hion to better Judgments) which way of Verfion feems to me most proper. All Tranflation, I fuppofe, may be reduced to these three Heads. Firft, That of Metaphrafe, or turning an Author Word by Word, and Line by Line, from one Language into another. Thus, or near this manner, was Horace his Art of Poetry tranflated by Ben Johnson. The fecond Way is that of Paraphrafe, or Tranflation with Latitude, where the Author is kept in View by the Tranflator, fo as never to be loft, but his Words are not so strictly follow'd as his Senfe, and that too is admitted to be amplified, but not alter'd. Such is Mr. Waller's Translation of Virgil's Fourth Eneid. The third Way is that of Imitation, where the Tranflator (if now he has not loft that Name) affumes the Liberty, not only to vary from the Words and Senfe, but to forfake them both as he fees Occafion; and, taking only fome general Hints from the Original, to run Divifion on the Ground-work, as he pleafes. Such is Mr. Cawley's Practice in turning two Odes of Pindar, and one of Horace, into English. Concerning the first of these Methods, our Mafter Horace has given us this Caution: Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus Nor Word for Word tao faithfully Tranflate, as the Earl of Rofcommon has excellently render'd it. Too faithfully is, indeed, pedantically: 'Tis a Faith like that, which proceeds from Superftition, Blind and Zealous. Take it in the Expreffion of Sir John. Denham Denham to Sir Rich. Fanfhaw, on his Verfion of the Paftor Fido. That fervile Path thou nobly doft decline, 'Tis almoft impoffible to tranflate verbally, and well, at the fame time: for the Latin (a moft Severe and Compendious Language) often expreffes that in one Word, which either the Barbarity, or the Narrownefs, of Modern Tongues cannot fupply in more. 'Tis frequent alfo that the Conceit is couch'd in fome Expreffion, which will be loft in English. Atque iidem venti vela fidemque ferent. What Poet of our Nation is fo happy as to exprefs this Thought literally in English, and to strike Wit, or almost Sense, out of it? In short, the Verbal Copier is incumber'd with fo many Difficulties at once, that he can never difintangle himself from all. He is to confider, at the fame time, the Thought of his Author, and his Words, and to find out the Counterpart to each in another Language: And, befides this, he is to confine himself to the Compafs of Numbers, and the Slavery of Rhyme. 'Tis much like dancing on Ropes with fetter'd Legs: A Man can fhun a Fall by using Caution; but the Gracefulness of Motion is not to be expected: And when we have faid the beft of it, 'tis but a foolish Task: for no fober Man Man would put himself into a Danger for the Applaufe of escaping without breaking his Neck. We fee Ben Johnson could not avoid Obscurity in his, literal Tranflation of Horace, attempted in the, fame Compass of Lines: Nay Horace himself could, fcarce have done it to a Greek Poet : Brevis effe laboro, obscurus fio: either Perfpicuity or Gracefulness will frequently be. wanting. Horace has, indeed, avoided both these. Rocks in his Tranflation of the three firft Lines of Homer's Odyffey, which he has contracted into two. Dic mihi, Mufa, Virum, capta poft tempora Troja, Qui mores hominum multorum vidit & urbes. Mufe, fpeak the Man, who, fince the Siege of Troy, So many Towns, fuch Change of Manners faw. ROSCOMMON., But then the Sufferings of Ulyffes, which are a confiderable part of that Sentence, are omitted: [Ὃς μάλα πολλὰ πλάγχθη: ] "The Confideration of thefe Difficulties, in a fervile, literal, Tranflation, not long fince made two of our Famous Wits, Sir John Denham, and Mr. Cowley, to contrive another Way of turning Authors into our Tongue, call'd, by the latter of them, Imitation. As they were Friends, I fuppofe they communicated their Thoughts on this Subject to each other; and, therefore, their Reasons for it are little different. Though the Practice of one is much more Moderate. I take Imitation of an Author, in their Senfe, to be an Endeavour of a later Poet to write like one, who has written before him, on the fame Subject: That is, not to translate his Words, or to be be confin'd to his Senfe, but only to fet him as a Pattern, and to write, as he fupposes that Author would have done, had he liv'd in our Age, and in our Country. Yet I dare not fay that either of them have carried this libertine way of rendering Authors (as Mr. Cowley calls it) fo far as my Definition reaches. For in the Pindarick Odes, the Customs and Ceremonies of ancient Greece are fill preserved. But I know not what Mischief may arife hereafter from the Example of fuch an Innovation, when Writers of unequal Parts to him fhall imitate fo bold an Undertaking. To add and to diminish what we please, which is the Way avow'd by him, ought only to be granted to Mr. Cowley, and that too only in his Tranflation of Pindar, because he alone was able to make him amends, by giving him better of his own, whenever he refus❜d his Author's Thoughts. Pindar is generally known to be a dark Writer, to want Connexion, (I mean as to our Understanding) to foar out of Sight, and leave his Reader at a Gaze. So wild and ungovernable a Poet cannot be tranflated literally; his Genius is too ftrong to bear a Chain, and Samfon-like he fhakes it off. A Genius fo elevated and unconfin'd as Mr. Cowley's was but neceffary to make Pindar fpeak English, and that was to be perform'd by no other way than Imitation. But if Virgil, or Ovid, or any regular intelligible Authors, be thus us'd, 'tis no longer to be call'd their Work, when neither the Thoughts nor Words are drawn from the Ori ginal but instead of them there is something new produc'd, which is almoft the Creation of another Hand. By this way, 'tis true, fomewhat that is Excellent may be invented, perhaps more Excellent than the first Design; though Virgil must be ftill excepted, when that perhaps takes Pláce. Yet he, : who who is inquifitive to know an Author's Thoughts, will be difappointed in his Expectation. And 'tis not always that a Man will be contented to have a Prefent made him, when he expects the Payment of a Debt. To ftate it fairly; Imitation of an Author is the moft advantageous way for a Tranflator to fhew himself, but the greatest Wrong which can be done to the Memory and Reputation of the Dead. Sir John Denham (who advis'd more Liberty than he took himself) gives his Reafon for his Innovation, in his admirable Preface before the Tranflation of the second Eneid. Poetry is of fo fubtle a Spirit, that, in pouring out of one Language into another, it will all evaporate; and, if a new Spirit be not added in the Transfufion, there will remain nothing but a Caput Mortuum. I confefs this Argument holds good against a literal Tranflation; but who defends it? Imitation and verbal Version are in my Opinion the two Extremes, which ought to be avoided: And therefore, when I have propos'd the Mean betwixt them, it will be feen how far his Argument will reach. No Man is capable of tranflating Poetry, who, befides a Genius to that Art, is not a Master both of his Author's Language, and of his own: Nor muft we understand the Language only of the Poet, but his particular Turn of Thoughts, and Expreffion, which are the Characters that diftinguish, and as it were individuate him from all other Writers. When we are come thus far, 'tis time to look into our felves, to conform our Genius to his, to give his Thought either the fame Turn, if our Tongue will bear it, or, if not, to vary but the Drefs, not to alter or deftroy the Subftance. The like Care must be taken of the more outward Ornaments, the Words. When they appear (which is but seldom) literally graceful, |