this open difplay of unadulterated nature it must be afcribed that Homer has fewer paffages of doubtful meaning than any other poet either in the learned or in modern languages. I have read of a man, who being, by his ignorance of Greek, compelled to gratify his curiofity with the Latin printed on the oppofite page, declared that from the rude fimplicity of the lines literally rendered, he formed nobler ideas of the Homeric majefty than from the laboured elegance of polished verfions.

Thofe literal translations were always at hand, and from them he could always obtain his author's fenfe with fufficient certainty; and among the readers of Homer the number is very fmall of

thofe

those who find much in the Greek more than in the Latin, except the mufick of the numbers.

If more help was wanting, he had the poetical tranflation of Eobanus Heffus, an unwearied writer of Latin verfes; he had the French Homers of La Valterie and Dacier, and the English of Chapman, Hobbes, and Ogylby. With Chapman, whofe work, though now totally neglected, feems to have been popular almoft to the end of the laft century, he had very frequent confultations, and perhaps never tranflated any paffage till he had read his verfion, which indeed he has been fometimes fufpected of ufing inftead of the original.

4

Notes

Notes were likewise to be provided; for the fix volumes would have been very little more than fix pamphlets without them. What the mere perufal of the text could fuggeft, Pope wanted no affiftance to collect or methodize; but more was neceffary; many pages were to be filled, and learning muft fupply materials to wit and judgement. Something might be gathered from Dacier; but no man loves to be indebted to his contemporaries, and Dacier was acceffible to common readers. Euftathius was therefore neceffarily confulted. To read Euftathius, of whofe work there was then no Latin verfion, I fufpect Pope, if he had been willing, not to have been able; fome other was there

fore

fore to be found, who had leisure as well as abilities, and he was doubtlefs most readily employed who would do much work for little money.

The history of the notes has never been traced. Broome, in his preface

to his poems, declares himfelf the commentator in part upon the Iliad; and it appears from Fenton's Letter, preferved in the Museum, that Broome was at first engaged in confulting Euftathius; but that after a time, whatever was the reafon, he defifted: another man of Cambridge was then employed, who foon grew weary of the work; and a third was recommended by Thirlby, who is now discovered to have been Fortin, a man fince well known to the learned

world,

world, who complained that Pope, having accepted and approved his performance, never teftified any curiofity to fee him. The terms which Fenton ufes are very mercantile : I think at first fight that his performance is very commendable, and have fent word for him to finifh the 17th book, and to fend it with his demands for his trouble. I have here enclosed the fpecimen; if the reft come before the return, I will keep them till I receive your order.

Broome then offered his fervice a fecond time, which was probably accepted, as they had afterwards a clofer correfpondence. Parnell contributed, the Life of Homer, which Pope found fo harsh, that he took great pains in correcting it;

and