they appear sometimes in the dim mirror which I hold before you. The subject is not unsuitable to your youth, which allows you yet to love, and is proper to your present scene of life. Rural recreations abroad, and books at home, are the innocent pleasures of a man who is early wise; and gives fortune no more hold of him than of necessity he must. It is good, on some occasions, to think beforehand as little as we can; to enjoy as much of the present as will not endanger our futurity; and to provide ourselves of the virtuoso's saddle, which will be sure to amble, when the world is upon the hardest trot. the hardest trot. What I humbly offer to your Lordship is of this nature. pleasant, and am sure it is innocent. May you ever continue your esteem for Virgil, and not lessen it for the faults of his translator; who is, with all manner of respect and sense of gratitude, My LORD, Your Lordship's most humble, I wish it and most obedient servant, JOHN DRYDEN. DEDICATION OF THE GEORGICKS OF VIRGIL.* TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE PHILIP, EARL OF CHESTERFIELD, &c.9 MY LORD, I CANNOT begin my address to your Lordship better than in the words of Virgil: quod optanti divum promittere nemo Auderet, volvenda dies, en, attulit ultro. Seven years together I have concealed the longing 9 Philip Stanhope, second Earl of Chesterfield, who was born in the year 1634, and consequently at this time was sixty-three years old. His mother, who became a widow soon after his birth, having been Governess to Mary, daughter of Charles the First, who married William, the second Prince of Orange, and having attended the Princess to Holland, with her son, then a youth, he became acquainted with King William the Third, when a boy. His services in promoting the Restoration, during his residence in Holland, were considered of such value, that he filled several offices during the reign of Charles the Second, but in that of William he had no employment. -He died at his house in London, on Jan. 28th, 1713. which I had to appear before you; a time as tedious as Æneas passed in his wandering voyage, before he reached the promised Italy: but I considered, that nothing which my meanness could produce was worthy of your patronage. At last this happy occasion offered of presenting to you the best poem of the best poet. of the best poet. If I baulked this opportunity, I was in despair of finding such another; and if I took it, I was still uncertain whether would vouchsafe to accept it from my you hands. It was a bold venture which I made, in desiring your permission to lay my unworthy labours at your feet. But my rashness has succeeded beyond my hopes; and you have been pleased not to suffer an old man to go discontented out of the world, for want of that protection, of which he had been so long ambitious. I have known a gentleman in disgrace, and not daring to appear before King Charles the Second, though he much desired it. At length he took the confidence to attend a fair lady to the court, and told his Majesty, that under her protection he had presumed to wait on him. With the same humble confidence I present myself before your Lordship, and attending on Virgil, hope a gracious reception. The gentleman succeeded, because the powerful lady was his friend; but I have too much injured my great author, to expect he should intercede for me. I would have translated him, but according to the literal French and Italian phrases, I fear I have traduced him. It is the : |