of nature, to whom their original rectitude was in the place of rules, this delicacy of felection was little known to our authors; our speech lay before them in a heap of confusion, and every man took for every purpose what chance might offer him. There was therefore before the time of Dryden no poetical diction, no fyftem of words at once refined from the groffness of domestick ufe, and free from the harshness of terms appropriated to particular arts. Words too familiar, or too remote, defeat the purpose of a poet. From those founds which we hear on fmall or on coarfe occafions, we do not eafily receive strong impreffions, or delightful images, and words to which we are nearly ftrangers, whenever they occur, draw that attention on themselves which they should convey to things. Those happy combinations of words which distinguish poetry from profe, had been rarely attempted; we had few elegancies or flowers of fpeech, the roses had not yet been plucked from the bramble, or different colours had not been joined to enliven one another. It may be doubted whether Waller and Denham could have over-born the prejudices which had long prevailed, and which even then were sheltered by the protection of Cowley. The new verfification, as it was called, may be confidered as owing its establishment to Dryden; from whofe time it is apparent that English poetry has had no tendency to relapse to its former favagenefs. The affluence and comprehenfion of our language is very illuftriously displayed in our poetical tranflations of Ancient Writers; a work work which the French feem to relinquish in despair, and which we were long unable to perform with dexterity. Ben Jonson thought it neceffary to copy Horace almoft word by word; Feltham, his contemporary and adverfary, confiders it as indifpenfably requifite in a tranflation to give line for line. It is faid that Sandys, whom Dryden calls the best verfifier of the laft age, has struggled hard to comprise every book of his English Metamorphofes in the fame number of verses with the original. Holyday had nothing in view but to fhew that he understood his author, with fo little regard to the grandeur of his diction, or the volubility of his numbers, that his metres can hardly be called verses; they cannot be read without reluctance, nor will the labour always be rewarded by understanding them. Cowley faw that fuch copyers were a fervile race; he afferted his liberty, and spread his wings fo boldly that he left his authors. It was referved for Dryden to fix the limits of poetical liberty, and give us juft rules and examples of tranflation. When languages are formed upon different principles, it is impoffible that the fame modes of expreffion fhould always be elegant in both. While they run on together, the closest tranflation may be confidered as the best; but when they divaricate, each must take its natural course. Where correfpondence cannot be obtained, it is neceffary to be content with fomething equivalent. Tranflation therefore, fays Dryden, is not fo loofe as paraphrafe, nor fo clofe as metaphrafe. All polished languages have different styles; the concife, the diffuse, the lofty, and the humble. In the proper choice of ftyle confifts the resemblance which Dryden principally exacts from the translator. He is to exhibit his author's thoughts in fuch a dress of diction as the author would have given them, had his language been English: rugged magnificence is not to be softened: hyperbolical oftentation is not to be repreffed, nor fententious affectation to have its points blunted. A tranflator is to be like his author; it is not his business to excel him. The reasonableness of these rules feem fufficient for their vindication; and the effects produced by observing them were so happy, that I know not whether they were ever oppofed but by Sir Edward Sherburne, a man whose learning was greater than his powers of poetry; and who, being better qualified to give the meaning than the fpirit of Seneca, has introduced his version of three tragedies by a defence of clofe tranflation. The authority of Horace, which the new tranflators cited in defence of their practice, he has, by a judicious explanation, taken fairly from them; but reason wants not Horace to fupport it. It feldom happens that all the neceffary caufes concur to any great effect: will is wanting to power, or power to will, or both are impeded by external obftructions. The exigencies in which Dryden was condemned to pafs his life, are reafonably fuppofed to have blafted his genius, to have driven out his works in a state of immaturity, and to have intercepted the full-blown elegance which longer growth would have fupplied. Poverty, like other rigid powers, is fometimes too hastily accufed. If the excellence of Dryden's works was leffened by his indigence, their number was increased; and I know not how it will be proved, that if he had written less he would have written better; or that indeed he would have undergone the toil of an author, if he had not been folicited by fomething more preffing than the love of praise. But as is faid by his Sebastian, What had been, is unknown; what is, ap pears. We know that Dryden's feveral productions were so many fucceffive expedients for his fupport; his plays were therefore often borrowed, and his poems were almost all occafional. In an occafional performance no height of excellence can be expected from any mind, however fertile in itself, and however stored with acquifitions. He whofe work is general and arbitrary, has the choice of his matter, and takes that which his inclination and his studies have beft qualified him to display and decorate. He is at liberty to delay his publication, till he has fatisfied his friends and himfelf; till he has reformed his first thoughts by fubfequent examination; and polished away those faults which the precipitance of ardent compofition is likely to leave behind it. Virgil is related to have poured out a great number of lines in the morning, and to have passed the day in reducing them to fewer. The occafional poet is circumfcribed by the narrowness of his fubject. Whatever can hap pen pen to man has happened so often, that little remains for fancy or invention. We have been all born; we have moft of us been married; and fo many have died before us, that our deaths can fupply but few materials for a poet. In the fate of princes the publick has an intereft; and what happens to them of good or evil, the poets have always confidered as bufinefs for the Mufe. But after fo many inauguratory gratulations, nuptial hymns, and funeral dirges, he must be highly favoured by nature, or by fortune, who fays any thing not faid before. Even war and conqueft, however fplendid, fuggeft no new images; the triumphal chariot of a victorious monarch can be decked only with thofe ornaments that have graced his predeceffors. Not only matter but time is wanting. The poem must not be delayed till the occafion is forgotten. The lucky moments of animated imagination cannot be attended; elegancies and illuftrations cannot be multiplied by gradual accumulation; the compofition must be dispatched while converfation is yet bufy, and admiration fresh; and hafte is to be made, left fome other event fhould lay hold upon mankind. Occafional compofitions may however secure to a writer the praise both of learning and facility; for they cannot be the effect of long study, and must be furnished immediately from the treasures of the mind. The death of Cromwel was the first publick event which called forth Dryden's poetical powers. His heroick ftanzas have beauties and defects; the thoughts are vigorous, and though |