MI. No longer now thy Altars blaze, with abfolute Domain, The blooming Scyons of fair Fancy's Tree; Which erft full wantonly have ftray'd, many a Wreath of richest Poefie. In For when the Oak denies her Stay, The creeping Ivy winds her humble Way; No more fhe twists her Branches round, Where then shall exil'd Genius go? And boaft them of the Poet's Name, Whofe fober Rimes in even Tenour flow; Who prey on Words, and all their Flowrets cull, Why fleep the Sons of Genius now? Why Wartons refts the Lyre unftrung? And thou, blest Bard! around whofe facred Great Pindar's delegated Wreath is hung; [Brow, Arife, and fnatch the Majefty of Song, From Dullnefs' fervile Tribe, and Arts unhallow'd Throng. * By TASTE, is here meant the modern Affectation of it. The fpirited and truly poetical Dr. Akenfide. TRAN TRANSLATION; A POEM. UCH is our Pride, our Folly, or our Fate, late.' So Denham fung, who well the Labour knew; 5 10 15 LINE 18. Cowley attacks, &c. Nothing can be more contemptible than the Tranflations and Imitations of Pindar done by Cowley, which yet have had their Admirers. O'er Tibur's Swan the Mufes wept in vain, In bleft Arabia's Plains unfading blow 20 To Northern Climes th' unwilling Guests convey, 25 The modern Critic, whofe unletter'd Pride, 30 35 LINE 20. See Horace's Epiftles, Satires, and Art of Poetry, done into English by S. Dunfter, D. D. Prebendary of Sarum. LINE 21, 22. See their Tranflations of Homer and Virgil. LINE 31. The modern Critic, &c. Les belles traductions (fays Boileau) font des preuves fans replique en faveur des anciens, qu'on leur donne les Racines pout interpretes, & ils fcauront plaire aujourdhui comme autrefois. Certain it is, that the Contempt, in which the Ancients are held by the illiterate Wits of the prefent Age, is in a great Measure owing to the Number of bad Tranflations. LINE 36. See Adams's Profe Tranflation of Sophocles Concludes Concludes that Attic Wit's extremely low; 40 As well might Vanbrugh ev'ry Stone revile, That fwells enormous Blenheim's awkward Pile; The guiltless Pen as well might Mauro blame, 45 For writing ill, and fullying Arthur's Fame; Succefslefs Lovers blaft the Maid they woo'd, As thefe a Tongue they never understood; That Tongue which gave immortal Shakespeare Fame, Which boasts a Prior's, and a Thomfon's Name; 50 Graceful and chafte which flows in Addison, With native Charms, and Vigour all its own; In Bolinbroke and Swift, whofe Beauties fhine, In Rowe's foft Numbers, Fonfon's nervous Line, Dryden's free Vein, and Milton's Work divine. But, fuch, alas! difdain to borrow Fame, } 55 60 LINE 39. Extremely low. A favourite Coffeehoufe Phrafe. LINE 40. Wotton and Perrault. See Wotton's Difcourfe on ancient and modern Learning, and Perrault's Defence of his Siecle de Louis XIV. LINE 46. Arthur's Fame. Arthur's Fame. See Blackmore's King Arthur, an Heroic Poem. LINE 60. To Curll, &c. Most of the bad Tranflations, which we have of eminent Authors, were done by Garreteers under the Inspection of this Gentleman, who paid them by the Sheet for their hafty Performances. Or 65 Or fome pale Pedant, whofe encumber'd Brain There are, who timid Line by Line purfue, 75 There are, an Author's Senfe who boldly quit, 80 85 LINE 75, 79. There are, &c. The Reader will eafily recollect Instances to illuftrate each of these Remarks, more especially the laft; halfour Tranflations being done from Tranflations by fuch as were never able to confult the Original. One of these Gentlemen having Occafion in his Verfion to mention Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus, not having the good Fortune to be acquainted with any fuch Writer, makes Ufe.of the French Liberty of Curtailing, and without Scruple calls him Dennis of Halicarnaffus. Miftakes as grofs as this often occur, though perhaps not many altoge ther fo ridiculous. VOL II. A a Thus |