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PREFACE.

HAVING fome time ago heard, that the Translation of

HOMER'S ILIAD would be attempted, I refolved to confer with the gentleman who undertook it. I found him of a tall presence, and thoughtful countenance, with his hands folded, his eyes fix'd, and his beard untrimm'd. This I took to be a good omen, because he thus resembled the Conftantinopolitan ftatue of Homer which Cedrenus describes; and furely nothing cou'd have been liker, had he but arriv'd at the character of age and blindness. As my bufinefs was to be my introduction, I told him how much I was acquainted with the fecret hiftory of Homer; that no one better knows his own horfe, than I do the camel of Bactria, in which his foul refided at the time of the Trojan wars; that my acquaintance continued with him, as he appear'd in the perfon of the Grecian poet; that I knew him in his next tranfmigration into a peacock; was pleas'd with his return to manhood, under the name of Ennius at Rome; and more pleas'd to hear he wou'd foon revive under another name, with all his full luftre, in England This particular knowledge, added I, which sprung from the love I bear him, has made me fond of a converfation with you, in order to the fuccefs of your tranflation.

The civil manner in which he received my proposal encouraging me to proceed, I told him, there were arts of fuccefs, as well as merits to obtain it; and that he, who now dealt in Greek, fhould not only fatisfy himself with being a good Grecian, but also contrive to haften into the repute of it. He might therefore write in the title-page, TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL GREEK, and select a motto for his purpose out of the fame language. He might obtain a copy of verfes written in it to prefix to the work; and not call the titles of each book, the first, and second, but ILIAD ALPHA, and BETA. He might retain some names which the world is least acquainted with, as his old translator Chapman uses E

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phaiftus instead of Vulcan, Baratrum for Hell; and if the notes were filled with Greek verfes, it wou'd more increase the wonder of many readers. Thus I went on; when he told me fmiling, I had fhewn him indeed a fet of arts very different from merit, for which reason, he thought, he ought not to depend upon them. A success, says he, founded on the ig, norance of others, may bring a temporary advantage, but neither a confcious fatisfaction, nor future fame to the author. Men of fense despise the affectation which they easily see through, and even they who were dazzled with it at first, are no fooner inform'd of its being an affectation, but they imagine it alfo a veil to cover imperfection.

The next point I ventur'd to speak on, was the fort of poetry he intended to use; how fome may fancy, a poet of the greatest fire would be imitated better in the freedom of blank verfe, and the description of war sounds more pompous out of rhime. But, will the tranflation, faid he, be thus remov'd enough from profe, without greater inconveniences? what tranfpofitions is Milton forc'd to, as an equivalent for want of rhime, in the poetry of a language which depends upon a natural order of words? And even this would not have done his business, had he not given the fullest scope to his genius, by chufing a fubject upon which there could be no hyperboles. We fee (however he be deservedly successful) that the ridicule of his manner fucceeds better than the imitation of it; because transpositions, which are unnatural to a language, are to be fairly derided, if they ruin it by being frequently introduced; and because hyperboles, which outrage every leffer fubject where they are seriously us'd, are often beautiful in ridicule. Let the French, whofe language is not copious, tranflate in profe; but ours, which exceeds it in copiousness of words, may have a more frequent likeness of founds, to make the unifon or rhime eafier; a grace of mufic, that atones for the harshness our confonants and monofyllables occafion.

After this, demanded what air he would appear with? whether antiquated, like Chapman's Version, or modern, like

La Motte's Contraction. To which he answer'd, by defiring me to observe what a painter does who would always have his pieces in fashion. He neither chufes to draw beauty in a ruff, or a French head; but with its neck uncover'd, and in its natural ornament of hair curl'd up, or spread becomingly: so may a writer chufe a natural manner of expreffing himself which will always be in fashion, without affecting to borrow an odd folemnity and unintelligible pomp from the past times, or humouring the prefent by falling into its affectations, and those phrases which are born to die with it.

I ask'd him, lastly, whether he would be strictly literal, or expatiate with further licences? I would not be literal, replies he, or ty'd up to line for line in fuch a manner wherein it is impoffible to exprefs in one language what has been deliver'd in another. Neither wou'd I to expatiate, as to alter my Author's sentiments, or add others of my own. These errors are to be avoided on either hand, by adhering not only to the word, but the spirit and genius of an author; by confidering what he means, with what beautiful manner he has exprefs'd his meaning in his own tongue, and how he wou'd have exprefs'd himself, had it been in ours. Thus we ought to feek for Homer in a version of Homer: other attempts are but transformation of him; such as Ovid tells us,' where the name is retain❜d, and the thing alter'd: this will be really what you mention'd in the compliment you began with, a transmigration of the Poet from one country into another.

Here ended the serious part of our conference. All I remember further was, that having ask'd him, what he design'd with all those editions and comments I obferv'd in his room? he made answer, that if any one, who had a mind to find fault with his performance, would but stay 'till it was entirely finish'd, he shou'd have a very cheap bargain of them.

Since this discourse, I have often refolv'd to try what it was to tranflate in the spirit of a writer, and at last, chose THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS AND MICE, which is afcrib'd to Homer; and bears a nearer refemblance to his Aliad, than

the Culex does to the Aeneid of Virgil. Statius and others think it a work of youth, written as a prelude to his greater poems. Chapman thinks it the work of his age, after he found men ungrateful; to shew he cou'd give strength, lineage and fame as he pleas'd, and praise a Mouse as well as a Man. Thus, fays he, the Poet profeffedly flung up the world, and apply'd himself at last to hymns. Now, tho' this reason of his may be nothing more than a scheme form'd out of the order in which Homer's works are printed, yet does the con jecture that this poem was written after the fliad, appear proc bable, because of its frequent allufions to that poem; and particularly that there is not a Frog or a Mouse kill'd, which has not its parallel instance there, in the death of fome warrior or other.

The poem itself is of the epic kind; the time of its action the duration of two days; the subject (however its nature frivolous, or ridiculous) rais'd, by having the most shining words and deeds of Gods and Heroes accommodated to it: and while other poems often compare the illuftrious exploits of great men to those of brutes, this always heightens the subje&t by comparisons drawn from things above it. We have a great character given it with respect to the fable in Gaddius de Script. non Eccles. It appears, says he, nearer perfection than the iliad, or Odyffes, and excels both in judgment, wit, and exquifite texture, fince it is a poem perfect in its own kind Nor does Crufius fpeak lefs to its honour, wirh respect to the moral, when he cries out in an apostrophe to the reader; "Whoever you are, mind not the names of thefe little ani"mals, but look into the things they mean; call them men, "call them kings, or counsellors, or human polity itself, you "have here doctrines of every fort." And indeed, when I hear the Frog talk concerning the Moufe's family, I learn equality fhou'd be observ'd in making friendships; when I hear the Moufe anfwer the Frog, I remember, that a fimilitude of manners fhou'd be regarded in them; when I fee their councils affembling, I think of the bustles of human prudence;