iv PRE FACE.

PREFAC

If there ever was a Poet justly entitled to this Kind of double Reward for his La

i.

bours, the ingenious, the elegant, the fenfible, the good Mr. GAY, is one. His Pictures from Life are fo true, his Wit fo ftriking, his Manner fo eafy, and his Moral fo excellent, that he commands our warmest Applaufe in Proportion to our Share of Senfibility.

THE Editor of this little Collection does not mean to enter into a Difquifition on the Merits of the various Works of Mr. GAY; nor even to beftow Encomiums on him as a Fabulift. He is too well known and celebrated to stand at this

Day in need of Praife.

ferve, that his Fables,

Suffice it to ob

undoubtedly por

fefs

fefs that intrinfic Value, and thofe requifite Qualifications which render fuch Kind of Compofition perfect. He is indeed, in the Judgment of many, deemed fuperior even to PHEDRUS and LA FONTAINE themselves, in this Respect, that having equalled them in the Energy, Concifeness, and Elegance of his Numbers, he has befides the Merit of Invention. All his Subjects are his own, whereas they copied theirs from Æsop and others. Now Originality, pleafing and perfect in its Kind, though it ftoops not to claim, yet itrongly attracts our Admiration.

No Wonder then that our Author, who may with great Improvement be read in England

England as a Claffic, fhould alfo eagerly be read, ftudied and tranflated in Italy, that celebrated claffic Ground. Signor GIORGETTI, an ingenious Venetian, well versed in the English Idiom, and a good Poet in his own, has undertaken the Task of tranflating GAY's Fables into Italian Verfe, and has acquitted himself with very great Credit. tions of that Tranflation, repeatedly printed and rapidly fold, have given much Pleasure and Delight abroad, (although at fecond Hand) on Account of the fterling Senfe and Morality which abound throughout thefe little Poems.

Compleat Edi

FROM the Tafte which prevails here at prefent for Italian Literature, the Compiler

piler of this Edition has been induced to make a Selection of Forty-two Fables out of the above Tranflation; and to offer them to the Public carefully corrected and revised, with the Original on the oppofite Page. For the greater Convenience of his younger Readers, who may be glad of fuch an Opportunity of improving themfelves in the Italian Language, he has so adapted the printing of the Original, that it exactly faces each Stanza of the Tranflation. And here the Reader will frequently be furprized to fee that fix Lines of the Italian are neceffary to fully explain the Meaning of two English ones; a Proof of the Superiority of the Original over the Translation; and yet a Kind of neceffary Condition of a poetical Version,

of

of which the whole Meaning cannot be exhibited without Circumlocution. Nevertheless, Signor GIORGETTI will be found to poffefs great Merit, not only as a pure Writer of his own Tongue, but as perfectly acquainted with ours. It is therefore prefumed that this Volume, may prove useful and entertaining to the Lovers of Italian Poetry.

m

SELECT