As this prologue is a model for this species of writing, in the serious way, fo the epilogue to Mr. Our author executed his commiffion in the most friendly manner; and the play, together with the scheme for bringing it upon the ftage, meeting with their approbation, it was reprefented accordingly. Throughout the whole conduct of this business, Mr. Addison appeared to be fo extremely apprehenfive of party imputations, that Mr. POPE having worded the prologue thus, "Britons, ARISE, be worth like this approv❜d, "And fhew you have the virtue to be mov'd;" he very strongly objected to the boldness of the expreffion, faying, it would be called ftirring the people to rebellion, and therefore earnestly begged of our author to foften it, by subftituting fomething lefs obnoxious. On this account it was altered, as it now ftands, to Britons, ATTEND,-though at the expence of the fenfe and fpirit. Notwithstanding this, the very next year, when the prefent illuftrious family came to the fucceffion, Mr. Addison thought fit to make a merit of Cato, as purpofely and directly written, to oppose the schemes of a faction*: his poem to her royal highness the Princess of Wales, beginning in this manner: "The muse that oft with facred raptures fir'd, Indeed *This play being confidered as a warning that liberty was in danger during the Tory administration, Bolingbroke, to obviate the popular impreffions it might make, sent one night, when the applaufe of the audience was very violent, for Booth, who played Cato, into his box, between the acts, and prefented him with fifty guineas, in acknowledgement, as he expreffed it with great addrefs, for defending the cause of liberty fo well against a perpetual di&tater. Mr. Rowe's Jane Shore, which follows, is as perfect a pattern of compofition in the ludicrous way. It was written for Mrs. Oldfield, though never fpoken. It is penned in a lively fpirit of gallantry, and facetious raillery: which, as is well remarked by the effayift, the audience expect in all epilogues to the most serious and pathetic pieces. It is ftrange, that though this perverfion of tafte has been condemned by all judicious writers, that the fcandalous practice of clofing fuch pieces with epilogues full of ribaldry and loofe double entendre, fhould ftill continue. We are now to confider Mr. POPE in the chiracter of a tranflator, and to examine his merit in that capacity in his version of the Epiftle from Sappho to Phaon, tranflated from Ovid. This the author of the effay allows to be rendered with faithfulness and with elegance; and that it is fo in general, cannot be difputed. Nevertheless, as I profefs not to be the panegyrift, but the historian of Mr. POPE; Ican no Indeed Mr. Addifon's moderation in party, appears to have been all affected; though he used to talk much of it, and often recommend it to Mr. POPE, adding, that he ought not to be contented with the applause of half the nation. He used to blame Steele greatly for being too much a partyman; and yet, when he found himself that he was likely to promote his intereft by party attachments, he entered into them with a zeal which does his memory no credit: for this man of moderate principles, became the champion of a faction, and did not feruple to pen the Freeholder. more more fubfcribe to a general commendation without taking notice of fuch exceptions as occur, than I can admit a general cenfure which appears to be ill founded.. Impartiality, therefore, obliges me to obferve, that in fome paffages the tranflator does not feem to have preferved the fenfe or fpirit of the original. For inftance, Sappho fays, Omnique a parte placebam, "Sed tum praecipue, cum fit amoris opus." which the tranflator renders thus, "In all I pleas'd, but moft in what was beft; "And the last joy was dearer than the reft." Thefe lines do not appear to convey the meaning of the original, either with faithfulness or elegance. The first line is faulty in point of verfification; and, to use our bard's own remarks, ten low words creep in one dull line. Add to this, that the fenfe in the tranflation is equivocal; for non conftat what was beft. This may either be taken in a serious or ludicrous fenfe. Whereas in the original the meaning is precife, and well afcertained by the words amoris opus: though it must be confeffed that the expreffion in the Latin, is not very elegant or delicate. As to the last line it is wholly redundant, and has no place in the original. It may be added likewise, likewise, that there is an inaccuracy in the afe of the word reft, to denote preceding joys. The verfion likewise of the following lines feems liable to cenfure. Quique, ubijam amborum fuerat confusa vo luptas, "Plurimus in laffo corpore languor erat." Which are thus tranflated, “Till all diffolving in the trance we lay, These lines, it is true, convey all that is warm in the original, but they have not the fame elegant turn. For in the Latin, the laft line reflects an idea which corrects in fome degree the prurience in the former, by intimating that fentiment ftill furvived fenfuality. It is with pleasure, however, I acknowledge, that, in many paffages, the tranflator rifes greatly fuperior to his original. The following lines, for inftance, though very beautiful, are furpaffed by the translation: "Ecce, jacent collo fparfi fine lege capilli; "Nec premit articulos lucida gemma meos. Vefte tegor vili: nullum eft in crinibus aurum: "Non Arabo nofter rore capillus olet." which are thus rendered "No "No more my robes in waving purple flow, "Nor on my hand the sparkling diʼmonds "glow; "No more my locks in ringlets curl'd diffuse "The costly sweetness of Arabian dews, "Nor braids of gold the varied tresses bind, "That fly disorder'd with the wanton wind." Neither is the original equal to the version in the following paffage : "Scribimus, et lachrymis oculi rorantur abortis : Afpice, quam fit in hoc multa litura loco." The tranflator says, "See, while I write, my words are loft in "tears! "The less my fense, the more my love ap66 'pears." The fecond line in the Latin is flat and languid, but the tranflator has improved it by an elegant turn of fentiment. It may be faid of the succeeding lines likewife, that they greatly excel the original, though, by the bye, it must be confeffed, that they are rather a paraphrafe, than a tranflation of the Latin. "Tu mihi cura, Phaon; te fomnia noftra re " ducunt; "Somnia formofo candidiora die. L " Illic |