ders of poetry, that one of these satires is an exercife of the school. Dryden fays that he once tranflated it at fchool; but not that he preferved or published the juvenile performance.

Not long afterwards he undertook, perhaps the most arduous work of its kind, a tranflation of Virgil, for which he had fhewn how well he was qualified by his verfion of the Pollio, and two epifodes, one of Nifus and Euryalus, the other of Mezentius and Laufus.

In the comparison of Homer and Virgil, the difcriminative excellence of Homer is elevation and comprehenfion of thought, and that of Virgil is grace and fplendor of diction. The beauties of Homer are therefore difficult to be loft, and those of Virgil difficult to be retained. The maffy trunk of fentiment is fafe by its folidity, but the bloffoms of elocution easily drop away. The author, having the choice of his own images, felects thofe which he can best adorn: the translator must, at all hazards, follow his original, and exprefs thoughts which perhaps he would not have chofen. When to this primary difficulty is added the inconvenience of a language fo much inferior in harmony to the Latin, it cannot be expected that they who read the Georgick and the Eneid fhould be much delighted with any verfion.

All these obftacles Dryden faw, and all these he determined to encounter. The expectation of his work was undoubtedly great; the nation confidered its honour as interested in the event. One gave him the different editions of his author, and another helped him in the fubordinate parts. The arguments of the feveral books were given him by Addison.

The hopes of the publick were not disappointed. He produced, fays Pope, the most noble and fpirited tranflation that I know in any language. It certainly excelled whatever had appeared in English, and appears to have fatisfied his friends, and, for the most part, to have filenced his enemies. Milbourne, indeed, a clergyman, attacked it; but his outrages seem to be the ebullitions of a mind agitated by stronger refentment than bad poetry can excite, and previously refolved not to be pleased.

His criticism extends only to the Preface, Pastorals, and Georgicks; and, as he profeffes, to give this 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 preferve a fpecimen of his criticism, by inferting his remarks on the invocation before the first Georgick, and of his poetry, by annexing his own verfion.

Ver. 1. "What makes a plenteous harvest, "when to turn, The fruitful foil, and when to fow the corn-It's unlucky, they fay, to stumble at the threshold, but what has a plenteous harveft to do here? Virgil would not pretend "to prefcribe rules for that which depends not "on the husbandman's care, but the difpofition

of Heaven altogether. Indeed, the plenteous crop depends fomewhat 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 harvest may be good, which is its "propereft epithet, tho' the husbandman's skill

(( were

were never fo indifferent. The next fentence "is too literal, and when to plough had been Virgil's meaning, and intelligible to every body; and when to fow the corn, is a needlefs addition.

Ver. 3. "The care of sheep, of oxen, and of kine, And when to geld the lambs, and sheer the fwine, would as well have fallen under the cura boum, qui cultus habendo fit pecori, as "Mr. D's deduction of particulars.

Ver. 5. "The birth and genius of the frugal bee, I fing, Mecænas, And I fing to thee. - But "where did experientia ever fignify birth and genius? or what ground 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,

'Tis good to plough, and marry elms with

vines.

"What beft fits cattle, what with fheep agrees, "And feveral arts improving frugal bees, "I fing, Mecanas.

"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 Song repair. For patrium linquens nemus, faltufque Lycai-Very well explain'd! Ver. 23, 24. "Inventor Pallas, of the fatning oil, Thou founder of the plough, and ploughman's toil! Written as if these had "been Pallas's invention. The ploughman's tail's impertinent.

Ver. 25.

"The Shroud-like cyprefs-Why Jhroud-like? Is a cypress pull'd up by the roots, which the fculpture in the laft Eclogue

" fills

"fills Sylvanus's hand with fo very like a fbroud? Or did not Mr. D. think of that "kind of cypress us'd often for fcarves and hat"bands at funerals formerly, or for widow's "vail's &c. if fo, 'twas a deep good thought.

Ver. 26. "That wear the royal honours, "and increase the year-What's meant by in"creafing the year? Did the gods or goddeffes "add more months, or days, or hours to it? "Or how can arva tueri-fignify to wear ru"ral bonours? Is this to tranflate, or abuse an author? The next couplet are borrow'd "from Ogylby, I fuppofe, because less 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 fenfe of the pre"cedent couplet; fo again, he interpolates Virgil "with that and the round circle of the year to

guide powerful of bleffings, which thou strewst "around. A ridiculous Latinism, and an im

pertinent addition; indeed the whole period "is but one piece of abfurdity and nonfenfe, as "those 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 ftrive. Both abfurd interpolations.

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.

Ver. 49.

"The Scorpion ready to receive thy "laws. No, he would not then have gotten "out of his way fo faft.

Ver. 55. "The Proferpine affects her filent Seat-What made her then fo angry with Afcalaphus, for preventing her return? She "was now mus'd to Patience under the deter"minations of Fate, rather than fond of her refidence. Ver. 61, 2, 3. Pity the poets, and the ploughmans cares, Intereft thy greatness in our mean affairs. And ufe thyfelf betimes to hear our prayers. Which is fuch a wretched perverfion of Virgil's noble thought at 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, "And grant affiftance to my bold defign!

Pity with me, poor husbandmens affairs, "And now, as if tranflated, hear our prayers. "This is fenfe, and to the purpose: the other, poor mistaken fluff."

Such were the ftrictures of Milbourne, who found few abettors; and, of whom it may be reasonably imagined, that many who favoured his defign were afhamed of his infolence.

When admiration had fubfided, the translation was more coolly examined, and found, like all others, to be fometimes erroneous, and fometimes licentious. Those who could find faults, thought they could avoid them; and Dr. Brady attempted in blank verse a translation of the Eneid, which, when dragged into the world, did not live long enough to cry. I have never feen it; but that such a verfion there is, or has been, perhaps fome old catalogue informed me.

With