and Tate, by the allowance of the King in council, and th recommendation of the Bishop of London, is well known but very few perfons are aware, that a fimilar authority, an recommendation, were given, in 1720, to a version which S Richard Blackmore then produced, by the Lords Justices Council, during the abfence of the King at Hanover; and th.. a certificate in its favour was figned by the two Arcbishops and fixteen Bishops. From thefe examples, the prefent editor of Merrick's Tranflation has been induced, in the first place, to conclude that an improved verfion has been very generally thought a defirable acquifition; and, fecondly, that he may. without prefumption or abfurdity, hope for the fame kind of authority for the use of this work. His preface may altogether be recommended, as both curious and inftructive throughout, in a very great degree; and we hope that he will, in fome way, introduce it into public circulation. As to the mode in which he has contrived to divide Merrick's verfion into ftanzas, it is, we cannot but pronounce, at once modeft and judicious. In the firft Pfalm it is done only by introducing a fingle couplet, which accords perfectly with the fense; after which, the whole is divifible into three ftanzas of twelve lines each. The new couplet is, "But to Virtue's path confin'd, The fecond Pfalm is divided into ftanzas of four lines; and, for that purpose, is augmented only by two couplets, which rather improve than injure the fenfe, at least in one of the inftances. The first addition is in the first stanza, and only expa tiates upon the rage and difcord of the nations; the fecond addition appears in the third stanza, and evidently introduces the fpeech of the heathen with more clearness. In factious counfels thus they join, And vaunting brave the pow'r divine; The third Pfalm again has only two additional lines; and, in this rational manner, with hardly any perceivable violence to Merrick's poetry, the whole defign is effected. We heartily unite with Dr. Munkhoufe, whofe learned and judicious fermon on the subject we praised in our last number (p. 682) in recommending the verfion in its prefent form, and withing fuccefs to an undertaking fo ufeful, as that of introducing it into our churches. We should alfo recommend to the editor, no longer to confine this fplendid edition to the purposes of donation, but to give it the usual chance of being received by the public. ART. ART. XIII. Padotrophia, or the Art of nurfing and rearing Children. A Poem, in Three Books, tranflated from the Latin of Scevole de St. Marthe, with Medical and Hiftorical Notes; with the Life of the Author, from the French of Michel and Niceron; his Epitaph; his Dedication of this Poem to Henry the Third of France; and the Epigram, written on the Vifit he had the Honour to receive from Charles the First of England, when Prince of Wales. By H. W. Tytler, M. D. Tranflator of Callimachus, &c. 8vo. 424 PP. 6s. Debrett, Piccadilly. 1797. THE HE Padotrophia obtained for the original author fo large a portion of reputation, and has been fo generally admired, that it will be unneceffary for us to fay any thing in Commendation of it. It was first tranflated into English, about the year 1718, by an anonymous writer, and dedicated to Dr. Garth; but this tranflation is reprefented byDr. Tytler, as mean and inelegant, "Several paffages," he fays, preface, p. 50, "were omitted; in others, particularly in the medical part, the fenfe is altogether perverted; and the ftyle, except in a few inftances, is not only inelegant, but full of low and disgusting phrafes." The tranflation before us, if not highly elegant or poetical, is yet good, and appears to be faithful. Dr. Tytler has enriched it with judicious commentaries, which ferve to make it more generally intelligible and entertain. ing. On the whole, we think the public are indebted to the tranflator for renewing their acquaintance with an ingenious poem, which, however highly celebrated on the continent, was certainly not fo well known, as it deferved to be, in this country. As a specimen of the tranflation, we thall lay before our readers a quotation from that part of the poem, which defcribes the temptation of our firft parents, by the ferpent. We are led to felect this part, from fome fimilarity that appears between it, and the beautiful account given of the fame event, by Milton, who, without doubt, had read the Padotrophia. As the origi nal is very scarce, we fhall give the paffage in both languages, "Nec mora, cærulei forma fe callidus anguis Diffimulat: non ille ferus qui ftridula vibret Sibila, tabificoque minax livore tumefcat: Sed blando fenfim irrepens per gramina lapfu, Arboris infaufte ramis fatalibus hæfit Arduus, implicito per mille volumina trunco. Tum molles aditus, et tempora fraudibus apta Legit, et humanis fic demum vocibus infit. Nam Nam quis te, mulier, tam vanus detinet error "An earthly form he ftraight refolves to take, • What cause, what error, foolish woman, draws Say, Say, could th' Almighty Sire, by whom was giv'n Strange doctrine this! That you, though form'd divine, B. i, v. 651, &c. The poem is preceded by a very long dedication to the Earl of Buchan, in verfe; a preface; and a life of Saint Marthe, compiled from the best French authorities. A refpectable lift of fubfcribers clofes the volume. There is a French tranflation of the Padotrophia, written, like many other French tranflations of poems, in prose; by Abel de Sainte Marthe, a grandfon of the author; who fays of himself, "J'ai tâché auffi de n'etre point inutile au Roi, et à l'Etat, en fervant l'un et l'autre depuis cinquante années, dans la profeffion de la Robe; et confacrant à l'étude des belles lettres les momens qu'un travail fort affidu m'a pu laisser.” This was published in 1698, but does not contain any notes or acceffion of matter. The English tranflator is fuperior to the French by the circumftance of writing verfe; and, in fact, writes verfe better than he writes profe. BRITISH PRITISH CATALOGUE. POETRY. ART. 14. Chrift's Hofpital, a Poem. By T. S. Surr. 4to. 2s. 6d. Longman. 1797. This effufion does great honour to the author's fenfibility and gratitude, while it gives, at the fame time, a favourable impreffion of his talents. There are fome good and fpirited fentiments, expreffed in a ftyle, and with a melody, that are above mediocrity. ART. 15. Elegy to the Rev. William Mafon. 4to. and Davies. Is. 6d. Cadell It is rather furprising, that the death of Mr. Mason has not produced more elegiac tributes of regret and veneration. This is diftin guished by no remarkable energy; nor do we fee why Cowper, much as we revere and admire him, is entitled to a brighter crown than Thomson, as this bard intimates in his concluding stanza. ART. 16. The War of the Giants. By an Admirer of Thomas Stern bold and John Hopkins; to which is added, a Dialogue between John Ball and one of his Friends, with Notes. 4to. 2s. Johnson. 1797. This jeu d'efprit, though written in metre, is rather political than poetical. There is fome humour, but not much; and attempts at wit, which fucceed better in the " Dialogue," than in the War of the Giants. ART. 17. The Age of Folly, a Poem. 4to. Clarke. 1797. This is a defcription of the prevailing follies of the time, with a hit at those individuals, who, in the author's opinion, have most diftinguished themselves as Folly's votaries. Speaking of the famous trunk of the Irelands, it is faid, and not amifs, "At first, small dofes with great eafe went down, But larger bolufes half choaked the town." The defcription of the dames of Faro, p. 11, is fpirited, and, we fear, but too juít. The apostrophe to lady authors, at p. 19, is very good; and enough is found on the whole, to justify more than "faint praife." G BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XI. JAN. 1798. ART. |