wards, to fhow that we fucceed: if lefs in dignity, yet on the fame foot and title, which we think too we can maintain against the infolence of our own janizaries. If I am the man, as I have reason to believe, who am feemingly courted, and fecretly undermined; I think I shall be able to defend myself, when I am openly attacked. And to fhew befides that the Greek writers only gave us the rudiments of a stage which they never finished: that many of the tragedies in the former age amongst us, were without comparison beyond those of Sophocles and Euripides. But, at prefent, I have neither the leisure nor the means for fuch an undertaking. It is ill going to law for an eftate, with him who is in poffeffion of it, and enjoys the prefent profits, to feed his caufe. But the "quantum mutatus" may be remembered in due time. In the mean while, I leave the world to judge, who gaye the provocation.

This, my Lord, is, I confefs, a long digreffion from Mifcellany Poems to Modern Tragedies: but I have the ordinary excufe of an injured man, who will be telling his tale unfeafonably to his betters; though, at the fame time, I am certain, you are fo good a friend, as to take a concern in all things which belong to one who fo truly honours you. And befides, being yourfelf a critick of the genuine fort, who have read the best authors in their own languages, who perfectly distinguish of their feveral merits, and in general prefer them to the moderns; yet, I know, you judge for the Englih tragedies, against the Greek and Latin, as well as against the French, Italian, and Spanish, of these latter

ages.

ages. Indeed there is a vaft difference betwixt arguing like Perault in behalf of the French poets, against Homer and Virgil, and betwixt giving the English poets their undoubted due of excelling Efchylus, Euripides, and Sophocles. For if we, or our greater fathers, have not yet brought the drama to an abfolute perfection, yet at leaft we have carried it much farther than those ancient Greeks; who, beginning from a Chorus, could never totally exclude it, as we have done; who find it an unprofitable incumbrance, without any neceffity of entertaining it amongst us; and without the poffibility of establishing it here, unless it were fupported by a publick charge. Neither can we accept of thofe laybishops, as fome call them, who, under pretence of reforming the ftage, would intrude themselves upon us as our feperiors, being indeed incompetent judges of what is manners, what religion, and leaft of all, what is poetry and good fenfe. I can tell them in behalf of all my fellows, that when they come to exercise a jurifdiction over us, they fhall have the ftage to themselves, as they have the laurel. As little can I grant, that the French dramatick writers excel the English: cur authors as far furpass them in genius, as our foldiers excel theirs in courage: it is true, in conduct they furpafs us either way: yet that proceeds not fo much from their greater knowledge, as from the difference of taftes in the two nations. They content themselves with a thin defign, without epifodes, and managed by few perfons. Our audience will not be pleafed but with variety of accidents, an underplot, and many actors.

7

actors. They follow the ancients too fervilley, in the machanick rules, and we affume too much licence to ourfelves, in keeping them only in view, at too great a diftance. But if our audience had their tastes, our poets could more easily comply with them, than the French writers could come up to the fublimity of our thoughts, or to the difficult variety of our defigns. However it be, I dare establish it for a rule of practice on the stage, that we are bound to please those whom we pretend to entertain; and that at any price, religion and good-manners only excepted; and I care not much, if I give this handle to our bad illiterate poetafters, for the defence of their SCRIPTIONS, as they call them. There is a fort of merit in delighting the fpectators; which is a name more proper for them, than that of auditors or elfe Horace is in the wrong, when he commends Lucilius for it. But thefe common-places I mean to treat at greater leisure in the mean time, fubmitting that little I have faid, to your Lordship's approbation, or your cenfure, and chuling rather to entertain you this way, as you are a judge of writing, than to opprefs your modefty with other commendations; which, though they are your due, yet would. not be equally received in this fatirical and cenforious age. That which cannot without injury be denied to you, is the eafinefs of your converfation, far from affectation or pride: not denying even to enemies their juft praises. And this, if I would dwell on any theme of this nature, is no vulgar commendation to your Lordship. Without flattery, my Lord, you have it in

:

your nature, to be a patron and encourager of good poets, but your fortune has not yet put into your hands the opportunity of expreffing it. What you will be hereafter, may be more than gueffed, by what you are at prefent. You maintain the character of a nobleman, without that haughtiness which generally attends too many of the nobility; and when you converse with gentlemen, you forget not that you have been of their order. You are married to the daughter of a king, who, amongst her other high perfections, has derived from him a charming behaviour, a winning goodness, and a majestic perfon. The Mufes and the Graces are the ornaments of your family; while the Mufe fings, the Grace accompanies her voice: even the fervants of the Mufes have fometimes had the happiness to hear her; and to receive their inspirations from her.

I will not give myself the liberty of going farther; for it is fo fweet to wander in a pleafing way, that I fhould never arrive at my journey's end. To keep my. felf from being belated in my letter, and tiring your at tention, I must return to the place where I was fetting out. I humbly dedicate to your Lordship, my own labours in this Mifcellany: at the fame time, not arrogating to myself the privilege of inscribing to you, the works of others who are joined with me in this undertaking, over which I can pretend no right. Your lady and you have done me the favour to hear me read my tranflations of Ovid; and you both feemed not to be displeased with them. Whether it be the partiality of an old man to his youngest child, I know not: but VOL. III.

U

they

they appear to me the best of all my endeavours in this kind. Perhaps this poet is more easy to be translated than fome others, whom I have lately attempted; perhaps too, he was more according to my genius. He is certainly more palatable to the reader, than any of the Roman wits; though fome of them are more lofty, fome more inftructive, and others more correct. He had learning enough to make him equal to the best.. But as his verfe came eafily, he wanted the toil of application to amend it. He is often luxuriant both in his fancy and expreffions, and, as it has lately been obferved, not always natural. If wit be pleasantry, he has it to excess; but if it be propriety, Lucretius, Horace, and above all, Virgil, are his fuperiors. I have said so much of him already, in my preface to his Heroical epiftles, that there remains little to be added in this place for my own part, I have endeavoured to copy his character what I could in this translation, even perhaps farther than I should have done; to his very faults. Mr. Chapman, in his tranflation of Homer, profeffes to have done it somewhat paraphraftically, and that on fet purpose; his opinion being, that a good poet is to be tranflated in that manner. I remember not. the reafon which he gives for it: but I fuppofe it is, for fear of omitting any of his excellencies: fure I am,. that if it be a fault, it is much more pardonable than that of those, who run into the other extreme of a literal and close translation, where the poet is confined so. ftreightly to his author's words, that he wants elbowroom to express his elegancies. He leaves him obfcure;: