once; and if he has failed in fome of his flights, it was but because he attempted every thing. A work of this kind seems like a mighty Tree which rifes from the most vigorous feed, is improved with induftry, flourishes, and produces the fineft fruit; nature and art confpire to raise it; pleasure and profit join to make it valuable: and they who find the jufteft faults, have only faid that a few branches (which run luxuriant thro' a richness of nature) might be lopped into form to give it a more regular appearance.

Having now spoken of the beauties and defects of the original, it remains to treat of the translation, with the fame view to the chief characteristic. As far as that is seen in the main parts of the Poem, such as the fable, manners, and fentiments, no tranflator can prejudice it but by wilful omiffions or contractions. As it alfo breaks out in every particular image, defcription, and fimile; whoever leffens or too much foftens thofe, takes off from this chief character. It is the first grand duty of an interpreter to give his author entire and unmaim'd; and for the reft, the diction and verfification only are his proper province; fince these must be his own, but the others he is to take as he finds them.

It should then be confidered what methods may afford fome equivalent in our language for the graces of these in the Greek. It is certain no literal translation can be just to an excellent original in a fuperior

language but it is a great mistake to imagine (as many have done) that a rash paraphrase can make amends for this general defect; which is no less in danger to lose the spirit of an ancient, by deviating into the modern manners of expreffion. If there be fometimes a darkness, there is often a light in antiquity, which nothing better preferves than a verfion almoft literal. I know no liberties one ought to take but those which are neceffary for transfufing the fpirit of the original, and fupporting the poetical style of the tranflation: and I will venture to fay there have not been more men misled in former times by a fervile dull adherence to the letter, than have been deluded in ours by a chimerical infolent hope of raising and improving their author. It is not to be doubted that the fire of the poem is what a tranflator should principally regard, as it is moft likely to expire in his managing: However it is his safest way to be content with preferving this to his utmoft in the whole, without endeavouring to be more than he finds his author is in any particular place. 'Tis a great fecret in writing to know when to be plain, and when poetical and figurative and it is what Homer will teach us, if we will but follow modesty in his footsteps. Where his diction is bold and lofty, let us raise ours as high as we can ; but where his is plain and humble, we ought not to be deterred from imitating him by the fear of incurring the cenfure of a mere English Critic. No

thing that belongs to Homer feems to have been more commonly mistaken than the juft pitch of his ftyle: Some of his tranflators having fwelled into fuftian in a proud confidence of the fublime; others funk into flatnefs in a cold and timorous notion of fimplicity. Methinks I fee thefe different followers of Homer, fome fweating and straining after him by violent leaps and bounds (the certain figns of false mettle) others flowly and fervilely creeping in his train, while the Poet himself is all the time proceeding with an unaffected and equal majefty before them. However, of the two extremes one could fooner pardon frenzy than frigidity: No author is to be envied for fuch commendations as he may gain by that character of style, which his friends must agree together to call fimplicity, and the rest of the world will call dulness. There is a graceful and dignified fimplicity, as well as a bald and fordid one, which differ as much from each other as the air of a plain man from that of a floven: 'Tis one thing to be tricked up, and another not to be dreffed at all. Simplicity is the mean between oftentation and rufticity.

This pure and noble fimplicity is no where in fuch perfection as in the Scripture and our Author. One may affirm, with all refpe to the inspired writ ings, that the divine Spirit made use of no other words but what were intelligible and common to men at that time, and in that part of the world; and

as Homer is the author nearest to thofe, his ftyle muft of course bear a greater refemblance to the facred books than that of any other writer. This confideration (together with what has been obferved of the parity of fome of his thoughts) may methinks induce a tranflator on the one hand, to give into feveral of thofe general phrafes and manners of expreffion which have attained a veneration even in our language from being used in the old Teftament; as on the other, to avoid thofe which have been appropriated to the Divinity, and in a manner configned to mystery and religion.

For a further prefervation of this air of fimplicity, a particular care fhould be taken to exprefs with all plainnefs those moral fentences and proverbial speeches which are so numerous in this poet. They have something venerable, and as I may fay oracular, in that unadorned gravity and fhortnefs with which they are delivered: a grace which would be utterly loft by endeavouring to give them what we call a more ingenious (that is, a more modern) turn in the paraphrafe.

Perhaps the mixture of fome Grecifms and old words after the manner of Milton, if done without too much affectation, might not have an ill effect in a verfion of this particular work, which most of any other feems to require a venerable antique caft. But certainly the ufe of modern terms of war and govern

ment, fuch as platoon, campagne, junto, or the like (into which fome of his tranflators have fallen) cannot be allowable; thofe only excepted, without which it is impoffible to treat the subjects in any living language..

There are two peculiarities in Homer's diction which are a fort of marks or mcles, by which every common eye diftinguishes him at first fight: Thofe who are not his greatest admirers look upon them as defects; and those who are, feem pleafed with them as beauties. I fpeak of his compound epithets, and of his repetitions. Many of the former cannot be done literally into English without deftroying the purity of our language. I believe fuch fhould be retained as flide eafily of themfelves into an English compound, without violence to the ear or to the received rules of compofition; as well as thofe which have received a fanction from the authority of our best Poets, and are become familiar thro' their use of them; fuch as the cloud-compelling Jove, etc. A's for the reft, whenever any can be as fully and fignificantly expreft in a fingle word as in a compounded one, the courfe to be taken is obvious.

Some that cannot be fo turned as to preferve their full image by one or two words, may have juftice done them by circumlocution; as the epithet hodiÇex to a mountain, would appear le culous tranflated literally leaf feaking, but flords a

or ridi