for any thing very solid or pathetick, surely 'tis an Ornament too comtempti­ble, as well as too much abus'd. The first Piece of Latin Rhime I know of, that famous Stanza of Adrian, does well enough; 'twas spoke out of pure Gaiety and good Humour: but to introduce it gravely into poetry, as it was the effect of a miserable de [...]rav'd taste [...] so will the productions of those Ages shew how hap­pily it succeeded. The Runick Lays (an­swer'd Philypsus) I do not pretend to ad­mire: but surely you will allow it to hav [...] succeeded better in our Language, than it did in the hands of that monkish Cla [...] of Poets. 'Tis true (says Antiphaus smi­ling) we have not improv'd it yet int [...] middle Rhimes, and some other of their ex­cellencies. Perhaps it wou'd have bee [...] happy too for our Poetry, if we had con­fin'd this Musick, as you call it, to it [...] proper subjects. How wretchedly doe [...] it sound in some of our Tragedies? i [...] such, all the Actors to me seem rathe [...] [Page 119] to be playing at Crambo with one another, than endeavouring in the least to affect the Audience. With all the violence that Mr. Dryden wrote in this cause, you [...]ee he was forc'd to recant at last; The [...]only true reason of his persisting in it at [...]ll is, I believe, very obvious, tho' the [...]as [...] he wou'd have given us: It was then [...]he Humour of the Age; Dryden, every [...]ne knows, wrote for Money; and his [...]usiness was to please his Customers.

And now I have mentioned Mr. Dryden, [...] may be worth the enquiry, to consider [...] little more particularly, what that [...]riter has said on this subject; as he must [...] allow'd, on all hands, to have been [...]e of the nicest Judges of Harmony, one [...] the greatest Masters of Versification, [...]d one of the best Poetical Criticks in [...]neral, that our Nation has ever pro­ [...]ced.

In reading what he has given us, in [...]fferent places, on this head, 'tis easy [...] [...]ee, that he very much observes a [...]erence between Rhime, in the genuine [...]e of the word, by which he always [...]ends the true Harmony of Verse; [...] Rhime, in the lowest sense; or that [...]gle, and playing with sounds, in which [...] Moderns have exceeded all the other [...] of the World; and which indeed, [Page 120] since the last revival of Letters, has bad fair for the Universal Monarchy in Poetry.

Tho' Dryden understood Rhime in the first sense, as well as most Writers, and yet generally stoop'd to the use of it in the other: Nevertheless I am inclined to believe, that he always saw thorough the Defects and Inconveniencies, not to say the Barbarity and Childishness, of it. Indeed one might be justified in saying even this; for Dryden himself follows Vossius in calling it expresly, ^a A Chil­dish sort of verse; and says that some Rhiming Hexameters, which may be disco­ver'd in Homer, were probably the re­mains of a Barbarous Age: ‘ Virgil (add [...] that writer) had them in such abhor­rence, that he would rather make [...] false Syntax, that what we call a Rhime—The nicer Ears in Augustus his Cour [...] cou'd not pardon him for a Line, i [...] which he had only dropt something like it: so that the principal Orna­ment of Modern Poetry, was account­ed deformity, by the Latins, and Gree [...]’

After observing that the Greek tongu [...] falls naturally into Iambicks, and th [...] Latin into Heroick verse, he calls all o [...] little arts of Rhiming, Barbarities: An [...] [Page 121] adds, that ‘As Age brings Men back i [...]to the state and infirmities of Child­hood; upon the fall of their Empire, the Romans doted into Rhime.’

What you have now read to me (in­terpos'd Philypsus) shews sufficiently, that Mr. Dryden cou'd give up an old Friend, and abuse him heartily behind his back; That writer cou'd speak the severest things of Rhime, when he was got into a vein of Prose-writing: But the present ill treatment he gives to it, may perhaps be on some particular Occasion; and in some Cases, I cannot deny that Rhime may be a very improper Ornament.

No (return'd Antiphaus) he is here speaking of Rhime in general, and on a general occasion: If you wou'd know his sentiments of Rhime, more particu­larly in relation to the present purpose, and its use in translating an Heroick Po [...]m; as it happens, there is a remarkable [...]assage, wrote by him on this very oc­casion: it was in his more advanc'd Judgment; and particularly, as he him­self informs us, when he was in his great Climaterick. He is speaking of Han­ [...]al Caro's Translation of the Aeneid: ‘The performance, ^a says he, is very [Page 122] mean, tho' that Poet took the advantage of writing in Blank-verse, and freed himself from the shackles of Modern Rhime. I will not make a digression here (proceeds that Writer) tho' I am strangely tempted to it; but will only say, that he who can write well in Rhime, may write better in Blank-verse. Rhime is certainly a constraint even to the best Poets, and those who make it with most ease:—What it adds to Sweetness, it takes away from sense; and he who loses the least by it, may be call'd a Gainer. It often makes us swerve from an Author's meaning: as if a mark be set up for an Archer at a great distance, let him aim as exactly as he can, the least Wind will take his Arrow, and divert it from the White.’

Thus far Mr. Dryden. And his opinion weighs the more with me in this case; because, if any thing, we might expect that he shou'd be prejudiced in favour of Rhime, but the reason of the thing, You see, prevailed over all other consi­derations: He goes sofar as to condemn his own manner of Writing, rather than suffer such a corruption to pass without a severe Censure; and to that end, very generously gives up his Practice, to his Judgment.

[Page 123] Indeed I know of but one argument (and that the meerest Circle in the World) to support the present practise of writing in rhime; we must use it, because 'tis all the fashion. We who were never so far infected, can laugh heartily at some of the French, for rhiming thoroughout their Comedies; yet Rhime in Tragedy was very becoming among us, in an Age, not the least knowing and polite. Disuse has made us see the flatness and inconvenience of that Ornament; and nothing reads more insipid, than the best Pieces left us in that way. Tell me Philypsus; why do we so much dislike those Beauties of their kind in our Age?

I believe, says Philypsus, 'tis as you observe. Now the taste is alter'd, and the sashion worn off; we can look back, [...]nd perceive with ease the prejudice of that beauty; where the End is to stir up the Soul, by true representations of Nature: To raise ^a Terror or Compas­ [...]n, is the business of the tragick Poet; and [...]o endeavour to raise either with Rhime [Page 124] and all its Harmony, seems to me more proper for an Italian Opera, than an English Tragedy.

Very true, says Antiphaus; and do [...]ou not judge it as absurd, where any o­ther Passions are to be mov'd, as well as Terror and Compassion?—Undoubted­ly, reply'd Philypsus.—And is it not the business of the Epick, to awake the S [...]ul? to raise in it an esteem for Vir­ [...]ue, and an hatred to Vice? in a Word, to move the Passions, particularly those very Passions you have mention'd? Why then is Rhime, which you disallow in Trag [...]dy, to be thought useful and com­ [...]dable in the Epick?—As for mo­ [...]ng the Passions (says Philypsus) Rhime, I [...]llow y [...]u, is of no use in either; bu [...] it is a fine Ornament, which may b [...] more proper in the one, than in the o­ther: In Dramatick Pieces the Persons should be suppos'd to speak extempore but there can be no such thing conceiv'd in an Epick Poem—I beg your Pardon (says Antiphaus) Tho' not so strongly [...] yet this is o [...]ten suppos'd in an Epick [...] as well as in Tragedy: Do you thin [...] that Homer is telling you a story, o [...] Ul [...]sses, when we are got into Phaaci [...] In the 2 d Aeneid, have you not sever [...] intermediate Ideas, which agree not wit [...] [Page 125] a Reader, but a Spectator?—Yes, Sir; in all active Poems, as well as Tragedy, The Author is to disappear, as much as possible: the greatest Art of them is to deceive us into an imagination, that we hear the very Persons speaking, and see them acting before us. In ipsis Omnia [...]unt oculis. Every Poem the nearer it comes to this, the more perfect it is. Consider too, how much of any good Epick piece is purely Dramatick: 'tis [...]carce to be imagin'd, for Instance, how [...]mall a number of Lines in the Aeneid are properly Virgil's: they almost all be­long to the Persons engag'd in the Poem; and where the Lines are spoke, we see the attitudes and behaviour of the par­ticular Persons, and receive the words from their Mouth.

Much of what you urge is true; (an­swer'd Philypsus:) but yet you must al­low, that Rhime sounds unnatural in Tragedy, and agreeable in pieces of the other kind. That is, as we were just [...]aying, (reply'd Antiphaus) because in these 'tis at present all the Mode: let the fashion alter, and this beauty will [...]ook as false in one, as it has already in [...]he other. This Italian Taste of your Tasso's and Ariosto's led away the first Poet of our Nation, who attempted any [Page 126] thing toward an Epick; and probably we shou'd to this Day have thought it the only proper for our Language, had it not happily been disdain'd by the great Genius of Milton, who chose ra­ther to follow the true old Roman man­ner. It was Milton who flung off our Fetters; and we may venture to say in the prophetical manner of a very good Poet now living, that ^a He shall for ever be honour'd as our deliverer from that bondage. What a pity it is, he did not suffer us still to continue in it, since we are so fond of our Chains? How hap­py wou'd it have been, to have given up the Nervousness and Majesty of his Poem, for Pryor's Ease, or the Sweetness of Waller? I know not what they world may say to it; but, for my part, when I read in the Bishop of Sarum's History That Paradise Lost is a noble Piece ^b tho the Author affected to write it in blank verse it always puts me in mind of the Gentle­man, in the monkish Ages of Poetry who said of Virgil's Aeneid, that it wa [...] really a very good Poem; and wanted no­thing, but the (c) Sweets of Rhime, to mak [...] [Page 127] it, the most perfect Work in its kind.

Well, (says Philypsus) I own, there is the greater majesty in Blank verse; but you will own too, that the other is the more beautiful. Yes, (reply'd Antiphaus) but for that very reason is Blank-verse undoubtedly the more proper for the Epick; as that is the most majestick kind of Poetry imaginable. And even as to the Sound, Those musical returns (if allow'd to be true Beauties) are more than ballanc'd by the Dead Manner, in­troduc'd with them into Poetry; What I mean, is that perpetual likeness in the cadence, and turn of the Periods: How frequently do they fall in several repeated Couplets, without any variety, or relief to the Ear? You will sometimes meet with a Rhime-Poem, all the Lines of which run off entirely with the same pauses; the stream always equal, and so level that you can scarce perceive it to move: What do you think of each Cou­plet, chiming on in the same stops and measure, with the most tedious unifor­mity of sound imaginable?—That is the fault of the Poet, not of the use of Rhime, says Philypsus: I could name you [...] Poem of this kind, which has almost [...]s great a variety in the Periods, as any Piece in Blank-verse. Possibly you mean [Page 128] a piece with Mr. Oldisworth's Name to it, (says Antiphaus) which I have heard you commend particularly on that score. 'Tis true our Poets of late have endea­vour'd to diversify the sound, as much as possible: We see great improvements of this kind, in the excellent Translator of Vida's Poeticks; and several in the most nervous and vigorous of all our Translators, both in his Manilius and Lucretius: Mr. Pope seems to have thought of this much more frequently in his Odyssey, than in the former Trans­lation of the Iliad; and gives us an ad­mirable ^a Observation upon it, toward the conclusion of his last work. But af­ter all, let our Poets manage the cadence and structure in Rhime-verse never so artfully, it will fall vastly short of Blank in these particulars; Indeed Rhime is a natural Enemy to them: it breaks and disturbs both the structure, and the ca­dence. The very sound of any periods the best contriv'd will convince one o [...] this: when a person of a good Ear is reading them, you may observe, that he endeavours to drop the Rhime, and lose the gingle of it, as much as possible: and [Page 129] when the sound of it is not sufficiently kept under; you will find, that it spoils the continuance, and occasions too great a break in the period.

You may see by what I have been say­ing, that this charge is not design'd a­gainst single Couplets; The corruption in this respect evidently ceases, where there are no periods to be varied. To deter­mine precisely where it will grow preju­dicial, wou'd be difficult, and is not very material: Tho' I know not but what it might be uneasy to a very nice Ear, to have only four Lines together with re­gular Rhime: and possibly on this very account, the Stanza but of two Couplets has generally unequal Rhimes, (the Se­cond Line answering the Fourth) and that of Three, varies in the last Couplet. However forc'd or delicate this observa­tion may be thought, one thing I cou'd assert with some degree of Confidence: I dare say, any one of a good Ear, who reads only ten Lines of the best Rhime-Versification, and an equal number of Milton's true harmonious Verses, upon this view; will find a nobler sound, and that variety (which is necessary to the beauty of periods, and to the pleasure of a Reader) much stronger and much [...]uller in the latter.

[Page 130] What has been said of Couplets, may in a great Measure be said of Odes, which consist of proper Stanzas: As these come next to Couplets for shortness, they have scarce room, singly, for the tedious Uniformity, we have been complaining of: and unless the Ode be long, they do not produce it by their Number. There may be a variety too of singular use in this sort of Poetry, where a person can run these Stanzas artfully into one ano­ther; if the interweaving of them be not so frequen [...] and equal, as to bring in that very Satiety we wou'd avoid. Thus qualified Rhime is, at least, very tolera­ble in Odes: And even in Pindaricks, the most extensive and lofty of any, the pre­judice of it is not so pressing; There is so great a Liberty (I mean, in our modern Pindaricks) of varying the Numbers, and of fixing or deferring the Rhime at plea­sure. But above all, in single Couplets, Rhime is most allowable; and in them indeed, I should think, it deserves the preference to Blank-verse: it may please the Ear more, and cannot do that mis­chief, for which it is chiefly to be avoid­ed in all large Pieces, and all compositi­ons of a nobler sort. In this respect, i [...] is with Poetry, as it is in Building: A Pile compos'd of Stones, cut just alike [Page 131] all equal and uniform; and disposed a­like, without any thing either great or beautiful in the whole; will yield to one of a good design, form'd of materials va­rious and unequal, and perhaps ruder, or less exactly polish'd: At the same [...]ime, the particulars of which it is made [...]aken singly, will evidently exceed the [...]thers. Thus we find, in a walk of Trees, [...]hat the two Opposites, when cut to [...]nswer each other, look better, than if [...]hey were in disagreeing Figures; but a Wood, or a Garden full of Trees, all [...] one Figure, wou'd be rather displea­ [...]ng to the Eye than otherwise: In the [...]o similar Figures, we should have a [...]easing Uniformity; but in this large [...]peated view of the same thing, we [...]ou'd lose that Variety, which a late [...]ry ingenious Writer has shewn to be [...]eparable from the Idea of Beauty; and [...]hich the mind seems to require the [...]re, as the number of Objects is en­ [...]eas'd.

It is a known Rule in versification, [...]t the Second Rhime ought not to re­ [...]ble the sound of those in a preceding [...]uplet. When it is carried to the far­ [...]st, it will not bear beyond the Third [...]e; and even that is run generally in­ [...]an Alexandrine, that in some degree [Page 132] the turn of the Period and the Numbers may be varied. Now why shou'd it not be as disagreeable to have a perpetual uniformity of Periods, as a continued likeness of Rhime? The latter no Man in the World will allow to be proper: nay, it cou'd not be born with, only for three Couplets together.

But supposing Rhime a real beauty in Poems of an higher kind, which I am perswaded it is not; (to speak nothing of its uniform returns, and the havock which it makes in the Periods; nor even of the diversion it gives the thoughts of the Reader, and its general disservice to pieces that shou'd be solid and pathetick: to omit all this) the single reason which introduc'd this question is, as I take it, sufficient to determine it. If Rhime is exceedingly apt to mislead a Writer, often to cramp, and sometimes to spoil his sentiments; its benefits, as being on­ly benefits of Sound, will be far from ballancing those inconveniences of so much superiour a nature. This at least is the Case with Rhime: it gives either an impertinent pleasure, or an unneces­sary trouble to a writer; and at the same time, that it distracts his attention [...] it encreases his difficulties: in a word [...] 'tis a false bent put upon the thoughts [Page 133] of the Poet; and, in the best, proves fre­quently a counter-biass too strong for their good Sense.

I own, it is with a strange readiness, that people fall generally into this taste; it has almost universal consent on its side: and the few Asserters of the Liberty of Verse meet with little Praise, or even Countenance, from the World. How many Persons would fly into unreasona­ble Heats upon hearing half that I have said to you? I should beg the favour of any such Person, who wou'd please to be disobliged in it, to ask himself what argument there is for this practise, which has so generally obtain'd in the modern World: If he can find none, 'tis easy to bring the matter more home, and to ask farther, whether he thinks Rhime wou'd be proper in the Odyssey or Aeneid; and then, what single reason can be assigned, why it should be improper in a Latin or Greek, and not so in an English Epick.—Yes, Philypsus, I am perswaded it is nothing but use, which makes it supporta­ble at present; and whenever the world recovers it self from this agreeable Stupor, it will then appear as ridiculous to the Reader, as it has been inconvenient to the Poet. This I really imagine, that in fu [...]ure, and perhaps far distant Ages, the [Page 134] Criticks, when they look back on any the best Poem of this sort, (which may be deliver'd down to them from their Ancestors) will be at a loss to give any account of their Manner of Writing. When they read Mr. Pope's Iliad or Odys­sey, they will often applaud the great­ness of his thoughts; and often admire the happiness of his diction, as far as the present Language shall be preserv'd to them. They will honour his remains, and when they look toward his Ashes with veneration, ‘There (will they say) lies the Great Man, who in ancient Days, is said to have shewn the noblest Genius to Poetry in the World: what beauties do we discover in him, thro' all this rust of time, and so much ob­solete language? He is every way to be commended as far as any of our an­cient Poets are; Only he fell into the common fault of those Ages; and al­ways shews that trifling labour of making the last syllable of every alter­nate line, sound like the close of th [...] foregoing: Bating this insignifican [...] tas [...]e of those times, how much is he to be praised, and how much to be ad­mired?’

[Page 135] It wou'd have been much better, and much more for their honour, for Mr. Dryden in his time, or Mr. Pope in ours, to have broke thorough this tedious Slavery; and to have [...]reed the World from a taste so irrational, and barbarous.—I own it to you; I have something of an Impatience in me to see this great Reformation in Poetry set on foot: I wish it cou'd be brought about in our Time: and if not, almost envy those, who in future Ages shall be so happy, as to see Men awake from this Lethargy of Verse: when all the Poets shall conspire to restore strength to their Sentiments, and nerves and variety to their Numbers: when the Writers shall throw aside all those idle Arts and Tricks, which we now play with Sounds; and true Harmony shall flou­rish, without incroaching upon true Sense.

[Page 136] Philypsus began to be moved by what his friend had urg'd on this head: I con­fess (says he) You are a powerful adver­sary to Rhime; but you must allow one some time to get a thorough dislike of a thing, which has once been so agreeable. There are some allowances too to be made in the present case; I believe, no man is less embarass'd by the use of Rhime, than Mr. Pope; and his com­mand in Writing will take off much of your objection at present: tho' I own y [...]ur reasoning against this Fashion in general, to be very strong and forcible. However, this Writer has a peculia [...] happiness in it, and his Language flows with the greatest ease in the World: I believe you can scarce instance a verse in the whole Work, which does not ru [...] off smooth and handsomely. 'Tis tru [...] (says Antiphaus) there are very few in i [...] that are harsh, or any way faulty, eithe [...] in Sound, or Composition: two or thre [...] which I remember of that kind are scar [...] worth repeating—Yes (interrupted P [...]lypsus) if you have observ'd any such, l [...] us have them. What do you think [...] this? says Antiphaus:

[Page 137] Or of these;

These Lines are somewhat faulty in the sound, or posture of the words: but I only mention them; it wou'd be fri­volous to make particular remarks on them: You may see, Philypsus, that my stock is quite out when I sink so low: my task this Evening was difficult e­nough to me; and indeed 'tis not easy for any one to find many faults in a Piece, which comes from such excellent hands. Have you nothing farther to observe on it? (says Philypsus) I think I have heard you speak formerly of some Contradicti­ons—That particular I had forgot, lays Antiphaus; there are indeed some seeming Contrarieties in this work: these are of two sorts; one, in which the [Page 138] Translator is contrary to his Original: and the other, when the Translation seems to have some little Circumstances in it contradictory to one another.

Since you mention the thing, I believe I can recollect a passage or two, in which the sense is press'd so far, or so much altered from what it was, that they seem directly opposite to the Ori­ginal. When the Grecian Commanders were drawn into Troy, in the famous Wooden Horse; the Enemy upon suspi­cion of the design, us'd an artifice to make them cry out by surprize, if there were really any persons conceal'd in it. Homer tells us, that all of them sat very silent: only Anticlus, one of the Officers, was just ready to answer; when Ulysse [...], who sat by him, stopt his mouth by force [...] prevented his making any noise, and s [...] preserv'd all their Lives. Instead o [...] which the Translation says, that thi [...] Anticlus,

In another place, where in Homer w hear of an Hero, falling in the defence o [Page 139] his Country, under the Walls of his native City; Mr. Pope, in drawing out the Cir­cumstances of it, speaks as if it was ^a on a foreign shore. In the Second Book, we meet with three or four particulars of this kind.—There Telemachus desires the suitors (as it is in Homer) to leave him, and be quiet; as in Mr. Pope, to ^b rise in his aid.—There the same Prince is said to draw his hand gently out of that of Antinous; instead of which the Tran­slation, I think, tells us that he frown'd; caught away his hand ^c sternly; and strode away in a passion. 'Tis the same Case with Mentor in the Council: he rose to make a speech to them, with (as the Greek signifies) a wise or friendly air; but in the English,

These look like contrarieties between Homer, and his Translator; there seem to be a few others, between passages in the Translation it self.

[Page 140] There is a part of Mercury's speech in the Fifth Odyssey, and another point in the description of Lachaea, an uninhabit­ed Island, which (I remember) I mention'd to you formerly, as Examples of this In­consistency. Such indeed they appear'd to me, even after a second and third Read­ing: but upon consulting the Original, I at last found them to be capable of a consistent Meaning. However it is to be wish'd, that the Translator had set them in a clearer light: for in one, the rea­der will be apt to imagine, that the Poet speaks of ^a Inhabitants in a desart Coun­try; and in the other, that Mercury is said to have been ^b vastly delighted with the sight of Calypso's Island, and not t [...] have been delighted at all with the sight of it.

In another place (I take it to be in the very first Book of the Odyssey) Tele­machus says, that his Father is ^c Dead, and that he is wandering from Country to Country, at the same article of time: Thus too we hear the Sea, call'd the ^d foaming Flood, in one Line; and in the very next, 'tis the Level surface of the deep.

[Page 141] As for meer Mistakes (where a Verse carries something of Blunder in the sound of it) I have taken but little notice of them; and shall only mention two or three, just to shew, that the greatest Writers are capable of falling into such Errors, as will be discernible to the meanest Readers.

—is a Line of this kind: and the Expressions in it will appear to every one that looks upon it, to be improperly put together, on the same account, as those in the following Couplet:

There is a Verse just come into my head, in which Mr. Pope may be thought to talk of ^c seeing a Sound; and in ano­ther we are told of a place so ^d deep, that you cou'd not shoot to the bottom of it.

I know not whether a severe Critick would not think that there is a jar be­tween the Expressions, where Ulysses is said, to be

And where Halitherses speaks of ‘ ^b Deeds then undone.’ but these, and such like trifles, I shall leave to those, who are fond of finding faults; and whom I can own without envy to have a greater Niceness, and Curiosity in Verbal Criticism, than ever I desire to have.

These, tho' less considerable blemishes in a poetical Character, are much more obvious to every Eye, than the greater defects of a Poem: and will be always observ'd upon, with more scorn and con­tempt, than any other: they border on Ridicule; and that is a thing, which will ever be agreeable to little Minds. That Verse of Sir Richard Blackmore's, in which he describes ^c the Vest of a na­ked Pict; and that in one of Mr. Dryden's Tragedies, which speaks of ^d Silence invading the Ear, has probably been re­peated many times more, than the best Line he ever wrote. This is low enough [Page 143] o' conscience, tho' it has been a very fashionable way of Criticising of late Years: it shews how ill-natur'd the World is; but people will have their Laugh: and 'tis vastly easier to Ridicule, than to Admire.

It is this sort of Men, Philypsus, and a clan of others, equally malicious and more gloomy than the former, who have brought the name of Critick into such contempt among us: While those have imagined, that Sneering and Malice are the best titles to Wit; and these were of opinion, That to find fault is to Criti­ [...]ise. How different from this was the [...]ethod of the Antient Criticks of Greece [...]nd Rome? Indeed Criticism, as first in­ [...]tuted by Aristotle, was design'd for a [...]andard of judging well; to give an in­ [...]ght into the Excellencies of Authors, [...]nd to discern their Faults. There was [...] time, when it was a study highly ra­ [...]onal; far from borrowing its force from [...]idicule and False Wit, it shou'd pro­ [...]ed upon known Rules and establish'd [...]easures. I do not say but what the [...]st Criticks may have approved of par­ [...]ular Lines, without being capable of [...]gning the Reasons why they pleas'd [...]m so greatly. You often see a Face [...]ch is very taking, without any regularity [Page 144] of Features: such an one as pleases every body, tho' no body can give the Reason of his being pleas'd with it. Eloquence has its Je ne scai quoi's, as well as Beauty. However most commonly we can specify the particular features, which are so agreeable; or know that our plea­sure is founded on the Symmetry of the whole.

But it is not enough that Criticism is rational; it shou'd ever be Human and Good-natur'd. Where the Design is great, the Disposition just, the Descrip­tions lively, and the Language generally good and poetical, that work is in gene­ral to be commended; tho' the Poet, in particular Points, may have fallen into many faults; nay into some, which look very gross, when they are consider'd singly. The greatest Critick among th [...] Roman Poets lays it down for a Rule That where there are more Beauties tha [...] Faults in a Poem, that Piece is to be pro­nounced good: And one of the greate [...] Criticks among the Greek, carries it far­ther; He shews at large, ^a That ther [...] is often a negligence, that is becoming—That a greatness of Soul will carry [Page 145] Man above the observation of little Cir­cumstances;—And That a Poet of a generous Spirit with faults, is greatly preferable to a low wary Writer with­out them.

Agreeable to this was the behaviour of these great Men in laying down rules, or making observations: their intention was to distinguish the beauties of Lan­guage or Sentiments, from the defects and vices of either. You find them to have been in Love with the Charms of Eloquence, and the true Spirit of Poetry, wherever they meet with them. They [...]ake not that snarling Satisfaction in find­ing faults, which many of their pretend­ed Successors are so full of in their wri­tings. Indeed they very freely pointed out the mistakes and vices of the great­est Writers: but their chief design in this was, that such of their remarks might [...]erve as Buoys to shew where former [...]entures had miscarried, and to prevent [...]thers from running upon the same Shal­ows. This was the Spirit of the Anti­ [...]nt Criticks. Their Fate was according [...] their Merit: they still remain among [...]s, and are read with pleasure and ap­ [...]ause: whilst Zoilus, the only Modern [...]itick of the Antients, has left nothing [Page 146] behind him, except the odious memor [...] of his Impotence and his Malice.

Our modern Zoilus's (interpos'd Philyp­sus) are very easily known. They ru [...] down the performances of the best wri­ters with heat and noise: every thing is a fault with them. They will go re­gularly thorough a Poem, with a con­stant frown upon them; and think them­selves obliged to find mistakes or nonsens [...] in every Line of it: they condemn b [...] Tale, and censure by the Sheet. Nothing is more probable, than that from th [...] Poem, they come to quarrel with th [...] Person of the Author. Blemishes in his moral Character, and even natural Im­perfections, have a share in their obser­vations: and in a word, they labou [...] hard to convince you, that they are bad Christians as well as bad Criticks. The best of it is, their attacks are as weak [...] as they are violent; they have but little of Courage, tho' they make so great a Noise with it: and are like a sort o [...] Currs that bark most, and run the soon­est. The Character that was given o [...] the French, as Warriors, is true of these People, as Writers: They behave them­selves fiercer than Men, in the onset [...] and in the shock, are feebler than Women.

[Page 147] I think you cannot be too severe upon them, resum'd Antiphaus: they are a Contradiction to true Criticism; as they always shew the greatest malice against every thing, that deserves the most to be commended. Mr. Pope has had the fate to be attack'd by these Animals: and indeed I do not see how he could avoid it. He has too many excellencies to let them sleep in quiet.

'Tis certain that the faults of a Wri­ter (and never was any Writer without faults) ought to be observed; and the more excellent an Author is, the more necessary is such a Work. But this is the Drudgery of Criticism: the Pleasure and the Profit are on the other side.

We ought to shew faults, but we ought [...]ever to shew malice. And beside the [...]eneral good Nature which is owing to [...]se Great Men, who have eminently [...]blig'd the World by their Labours; [...]here are particular allowances to be [...]ade in this last work of the greatest [...]oet of our Age. Nothing in the World [...]s more laborious, than Translation; [...]d especially when the Piece is engag'd [...]r, and must go on. 'Tis extremely [...]fficult to keep up the Spirit of Poetry [...]another's Compositions, tho' you catch [Page 148] all the ^a aptest Moments; and neve [...] employ the Mind, but when there is a [...] Impetus comes upon it toward that par­ticular business: and this Difficulty i [...] greatly encreas'd, where a Man canno [...] well set down to it, only at such time as his Muse is in a good Humour; bu may be obliged, in a manner, to Writ [...] by the Hour, and upon fixt returns. know not how [...]ar this was the Case wit [...] Mr. Pope, in this performance: b [...] wherever it was, the Poet will be litt [...] more than a common Man: He is, a such times, much the same as a Proph [...] without his Afflatus.

Beside this, I must repeat, what I ha [...] sa [...]d s [...] often: The constant returns [...] Rhim [...] unavoidably unnerve a P [...]em The Age is in Love with this Weakne [...] and Mr. Pope, in indulging their humo [...] has taken much from the strength of h Genius: had he been less obliging to t [...] taste of his Readers, his performan [...] might have been more sinewy, and mo [...] compleat. This ought certainly to [...] taken into the account: and wherev [...] the Translation falls short of the for [...] and nervousness of Homer, we ought co [...]stant [...] [Page 149] to ask our selves this question; Whether Homer himself cou'd have car­ried it farther, had he wrote (as Mr. Pope does) in English, and in Rhime?

'Tis true, all this may be said of his Translation of the Iliad; but if that Piece exceed this of the Odyssey, it is ve­ry natural upon other Accounts that it shou'd do so. Homer exceeds himself in that Poem.—Great Actions strike the Soul with rapidity; while all the things that relate to lower Life, are less vigo­ [...]ous and affecting:—The description of Warriors and moral Precepts have a very different effect, on the writers them­ [...]elves; those assist the Poetical flame, while these [...]ling the Mind into a more [...]edentary Posture. 'Tis natural almost [...]or People to sleep at Sermons: But a [...]attle rouzes and animates the Specta­ [...]ors, as well as those who are engaged [...] it. Thus there must be less spirit in [...]he Writer, as well as less attentiveness [...]n the Reader of the Odyssey: and a Tran­ [...]ation of it, even from one and the same [...]and, cou'd not fairly be expected to [...]qual a Translation of the Iliad. The Rea­ [...]r and the Poet have both of them the dis­ [...]dvantage of a cooler and more unactive [...]bject: A Poet (as Age always is) vastly [...]kative; A Fable laid infinitely lower; [Page 150] and a Diction, almost perpetual in moral Sentences and Reflections, give a pattern very different from Homer, in all his vi­gour, describing the Passion of Achilles; and sounding out the Wars of the Greeks, with an air the most martial and anima­ted, that can be imagined.

Here Antiphaus rose up from his seat, and as Philypsus perceiv'd that he had finish'd; "I was unwilling to interrupt you (says he) otherwise I shou'd have observ'd on a verse or two, which you repeated, as rough, and of a bad turn. What were those Lines of the Roc [...]s, which you mention'd just now?—Of the Rocks? (says Antiphaus) let me see—Oh, I remember them;

The same says Philypsus: these and that other verse,

[...]ound indeed rough; but to me their roughness, is their beauty: the turn o [...] them seems design'd; and their manner to be expressive of their sense. If that be the Case, I beg pardon, says Antiphaus Were I the greatest enemy in the World [Page 151] to meer harmony, and the stated returns and gingle of syllables; I shou'd be one of the first among the admirers of Sound, whenever it is made serviceable to nature and true sense. That is the Art (says Philypsus) and the Mastery, for which I particularly admire Mr. Pope: It is he who took up that great Rule of the Sounds being a comment on the Sense, and enfor [...]'d it beyond any of the Criticks who went before him. To this Writer we chiefly owe the revival of the nobler art of Num­bers; and the method of signifying mo­tions, and actions, and all that vast va­riety of our own passions by Sounds. In his incomparable Essay on Criticism, this Writer has given us the best Advises, and interwove the most beautiful Examples into them, in a manner that will always be admired. The first Stanza, in his Ode on St. Caecilia's Day, is the fullest Piece of this kind perhaps extant in any Lan­guage: 'tis it self a perfect Consort. In the Translations of Homer we find him very frequent, and very just, in the same manner of Expressing things: I call it so; and cou'd almost be perswaded to think it a better way of Expressing, than in the common way of Words. These have a Sense affixt to them by Custom; while the other speaks by the Ideas of things; [Page 152] That is a flowing, variable help; this is the Voice of Nature, and a sort of Uni­versal Poetical Language.

Mr. Pope affords us infinite Examples of this Beauty in his Translation of the Odyssey; it wou'd be endless to repeat them all, or to admire them as they de­serve. But amidst all this variety, there is a single Point, which I have observ'd more than any of the rest: Whenever the Poet is speaking of the watry Ele­ment, or any thing belonging to it, his management of Sounds is particularly frequent and beautiful.

Tho' it might not be much observ'd at the first view, I know no place where a greater variety of things are express'd this way, than in the Twelfth Odyssey; 'Tis where Ulysses is giving an account of his setting sail from the Island of Circe:

[Page 153] The objects shift perpetually in these Lines; and yet there is not a single peri­od or pause in them, the sound and turn of which does not agree perfectly with the sentiment: I do not intend to en­large much upon them; but had it been wrote in the Days of Dionysius Halicar­nassaeus, I doubt not but he wou'd have given us a Dissertation, on a passage which so variously expresses that Art, of which he was particularly fond. That is the Critick, I think, says Antiphaus, who first ^a observ'd this Beauty in the noted Description of Sisyphus his Stone? Yes, answer'd Philypsus; and every one knows how perfectly well the excellence of that Passage is preserv'd ^b in Mr. Pope's Translation.

Words give us the bare Ideas of things; but words, thus managed, impress them [...]ery strongly and sensibly upon the mind: Do you not perceive the Storm rising ^c W [...]en the wild Winds whistle o'er the main? and are you not in the midst of it when ^d East, West together roar, and South and North roll mountains to the Shore? [Page 154] Then are we hurried o'er the Deep, and see all the rocks and dangers of it:

The next moment if the Poet pleases (like the Daemon he speaks of) He can make all as gentle and serene, as it was before rough and boistrous.

Did you ever see a more perfect Calm? Yet smooth and hush'd as these Lines are, you may easily perceive a difference between the description of a still Sea, and the easy beautiful current of a River.

How happy is the hand of the Poet, and what a Command has he of Na­ture, to make the numbers of his verse [Page 155] speak his Sentiments; Thus to paint even sounds; and to draw by Measures, what does not come under the power of the Pencil? In this Writer, Sir John Denham's Wish is effected: His Lines always flow as his Subjec [...];

I thank you (says Antiphaus bowing) I thank you, my dear Philypsus, for this unexpected view of one of the greatest Beauties in Poetry. I cou'd willingly [...]ay to hear you farther on this Head, [...]nd am perfectly angry with the Night [...]or wearing away so fast. I hope we [...]all soon find an opportunity of resu­ [...]ing the Subject (answer'd Philypsus) I [...]eed not tell you how agreeable it is to [...]e, even to be convinc'd of my Errors [...] Antiphaus; and I'm satisfy'd that [...] take a delight in any occasion of [...]miring Mr. Pope. I beg you would [...] me Antiphaus; do you not approve [...] him in some points, more than you [...]e formerly? I do not know how it [...]ays Antiphaus) but I seem to be both [...]re pleas'd, and more displeas'd with [...] than I was before this enquiry: [...] Excellencies, from the light in which [...] have set them, strike me more agreeably [Page 156] than ever; but then this looking so closely into his Defects has made those too the more gross and visible. How­ever (concluded Philypsus) you will still acknowledge with me, That his faults are the faults of a Man, bu [...] his beauties are the beauties of an Angel.—You don't seem to like the word: it may sound perhaps too high; but I mean only of a Great and Uncommon Genius.

An ESSAY &c.
EVENING the FOURTH.

AFTER having engag'd themselves so far, we may imagine that Antiphaus and Philypsus waited with a good deal of Impatience for the remaining Part of [...]e Odyssey. As it happen'd, they were [...]oth in Town, before it appear'd in Pub­ [...]ck; and Philypsus, who was the warmer [...] the two, us'd to enquire almost every [...]y at Lintot's how the Press went on. [...]e grew still the more eager, as the [...]me drew nearer: and the first moment [...] cou'd procure it in Sheets, he set down [...] them with all the Pleasure, and all the [...]verity, that Antiphaus had preach'd up to [...]m in their former Enquiries.

[Page 2] In the time that was taken up by this agreeable Search, he call'd often upon that Friend, with whom he shar'd his Studies, as well as his Affections. This was rather a Dividing, than Leaving his Pursuits: for he scarce ever saw Anti­phaus, without mentioning something of the Odyssey, and hearing his Sentiments in return. When he had gone entirely thorough the Poem, he went immediate­ly to desire a Meeting, in some place where they might talk more at large up­on that Head. By good luck Antiphaus was perfectly disengag'd: ‘'Tis a fine Evening, says he; and if you please we will take a turn together in the Gar­dens of Horatio: since we cannot enjoy his Company, at least let us make use of that Liberty he has left with us. There we shall be retir'd from the Noise, and Bustle of the Town; and safe from every sort of Interruption.’ Philypsus was extremely pleas'd to find him so ready: they stept together into his Coach, which drove immediately to Horatio's, and set them down at the Gates which lead into the Great-Walk of the Garden.

After a turn or two there, they sat down by the side of a Fountain, full in [...]ight of the Thames, which passes at [Page 3] the bottom of the Walk. The Walk itself makes a fine Visto in its De­scent to the River: at a distance, you see the Fields and Hills; at first in an easy Ascent varied into Pasture and A­rable, and then rising unequally, and cover'd here and there with Woods, till they are insensibly lost in a bluish Cast of the Clouds. The agreeable­ness of the Place made Philypsus forget himself for a few Moments: he was taken up wholly in wandering with his Eye, sometimes over those beautiful Gar­dens, and sometimes over the irregular Prospect that lay before them. At last recollecting himself and turning to An [...]i­ [...]aus, ‘There is a difference (says he) in the agreeable Sense I [...]eel at present [...]rom the delightful Views on all sides of us, which may partly confirm what we were talking of just before we sat down.’ Does not this Master-piece of Art, with all its Symmetry and Justness of Proportions, strike the Mind in a fee­ [...]ler manner, than that Landskape of Na­ture in its infinite Irregularity? These measured Rises and Falls, in Slopes an­swering each other, Those Groves ter­minating every way in an exactness of [...]igure, These Walks intercrossing with­ [...]ut confusion, and uniting [...]o happily, [Page 4] cannot fail of pleasing the Eye very much: Yet that Wildness and Variety abroad, the River, Lawn, Fields and Woods so beautifully interspers'd, compose a Scene much finer and more engaging. For my part, I shou'd be apt to prefer that single Grot yonder, and the hanging Precipice over it, to a whole Scenary of natural Objects laid out in the most regular or­der imaginable. There is something of this in the Pleasure which is given us by the greatest Writers. A Noble natural Genius, however irregular and uncon­fin'd, delights us in a much higher de­gree, than the most uniform and correct: And the Writer who enjoys this freedom of Soul, amidst all his Starts and Errors, is greatly to be prefer'd to the Justness of one, who is too severe to commit a Fault, and too cool and phlegmatick to be a P [...]et.

Such a temper (reply'd Antiphaus) can never produce any thing truly Great. The noblest Poet in the World has not the fewest Faults: and the same Spirit which qualified Homer to be so, is what at the same time might hurry him away from a nicer Observation of some little Particulars. The very Negligencies of Homer shew the Greatness of his Spirit: and where there may be any like Negligencies [Page 5] in the Version of Homer, me­thinks, it wou'd be but Justice to at­tribute them to the same Cause: at least where the Spirit of that Poet is so discernible, as it is in this late Tran­slation.

I cannot but smile sometimes, when I hear a severer Reader very gravely condemning a Poem for a few Faults, which may be evident in it here and there. Nothing can be plainer than that our Judgments ought to be form'd upon the Whole, and not upon Particu­lars: the Superiority of Beauties or D [...] ­fects is the only thing that can deter­mine the Character of the Piece. 'Tis possible that Mr. Hobbes may have ex­press'd a word or two correctly, where the New Translation has deviated into a Metaphorical or licentious Expression: but what a strange method of Compari­son would it be, to settle our opinion of the Writers from hence? By such a way of proceeding we might prefer one, who loses the Life and Vigour of Poetry throughout, to others who preserve it so strongly in the general Turn of their Compositions.

As we go on, Philypsus, with our u­sual freedom of speaking our Sentiments on each particular Passage; I dare say, [Page 6] that even all those, which may seem faulty to us, will make but a small fi­gure, when compar'd to the several Ex­cellencies of this Piece. As for my part, after a Research of some care thro' the whole Translation, I find no reason at all to alter my Opinion, ‘That the Beau­ties of it are far more numerous, and far more considerable, than its Ble­mishes: even taking all those things for real Blemishes, which we may only imagine to be such.’

If the fashionable Choice of Verse be justly blameable; it may as justly be said that no one moves with more freedom in his Fetters. In particular Lines, there may be some farther disagreeable Like­nesses of Sound; but the Variety of Num­bers in general is great and handsome: What Smoothness and Harmony do we find thro' the course of the Poem; and how seldom are they interrupted either by the Littleness, or the Vastness of the Words? by the Openness of the Vowels, the Clashing of Consonants, or any other Roughnesses whatever: Not to mention against these, that Significance of Sound, which is more frequent, and more hap­pily practis'd by Mr. Pope, in parti­cular, than by any other of the Modern Poets.

[Page 7] As to the Diction; not only the Poem but our Language itself is enrich'd by it. Where it is once Mean, it is in many instances Great, Noble, and Solemn. Where a Simplicity beyond our Taste is to be preserv'd, we may expect some Flatnesses: And it may be to these per­haps we owe that Justness and Purity, which in so many places makes us ima­gine, that we are conversing with Per­sons of those First Ages of the World, in all their Plainness and Honesty of Beha­viour. At other times the Narration is rais'd, and the Images strengthen'd by a figurative way of speaking, tho' no doubt, in some cases, to excess: but these Excesses may well be pass'd over, when we consider, that they proceed from Liberties, which are highly useful in rendering the Stile the more various and poetical; so far, as frequently to im­prove upon Homer himself.

Above all, is that flame and spirit dif­fus'd thro' the whole Poem; and often­times so well kept up, as to make us forget, that we are reading a Transla­tion. When we are engag'd in the Piece, do not the great and generous Sen­timents we meet with perpetually, make a few Thoughts, which have something cold or little in them, appear inconsiderable [Page 8] upon the first Comparison? What Eclaircisements have we, and how little Obscurity? What a number of natural Thoughts, Images, and Descriptions might be produc'd, to over-ballance such Lines in it, as may seem to be Af­fected, or too Artificial?

Thus which ever way we turn our­selves, whether we consider the Poetical Spirit, the Language, or the Versification; in each of them the Beauties far exceed the Defects. It is with this Notion we ought to proceed in our Enquiries: we must carry this Thought all along with us. Let us remember Philypsus, ‘That all human Excellence stands merely on Comparison: that no one is without Faults, and that very few arrive in any tolerable degree towards Perfecti­on: That Mr. Pope does not only ap­pear among the Few, but that his Su­periority is every way visible: If we compare his Compositions in general with those of our other Poets, the Disproportion is as great, as when we compare the Blemishes of his own Poetry, with the Beauties which every where abound in it.’

Some of these we are now to consider; and we may enter on this View with the greater Pleasure, as we have the advantage [Page 9] of Mr. Pope's own Observations in se­veral Points, both as to those things, in which he met with the greatest difficul­ty; and the Methods he has taken of raising his Language, and improving the Versification.

One of the greatest Sources of raising, as well as enlarging the Poetical Lan­guage, is by inventing New Words, or importing old Ones from a foreign Soil. Words, when they are us'd vulgarly, grow mean: Like other Fashions, when their use is once got among the Populace, they soon begin to be rejected by the politer Part of the World. This it is (as ^a the Gentlemen of Port Royal very justly observe) which necessitates the introducing of New Words into every Language; it occasions a continual Decay, and demands continual Supplies. Thus whoever has a Felicity this way, is a Benefactor to the Publick: he adds so much to the Bank; and gives his Assist­ance in supporting the present Credit of Language among us.

It wou'd be equally trifling and la­borious, to give all the particular In­stances of this Version's enriching our Language. It is every where visible; there [Page 10] is no reading a Book in the Odyssey, with­out observing it frequently. You will almost constantly find his new Words to be apt, easy, and poetical. Sometimes he introduces the Expressions, and even the Peculiarities of other Languages into our own: These, when unforc'd, please us very particularly, by the Variety, and Novelty, they bring along with them. We admire the Stranger in our Habit; and are extremely taken to see him look as free and easy as if he were a Native, and had been always truly English.

The Poet has the same Art and De­licacy in Connecting two Words into one, a thing much more difficult than Invent­ing: The Union is proper and insensi­ble; there is no Knot, where they are ingrafted: in short, they ^a may be said rather to grow into one another, than to be brought together by Art. I do not say, that this hits so na­turally in all the Instances; there may be ^b some Words less tractable, or less harmonious than others: But in [Page 11] general we may affirm, that as his Translation is wrought off from a Lan­guage, which in this Respect greatly ex­ceeds all that ever were; So the Imita­tions of it, this way, are unusually Beauti­ful and Harmonious.

To deviate from the strict Rules which Grammarians wou'd impose on Words, ei­ther single, or as they stand in their relati­ons to one another, gives an agreeable un­common Air to Language; but in the very Notion of it carries something of diffi­culty, and niceness along with it. Mr. Pope seems to have thought it the safest way in such Cases to follow or resemble those Deviations, which have been al­ready Authoriz'd by some Masterly hand: and where he strikes more boldly into any new Freedom, he is generally careful of giving things such an Openness, that they may neither perplex the Sense, nor em­barrass the Period.

A thing more useful and agreeable than either of these, is to turn the stream of Words out of their common Chan­nel.—There is a good deal of Stiffness, which yet attends our Language, from the stated order of Words in such a re­peated Succession: and tho' we are much freer than our Neighbours the French in this particular, I shou'd be glad to [Page 12] see our Poets, at least, go yet farther to­wards the Liberties of the old Greeks and Romans. Mr. Pope has some strokes toward this: he is sometimes bold in va­rying the expected range of Words, to give his Sentences a new and agreeable air: he transposes their order, often by his own Judgment, and often in imi­tation of some of our best Poets, who have succeeded in it before.

I wou'd not have a certain Gramma­rian, or two, over-hear me commending these Liberties so freely: it wou'd cer­tainly cost one a Dispute. You know the Men: they are as strict in the Puncti­lio's of Words, as some formal People are in the little Points of Behaviour. I warrant you, your Neighbour, The Doctor, wou'd stand as strictly upon the Nominative Case's going before the Verb, as Wicquefort wou'd for the Precedence of an Embassador: 'Tis certain he can settle all the Rules of Place from unde­niable Authorities; disposes of the Up­per-hand with perfect Oeconomy; and, upon the whole, would make an Excellent Master of the Ceremonies among Words and Syllables.

However, with this Gentleman's leave, there are several just Liberties which may be allow'd for varying the Poetical [Page 13] ^a Stile: and many Aids, proper to enliven and elevate it in the more no­ble Parts of a Poem.

Among the latter, Mr. Pope has made very good use of Antiquated Words; and no less of Expressions borrow'd from our Translation of the Sacred Writings. The Language of Scripture, as it is receiv'd from the first with a certain religious Awe, will still retain something venera­ble, and august: it may therefore be of signal Service in giving to the He­roick Muse that Majesty, which so well becomes the Sublime Air she ought to assume. 'Tis much the same in the re­vival of old Words: Antiquity always carries a sort of Solemnity with it, in its very Roughnesses and Decays: The Ru­stick strikes the Mind, as strongly, as any thing in Architecture; and Ruins themselves have often something awful and majestick in them.

I wou'd not willingly interrupt you (says Philypsus) but the humour of heap­ing superannuated Words in some late Po­ems, is too provoking to be pass'd by. How have our Miltonick Writers, in par­ticular, [Page 14] prostituted them on all occasions: in what an undistinguishing manner do they labour to draw into their Works, any word which their great Master has adopted into his Paradise Lost?—Erst, Nathless, Behests, Welkin, and a Thou­sand other Expressions of equal beauty and agreeableness of Sound, are repeated ten times in every Sheet of theirs: in short, these Gentlemen have made me quite sick of People's going two Hun­dred Years backward for their Language; and furnishing out half their Poems from the Vocabularies annex'd to Spencer and Chaucer.

As for some of those Writers (reply'd Antiphaus calmly) You have reason to be angry with them; but if we may reject any thing meerly for the abuse of it, there is nothing of the greatest use, that we may not fairly reject. Virgil made par­ticular use of this method in his Poems, and was ^a admired by his Countrymen on that account: What is your Opinion of our Milton? Are you displeas'd with the antiquated Words in his Writings? No, Philypsus, I know your Taste too [Page 15] well to imagine any thing of that nature. And even of those, that have follow'd his Example, there is one or two who make good use of them. This we see in Philips's pieces; not to mention the new ^a Poem we were reading the other Day: the Author of which, beside several other Beauties, is by no means unhappy in his Management of this sort of Words. I agree with you, the Abuse of them is frequent, and much to be condemn'd: If perpetual, they run into a meer Bar­barism; and indeed where-ever they are thrust in, without any other reason ex­cept their being Ancient, they give a Roughness and Disorder, instead of the proper Solemnity: But when they are plac'd here and there with Judgment, they support the greatness of our Ideas, and reflect a venerableness on the subject. Were the Old Oaks, that are left stand­ing in the Gardens of Blenheim, more numerous, that Design might have too much of the Forest in it: but as they [...]re, they serve to communicate the nobler [...]ir of Antiquity to the things about them; [...]nd appear in a Majesty of Years, equal [...]o the Grandeur of the Place.

I wou'd desire you to commend the in­ [...]rtion of Solemn Words, only as they [Page 16] are proper to the Places in which they are us'd. We see by Mr. Pope's Obser­vations on this Head, that he understands the Benefit of them perfectly well; as his Works shew that he practises up to his own Rules; and scarce ever inserts either the Words of former Centuries, or the Language of Scripture, but where the Subject demands a solemn and vene­rable Turn.

As these are the chief Methods of en­nobling the Poetick Stile; so the chief to enliven it, is the free and various use of Epithets. No one thing is of greater service to the Poets for distinguishing [...]eir Language from Prose. This has oc­casion'd that ^a large and unrestrain'd use of them, so much beyond what we [...]nd in Oratory: And tho' Homer is more bold and frequent in this, than a­ny of the Poets who have wrote since; I know not any of the Ancient Criticks who have ever blam'd him on that account. 'Tis partly from his uncommon liberties this way, that Mr. Pope looks upon his Epithets, as one of the ^b Distinguishing [Page 17] Marks of that Poet. In Homer they have on several accounts a peculiar air: and this Translation not only pre­serves their proper beauties, but shews many Methods of improving upon them. Sometimes the Old are set in a stronger light, and sometimes New ones added with a peculiar grace: Sometimes several are applied to the same thing, without ^a that strictness of connexion, which wou'd ^b flatten the energy of them; and where the poverty of our Language will not con­vey their full Sense in the Conciseness of the Original, they are enlarged upon in the Translation, and laid more open to our view.

Epithets, Philypsus, like Pictures in Miniature, are often entire descriptions in one Word. This may be either from their own significance, or by their im­mediate connexion with some known ob­ject. We see the thing, when the Poet only mentions the Nodding Crest of an Hero; and form a larger Idea of Jove from the single Epithet of Cloud-compel­ling, than we might find in a description more diffuse. It was chiefly from ^c [Page 18] two Poetical Epithets, that Phidias de­sign'd the countenance of his Olympian Jupiter; as, in Reverse, we often see the Person in his Epithet, from our being acquainted with some Statue, or Pi­cture, to which it refers: Thus when Apollo is call'd the Archer-God, it recalls to our memory the representations we have so often seen of that Deity: the compleat Figure is rais'd up in the Mind, by touching upon that single circum­stance.

'Tis by the same means, that one single Epithet gives us the Idea of any Object, which has been common and fa­miliar to us. Meadows, Fields, Woods, Rivers, and the Sea itself, are often imag'd by one well-chosen word. Thus in that ^a beautiful Description of Calypso's Bower, you see the Groves of living green; the Alders ever quivering; the nodding Cypress, and its high Branches, waving with the Storm: 'Tis by Epithets that the ancient Poets paint their Elysian Gr [...]ves; and the Modern, their Windsor-Forests.

Where our Language will not admit of this conciseness, we find the Image preserv'd by a Description more full and diffusive; thus,

I shou'd think that the Opening of the Sense in a larger Compass may often be approv'd, even where we are not driven to it by the poverty of our Lan­guage. Homer himself, who has the advantage of single Words so much stronger and more significant, often chuses to draw out his Sentiments, into several Lines: and sometimes ^b the very same Sentiment, which upon other Oc­casions he has express'd in one word on­ly. May not the same Liberty be al­low'd to his Translators? Is it not a fine Enlargement for Instance, where Ho­mer is speaking of Penelope's Veil with the Epithet of Pellucid only, to say that

Tho' these imaging and descriptive Epithets are the more Beautiful, those which add Strength and Emphasis are [Page 20] by no means to be contemn'd. This way they are of great Service in all Sa­tire; and particularly in that Abusive­ness, which Homer is not over nice in be­stowing upon his Gods: they appear well in the Ridicule of the Suitors; and are strong and vehement in any Arro­gant Character, particularly in all Con­temners of the Gods. I shall give you only one instance of the latter; from Polypheme's Answer to Ulysses:

You must have observ'd (Philypsus) se­veral other Methods of using Epithets po­etically. I need not mention the peculiar fitness and strength, which they may ac­quire, from the ^b occasions on which they are us'd, or the Light they are set in: That ^c Substantives are sometimes us'd as Epithets; and sometimes ^d Epithets as Sub­stantives: Sometimes the ^e Metaphor is convey'd this way with a good Grace; [Page 21] and at others, two Thwarting Ideas are mixt together in a very agreeable man­ner. Mr. Addison is the first I know of, that observ'd upon these, and gave them their Name, and of this kind is the ^a Vege­table Venom in the fourth Odyssey, which an­swers ^b his Instance of Aurum Frondens from Virgil.

I know not whether I perfectly appre­hend you, or not (interpos'd Philypsus): Do You not mean that particular sort of Metaphor, when some strange quality in a thing, is turn'd into an Epithet, and di­rectly applied to it?—Either that; or else some strange Circumstance applied in the same manner: in both 'tis the No­velty and the Surprize, that please us.—I take you, says Philypsus; and believe I now see a farther Reason, why a very natural Passage (in another Poem by Mr. Pope) has always been so agreeable to me. 'Tis where he speaks of the odd Appear­ance of things from their inversion in a River: I think I can repeat it:

[Page 22] These are of the kind I mean, says An­tiphaus; they are bold, but they are na­tural: Indeed with due caution, greater Contrarieties than these may be join'd, under some particular Circumstance, to justify so unexpected an Union. Thus all Epithets, which contradict the gene­ral Sense of the Thing, but agree with the particular Occasion; Thus is Grief call'd pleasing; there are Kindnesses which are terrible ^a: And in many cases Death and even Disgrace may be desirable. In­stances of this kind, are very frequent, especially among our modern Poets. There are ^b many in this Translation: in particular, 'tis this which gives a new Air to that gay ^c Speech of Mercury in the Eighth Book.

Tho' the Latins us'd this agreeable Clash of Ideas, the Greek Poets (as Mr. Addison ^d observes on the former Head) wanted Art for it; They, at least the more Ancient of them, never join things that seem to disagree, in so close an Union. Unless where Nature her self [Page 23] has led the way in an ^a actual mix­ture of Contrarieties: in any point, ex­cept that single one, these must be en­tirely Improvements on the Original.

The Misfortune is, that in all Human Excellencies there will be an Alloy: Faults spring out of our Improvements themselves; and the very methods of Beautifying lead often into Blemishes. The way to any Perfection is full of Difficulties and Windings on each side; and every step out of the right Path (tho' they cross each other every Mo­ment) is a wandering from our Design. In a word, Philypsus, 'tis much the same with Errors and Improvements, as it is with Pleasure and Pain in the Philo­sopher's Fable: they are blended together in such a manner, that it is impossible to come at the one, without touching upon the other.

All the Methods which are us'd in Mr. Pope's Translation, and which are so often of great Efficacy towards beau­tifying and improving the Diction, may sometimes fall under a different Cha­racter.

[Page 24] Among the Words which are intro­duc'd from other Languages into our own, there may be ^a some, which still retain too much of the air of Foreigners: As antiquated Words may ^b look too Grotesque, or have a rough disagreea­ble sound. The very Solemnity of Scrip­tural Expressions may sometimes require that they should not be ^c alienated: at least it may make them look ^d too high for the Passages in which they are inserted.

Next to the importing of Words New to the Poetical Stile, is the varying the use of the Old. To deviate from the strictness of Grammar, is what gave a rise to Rhetorick; and surely there are few who wou'd not prefer all the beau­tiful Forms and Figures of the latter (at least for Poetry and Oratory) to that bare correctness, which alone is the Pro­vince of the former: Yet there may be Innovations on this too harsh or daring; and Figures, that may look more like Patchwork, than true Ornaments in the Dress of Poetry.

[Page 25] The greater danger is, when the Poet assumes ^a any common Word in a new unusual Sense. The worst Fault of any Language is, Ambiguity; that great cause of Darkness in Verse, and the continuer of every Dispute that has been kept up for any time in Prose. The various Appearances of words, Philypsus, should not be multiplied unnecessarily; the Reader is apt to be distracted between so many Lights: and in such a Variety may follow the false, as well as the true.

I have observ'd this particularly in Words deriv'd from other Languages: These, you know, often prevail among [...]s very differently from their native sig­nification. The Latin sense perhaps is [...]ne thing, and the English use another: When this has obtain'd universally, we [...]ught not to run back to the Latin ^b [...]ense of the word, in our use of it. If [...]ou should, the Learn'd themselves may [...]ot readily fall into your meaning, and [...]he Unlearn'd will inevitably mistake it.

It may be enquir'd too, how far this Translation, may make a wrong use of Terms borrow'd from any of the Arts [...]nd Sciences: As where we read of Architraves, [Page 26] Colonnades, and the like. I would not produce these as undoubted faults in the Poetical Stile: tho' the ba­nishing all Technical Words, be laid down by some Criticks as a Rule never to be transgress'd; I should imagine they might be admitted in some Cases; even where there is not that absolute necessity, either of using them, or losing the Sense of the Original.

Will not the very thing, on which the Rule is founded, allow the departing from it sometimes? "That the Poet writes to all Mankind in general; And "That h [...] should avoid all appearance of Labour, a [...] well as Affectation, is very true; and very good reasons they are for his not using Technical Words, while they carry diffi­culty and an Air of Affectation abou [...] them: But if such words ever happen to be perfectly Familiarized by the Writing of former Poets, or become of commo [...] Use in the World, I should think the [...] have the same Right to be admitted int [...] Poetry (and if not mean, the same pro­priety) as any other Words, the most ob­vious and intelligible. Any one may di­stinguish their greater, or less fitness, o [...] this Account, in the description of Al [...] ­nous's Palace: in which there are sever [...] Instances, both of Terms familiariz' [...] [Page 27] and of such as are less allowable, under one and the same view:

Some of these Terms are certainly al­lowable; And you will think perhaps I carry the matter too far in another Point, which may seem as allowable to the full. You must know, I am apt to imagine, that not only the more difficult Terms of Art, but even such Words as are ^b [...]surp'd more particularly in any single [Page 28] Province, may become less fit to be used in Common. If so, it may require cau­tion in inserting some, that are appropria­ted to particular Persons or Things; Many that are us'd much in the Professi­ons, especially in the Scholastick way of Distinctions: and all in general that are perplex'd, or not to be understood without Difficulty.

I'm afraid I have tired you, Philypsus, with such a string of dry Observations; they must have their Turn in a view of this Nature; and to omit what is Ne­cessary, for fear of an imputation of Pe­dantry, is perhaps the worst Pedantry one can be guilty of.

Give me leave to enlarge more upon the Abuse of Epithets, as I did befor [...] upon the Use of them. 'Tis the same with these, Philypsus, as with all other Ornaments of Speech; their being so very serviceable, may lead to a large [...] Use of them than is proper: but there is this Advantage too; the very thing which makes them so strong and beau­tifull, will help to discover any Error in their Application. They are each connected so immediately to their Sub­ject, that their Impropriety, as well as Agreement, is very easily discern'd.

[Page 29] On ^a this Account, we should be the more cautious how we mix the Epithets of the Proper, with any Metaphorical Ex­pressions: These, for the Time change their Nature, and may signifie things very different from what they stood for before. That Metaphor, which puts the Name of a Place or Country for its Inhabitants, is reckon'd a great and agree­able one; but wherever it is used, we must remember it stands now for Men, and is not to be consider'd in its proper [...]tate, as a Part of the Earth. If its old Epi­ [...]hets are still applied to it, the Sense must [...]e disagreeing and confus'd.

I fear we meet with something of this [...]here Penelope complains of the Numbers [...]nd Importunity of her Suitors: after [...]his manner:

[Page 30] Longinus, ^a somewhere in his Trea­tise on the sublime, gives us an instance of this sort of Metaphor, from Herodotus, where that Historian is speaking of a very moving Tragedy, at the Acting of which, the Theatre burst into tears: This the Critick judges to be so taking, from the surprize that Turn of Expression car­ries with it. The Metaphor itself has certainly something great in it: But had Herodotus join'd some of its proper Epi­thets or Description with this Mataphor, and said, that ‘The Theatre, raised all o [...] Columns of the Corinthian Order, burst into Tears at the deepness of the Tragedy’ Longinus might have thought the passage more Surprizing, but I dare say he would not have thought it so worthy of hi [...] Commendation.

To mix these things in a Description is really as Absurd, as to paint a River [...]God, not with his Urn, to signifie wha [...] he is; but gushing all over into Streams [...] like some of the odd Figures in Ovid' [...] Metamorphosis: and by the way, it ma [...] be a very good ^b Rule that is given, [...] try mixt Metaphors at any time; b [...] forming in one's Mind a Picture, fro [...] what is said; and considering how th [...] [Page 31] Parts of it would agree, were they de­lineated upon Canvass.

There is another disagreement in Epi­thets, when two Expressions, proper in themselves, are yet join'd together im­properly. After a great Slaughter we may very well have a Notion of Heaps, or (as it is in the Poetical language) Moun­tains of the Slain; 'tis natural on the same Occasion to imagine to ourselves their Wounds, and the blood ebbing out of them: these are very proper separately; but to join them under the Notion of a ^a Bleed­ing Mountain does not look so reconcile­able to the Mind.

An Error yet more frequent is, when we give a word that Epithet, which is proper to it on some Occasions, indiffe­rently at all times, and without any Oc­casion.

This, in some Measure, has been al­ways allowable in Verse: however such a Liberty is not without its bounds, nor should it be used intemperately. Purple (for instance) is an Epithet very frequent in the Ancient Poets for the Habit of Princes: yet it is not to be given to that of all Great Men; nor of Princes equally, [Page 32] whether ^a young or old; nor of the very same Prince, under several Circum­stances: tho' a Remark of this kind may seem insignificant, an Impropriety in this Case might be very gross and shock­ing.

Again: What is proper in one Lan­guage, may not be so in another. Was any one to Translate the purpureis Oloribus of Horace, Purple Swans, would not he be so Literal, as to miss the Sense of his Author entirely?

There may be another Impropriety from the difference of time and circum­stances: It may do very well to give the Epithet of browzing, to a Goat; or gra­zing, to the Ox: it helps to describe them in the Fields, or to distinguish them from some other Creatures; and if neither of these, at least it gives the Language a Poetical Air: Yet these Epithets have some restraints, they belong to Life and Action; they do not suit with those very Creatures, when Dead; and less so, when they are cut out in the Shambles, or serv'd up at a Feast: this is the Case in a Passage relating to Penelope's Suitors; they,

As Epithets should be proper to the Things, or Person, they are spoken of; so must we take Care that they are still proper to the Metaphors we add; and in Allegory, not to confound the Epithets of the Real, with those of the Fictitious Person.

In the Preface to the Iliad ^b we have an Excellent Distinction to this Purpose, on a known ^c Epithet of Apollo; ‘Which (as we are there told) is capable of two Explications; One Literal, in respect of the Darts and Bow, the Ensigns of that God; the other Allegorical, with regard to the Rays of the Sun: there­fore in such Places, where Apollo is re­presented as a God in Person, I would use the former Interpretation; and where the Effects of the Sun are de­scrib'd, I wou'd make Choice of the latter.’ You see the justness of the Observation: it may serve to explain my Meaning better than I could express it my self.

[Page 34] 'Tis Evident, by the Way, that Mr. Pope form'd this Observation upon his Experience in the Progress of that Tran­slation: This appears from the first Part of that Work, in which we some­times find the Properties and Effects of the Sun, blended with the personal Act [...] of Apollo: thus it is in the first Appear­ance of that Deity in the Poem. I shal [...] read the Passage to You, tho' something long: it begins with that beautiful line [...]

The Original here does not once At­tribute any thing to the Deity but wha [...] is personal: 'tis certain the Sun and i [...] Effects are hid under this Allegory but then they must be hid; for so far a it appears, it will cease to be Allegor [...] Homer never mixes shadows and reality and as Mr. Pope perceiv'd this in his goin [...] on with the Poem, I presume he bui [...] upon it that excellent Observation.

[Page 35] Any mixture of this Nature is more evident in Epithets, for that obvious Reason I mention'd before. And thus, you see, there are Inconveniences attend each Method of improving the Poetical Diction; and that the danger bears some Proportion to the Excellence. Where the finest Colourings are most visible, the [...]aulty strokes of the Pencil are the sooner perceiv'd: and when we meet with the greatest Improvements in a Piece, we must [...]ot imagine it to be wholly without de­ [...]ect. Of all Doctrines, I shall never hold [...]hat, which supposes any Man to be In­ [...]allible: and of all Men, the Poet of a [...]rue, free, glowing Spirit, must naturally [...]e incapable of that Character. No, [...]hilypsus, the most correct Writer is he, [...]hat has the fewest Faults: and he is the [...]blest Poet, that has most distinct Excel­ [...]encies.

You need not repeat, says Philypsus, [...]hat you have throughly convinc'd me [...]f long since. Yes, 'tis the ^a Condi­ [...]on of every human Performance not to [...]e absolutely perfect. I can allow of see­ [...]g Faults in any the most favourite Piece: [...]nd find a fresh and greater Pleasure every [Page 36] Day in reading an Author without that Biass, which used to make me admire every thing I read. Yet I must own my In­firmity to you; I still find it very Difficult to arrive to that Indifference, you would perswade, in any Tolerable degree.

A perfect Indifference (answer'd Anti­phaus) is no more attainable, than a per­fect Excellence, by a Creature made up of so many Passions, as is Man. We must poise ourselves with all the Steadiness we [...]re Masters of; and when those Di­sturbers will be interfering, the best way is to turn their own Artillery upon them: and to play one Passion against another. If the superiour Merit of a Writer, or his engaging Way, is apt to captivate us so far as to raise any partial regards in us; we must stop, and Consider what we owe to Truth, the most beautifull and commanding thing in the World: On the contrary, where-ever we begin to feel a malicious Pleasure in finding out the Faults of great Men, we must break off that humour as soon as perceiv'd, by turning immediately to some of the finest Passages in their Works, and indulging that Delight and Admiration they raise in us.

I do thus (reply'd Philypsus) and yet it is but too frequently that I find my self [Page 37] more engag'd than I ought to be, after all my Endeavours: How happy should I be, cou'd I have that command of my Tem­per, which Antiphaus shews upon all Oc­casions.

If you have observ'd any thing in me of that Nature (says Antiphaus, inter­rupting him) it is chiefly owing to the Observance of this Rule, ‘When we are thinking of any particular Passage, to forget the Character of the Author: and when we are speaking of the Cha­racter of the Author, to forget the Turn of any particular Passage.’ Our Notion of a Poem is not to be influenc'd [...]y a few Lines, taken here and there [...]rom it: the only thi [...]g by which it can [...]e justly determin'd is the Ballance of the Account, after reckoning up all its Beau­ [...]es and all its Defects against one ano­ [...]her. I mean, not only as to their Num­ [...], but according to the real Value, or [...]oy that is in them. But what am I [...]oing, Philypsus? to talk at this rate, [...]hile I might be enjoying your Obser­ [...]tions?—The things I have heard you [...]eak of at Different Times, make me [...]ng to see them in one collected View. [...]e are here safe from the Impertinence [...] Business, or Visits: and may enjoy [...]r selves at Large, without being inter­ [...]pted by either.

[Page 38] I am sensible (answer'd Philypsus, after a short pause) that what you particularly mean, is the Improvements in Mr. Pope's Translation, from the many Figures and Variations added in that Work: but as I am not prepared for a regular Account of them, You will give me leave to men­tion them just as they come into my Thoughts. My happiness is, that I spea [...] to so generous a Friend: I know An­tiphaus too well to make Apologies fo [...] the Weakness of my Observations, o [...] the loose manner in which I may lay my Thoughts before him.

If this Rule be just, as it has ever be [...] allow'd to be (quite down from the Gre [...] Father of Criticism at Athens, to tho who Flourish now in the Academy [...] Paris) all Additional Figures in th [...] [Page 39] Translation, which neither darken nor perplex the Sense, are so many new Beau­ties and Improvements upon the Ori­ginal.

For my part I should not stick at car­rying this Point farther. I should ima­gine, That Figures are the Language of the Passions. The Body it self is agitated, and our Features discompos'd, when the Mind is struck violently with any Object: and if we speak upon such Occasions, 'tis with rapidity and disorder. We [...]ourst out into Exclamations: our Senti­ [...]ents are quick and violent; and our Language interrupted frequently with [...]uddain Starts, and as suddain Pauses. Things appear then more strong and [...]argely to the Mind; and we paint them [...] more expressive Colours, with a greater [...]nergy of Words. 'Tis this way of [...]eaking, that gave rise to what the Cri­ [...]cks afterwards call'd Figures. These [...]re the beautiful Disorders of Language; [...]ey are in our Words what suddain Agi­ [...]tions are in our Minds; and tho' we [...]ay think them chiefly the effect of Art, [...]ey are really the most natural things [...] Poetry.

When we are struck suddainly with [...]y or Sorrow, Hopes or Fears, we [...]eak out in a short quick manner of [Page 40] Expression.— Ulysses, in the Habit of a stranger, finds the good old Laertes ever sorrowing for his Absence, and bu­ [...]ying himself in his Garden, to divert the melancholly of his Thoughts. The Hero does not discover himself immediately; only just mentions to him, that he had seen Ulysses in his Travels. That is the point Laertes fixes upon: This Island you are landed upon (says he) is Ithaca;

Ul [...]sses in his Answer informs him where he had met with his Son; and that when the [...] parted, he [...]latter'd himself with ho [...]es of seeing him again; but now, he found, he must despair of that happiness This was too much for Laertes to bear [...] we see him overcome with Sorrow. 'Tis now Ulysses's turn to be agitated, and t [...] speak his Passions in the same impetuou [...] manner:

[Page 41] I can scarce leave the pleasure I take in repeating these Passages only to tell you, that they are extremely improv'd by Mr. Pope. No one will imagine how much, that has not compar'd them with the Original.

You see these Passions break out in short violent Flashes: sometimes they are so strong as to permit no more than one word or two. When Euryclea by ac­cident discovers Ulysses, she can only cry out ^a My Son!—My King!—And where any go farther, they rather hint at things, than mention them: Their Thoughts are [...]ull of starts, and hurry; they speak with vehemence; and often end abruptly. Thus Ulysses, when he discovers himself [...]o Telemachus:

And in another place, from a different Passion:

[Page 42] These passionate Breaks are one of the finest things in Poetry. They are as na­tural in Anger, as they are in Sorrow or Suprizes; and indeed in the former are proper sooner, and upon less motives far, than in these. I know not how it is, they have a particular aptness in all Threats; and either intimate very strong­ly, or are very well fill'd up with som [...] menacing Action:

Or, as in the Nineteenth Book,

You have puzzled me, says Antiphaus Now for my Life can't I tell which to ap­prove of most, the expressing, or the i [...] ­timating the Action in such Cases: th [...] requires the greatest strength in the Poe [...] and the other has greater force in h [...] Performance. Oh, give me leave to me [...] ­tion one thing—Have you not observ [...] a Larger sort of Break, which is us [...] artificially in a Poem, to incite the A [...] ­tention of the Reader? I mean, wh [...] [Page 43] the Narration is dropt in the most en­gaging parts of it, or just before some very material Incident: This adds a double desire of hearing: the Audience generally make it their Request, that the Speaker would go on, and inform them of the Sequel. Thus it is in the Eleventh Odyssey. Ulysses in the midst of his Account of the Infernal Regions ^a makes a feint of concluding: we are im­mediately told, that the Phaeacians were eager to hear him on; and 'tis observa­ble, that the very ^b same Break, and the very same Sentiment after it, is imi­tated by Virgil. 'Tis indeed improv'd in the latter: he has all the Use of Homer's suspence, without the Tediousness of it.

I have often taken notice of this Arti­ [...]ice, says Philypsus. 'Tis very usual in the Close of the particular Books, not only of this Poem, but equally of the Iliad and Aeneid.—Were it not a thing pretty obvious in itself, I should be apt to imagine, that it was from this practice of Homer and Virgil, that those prudent [Page 44] Authors, who write for Sale, had learnt what is so common among them: Thus in our Books of Adventures and Romance, we seldom meet with a First Part, which does not break off in such a point of the Story, as may be most apt to engage the Expectation of the Reader; and to draw him in for that most tedious thing in the World, vulgarly call'd, A Second Part.

There is yet another sort of Breaks, Antiphaus, which proceed not from the Artifice of the Writer, but the Passion he feels upon some great or unexpected Calamity. There might be Instances of this given from the Poem before us: but we must go to another Piece of Mr. Pope's for the finest that ever I met with in my Life. 'Tis in his Charming Ode on Musick, where he is speaking of that great Master of it, Orpheus:

Those Passions, which break off our Language in this manner, and confine it to short catches and starts; when they are wrought up to the highest pitch, or croud in many of them together upon [Page 45] the Mind, are best exprest by Silence. Such Silences as these (pardon me a Para­dox as old as ^a Pythagoras his times) are the voice of Nature. 'Tis true in the common Method of speaking, there are only a few particular Organs concern'd: but in stronger Emotions, in the violence of any Passion, the whole Body may be talkative. Every Look, and Turn, and Motion is significant; and each Nerve can have its share in making up (what our Shakespear calls) A kind of Excellent Dumb Discourse.

To be more plain: Our Passions are often too strong to be express'd immedi­ately by words; they often choak up the passage for them: and yet at the same time they are most apparent. The more any one is a stranger to art and disguises, the more is he moved on these Occasions: these Silences are the pure effects of Na­ture; and the Descriptions of them are some of the most natural, as well as most beautiful Passages in the whole Poem.

[Page 46] The Recovery of Ul [...]sses is the Incident of the greatest concern to all his Friends, and must be attended with the strongest flow of Passion in them: accordingly they are each too much mov'd with the discovery, to utter their Sentiments on that Occasion. Telemachus is the first to whom Ulysses makes himself known: He falls on his Father's Neck, and they con­tinue embracing each other, without speaking ^a for a considerable time.—We have a like Scene, ^b when he discovers himself to two or three select Friends: Good old Laertes, on the same Occasion is not only silent, but scarce ^c able to support himself, under such an excess of Passion, And the fond, tender Penelope, is quite overcome with it:

A Great Surprize, or Extraordinary Fright, has the same Effect: as in Homer's ^e Eurylochus, and the Sir Trevisan of Spencer, which the ^e Notes mention as a Parallel to Eurylochus. Never was any Image set in a fuller Light than this of Spencer's: 'tis presented to our View [Page 47] with all the strength that Poetry is ca­pable of. I must beg leave to read it to you.

Admirable Imagery! and admirable Silence! cry'd Antiphaus. But I hope you will not be so possess'd with the ex­cellence of our Poet, as to forget ^a the Ajax of Homer; whom Ulysses bespeaks a­gain, and yet again, without any Answer at all? Or perhaps this has been observ'd upon so often, that you think it needless to repeat its Beauties: I don't question but you admire it very much. I do so (answer'd Philypsus) and agree entirely with the Observation. ^b ‘That Ajax has more the air of Grandeur when he says nothing, than when the Poet makes him speak.’

Mr. Pope does not only follow Homer very finely, wherever he has led the Way [...]n these beautiful Figures; he sometimes [Page 48] heightens, and sometimes adds them with a great deal of Propriety. Every one sees how unwilling Calypso is to part with Ulysses: But the Command of Jove must be obey'd: and the same fondness which makes her look on the departure of that Hero with extreme regret, engages her, at the same time, to assist him in the con­veniences for it. She is always directing him, when employ'd; and when not, se­cretly disswading him from his Voyage. We see her busy, even to Officiousness, in bringing him the Instruments for his Work: guiding him to the Forest, and shewing what Trees are fittest for his Purpose:

This is much better express'd than in the Original: indeed there we scarce discern that it is a passionate Silence. Improvements of this kind, Antiphaus, are the more to be valu'd, because there is not any one thing in Poetry of greater Beauty and Energy. The Criticks look [Page 49] upon it as the most ^a sublime, unusual part of Eloquence: and 'tis none of its least Advantages, that it hits that excel­lent Rule they give us, Of ^b Leaving some things for the Audience to perceive of themselves: Tho' it be not told him, e­very Man very easily finds out the height­ning of such a Circumstance; and is sure to value it the more, because he finds it out himself. In short, these are Masterly s [...]rokes, and few hands arrive to them in their true Excellence. Tho' it requires the greatest Art and Judgment to intro­duce it, the Writer when he has chose the proper Point, seems to be put to no pains to rule our Affections: he governs all our Passions without the Labour of Words; and looks as Archimedes would [...]o one's fancy, moving the whole Wor [...]d, while he sits still himself.

Suspence and Doubt have something of this Figure intermixt with them. A Speaker hesitating and unresolv'd, is in [...] State of Half-silence: As we see the former poetical Silence is observ'd in H [...]mer every time Ulysses discovers himself [Page 50] to any of his nearer Friends; so is there a mixture of this Doubtfulness also in each of those Interviews: Thus Telema­chus, on that Occasion;

The Unravelling of the Doubt is what strikes us most, both in Laertes and Pe­nelope: in the latter Case, this is deferr'd for too long a time: However as they are, they afford us some of the most pa­thetick Passages in the whole Poem. In what an affecting Manner does Laertes appear to us just at the point of his being convinc'd, that the Stranger he is con­versing with, is his Son?

[Page 51] As to Penelope: Where a modern would have been overjoy'd, and caught imme­diately at an Occasion for so many rap­tures, the Greek Poet chuses rather to shew her Prudence, than her Passion. I believe every body will agree, that this still Interval is not ill-chosen: the fault of it is, its being carried through too many Lines. The Queen, no doubt, struggled hard all the while; She had difficulty enough in restraining herself; And the moment she is convinc'd, she is all Tender­ness and Passion.

This unravelling of a Doubt is gene­rally follow'd by what is the most con­trary to it of any thing in the World, Precipitation. To doubt of any happy [Page 52] Circumstance, is to fear that it should not prove true. When we are agitated by the Expectation of some Bliss, we long to indulge that Flow of Spirits which it Occasions; only some particular Caution forces us to restrain them in the midst of their Career: The moment our Doubt is clear'd, and the Obstacle remov'd, they rush on with the greater Violence and Impetuosity. Then are our Words quick and vehement; We speak short, and fast; A Thousand things We want to say, and are so eager we don't know which of them to say first. I know nothing in Musick that strikes me equally to those sudd [...]in Pauses, when the Consort stops at [...]nce; and after the still Interval breaks out unexpectedly into a full Tu­mult of Harmony. This Pause, and the Impetuousness that succeeds upon it, [...] the case (to carry on a Scene, which w [...] have touch'd upon twice or thrice alrea­dy) when Telemachus recognizes his Fa­ther: Telemachus wants to know ever [...] thing at once; and Ulysses wants to te [...] him every thing as fast:

[Page 53] Such an Hurry of Spirits, the more violent it is, makes us speak in the more broken and interrupted manner. You always see that a Croud is the longest in getting out of a place, where they are in the greatest Haste, and press most. When the Passions are less disturb'd, they go in Train, and follow one another ea­sily; but if they move all of them for a Passage at the same time, they hinder one another: This sort of Precipitation, [...]s very well express'd in Penelope, upon [...]eceiving Telemachus after his Voyage:

You cannot imagine, Antiphaus, the [...]ll heightning of this Passage, without [...]omparing it with the Original: 'Tis [...]e same case in most that I have men­on'd; They are some of the justest Im­ [...]ovements in the Poem; as well as In­ [...]nces of the best sort of Figures, such [...] shew the Passions of the Mind in a [...]ong and lively manner. There are other, [Page 54] which the Poet makes use of, some­times to raise and diversify his Language; sometimes to give stronger Colours to the things he describes; And sometimes to engage or possess his Readers. I need not enter into a long Enquiry concern­ing the more known Figures of either kind; but shall touch upon one or two, which as yet have not been introduc'd by the Criticks into their Systems.

Poetical Prophecy, is when we acquain [...] the Reader before-hand of some Events which will happen in the Progress of th [...] Poem: Prevention is when we speak o [...] such things, yet to come, as if they we [...] already present. Prevention gives an u [...] common Greatness and Energy to th [...] Language: It places distant Actions fu [...] before our Eyes; and carries a certa [...] Boldness and Assurance with it, that very becoming: The other is of gre [...] Strength in possessing and captivating t [...] Reader; We love to look on into Fut [...] rity: Thus it flatters the Powers a [...] Capacity of our own Minds, at the sa [...] time that it gives an Air of Super [...] Knowledge and Authority to the Poe [...]

From the Invocation of the Muse the entrance to his Poem, the Poet h [...] a Right of Prophecying; and it mig [...] be [...]rtly from this, that the Name [Page 55] Prophet and Poet has in some Languages been us'd in common. But tho' he may, and does, prophecy in Person, things of this Nature are usually introduc'd from others: as from Superior Beings; from Priests and Augurs; from ^a Persons in the other State, or just at the ^b Point of Departing from this. This latter Me­thod perhaps may carry the greater San­ction with it; but the other is the more Poetical.

Some of the strongest Speeches in Ho­mer and Virgil are deliver'd after this manner, by Men of the Prophetick Cha­racter; It is to this Figure (if you will give me leave to call it so) that the Sixth Book of the Aeneid, and the Fourth of the Odyssey owe the greatest share of their Beauty. Even the frightful Raptures of Theoclymenus, and the Harpye of Virgil, engage the Reader with a sort of plea­sing Terrour. There is something hor­ribly delightful in these Lines.

I beg pardon (says Antiphaus) but the Speech of Theoclymenus is a particular Fa­vourite of mine: and now you repeat it in English, I seem to want something of that strong Pleasure it used to afford me, Where the Greek speaks ^b Of the Su [...] being perisht out of Heaven, and of Dark­ness rushing over the Earth; I cannot ex­press the Fulness of the Words—But you know the Original; and I fear will never see a Translation equal it. This whole Prophetical Vision of the Fall of the Suitors is the True Sublime: and, in particular, gives us an higher Orienta­lism, than we meet with in any other part of Homer's Writings. You will par­don me a new Word, where we have no old one to my Purpose: You know what [Page 57] I mean; That Eastern way of expressing R [...]volutions in Government, by a Confusion or Extinction of Light in the Heavens. It is this manner of Thinking which works up that Speech the nearest of any to those noble Passages in holy Scripture; ^a ‘I will shew Wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth, Blood and Fire, and Pillars of Smoak; the Sun shall be turn'd into Dark­ness, and the Moon into Blood.— ^b I will cause the Sun to go down at Noon, and I will darken the Earth in the clear Day.— ^c All the bright Lights of Heaven will I make Dark over thee, and set Dark­ness upon thy Land.’

I have often wondered, Philypsus, at some particular Persons, who are ever ravish'd with any thing of the Sublime in common Authors, and yet seem to have no taste for the finest touches of this kind, those which are so frequent in our sacred Writings. With what Greatness, and Sublimity, do they abound? Such, as might perswade, that weare not only blest with Instructions, but favour'd too with a Language from Heaven. Those sacred Pages want only to be read with [...] common regard, that all Men might acknowledge them to contain the greatest [Page 58] Master-pieces of Eloquence. Yes, Philypsus, it is there, that Eloquence sit [...] beside the Throne of Truth, in all he [...] noblest Attire, and with a Look, tha [...] strikes us at once with Reverence and De­light. I long to expatiate on so gloriou [...] a Subject: but perhaps we may find [...] time of joining together in some View o [...] this Nature: There has been a very goo [...] ^a Example set the World this last Sum­mer; and if ever we should follow i [...] and enter thoroughly into this sort [...] Criticism, I dare say it will make an [...] other kind look poor and insipid, whe [...] compared with it.—But at present [...] are in another Sphere; and I have alrea [...] interrupted you too much.—

Philypsus, desirous as he was to laun [...] immediately into those noble Depths [...] Eloquence, comply'd for the present, a [...] return'd to the point in hand. ‘My l [...] Instance from the Odyssey prevents wh [...] I had design'd for the next; You [...] it speaks all along of future things, [...] if they were actually present.’ Theo [...] ­menus has the whole fact passing successi [...] ­ly before his Eyes: The Destruction [...] the Suitors is pictur'd in his Mind; [...] sees their blood sprinkled upon the Wa [...] [Page 59] their bodies floating in Gore, and their [...]ouls sinking to the Regions of the Dead.

Now I am upon this head of Prophecy [...]nd Prevention, I should be very defective, [...]ere I to omit the other Branch of it; [...]hich takes in all cases where the Poet [...]orewarns us of Events in his own proper [...]erson. This is to be found in the very [...]ame point, the Fate of the Suitors; but [...] is not deliver'd with the same Air of [...]nthusiasm: The Poet is inform'd by the [...]u [...]e of things to come, while the Pro­ [...]et is possess'd by Vision: The know­ [...]dge of one, is from Instruction; of the [...]her, from a sort of Frantick Possession [...] Mind. The Poet therefore antici­ [...]tes Events with less emotions of Lan­ [...]age; and seldom rises into any fervor, [...]ove what we meet with in these Passa­ [...]s:

And before:

[Page 60] You observe, Antiphaus, that this Event which is so often anticipated by the Poet, is the great Point on which the Comple­tion of his Fable turns: and I believe you may have observ'd, that Virgil puts on the Prophetick air, ^a exactly in the same Case. Virgil oftentimes improves upon his Master: the Circumstance that introduces that Passage in the Aeneid, and the greater distance of time, give it a much finer and a nobler Air, than we find in Homer himself.

These Figures (for so I beg leave to call all unusual manners of Speech) are of more difficult Observation, as they lye out of the common road: I am afraid of wandering too far; and shall therefore return very readily to the more beaten Path.

All Passions warm the Imagination, and make its Images more strong and sensible. It is this, in my Opinion, tha [...] might render Metaphors very proper in the Pathetique: Tho' you and I, per­haps, should not agree entirely on tha [...] Head.

At least this is certain, that the [...] strengthen and enliven the narrative Par [...] of Poetry, beyond any other Metho [...] [Page 61] whatever; when the Poet treats of the most common things, he does not treat of them in the common manner:

^a Strip these Lines of the Metaphor, and they lose their greatest Force and Beauty. To say barely (as it is in the Greek) That the Trojans are good Warriors, that they lanch the Spear, and handle the Ar­ro [...] well; that they manage their Horses de [...]trously, and in general, that they are [...]e [...]y Strong and Successful in Battle: This [...]eclares the whole of the thing; but, with Submission, 'tis more like a Prose, [...]han a poetical Narration; at least, when compar'd with the same Sentiments in [...]hose Lines I have just repeated.

There are many Innovations of this [...]nd, which make the English Homer ap­ [...]ear with Advantage: A naked relation [...]f Fact is enough for History; but Poe­ [...]y requires something more than bare [...]ruth: It has a thousand ways of rai­ [...]g and beautifying its Subject: Phoebu [...], [...] the Luminary over which he presides, [Page 62] does not only shew, but sets a Lustre too, on every thing he touches: The Poet is not so much to declare Events, as to give its Colours and Life to every Action: in doing this, nothing is so requisite as strong animated Figures; as of all Figures the Metaphor affords the most sensible Strokes, and comes nearest to the Pen­cil.

Even in common Cases they are not without their Beauty: thus in that En­terview between Ulysses and Laertes:

Thus Agamemnon (after all his dangers, murther'd by the hands of Villains in his own Kingdom) is not said barely to die [...] but to end,

When this Figure expresses some strang [...] Particularity, or includes any magnify­ing Comparison, one single Word is ver [...] powerful in raising the Narration, an [...] enlarging our Ideas up to the Occasion

I know no Case, in which Metaphors of a bold Sound are more proper, than in arrogant Speeches; When Men defy the Gods, or quarrel with the Dispensa­tions of Providence. Philaetius in the Od [...]ssey is no arrogant Character: Yet in one place (upon considering the Afflicti­ons of his Prince, whose Piety and Virtue he was so well assur'd of) he falls into a Rant against Providence; in which the Language is as lively and vigorous, a [...] the Sentiment is ill-grounded and absurd:

These Metaphors (which are of that [...]ind we may call The audacious) come [...]ery near the Spirit of Oldham and Dryden; [...]ho undoubtedly, in their Satirical [...]orks, flash out into the greatest Bold­ [...]esses this way of any of our Writers: [...]deed, in both, there are some which [Page 64] may come too near to Prophaneness: but we must always take care not to at­tribute to the Poet, what he speaks un­der some other Person. A Devil is no longer a Devil, unless he be haughty, impenitent and blaspheming: and Dryden is no more to be condemn'd than Milton, for making such impious Spirits speak ac­cording to their true Character.

What y [...]u assert, I take to be perfect­ly true, says Antiphaus: but were I blest with any Genius for Poetry, I own that a shocking Impiety should be one of the last things I would chuse to describe. And where it is ch [...]sen, there is room to be m [...]derate, with [...]ut i [...]juring the Character with t [...]o grea [...] a shew [...]f Go [...]dness: We see that Milton is not so gross, as Dryden: Nor ^a Virgil so blunt, as Homer.

[Page 65] Well, says Philypsus, there are other Points which you might chuse, and which serve as well for this sort of Metaphor: Thus all pious Fra uds, infamous Priests, or any prevailing Superstition. Here the Figure retains much of the audacious Air, without any thing of Impiety in it. Agamemnon indeed goes too far in the Iliad, where he seems to neglect Apollo, as well as his Priest:

Here is something of Irreverence to the God, and an evident Injustice to Man: [...]nd the Poet very prudently condemns [...]he Speech, before he delivers it in his [...]oem. But there is no such Mark s [...]t [...]n one of Hector's; nor does it at all in­ [...]ringe that Hero's Character, which is [...]emarkably Pious all through the Poem: [...]e is speaking against a very popular [...]uperstition, the Trade of Augury:

[Page 66] This has the audacious Air, because it speaks contemptuously of a Practice, which was vulgarly look'd upon as reli­gious and sacred: and is just, because it shews at the same time the greatest Re­verence to the Gods: He obeys the Dictates of Heaven, but he contemns the Artifices of the Priest.

Whatever restraints this kind of Me­taphor may deserve, there is another sort which has always been receiv'd with the greatest Liberty. The animating Me­taphor, tho' the ^a most Sublime, and the most Daring of any, except what was last mention'd, is very common; and that even in the chastest Poets, and in the foftest Pieces. It is this by which we give Action and Spirit to things that are Still and Insensible. This will raise the meanest Points in the World: it may treat meer Names, as if they were Things and Things still and inanimate, as i [...] they had Thought and Action. Wha [...] migh [...] seem the most surprising is, tha [...] this method of raising things above thei [...] [Page 67] Nature, has nothing of ridiculous in it. We easily perceive this to be true: but I own, for my part, I should have been at a loss for the reason of it, had not I met with a ^a fine Observation in Mr. Pope's Appendix to this Work. I wonder now why I cou'd not before perceive, That Ridicule is confin'd to moral Agents, and obtains only where Choice and Freedom is directly concern'd. That this is the Case is the more plain; because, even among moral Agents, the very same thing, which if brought on by our own Folly, is a cer­tain subject for Ridicule; when it pro­ceeds from some inevitable Misfortune (or Necessity) is the farthest from being Ridiculous.

I am pleased to see that this Figure stands on such good reason; for it is the very Life and Soul of Description. And might it not be of a larger Use, Anti­phaus, than has commonly been observ'd? It is chiefly mention'd indeed of enliven­ing things inanimate; Whereas possibly it may hold thro' the whole Chain of Be­ings in the World, as they rise gradually [...]bove one another. Thus when we at­tribute any thing of absolute Perfection to the highest Orders of created Beings, [Page 68] any thing which we think Angelical to Man, or any thing like Humanity or Virtue to Beasts; it might as well be in­cluded in this Branch of Metaphor, as when we give the Powers of Motion to things, Still; or Passions, to things Ina­nimate.

Nay, it may even return from the Lower to the Higher; when the Species of a lower Rank, upon the whole, has any ^a particular Excellence which the higher wants: Or partakes of any ^b Excellence, which is common to them both, in a greater and more excellent Degree.

But it must be observ'd, that where this Figure, in its higher Notion, is applied to Intelligents, it must not be done with the same Indifference; or rather it requires the strictest Caution.

The Poet is at liberty to attribute Action and Passions to any part whatever of the mute Creation: he may make the Woods, or any such Insensible, Sympa­thize with his Grief, with the same free­dom as any inferiour Animals; we find it thus used particularly in all the Pastorol [Page 69] Writers, whether Ancient or Modern. Every Beast may have the Compassion of Man; but few Men can sustain the Pro­perties of an Angel: Nothing would make a common Mortal so mean and ri­diculous, as such an Elevation: the same holds in the higher Intelligents; The First of the Angelick Order looks mon­s [...]rously ridiculous (as well as monstrously impious,) when he would imagine an E­quality, where there was an immutable Disproportion.

However, in some Cases, the Proper­ty of an Angel may be given to a Man. The Heathen Poets compare their greater Her [...]'s to their Gods; And when the Christian Poet extols any superiour Ge­ [...]ius, any Character that has something [...]n it above the common race of Mortals, [...]e may well draw some Expressions from [...]he Order of Beings next above the Hu­ [...]an. Had not Mr. Addison thought [...]is Justif [...]able, we should have lost one [...]f t [...]e finest Amplifications imaginable.

[Page 70] But whither am I wandring, my An­tiphaus? You will think such Flights as these too Airy; surely, I am got into the Wilds of Criticism!—I don't know what the World might think of You at present, says Antiphaus: but if ever Mr. Dryden's Scheme should take place, and the Poetical Characters of Angels be ge­nerally establish'd; what you may think the wildest of your Flights now, might then be of good Service this way in Poe­try.—Be that as it will, says Philypsus, I believe I had better draw in my thoughts a little for the present; and keep to things, that are more obvious and secure. All agree, that the giving Thought to things insensible, and human Passions to the brute part of the Creation, is equally just and beautiful: and at the same time nothing is of greater Efficacy in rendring our Sentiments Rais'd and Poetical. That The Sufferings of our Fellow-creatures affec [...] our Souls by a natural Sympathy, is a very good moral Sentence: but the Poet is to Elevate this effect of Misery; he invest [...] her with a sort of new Being; and the [...] gives her Address and Action. In Poetry our Tears ^a speak; our Misfortunes ar [...] [Page 71] ^a Eloquent; and Misery appears ^b in Person to plead for the distress'd.

When more uncommon things are transfer'd this way, the Metaphor may be safer, if it has some grounds in the Fact; tho' it will bear very often with­out it. 'Tis allowable to represent the Sea, as flying back, and astonish'd, at the terrible (c) Voice of the Cyclops: but 'tis more close to attribute this Fear and Flight to it, when its Waves are ^d drove asunder by the same Cyclops flinging a Rock into the midst of it.

Another thing, which made this Fi­ [...]ure the stronger among the Ancients, [...]as their Notion of Genii, or presiding [...]eities. In particular, there was scarce [...] River or Brook amongst them, but what [...]ad its Genius; and in speaking of these [...]he Poets carry this Metaphor farther [...]an in any other case whatever. What [...] Appearance does Xanthus and Simois [...]ake in the Battle of Rivers, which [...]kes up the 21 st Iliad? What a bold [...]raught is that of the Nile, in the Sea­ [...]ht at Actium, by (e) Virgil? And how [...]uch more Sublime than either, is our [...]ranslation of the Sacred Writings, [Page 72] where it makes the Deep ^a utter his voice, and lift up his hands on high?

You may perceive I am run into ano­ther Figure: but it is of a kind, so near­ly allied to the animating Metaphor, that one often finds some difficulty in distin­guishing the one from the other. Indeed when any of these Personages are intro­duced distinctly in full State, then it is something beyond Metaphor; but in short Sketches, it may pass very well under that Figure. There is nothing but a stronger Name adapted to the thing, than its strictly proper Accepta­tion affords. I think, for instance, that we need not seek for a new Figure in this Passage:

Or for this:

In the close of this Poem, the Narra­tion is elevated, by a successive Chain of these Metaphors, or Fictions, call them which you will. When the Ithacen [...]ians [Page 73] are rang'd in Arms against their Prince, 'tis not said, that they shall Die, but that ^a Death attends them in the Field:—To express Ulysses's aptness to forgive them: ^b Oblivion is ready to stretch her Wings over their Offences: As when they are shockt with their Crime, and fling down their Arms, there is this Voice from Hea­ven to effect it:

These, Antiphaus, are the most re­markable things, I have taken notice of, as to the Figures. I could have pro­duc'd a greater number of excellent Lines from this Translation, had not I [...]ndeavour'd chiefly to give such Instances [...]s contain'd, at the same time, some pe­culiar Improvements in them: You would be surprized to see how many Beauties [...]hey have, that are wanting in the Ori­ [...]inal.

Surely they who are the most rigid [...]or Close-translating, will allow such beautiful Variations as these; which, without losing the Sentiments of the Ori­ [...]inal, only set a finer Turn upon them. [Page 74] Let them call them, if they please, glo­rious Offences, or beautiful Wandrings from the Letter: these are such Offences as one would wish to see more frequent than they are; and of which the best Translators are the most guilty.

For my part I am particularly pleased, when I see a Translator reflect new Light upon his Original: where-ever this is done justly, it does not alter the Objects; it only makes them more bright and visible.

I believe, Antiphaus, you will not dis­approve of some other Methods, us'd in the English Odyssey for this Purpose, which I am just going to lay before you. Sometimes the Language is rais'd and strengthen'd; sometimes the Order trans­pos'd to Advantage; in several Cases w [...] have Homer's Thoughts inspirited b [...] collateral Thoughts from other Authors some little things are omitted, and som [...] short strokes added, to correct the Senti­ment, or to heighten the Colours in th [...] Original.

Before you enter upon those Point [...] says Antiphaus, give me leave to mentio some few things, which look like Bl [...] ­mishes, under the Subject you have ju [...] concluded.

[Page 75] It is allow'd, that Metaphors are the most useful of Figures to raise the Poeti­cal Stile, to give their Colour to our Descriptions, and a just Swelling and Relief to our Images; 'Tis allow'd, that a Translator may add these Colours, where the Original is less Lively and Ex­pressive, than the Subject may very well bear. The Faults then must lie, either in the Excess, or Impropriety of such Ad­ditions. Some things will not bear a strong Light; and others require to be flung into Shades.

Where there is no Occasion for Fi­gures, they are at best only so many un­necessary Ornaments: I cannot see why a Quiver full of Arrows should be call'd ^a A Store of flying Fates; why a Fire should be term'd ^b A burning Bed: or a Libation, ^c The Sable Wave of offer'd Wine.

'Tis not the Disproportion of the Me­ [...]aphor to the Thing, which might render [...]hese Expressions blameable; If any thing, [...]tis the want of Occasion. When the [...]oet is to aggrandize small Subjects, we [...]an bear with much bolder Metaphors [...]an these: tho' it may not be proper to [Page 76] call a stream of Wine, by the Title of a Sable Wave, on common Occasions; Yet when the Work requires heightening, we may go so much farther, as to call a ^a small River by the Name of the Ocean.

If we judge by the Occasion, there can be but few liberties for Metaphor in com­mon Conversation; I mean, the common Conversation of Poetry. Not that they are to be banish'd thence entirely; ra­ther it will require them frequently: but it requires only such as are single, and not far remov'd from the Subject. When a Person is speaking to Penelope, in Com­mendation of Ithaca, he might be allow'd to say, that Its Soil is rich; that it a­b [...]unds in Corn; and that its Trees ar [...] laden with Fruit: Homer's Expression [...] scarce carry this so far; and yet I shoul [...] think them preferable to these in th [...] Translation:

Where the Original says, that Eur [...] ­mus was among the Suitors of Penelope, do not it seem better, as well as plain [...] than this Translation?

A Metaphor may be continu'd too far, as well as carried too high: a long Chain of them leads us away from the proper Sense; and flings that into Alle­gory, which we intend for Reality strongly express'd. This is very common, especi­ally in our Pindarick Writers: indeed few of our Poets, but what have ^b faln into it some time or other; but in those, you find the most gross and insufferable In­stances of it, that can be imagin'd.

In these strings of Metaphor, nothing in my Opinion is so faulty, as that Point which has been so often touch'd upon: the shifting of Circumstances in the same Description; and representing a Thing confusedly, sometimes in its figurative, [...]nd sometimes in its proper Appearance. While an Actor is upon the Stage, his [...]wn private Character must be wholly [...]aid aside: he must be entirely Booth, or [...]ntirely Cato. Nay, even in the Scenary [...]self, things must be of a piece; and [...]r. Addison has the justest Occasion for [...]s frequent Severities upon this (c) contradictory [Page 78] Mixture's prevailing so mon­strously in our Theatre: How would the Wits of King Charles's time have laugh'd to see Nicolini sailing in an open Boat, upon a Sea of Past board? What a field of Raillery would they have been let into had they been entertain'd with painted Dragons spitting Wildfire, enchanted Chariots drawn by Flanders-Mares, and real Cascades in artificial Landskips? the making things after this manner, partly real, and partly imaginary, is to join Inconsistencies. Shadows ought never to be mixt with Realities in the same Piece, whether in poetick Scenary, or that o [...] the Stage.

A Poet is never more apt to fall int [...] this Confusion, than when he is speakin [...] of Allegorical Persons; as, particularly the Deities of the Heathens. When [...] speak of them personally, we are apt [...] mix something of their mystick Characte [...] this is certainly vicious in Writing; a [...] 'tis more so, to confuse the Properties [...] those things, over which any of th [...] Deities were suppos'd to preside, wi [...] the Personal Acts of any particu [...] Deity.

The Poets are allow'd the privile [...] of elevating every Subject they take i [...] the [...]r management: if they please t [...] [Page 79] may represent the Sun, as guided by an Intelligence: and 'tis but one step far­ther with them, to give that guiding In­telligence, a Name; they call him Phoe­bus; and obviously enough, feign to themselves, that he drives round the World in a Chariot of Fire. By degrees the Allegory is form'd regularly, and enlarg'd with more Particulars: he has so many Horses assign'd to his Chariot: His own Appearance is well known: Beardless and Young, A Glory round his Head, and a Quiver full of Arrows o'er his Shoulder: Thetis is ready to re­ceive him at the End of his Journey; and when he is to set out again, Aurora rises from the Ocean to open the Gates of Heaven, that are kept for him by the Hours.

How very regular can Fiction be upon Occasion? The establishment of this Allegory under these Particulars, has pre­vented a world of Confusion: this we may see by any Allegory, which is not yet settled on some Uniform Plan. To shew how far, I shall beg leave to en­large a little on one of the same Nature, That of Aurora, the Goddess of the Morning.

Phoebus is never represented on this Occasion, but in his Chariot I was speaking [Page 80] of; As for Aurora, I know not whe­ther she rides, sits, or walks: Sometimes she is in Heaven, and sometimes upon Earth: In short, the Poets seem to leave it undetermin'd how, when, or for what time she makes her Appearance. I have laid together several Passages relating to this, but they leave the Point as confus'd as it was before:

There, she is plainly in Heaven.

And here, as plainly upon Earth.

Here I cannot absolutely determine, whether she be in Heaven, or upon Earth; but 'tis plain, she is got into her Chariot now, as she was pleas'd to Walk the time before.

But when it is evident, that she is not upon Earth; 'tis still difficult to know [Page 81] whether she is near it, or in the higher Heavens: whether she

Or, only

There is the same difference in the degrees of that Brightness, which is at­tributed to her appearance: sometimes she only ^c blushes with new-born Day, and sometimes she is encompass'd with ^d the full splendor of it: When I read one Description, I take it for granted, that the Glory round her Head should be of a ^e glimmering Light; but when we come to another, 'tis of a strong ^f Flame: You are at the same loss to know, whether her Robes are ^g Rose-colour'd, ^g Saffron, or ^h Purple: In fine, It would puzzle the Criticks to answer directly, whether she has a Quiver on her Shoulders; and whether she is to appear in a ⁱ martial, or in a gentle, peaceable Posture.

This unsettledness in the present Case, runs through almost all the Poets since [Page 82] Homer. The most correct that ever wrote are not entirely free from it. Virgil him­se [...]f often-times ^a continues her Course so far, that his ^b Commentators, to salve the matter, say, we must under­stand Phoebus by Aurora. In him the very Horses that draw her Chariot are ^c Rose-colour'd; as in Theocritus they are ^d White: sometimes she has the ^e Horses of Phoebus; sometimes ^f Four of her own; sometimes ^g Two; and sometimes she is forc'd to ride only, and that upon ^h the Wings of Pegasus.

It may be left to the Poets themselves to determine, whether this Management be just towards Persons of their own making: I shall only say, that the great­est Criticks have ever thought, that con­sistency is requir'd in the most unbounded Fictions: And, if I mistake not greatly, Homer is more regular in this very Fiction before us. A Person better vers'd in his Writings, than I have the Happiness to be, might, I believe, form from them a [...] settled a Scheme in relation to this Goddes [...] [Page 83] as has been drawn up for any other of his Deities. This is certain, that he has precisely fixt the time of her appear­ance; 'tis that ^a Interval, which com­mences after the first Dawn of Light, and ends just before the actual Rising of the Sun. She always ascends ^b from the Sea, to the Eastern extremity, or (as it is in the Language of Poetry) the ^c Gates of Heaven: there she sits in her ^d Golden Chariot, which has two Horses assign'd to it, distinct ^e from those of Phoebus, and there she waits to ^f prepare the way for the Chariot of that Deity.

The Dress, and the Epithets, which Homer gives to this Imaginary Being are, as they ought to be in all such Allegories, at the same time evidently ^g drawn from the Nature of the Thing, and fairly applicable [...]o the Fictitious Person.

So much for Allegory: 'Tis a danger­ [...]us Topick, and we are apt to be lost [Page 84] in the Clouds of it: Either the natural Description, or the Allegory, by it self, may have a thousand Beauties; but when they are dash'd together, every thing is dark and confus'd. They put me in mind, Philypsus, of the two Li­quors Sir Isaac Newton speaks of, which from a fine Azure, and a beautiful Red, if you mix them, produce no Colour at all; The transparence and glow, which each had separately, is immediately lost; and their Beauties vanish away into one thick impenetrable Shade.

Before these confus'd Allegories and mixt Metaphors, I should have mention'd some other Instances, in which single Me­taphors are faulty, either as they are Improper or Affected.

Is it proper to speak of Penelope's Wi [...] and Beauty (or her Beauty alone) under the Notion of ^a Drooping Verdure? is i [...] proper to talk of ^b Raining Kisses? or of ^c Storing a Vessel with prosperou [...] Gales?

Is not th [...] Metaphor and the Turn [...] Expression somewhat affected, or over [...] wrought, in this Passage of the Nine­teenth Odyssey:

And a little farther, in the same:

Again; upon Telemachus's return:

In the following Lines she hangs o'er him,

You have here (says Antiphaus) what [...]as appear'd to me as Blemishes in this [...]oem, under these several Heads. I have [...]ndeavour'd, Philypsus, to read it with [...]everity: and when my Regards for the [...]uthor, or the Influence which such [...]riters will always have over ones Soul, [Page 86] began at any time to sway my Mind; I have call'd up all the Ill-nature I am Master of to my Assistance; I'm fully sensible how difficult it is to keep the bal­lance steady: sometimes our Admiration may warm us too much; and sometimes a little Malice will prevail. If any thing I have been saying seems discolour'd with this Temper of Mind, point out my Faults to me, dear Philypsus; Correct me like a Friend; and shew that open­ness I have deserv'd at your hands.

When I have time to consider the Notes, I see you have taken down (an­swer'd Philypsus) and to compare some Passages with the Original, You shall know more of my Mind: as yet I see no reason for your Request; but think you have dealt with that Fairness which I so much admire in my Antiphaus.

In the mean time I have a word or two to add on those other Excellencies of this Translation, which I mention'd to you before.

That Method of Improving the Ori­ginal, by Tran [...]ferring Beauties from on [...] fine Writer to another, is carried on thro' this remaining part of the Poem, in the same frequency, as it was us'd i [...] the former Volumes.

[Page 87] These Foreign Infusions of Thought and Language (to use the Name which Mr. Addison has given them) are very discernible to any one of a tolerable Taste: 'tis true, they must have some­thing of a new Air; but they still [...] a distinct Resemblance of the Old, some­thing like that of the Sister N [...]eids in Ovid;

In pointing out these Resemblances to some People, I shou'd be apprehensive, that they might think me taken up in an Imaginary Chase: but any one of much less D [...]scernment, than Antiphaus, will perceive immediately, that this Liken [...]ss is real, and design'd by the Poet himself. There is an ^a eminent Critick, who has wrote a whole Treatise on this single Point, in Praise of a ^b particular Fa­vourite of his: In the present Case, Mr. Pope tells ^c us, ‘That he read the An­cients with this Design; that he serves himself of them as much as he can; and that they have been his chief In­spirers in Poetry.’ I believe the Gentlemen, [Page 88] who are concern'd with him in this Translation, would give me leave to say the same of them: 'Tis too evident to be denied: it appears both in their ^a Observations, and in their excellent Works.

In these last Volumes, how finely are ^bsome Thoughts wove into this Tran­slation from the sacred Pages? from the Iliad, and Aeneid; from Dryden, and Milton among ourselves; and from seve­ral others, both Ancient and Modern?

The Translator is sometimes as Art­sul in adding, of himself, some short Strokes to what Homer has said. We meet with several of these little Insertions, which are very just and improving. I shall mention but one. As Mr. Addison ^c proposes a Correction of Paradise Lost, by cutting off the two last Lines; Mr. Pope improves this Poem, by adding a Line in the Conclusion of it: This In­sertion possibly is better chose, than that [Page 89] Alteration so modestly propos'd by Mr. Addison. The Reader, indeed, would willingly go off with some Hopes and Satisfaction, after the Melancholly Scene in Milton's last Book: but it may be said that, considering the Moral and chief Design of that Poem, Terror is the last Passion to be left upon the Mind of the Reader. On the contrary, the Odyssey ought on all Accounts to terminate hap­pily: and Mr. Pope's Addition, in the close of it, is therefore an Improvement, because it forwards the Moral; it gives us a ^a fuller View and Confirmation of the Happiness of Ulysses, and leaves it up­on a firmer Foundation.

In the beginning of the Evening, Anti­phaus, You were speaking of the Poets transposing Words to Advantage. I believe [Page 90] this may sometimes be of greater Use in altering the Order of Sentences, o [...] the Succession of some Incidents in the Poem; tho' I own, this must be attempted but rarely, and with the greatest Caution: Difficult as it is, You will find a good Instance of the Former in one of the Suitors ridiculing Speeches; and of the Latter in Euryclea's Transports.

Euryclea, You know, discovers Ul [...]ss [...] by a Scar upon his Leg, while she is Bathing him. The Moment she makes this discovery, she drops the Jarr of Wa­ter, and is ready to faint away with Sur­prize and Joy. Tho' these, in the Na­ture of the Case, must follow immedi­ately upon one another, Homer has in­serted a long Story (how the Scar wa [...] occasion'd) just after the Discovery, a [...] before those Passions, which are the i [...] ­mediate Effect of it. Thus is a suddai [...] Event declar'd [...]ourscore Lines before [...] is describ'd—A Succession of time tak [...] up in the Narration, contrary to t [...] time of the Fact—An Impetuous Pa [...] kept in suspence; in a word, Two thin [...] inseparable in their Nature, are [...] in the Description. I know [...] whether I see this in a wrong Light; b [...] [...]t present it puts me in Mind of [...] fli [...]ging his Bason down, travell [...] [Page 91] to Heaven, seeing the Lord knows what there, and returning again before the Water is run out.

If I mistake not, this Impropriety is avoided very Artfully. Euryclea is not made to discover this Scar before that long Digression. ^a It is rather said (in the Prophetick manner of the Poets) that she would soon Discover it, than that she has actually Discover'd it. 'Tis after the Digression, that it is mention'd directly as Fact: so that in the Transla­tion, This Fact is not dis-jointed from those Emotions which it immediately raises in Euryclea; We are not told four­score Lines after the Jarr is flung down, that the Water is running out of it.

If this be really the Case, says Anti­phaus, I think the Alteration is much to be commended. But why may not Homer himself be understood to speak in the Pro­phetick manner too? for I suppose that single Point would salve all: You do not blame the Digression itself?

No, says Philypsus, 'tis not the Di­gression which I blame, but the Point in which it is introduc'd; just between a Fact, and what in Nature must be im­mediately consequent upon that Fact. [Page 92] If, as you ask, Homer speaks at first, only in the Prophetick manner, then it is all clear'd up: But I fear his Expressions confine it directly to a thing then done, and cannot be taken in the Prophetical way.

Philypsus was so engag'd to this Mo­ment, that he had not once observ'd how the Day wore away: He was sur­priz'd to find the Night was just coming on. ‘Why did you suffer me (says he to Antiphaus) to keep you here so long: I did not imagine the Night had been so near us: You know I am an Eter­nal Talker—However I see the Coach is at the Door; and we may reach our Lodgings, I believe, before it is quite dark.’

An ESSAY &c.
EVENING the FIFTH.

BEFORE they parted the last Evening the two Friends agreed, that their next meeting shou'd be in the same place; and as this was to be the last which they intended to set apart for this Enquiry, they set out for Horatio's earlier than usual. When they alighted, Philypsus order'd his Servant before them to the Dome of Apollo, with a Book or two he had brought in the Coach; whilst He and Antiphaus walk'd on gently to enjoy the Freshness of the Air, and the Beau­t [...]es of the Place. The Sun (which now began to be in its decline) as it shot thro' the Trees, made a thousand wavering [Page 94] Mixtures of Light and Shade: The Birds, on all sides were answering one another in their little natural Airs: every thing look'd Fresh about 'em; and every thing was Agreeable.

Delighted with so many calm undi­sturb'd Pleasures, they wander'd on from one Walk to another; and chatted, as they went, of a Thousand indifferent Things. Among the rest Philypsus fell into an Account of the Company he had to Dine with him. You know Morfori [...], says he?— Perfectly well, answer'd A [...] ­tiphaus.—He was there too; and made it his Business, as usual, to contra­dict every thing that was offer'd aga [...]nst any of our celebrated Poets.— I am very glad, says Antiphaus, that I was not of the Company; his way of arguing is t [...] General to be Answer'd, and too Positive [...] be B [...]rn with.—Yes, says Philypsus, it was his old way. If one Person blamed some particular Littleness in Milton, he wou'd immediately ask him how he cou'd blaspheme such a Sublime Poet? and when another mention'd a gross Line from Ad­dison's Works; How absurd is that, say [...] he, to charge such a thing on the chaste [...] and most correct Compositions in th [...] World?— Right! and I suppose t [...] very next thing he must ask was, How Yo [...] [Page 95] cou'd dislike such Glorious Men, as Addison and Milton—You have him exactly. It was in vain to tell him that you dis­liked only this Line, or that Thought: He would have h [...]s way: and, I doubt not, but in his Opinion we are all a Set of Hereticks, or at least Free-thinkers in Poetry. What an egregious Fault is it, Antiphaus, with some Men, only to have ones Eyes open?— But there are times (says Antiphaus, assuming as he spoke, the imperious air and manner of Morforio) there are times sure, when they had better [...]e shut—And therefore I should wink always— Not so neither: Your Betters [...]ay direct you what to look upon, and what [...]ot—That's a good Thought, truly: [...]tis great Pity the Legislator has not con­sider'd of it. I should be in Love with [...]n Act of Parliament about the Use of Eyes.—Why where would be the great [...]arm of the Matter, if you were order'd to [...]ink hard, or to turn away from every disa­ [...]eeable Object, that offer'd it self?—How [...]ay I behave, if the Object be agreeable?— Look as long as you please—And How, if there be a Mixture of disagree­ [...]ble in it?— You suppose then, that [...]here may be something disagreeable, in that [...]hich is beautiful?—Really, Sir, that [...]s my Notion. Nay, I am apt to think [Page 96] farther, that there is nothing so Beauti­ful, as to be without Defect; without some Mixture of the Disagreeable. By your Rule then, we must lose the sight of a Thousand fine Objects. How can I look on that Lady, you were admiring so much the other Day in the Ring, without seeing that her Hair is of a dis­agreeable Colour? Or must I swear that her Eyebrows are Black, because she has a fi [...] Shape?—That's over-straining the mat­ter: but I think you might pass by such a Trifle, if it were only in Complaisance. Where there are such exact Features, [...] charming a Complexion, and a Make so de­licate, 'tis barbarous not to let such a sma [...] Affair, as the Colour of an Eyebrow, esca [...] your Observation.—Depend upon it, I [...] would not be so blind as to think the Lady was Disagreeable on that Accou [...]— B [...]t I cannot allow any thing disagr [...] ­able abou [...] her—Where are your Eye [...] then?— I would not believe them—That's one way— Or what would [...] say to the new I [...]vention—What Inven­tion I beseech you— Only of a [...]ett [...] Glasses, which shall make each favouri [...] Object appear exactly the same to every E [...]—And exactly beautiful?— T [...] too—An hopeful project, truly! L [...] but Morforio be the Designer, and so [...] [Page 97] things would appear all Glaring and Beau­tiful; while all the rest, I suppose, only upon turning the Tube, might be no­thing but Deformity.

In the midst of this roving sort of Talk, they were got to the Dome, before they thought of it: ‘Well, says Philypsus (as he enter'd) till I meet with the Perspectives you were talking of, I shall not be asham'd to confess, that I find my Eyes at present to be of a diffe­rent Turn. I cannot help perceiving some little Blemishes in our most de­lightful Poets; and yet I am far from an Insensible to their Beauty: I view them with delight; I admire them pas­sionately: Nay, I believe, I have all of Morforio's Love, except the Blindness of it. 'Tis there that you have open'd my Eyes, Antiphaus: You have taught me to Love not only with Passion, but with Reason—Rather say (reply'd [...]ntiphaus) that your own Mind asserted [...]s true Prerogative; and rose up to guide [...]our Passions to none, but proper Ob­ [...]cts.’—However that be, says Philypsus, [...]am sensible of an Alteration for the bet­ [...]r; and can now indulge a Passion for [...]y Writer with the greater Appetite, [...] I am perswaded it gives the Mind a [...]fficient Pleasure, without making so [Page 98] great a Fool of it. Do I not love thi [...] Writer, added he, (taking up one of th [...] Pieces that lay before him) I read hi [...] with the same Eagerness, and find ne [...] Charms in him continually. Nay, [...] think my Love of him more secure, tha [...] ever: Since I can suffer my self to se [...] his Faults; and by that means, am sa­tisfied that they can never be sufficien [...] in the least to cloud his Perfections.

I am entirely of your Opinion, (say [...] Antiphaus) and doubt not, but in ou [...] finishing this Enquiry, we shall have th [...] greater Security in admiring Him. [...] only speak of our selves. There may b [...] many other Beauties, and other Fault [...] visible to Men of better Eyes: but w [...] may safely fix our own Sentiments o [...] what we have been able to discover ou [...] selves. I hope, we have endeavour' [...] sincerely to hold the Ballance steddy and when we have done what we can we have done what we ought.