and perhaps there may be many fatirical paffages little understood.

As it was by its nature a work of defiance, a compofition which would naturally be examined with the utmost acrimony of criticifm, it was probably laboured with uncommon attention; and there are, indeed, few negligences in the fubordinate parts. The original impropriety, and the subsequent unpopularity of the subject, added to the ridiculousness of its first elements, has funk it into neglect; but it may be usefully studied, as an example of poetical ratiocination, in which the argument fuffers little from the metre.

In the poem on the Birth of the Prince of Wales, nothing is very remarkable but the exorbitant adulation, and the infenfibility of the precipice on which the king was then standing, which the laureate apparently shared with the rest of the courtiers. A few months cured him of controverfy, difmiffed him from court, and made him again a playwright and translator.

Of

Of Juvenal there had been a translation by Stapylton, and another by Holiday; neither of them is very poetical. Stapylton is more fmooth, and Holiday's is more esteemed for the learning of his notes. A new verfion was propofed to the poets of that time, and undertaken by them in conjunction. The main defign was conducted by Dryden, whose reputation was such that no man was unwilling to ferve the Muses under him.

The general character of this translation will be given, when it is faid to preserve the wit, but to want the dignity of the original. The peculiarity of Juvenal is a mixture of gaiety and stateliness, of pointed sentences and declamatory grandeur. His points have not been neglected; but his grandeur none of the band feemed to confider as neceffary to be imitated, except Creech, who undertook the thirteenth fatire. It is therefore perhaps poffible to give a better representation of that great fatirift, even in those parts which Dryden himself has translated, fome paffages excepted, which will never be excelled.

With Juvenal was published Perfius, tranflated wholly by Dryden.

This work, though like all the other productions of Dryden it may have fhining parts, feems to have been written merely for wages, in an uniform mediocrity, without any eager endeavour after excellence, or laborious effort of the mind.

There wanders an opinion among the readers of poetry, that one of these fatires is an exercise of the fchool. Dryden fays that he once tranflated it at fchool; but not that he preferved or publifhed the juvenile performance.

Not long afterwards he undertook perhaps the most arduous work of its kind, a translation of Virgil, for which he had shewn 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 comparifon of Homer and Virgil, the difcriminative excellence of Homer is elevation

the

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 thofe of Virgil difficult to be retained. The massy 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 beft adorn tranflator muft, 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 should 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 interest

ed in the event. One gave him the different editions of his author, and another helped him in the fubordinate parts. The arguments of the several books were given him by Addison.

M 3

The

The hopes of the publick were not dif appointed. He produced, fays Pope, the moft noble and spirited 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 feem to be the ebullitions of a mind agitated by ftronger refentment than bad poetry can excite, and previously resolved not to be pleased.

His criticism extends only to the Preface, Paftorals, and Georgicks; and, as he profeffes, to give this antagonist an opportunity of reprifal, he has added his own verfion of the first and fourth Paftorals, and the first Georgick. The world has forgotten his book; but fince his attempt has given him a place in literary history, I will preserve 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. I.