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'Tis courtly, florid, and abounds in words Of fofter found than ours perhaps affords ; But who did ever in French authors fee

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The comprehenfive English energy
The weighty bullion of one fterling line,
Drawn to French wire, would thro' whole
I fpeak my private but impartial sense,
With freedom, and I hope without offence;
For I'll recant when France can fhew me wit
As ftrong as ours, and as fuccinctly writ.
'Tis true, compofing is a nobler part;

But good tranflation is no eafy art.

For though materials have long fince been found,
Yet both your fancy and your hands are bound;
And by improving what was writ before,
Invention labours lefs, but judgment more.
The foil intended for Pierian feeds

Must be well purg'd from rank pidantic weeds
Apollo ftarts, and all Parnaffus fhakes,
At the rude rumbling Baralipton makes.
For none have been with admiration read,
But who (befides their learning) were well bred.
The first great work (a task perform'd by few)
Is, that yourself may to yourself be true :
No mafk, no tricks, no favour, no referve;
Diffects your mind, examine ev'ry nerve.
Whoever vainly on his ftrength depends,
Begins like Virgil, but like Mævius ends,

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That wretch in fpite of his forgotten rhymes).4 ¡li^7ƒ Condemn'd to live to all fucceeding times, cute With pompous nonfenfe and a bellowing found, Sung lofty Ilium tumbling to the ground. 590092 And (if my Mufe can through paft ages fee at bua That noify, naufeous, gaping fool was he;

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The mountains labour'd and a mouse was born.

Learn, learn, Crotona's brawny wreftler cries,
Audacious mortals, and be timely wife!
'Tis I that call, remember Milo's end,
Wedg'd in that timber which he ftrove to rend.
Each poet with a diff'rent talent writes ;
One praifes, one inftructs, another bites.
Horace did ne'er afpire to Epic bays,
Nor lofty Maro floop to Lyric lays.
Examine how your humour is inclin'd,
And which the ruling paffion of your mind;
Then, feek a poet who your way does bend,
And choose an author as you choose a friend;
United by this fympathetic bond,

You grow familiar, intimate, and fond ;

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Your thoughts, your words, your ftyles, your fouls agree,

No longer his interpreter, but he.

With how much ease is a young Mufe betray'd!

How nice the reputation of the maid!

Your early kind, paternal care appears,

By chafte inflruction of her tender years.

The

The first impreffion in her infant breaft
Will be the deepefl, and should be the belt.
Let not aufterity breed fervile fear,

No wanton found offend her virgin ear.
Secure from foolish pride's affected state,
And fpecious flattery's more pernicious bait,
Habitual innocence adorns her thoughts;
But your neglect muft answer for her faults.
Immodeft words admit of no defence;

For want of decency is want of fense.

What mod'rate fop would rake the Park or stews, Who among troops of faultless nymphs may choose ? Variety of fuch is to be found;

Take then a subject proper to expound :

But moral, great, and worth a poet's voice,
For men of fenfe despise a trivial choice:
And fuch applause it must expect to meet,
As would fome painter busy in a street,
To copy bulls and bears, and ev'ry fign
That calls the ftaring fots to nafty wine.

Yet 'tis not all to have a fubject good,
It must delight us when 'tis understood.
He that brings fulfome objects to my view
(As many old have done, and many new)
With nauseous images my fancy fills,
And all goes down like oxymel of fquills.
Inftruct the liftning world how Maro fings
Of ufeful objects and of lofty things.

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Thefe will fuch true, fuch bright ideas raife,
As merit gratitude as well as praise :
But foul defcriptions are offenfive ftill,
Either for being like, or being ill.

For who, without a qualm, hath ever look'd
On holy garbag, though by Homer cook'd!
Whose railing heroes, and whofe wounded Gods,
Make fome fufpect he fnores as well as nods.
But I offend-Virgil begins to frown,

And Horace looks with indignation down ;
My blushing Mufe with confcious fear retires,
And whom they like implicitly admires

On fure foundations let your fabric rife,
And with attractive majefty surprise,
Not by affected meretricious arts,

But ftrict harmonious fymmetry of parts;
Which through the whole infenfibly must pass,
With vital heat to animate the mafs:

A pure, an active, an aufpicious flame,

And bright as heaven, from whence the bleffing came But few, oh few fouls, pre-ordain'd by fate,

The race of Gods, have reach'd that envied height. No rebel Tritan's facrilegious crime,

By heaping hills on hills, can hither climb :

The grizly ferryman of hell denied

Eneas entrance, till he knew his guide:
How juftly then will impious mortals fall,.

Whofe pride would foar to heaven without a call!

Pride

Pride (of all others the moft dang`rous fault)
Proceeds from want of fenfe or want of thought.
The men who labour and digeft things moft,
Will be much apter to defpond than boast :
For if your author be profoundly good,
'Twill cost you dear before he's understood.
How many ages fince has Virgil writ!
How few are they who understand him yet!
Approach his altars with religious fear,
No vulgar deity inhabits there:

Heaven fhakes not more at Jove's imperial nod,
Than poets fhould before their Mantuan god.
Hail, mighty Maro! may that facred name
Kindle my breaft with thy celestial flame ;
Sublime ideas and apt words infufe:

The Muse inftruct my voice, and thou infpire the Mufe!
What I have inftanc'd only in the best,
Is, in proportion, true of all the reft.

Take pains the genuine meaning to explore,
There fweat, there ftrain, tug the laborious oar
Search ev'ry comment that your care can find,
Some here, fome there, may hit the poet's mind;
Yet be not blindly guided by the throng;
The multitude is always in the wrong.

When things appear unnatural or hard,
Confult your author, with himself compar'd;
Who knows what bleffing Phæbus may beflow,
And future ages to your labour owe?

Such

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