is the fame with the fon of Mars; fo that the fentence, when duly filled up, would run thus,

Troia quem peperit Sacerdos

Mibi fcilicet nepotem, eundem filium Marti. This furely is rather a violent ellipfe; and, I fufpect, not juftified by any other inftance of a fimilar conftruction. Nor is this all, There is still another objection, not lefs important than the above, to the punctuation propofed by Mr. Wakefield. If admitted, it leaves no object, either expreffed or understood, for the verb redonabe, in its applicative fenfe, to act upon.

Now we can scarce bring ourfelves to think that fo nice and accurate a writer, fo confummate a master of language, as Horace is univerfally allowed to be, would at any time deforn his compofition by fo material a defect. In the only instance where this word océurs again, the sentence is complete in all its parts:

Quis te redonavit Quiritem

Diis patriis? &c. L. II. 0.7. Horace, it is well known, valued himself as having been the first who tranfplanted the Lyric form of Poetry into Italy, from Greece its native clime, where it flourished with so much luxuriancy and beauty. Princeps Æolium carmen ad Italos

Deduxiffe modos. L.III. O. 30. Add to this the fondnefs which he every where difcovers for transfufing, into these compofitions efpecially, the phrafes and idioms of the Greek poets, wherever they fuited his purpofe; and there will, I think, remain little doubt but that he meant in this paffage to render the Greek expreffion, as he found it in Homer,

Αχιλης μεθέμεν χόλου

Iras
Marti redonabo.

as I am very unwilling to lose my Roman auxiliary.

To make you fome amends for the fatigue you must have endured in this tedious investigation, I will carry you to one of the finest icenes in the whole Iliad, whether of Homer or Pope; I mean the interview between Hector and Andromache in the fixth book; where we fee the characters of husband and father, wife and mother, reprefented in a variety of affectingcircumftances and patheticfpeeches, naturally arifing from the incidents, as they happen, imagined and worked up with equal delicacy of fentiment as manner. The prayer, particularly, offered up by Hector for his fon, I could never read, even when a boy at fchool, where Homer does not always appear the most engaging, without the tendereft emotions of tympathy.

Now that I am a father, with congenial affections, I feel the impreffion, as I doubt not you do, with proportionably stronger effect. How happens it then, that a man with fo much poetical fenfibility as Pope must be allowed to have poffeffed, in tranflating the three concluding lines of this affecting prayer, fhould appear in no degree to have felt ftance, which conftitutes the great beauty the force of that happily-chofen circum of the paffage, and on which the pathos of it principally depends. Hector, anticipating the glory which he fondly hopes his boy may one day gain, clofes his petition with this affectionate with:

Και πότε τις ειποι, ΠΑΤΡΟΣ Δ' ΟΓΕ
ΠΟΛΛΟΝ ΑΜΕΙΝΩΝ ;
Εκ πολεμά ακίοντα· Φεροι δ'αναρα βροτε
orla2

Κτείνας δηιόν ανδρα : χαρεί
uning.

II. VI. L. 479.

Euftathius obferves on the word TIE εφη 8 ΤΙΝΕΣ είπωσιν, αλλά ΤΙΣ, ΕΙΣ δηλαδη. This mode of expreffion, tho tors, either English or French, is by no generally little attended to by the transameans accidental or immaterial. It appears to have been chofen with great diftinctly the image which he meant to art by the poet, in order to mark ate the lines in terms correfpondent to reprefent. I will, with your leave, tranthe Greek text.

"And hereafter may fome one hail him on his return from battle, bearing the bloody fpoils of an enemy whom he haslain, faying He far fur paffes his father: and may his mother rejoice in her mind."Who is this fomeone? Very clearly fome hoary veteran, who had often feen the courage of Hector

in the field; who had fought and been led to conqueft under his command. Pope, in the fine phrenfy of his enthufiafm, was not contented with this limited triumph, nor with this parfimonious praile. His victorious hero must bear the spoils of more enemies than one; and whole hofts muit hail his conquest :

So when, triumphant from fuccessful toils,
Of beroes flain he bears the reeking (poils,
Whole bufts may hail him with deferved ac-
claim,

And lay, this chief transcends his father's fame;
While, pleas'd amidit the general fhouts of
Troy,

His mother's conscious heart o'erflows with joy. By this extravagant exaggeration, which, I doubt not, is by many confidered as a fublime improvement of Pope upon his author, the original thought is, you fee, entirely loft; and all the pleafing aflociations, excited by the appearance of the old foldier, are diffipated, and vanish amidft the fhouts of the noify multitude, which the tranflator fubítitutes in his place. The hoary veteran speaks from his own knowledge and recollection. The applauding hofts could only speak from report. So far indeed Pope very well renders the words of the applaufive fenence confiftently with his own ideas.

"This chief tranfcends his father's fame." But does Homer say any thing like this?

παῖρος δ' είχε πολλον αμείνον. "He far furpaffes his fath r' in the martial exploits, not which Fame reports of him, but which the old foldier had hinfelf feen the father perform.

I could almoft fancy that Vandyke might catch the hint of his famous Belitarius from this defcription. The foldier of the painter is the fame with that of the poet. It is this ftriking figure, which by its contemplative attitude, and fericus caft of countenance, gives the piece its moral effect. We enter at once into all his feelings; and go along with him in the train of melancholy reflections, which must naturally rife in his mind on beholding his general, whom before he had feen fo often at the head of victorious armies with all the

"Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war,"

now reduced to fo humiliating a fituation, as to be relieved only by the cafual charity of women and children. Would the effect have been equally powerful, had the painter crowded his canvafs with a whole regiment or a fympathizing army?

I do not know how far your fentiments will coincide with mine in thefe obfervations; though fomething I feem to re

collect of the fame fort, as having occafionally dropped in difcourte from you. But Pope,-while you allow, nay even court me to correfpond with you on thefe fubjects, you will not be impatient, whatever I may chance to fay-but Pope has other faults to answer for. By this unfortunate defertion of the text he not only defaces the fine imagery of Homer, fo happily fancied to awaken fentiment and affect the feelings; he has alfo entangled his compofition with inexplicable difficulties. Where, or what are the hofts, who are to hail the triumphant hero on his return? Are they the hotts which he had led to battle? Or are they a corps of referve ready to be drawn: out, when occafion fhould call for them, on this extraordinary fervice? Are they fuppofed all, as if drilled to this with once, with one voice, into the fame accla other military exerciles, to break out, at mation? We find no fuch perplexities in the genuine work of Homer. The hoary veteran, now palt fervice, remained in the city, waiting the event. On feeing

the young hero's triumphant entry, he is he had often attended in fimilar fituations. of courte reminded of the father, whom The applaufe, therefore, which he utters in the warm emotions of his joy, is not only fubline and animated, but from a speaker of this defcription equally natural and proper.

Pope's matter, whom in many lines he has copied very clofely, might have taught him better:

Some aged man, who lives this act to fee,
And who in former times remember'd me.

DRYDEN.

In the last couplet he fucceeds better, and rifes above all competition. The abrupt and unexpected tranfition of Hector from the object, for whom he was thus fervently fupplicating the Gods, to his wife, marks in the most delicate manner the tenderness of his affection; at all times, and on all occafions, alive and attentive to her happinets; with which every idea of pleasure and fatisfaction was in his mind intimately connected. This is very elegantly expreffed by Pope; though still in conformity to his previous mifconception:

While, pleas'd amidst the general shouts of

Troy,

[joy. His mother's confcious heart o'erflows with Dryden's verfion appears in comparison very flat and infipid :

That at these words his mother may rejoice, And add her fuffrage to the public voice.

I will leave you in the pleafing enjoy. ment of your favourite's acknowledged fuperiority. For the prefent adieu. O.P. C.

!

158

TALK;

DUKE OF PORTLAND.

Character of the late DUKE OF PORTLAND, Father to the prefent Duke, written by bis Father-in law EDWARD EARL OF OXFORD, previous to the former's Marriage with bis Daughter. [EXTRACTED FROM A LETTER

DATED 1734.]

THE perfon we have chofen for cur fon-in-law has the fairest and most unexceptionable character, and his compofition the moft unlike the genera lity of the young gentlemen of this age, which you will think was no fmall ingre. dient towards our approbation of him. As I hope much and long to fee you in England, I believe when you fee the Duke you will be pleafed with him, as he is free from the prevailing qualifications of the prefent fet of young men of quality, fuch as gaming, tharping, pilfering, ly ing, &c. &c. On the contrary, he is endowed with qualifications they are ftrangers to, fuch as juftice, honour, excellent temper both of mind and body, living with all his own family: and the manner in which he propofed himself was what became a gentleman and a man of honour." [The prefent Duke is the eldeft fon of that marriage, and with the hereditary honours poflefies all the hereditary virtues.]

SIR SAMUEL GARTH.

Garth, it is well known, was one of the greatest Whigs of Queen Anne's time; and, at that period, thofe on his fide went great lengths in celebrating the Anniverfary of Queen Elizabeth, by burning the Devil, the Pope, and the Pretender toge ther. Party buline's running very high about the latter end of the Queen's reign, a greater proceflion than ordinary was intended to be brought out on one of thote Anniverfaries. A computation may be loofely made of the excefs of party spirit and felly which then prevailed, when the figure of the Devil alone coft fifteen hundred pounds. The intended parade of this proceffion being much talked of, set the Teties at work to counteiplot them, and, getting intelligence

where the principal perfonage (the Devil) was locked up by way of fafety, they hired a mob to break open the door the night before, and steal him. This they effected, to the no fmall mortification of the Whigs, and the derangement of the intended ipectacle.

Next day Lord Oxford, who was a ƒputed Tory, meeting Garth in the Court of Requests, called out to him, by way of triumph, Garth, I am told you have lost your Devil; pray how has all this happened "Becaufe," fays Garth, "you have found your G-d, his difciples tole him away in the night.”

Garth, writing a letter one evening at the St. James's Coffee-house, was much embarrafied by an Irish gentleman, who was rude enough to look over his fhoulder all the time. Garth, however, seemed to take no notice of this, 'till towards the conclufion, when he humorously added, by way of a pofticript, "I fhould write you more by this poft, but there's a damned tall impudent Irishman looking over my fhoulder all the time."-"What

do

you mean, Sir?" fays the Irishman; "do you think I looked over your letter?"-"Sir," fays Garth very gravely, "I never once opened my lips to you." Aye, but by J-s, you have put it down for all that." impoffible, Sir," fays Garth," as you tay you never once looked over my letter."

That's

THE LATE VISCOUNT FALMOUTH.

This Nobleman, fo well known in all the public places of refort in this metropolis about twenty years ago, and who, in conjunction with the late Baron Hailang and fome others of an ancient fandng, were pleasantly called "the Goaterie," in his general love of pleature in eluded the pleature of doing a good action, and very properly dedicated part of a very extenfive fortune to publick charities and the relief of private diftrefs. In one of his morning perambulations in St. James's Park, of which he was a conftant fre quenter, and upon thofe occasions dressed uncommonly plain, he happened to take his feat upon the fame bench with a per

fon equally feedy in appearance, but in very different circum@ances relative to fpirits and fortune.

It being about the latter end of Auguft, and the town very thin of people, a converfation commenced relative to this circumftance; when the gentleman obferved, rather gloomingly, how unequally this world was divided, fome rolling in their carriages and fpending unneceffarily at watering places, whilft others had great difficulties to get bread for themfelves and families."-This remark gave his Lordhip a hint of his affociate's condition, and he fell into it in all the fpirit of complaint and mortification. After fome converfation of this nature, the clock at the Horfe guards ftruck five, and his Lordship ftill continuing his feat, his affociate feelingly obferved, "I believe, Sir, the fame reafon that induces you to fit fo long in the Park at this hour is pretty much the fame as to myself,-the want of a good dinner." Upon my word," faid his Lordship very gravely, "I'm very forry that thould be tafe; but at prefent, thank God, it is not mine; and, as you ftate your cafe fo frankly, fuch as my dinner is, which I believe (pulling out his watch), muft be about this time ready, you are perfectly welcome to take fhare of it." The gentleman immediately confented, and as his Lordship lived in St. James's Square, they had not long to walk, when they arrived át his door. The ftranger was at first ftaggered at the appearance of the houfe, but, fuppofing his Lordship the butler, and that the family were out of town, he kept talking on with his ufual freedom, 'till one of the footmen opening the door, and addreffing his mafter as his Lordship, difcovered his rank and condition.

your

The gentleman on this drew back, made many apologies for his mistake, and offered to take his leave; but his Lordthip was refolute in keeping him to dinner, which he took care should be a good one to the ftranger, by all manner of hof pitalities and attentions.

In the course of converfation his Lordfhip drew from him his ftory; which was, that he was a Lieutenant upon halfpay, with a wife, a mother, and two children to fupport; that part of this fmall ftipend was mortgaged, and that misfortunes were growing upon him with little or no profpect of a remedy.

His Lordship heard all very attentively, and, after begging his acceptance of axol. Bank-note, told him he meant that only as a relief to his préfènt neceffities; took

his addrefs, and defired he would call upon him again in a week's time. The poor man, penetrated with kindness, took his leave. In the mean time his Lordship made the proper enquiries into the real ftate and character of the man; which fully anfwering his own defcription of himfelf, he procured him a Captain's com miffion in a marching regiment in Ireland, where he and his family embarked foon after, under all the impreffions of fo fortunate a change of circumstances.

THE PRETENDER.

The fufpicions of an intended invasion by the Pretender, previous to the death of Queen Anne, were fo general at that time, and were fo much confirmed by the papers and letters of information tranfmitted by order of the Electoral family of Hanover, that the Whigs were determined to be beforehand with the Tories in this bufinefs; and, if the Queen had not died fo fuddenly, the former would have taken up arms in defence of their religion and liberties.

General Stanhope (the ancestor of the prefent Earl Stanhope) was to have commanded the army, and Lord Cadogan to have feized the Tower. All the officers on half-pay, fome of whom were living a few years ago, had figned the affociation. The place of rendezvous was appointed behind Montague-houfe. The officers kept their arms in readiness in their bedchambers, and were prepared to obey the fummons at a minute's warning. Queen, however, dying before this plot was ripe enough for execution, and the unanimous refolution of the Council (principally affected by the exertions of the Dukes of Argyle and Somerset) in taking cautious meafures for the better fecurity of the Hanover fucceffion, every thing fucceeded fo much to the fatisfac tion of the Whigs, as to render all ideas of infurrection unneceflary.

The

In the Memoirs of Lord Chesterfield by Dr. Maty, we are told that Lord Bolingbroke never heard of this defign 'till his return to England in 1722; and he further adds, "that Lord Bolingbroke aflured Lord Chesterfield, that he never had any fixed fcheme in relation to the Pretender, and that he had always avoided fpeaking of him to the Queen, who, he faid, did not like to hear any thing of a fucceffor. He likewife added, that the Pretender never was in England during the Tory adminiftration.”

What credit may be due to Lord Bolingbroke's affertion on this head, may be

gathered