To MR. DRYDEN,

MRO

ON HIS

EXCELLENT TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL.

HENE'ER great Virgil's lofty verse I see,

WE

The pompous scene charms my admiring eye:
There different beauties in perfection meet;
The thoughts as proper, as the numbers sweet :
And when wild Fancy mounts a daring height,
Judgment steps in, and moderates her flight.
Wifely he manages his wealthy store,
Still fays enough, and yet implies still more:
For though the weighty sense be closely wrought,
The reader's left t'improve the pleasing thought.
Hence we defpair to see an English dress
Should e'er his nervous energy express;
For who could that in fetter'd rhyme inclose,
Which without lofs can scarce be told in profe!

But you, great Sir, his manly genius raise;
And make your copy fhare an equal praise.
Oh how I fee thee in foft fcenes of love,
Renew thofe paffions he alone could move!
Here Cupid's charms are with new art expreft,
And pale Eliza leaves her peaceful rest:

Leaves her Elyfium, as if glad to live,
To love, and wifh, to figh, defpair, and grieve,
And die again for him that would again deceive.
Nor does the mighty Trojan lefs appear

Than Mars himfelf amidft the ftorms of war.
Now his fierce eyes with double fury glow,
And a new dread attends th' impending blow:
The Daunian chiefs their eager rage abate,
And, though unwounded, feem to feel their fate.
Long the rude fury of an ignorant age,

With barbarous fpite, prophan'd his facred page.
The heavy Dutchmen, with laborious toil,
Wrefted his fenfe, and cramp'd his vigorous ftyle;
No time, no pains, the drudging pedants fpare;
But ftill his fhoulders muft the burden bear.
While through the mazes of their comments led,
We learn not what he writes, but what they read.
Yet, through these shades of undistinguish'd night
Appear'd fome glimmering intervals of light;
Till mangled by a vile tranflating fect,
Like babes by witches in effigy rackt;
Till Ogleby, mature in dulnefs, rofe,
And Holborn doggrel, and low chiming profe,
His ftrength and beauty did at once depofe.
But now the magic fpell is at an end,

Since ev'n the dead in you hath found a friend;
You free the Bard from rude oppreffors' power,
And his verfe with charms unknown before:
grace
He, doubly thus oblig'd, must doubting stand,
Which chiefly should his gratitude command;

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