to have filenced his enemies. Milbourne, indeed, a clergyman, attacked it; but his outrages feem to be the ebullitions of a mind agitated by stronger resentment than bad poetry can excite, and previously refolved not to be pleased. His criticism extends only to the Preface, Paftorals, and Georgicks; and, as he profeffes, to give his antagonist an opportunity of reprifal, he has added his own version of the first and fourth Paftorals; and the firft Georgick. The world has forgotten his book; but fince his attempt has given him a place in literary history, I will preserve a specimen of his criticism, by inferting his remarks on the invocation before the first Georgick, and of his poetry, by annexing his own verfion. Ver. I. "What makes a plenteous harvest, when to "turn, The fruitful foil, and when to fow the corn-It's "unlucky, they fay, to fumble at the threshold, but what "has a plenteous harvest to do here? Virgil would not સુંદ pretend to prescribe rules for that which depends not "on the husbandman's care, but the difpofition of Heaven *altogether. Indeed, the plenteous crop depends fome"what on the good method of tillage, and where the "land's ill manur'd, the corn, without a miracle, can " be but indifferent; but the barveft may be good, which is its propereft epithet, tho' the husbandman's Skill were never fo indifferent. The next fentence is ર too literal, and when to plough had been Virgil's "meaning, and intelligible to every body; and when "to for the corn, is a needlefs addition." Ver. 3. “The care of sheep; of oxen; and of kine, And when to geld the lambs, and fheer the fwine, would as "well have fallen under the cura boum, qui cultus babendo fit pecori, as Mr. D's deduction of particulars.” Ver. 5. "The birth and genius of the frugal bee, I fing, "Mæcenas, and 1fing to thee.-But where did experi"entia ever fignify birth and genius? or what ground 66 was there for fuch a figure in this place? How much "more manly is Mr. Ogylby's verfion! "What makes rich grounds, in what celeftial figns, "I fing, Macenas. "Which four lines, tho' faulty enough, are yet much "more to the purpose than Mr. D's fix." Ver. 22. From fields and mountains to my fong repair. "For patrium linquens nemus, faltufque Lycai-Very "well explained!" Ver. 23, 24. "Inventor Pallas, of the fattening oil, "Thou founder of the plough, and ploughman's toil! "Written as if thefe had been Pallas's invention. The ploughman's toil's impertinent." Ver. 25. "The Shroud-like cypress-Why Shroud"like? Is a cypress pulled up by the roots, which the "fculpture in the laft Eclogue fills Silvanus's hand with, "fo very like a fhroud? Or did not Mr. D. think of "that kind of cypress us'd often for Scarves and hat"bands at funerals formerly, or for widow's vails, &c. "if so, 'twas a deep good thought." 1 Ver. 26. "That wear the royal honours, and increase "the year-What's meant by increafing the year? Did "the gods or goddesses add more months, or days, or "bours to it? Or how can arva tueri-fignify to wear "rural honours? Is this to tranflate, or abuse an au"thor? The next couplet is borrow'd from Ogylby, I fuppofe, becaufe lefs to the purpofe than ordinary. Ver. 33. "The patron of the world, and Rome's peculiar guard-Idle, and none of Virgil's, no more "than the sense of the precedent couplet; so again, he "interpolates Virgil with that and the round circle of the year to guide powerful of bleffings, which thou firew'ft "around. A ridiculous Latinism, and an impertinent "addition; indeed the whole period is but one piece of abfurdity and nonfenfe, as thofe who lay it with "the original must find." Ver. 42, 43. "And Neptune fhall refign the fafces of "the fea. Was he conful or dictator there? And watry virgins for thy bed fhall firive. Both abfurd interpo "lations." Ver. 47, 48. "Where in the void of heaven a place is free. Ah happy D-n, were that place for thee! "But where is that void? Or what does our tranflator mean by it? He knows what Ovid fays God did, to prevent fuch a void in heaven; perhaps, this was "then forgotten: but Virgil talks more fenfibly." 86 66 Ver. 49. "The fcorpion ready to receive thy laws. No, "he would not then have gotten out of his way so fast." "Ver. 56. "The Proferpine affects her filent feat"What made her then fo angry with Ascalaphus, for preventing her return? She was now mus'd to Pa"tience under the determinations of Fate, rather than "fond of her refidence." Ver. 61, 2, 3. "Pity the poet's, and the ploughman's "cares, Intereft thy greatness in our mean affairs. And "ufe thyself betimes to bear our prayers. Which is fuch a wretched perverfion of Virgil's noble thought as Vicars "would have blufh'd at; but Mr. Ogylby makes us "fome amends, by his better lines: "O wherefoe'er thou art, from thence incline, VOL. II. " Pity 66 Pity with me, poor husbandmen's affairs, And now, as if tranflated, hear our prayers. "This is fenfe, and to the purpose: the other, poof "mistaken fluff." Such were the ftrictures of Milbourne, who found few abettors; and of whom it may be reasonably ima gined, that many who favoured his defign were ashamed of his infolence. When admiration had fubfided, the tranflation was more coolly examined, and found like all others, to be fometimes erroneous, and fometimes licentious. Thofe who could find faults, thought they could avoid them; and Dr. Brady attempted in blank verse a tranflation of the Eneid, which, when dragged into the world, did not live long enough to cry. I have never feen it; but that fuch a verfion there is, or has been, perhaps fome old catalogue informed me. With not much better fuccefs, Trapp, when his Tragedy and his Prelections had given him reputation, attempted another blank verfion of the Eneid; to which, notwithstanding the flight regard with which it was treated, he had afterwards perfeverance enough to add the Eclogues and Georgicks. His book may continue its existence as long as it is the clandeftine. refuge of fchoolboys. Since the English ear has been accustomed to the mellifluence of Pope's numbers, and the diction of poetry has become more fplendid, new attempts have been made to tranflate Virgil; and all his works have been attempted by men better qualified to contend with Dryden. I will not engage myfelf in an invidious comparifon by oppofing one paffage to another; a work work of which there would be no end, and which might be often offenfive without use. It is not by comparing line with line that the me it of great works is to be estimated, but by their general effects and ultimate refult. It is eafy to note a weak line, and write one more vigorous in its place; to find a happiness of expreffion in the original, and tranf plant it by force into the version: but what is given to the parts, may be fubducted from the whole; and the reader may be weary, though the critick may com mend. Works of imagination excel by their allurement and delight; by their power of attracting and detaining the attention. That book is good in vain, which the reader throws away. He only is the mater, who keeps the mind in pleating captivity; whofe pages are perused with eagernefs, and in hope of new pleafure are perufed again; and whofe conclufion is perceived with an eye of forrow, fuch as the traveller cafts upon departing day. By his proportion of this predomination I will confent that Dryden fhould be tried; of this, which, in opposition to reafon, makes Ariofto the darling and the pride of Italy; of this, which, in defiance of criticism, continues Shakspeare the fovereign of the drama. His laft work was his Fables, in which he gave us the first example of a mode of writing which the Italians call refaccimento, a renovation of ancient writers, by modernizing their language. Thus the old poem of Boiardo has been new-dreffed by Domenichi and Berni. The works of Chaucer, upon which this kind of rejuvenescence has been beftowed by Dryden, require little criticifm. The tale of the Cock feems hardly worth revival; and the ftory of Palamon and Arcite, |