Altered thus, Tu Pfychephone! Hypocrifis efto; hoc fub Francifci pallio, Interpolation in Quintianus. Effay, page 117. Mic. Cur huc procaci veneris curfu refer? Interpolation in Beza. Effay, page 119. Stygemque teftor, & profunda Tartari, Poffem parenti condolere & filio, Quafi exuiffem omnem malitiam ex pettore. Interpolation in Fletcher. Effay, page 124. Nec tamen æternos obliti (abfifte timere) *For facile, the word volupe was fubftituted in the Effay. VOL. VIII. C Nec Nec fas; non fic deficimus, nec talia tecum Ne dubita, numquam fractis hæc pectora, numquam Interpolations in Taubman, Effay, page 132. Tune, ait, imperio regere omnia folus; et una Ut Ut nequeam relevare caput, colloque fuperbum Effay, page 152. Throni dominationes, principatus, virtutes, poteftates, is faid to be a line borrowed by MILTON from the title-page of HEYWOOD's Hierarchy of Angels. But there are more words in Heywood's title; and, according to his own arrangement of his fubjects, they fhould be read thus.-Seraphim, cherubim, throni, potef tates, angeli, archangeli, principatus, dominationes. These are my interpolations, minutely traced without any arts of evafion. Whether from the paffages that yet remain, any reader will be convinced of my general affertion, and allow, that Milton had recourse for affiftance to any of the authors whofe names I have mentioned, I shall not now be very diligent to enquire, for I had no particular pleasure in fubverting the reputation of Milton, which I had myself once endeavoured to exalt*; and of which, the foundation had always remained untouched by me, had not my credit and • Virorum maximus-JOANNES MILTONUS-Poeta celeberrimus-non Angliæ modo, foli natalis, verum generis humani ornamentum-cujus eximius liber, Anglicanis verfibus confcriptus, vulgo PARADISUS AMISSUS, immortalis illud ingenii monumentum, cum ipfa ferè æternitate perennaturum eft opus!-Hujus memoriam Anglorum primus, poft tantum, proh dolor! ab tanti exceffu poetæ intervallum, ftatua eleganti in locò celeberrimo, cœnobio Westmonafterienfi, pofit, regum, principum, antifti and my intereft been blafted, or thought to be blafted, by the fhade which it caft from its boundless elevation. About ten years ago, I published an edition of Dr. Johnston's tranflation of the Pfalms, and having procured from the general affembly of the church of Scotland, a recommendation of its ufe to the lower claffes of grammar-fchools, into which I had begun to introduce it, though not without much controverfy and oppofition; I thought it likely that I fhould, by annual publications, improve my little fortune, and be enabled to support myself in freedom from the miseries of indigence. But Mr. Pope, in his malevolence to Mr. Benfon, who had diftinguished himself by his fondness for the fame verfion, destroyed all my hopes by a diftich, in which he places Johnston in a contemptuous comparison with the author of Paradife Loft+ From et bul tum, illuftriumque Angliæ virorum cæmeterio, vir ornatiffimus, Gulielmus Benfon profecutus eft, Poetarum Scotorum Mufe Sacra in præfatione, Edinb. 1739. A character, as high and honourable as ever was bestowed upon him by the most fanguine of his admirers! and as this was my cool and fincere opinion of that wonderful man formerly, fo I declare it to be the fame ftill, and ever will be, notwithstanding all apthe fame fill, and: pearances to the contrary, occafioned merely by paffion and re fentment; which appear, however, by the Poftfcript to the Effay, to be fo far from extending to the posterity of Milton, that I recommend his only remaining defcendant, in the warmest terms, to the public, " Ont wo unequal crutches prop'd he came, MILTON'S on this, on that oue JOHNSTON's name, Benfon.] This man endeavoured to raise himself to fame, by ffecting monuments, ftriking coins, and procuring tranflations of From this time, all my praifes of Johnston became ridiculous, and I was cenfured with great freedom, for forcing upon the fchools, an author whom Mr. Pope had mentioned only as a foil to a better poet. On this occafion, it was natural not to be pleased, and my refentment feeking to discharge itself some where, was unhappily directed against Milton. I refolved to attack his fame, and found fome paffages in cursory reading, which gave me hopes of ftigmatifing him as a plagiary. The farther I carried my fearch, the more eager I grew for the difcovery, and the more my hypothefis was oppofed, the more I was heated with rage. The confequence of my blind paffion, I need not relate; it has, by your detection, become apparent to mankind. Nor do I mention this provocation as adequate to the fury which I have shown, but as a caufe of anger, lefs fhameful and reproachful than fractious malice, perfonal envy, or national jealousy. Milton; and afterwards by a great paffion for Arthur Johnston, a Scots phyfician's verfion of the pfalms, of which he printed many fine editions. Notes on the Dunciad. No fewer than fix different editions of that useful and valuable book, two in quarto, two in octavo, and two in a leffer form, now lie like lumber in the hand of Mr. Vaillant, bookfeller, the effects of Mr. Pope's ill-natured criticifin. One of these editions in quarto, illustrated with an interpretation and notes, after the manner of the claffic authors in ufum Delphini, was by the worthy editor, anno 1741, infcribed to his Royal Highness Prince George, as a proper book for his instruction in principles of piety, as well as knowledge of the Latin tongue, when he should arrive at due maturity of age. To reftore this book to credit was the caufe that induced me to engage in this difagreeable controverfy, rather than any defign to depreciate the juft reputation of Milton. |