In his writings," fays Fenton, "we view the image of a mind which was naturally "ferious and folid: richly furnished and adorned with all the ornaments of learning,

unaffectedly difpofed in the most regular ❝and elegant order. His imagination might "have probably been more fruitful and

66

fprightly, if his judgement had been lefs "fevere. But that severity (delivered in a "masculine, clear, fuccinct ftyle) contributed "to make him fo eminent in the didactical "manner, that no man, with justice, can "affirm he was ever equalled by any of our "nation, without confeffing at the fame "time that he is inferior to none. In fome "othe kinds of writing his genius feems to "have nted fire to attain the point of perfection; but who can attain it?”

From this account of the riches of his mind, who would not imagine that they had been displayed in large volumes and numerous performances? Who would not, after the perufal of this character, be surprised to find that all the proofs of this genius, and knowledge and judgement, are not fufficient to

VOL. I.

Y

form

form a fingle book, or to appear otherwise than in conjunction with the works of fome other writer of the fame pretty fize*? But thus it is that characters are written:

know fomewhat, and we imagine the rest. The obfervation, that his imagination would probably have been more fruitful and sprightly, if his judgement had been lefs fevere, may be answered, by a remarker fomewhat inclined to cavil, by a contrary fuppofition, that his judgement would probably have been lefs fevere, if his imagination had been more fruitful. It is ridiculous to oppofe judgement to imagination; for it does not appear that men have neceffarily less of one as they have more of the other.

* They were published together with thofe of Duke, in an octavo volume, in 1717. The editor, whoever he was, profeffes to have taken great care to procure and infert all of his lordship's poems that are truly genuine. The truth of this affertion is flatly denied by the author of an account of Mr. John Pomfret, prefixed to his Remains; who afferts, that the Profpect of Death was written by that perfon many years after lord Rofcommon's decease; as alfo, that the paraphrase of the Prayer of Jeremy was written by a gentleman of the name of Southcourt, living in the year 1724. H.

We

We must allow of Rofcommon, what Fenton has not mentioned fo diftinctly as he ought, and what is yet very much to his honour, that he is perhaps the only correct writer in verse before Addison; and that, if there are not fo many or fo great beauties in his compofitions as in those of fome contemporaries, there are at least fewer faults. Nor is this his higheft praise; for Mr. Pope has celebrated him as the only moral writer of King Charles's reign:

Unhappy Dryden! in all Charles's days,
Rofcommon only boafts unfpotted lays.

His great work is his Effay on Tranflated Verfe; of which Dryden writes thus in the preface to his Mifcellanies:

"It was my Lord Rofcommon's Effay on "Tranflated Verfe," fays Dryden, "which "made me uneafy, till I tried whether or no "I was capable of the following his rules, and "of reducing the fpeculation into practice. “For many a fair precept in poetry is like a "feeming demonftration in mathematicks,

66

"the mechanick operation. I think I have generally obferved his inftructions: I am "fure my reason is fufficiently convinced both "of their truth and usefulness; which, in "other words, is to confefs no less a vanity than to pretend that I have, at least in some places, made examples to his rules.'

6.6

22

This declaration of Dryden will, I am afraid, be found little more than one of those curfory civilities which one author pays to another; for when the fum of lord Rofcommon's precepts is collected, it will not be eafy to discover how they can qualify their reader for a better performance of tranflation than might have been attained by his own reflections.

He that can abstract his mind from the elegance of the poetry, and confine it to the fenfe of the precepts, will find no other direction than that the author fhould be fuitable to the translator's genius; that he should be fuch as may deferve a tranflation; that he who intends to translate him should endeavour to understand him; that perfpicuity should be ftudied, and unusual and uncouth names

fpa

fparingly inferted; and that the style of the original should be copied in its elevation and depreffion. These are the rules that are celebrated as fo definite and important; and for the delivery of which to mankind fo much honour has been paid. Rofcommon has indeed deferved his praifes, had they been given with difcernment, and beftowed not on the rules themselves, but the art with which they are introduced, and the decorations with which they are adorned.

The Effay, though generally excellent, is not without its faults. The ftory of the Quack, borrowed from Boileau, was not worth the importation: he has confounded the British and Saxon mythology:

I

grant

that from fome moffy idol oak, In double rhymes, our Thor and Woden spoke.

The oak, as I think Gildon has obferved, belonged to the British druids, and Thor and Woden were Saxon deities. Of the double rhymes, which he fo liberally fuppofes, he certainly had no knowledge.