that the true origin of PARADISE LOST is, in this respect, to be traced primarily to SYLVESTER'S DU BARTAS; and I would precisely reverfe Dr. Farmer's obfervation, by fuppofing, that " this led to "Milton's great poem;" not only by awakening his paffion for facred poefy, but by abfolutely furnishing what Dr. Johnson, in his preface to Lauder's Pamphlet, terms the PRIMA STAMINA of PARADISE LOST. This idea occurred to me, before I had obferved by whom the book in queftion was printed. And it certainly corroborated it, when I found it recorded, at the end of the book, to have been 66 printed by Humfrey Lownes, dwelling on "Bread-freet-hill." At this time Milton was actually living with his father in Bread-ftreet; and it is very poffible that *Humfrey Lownes, printer and ftationer, dwelt at the Star, on Bread-ftreet-hill, from the year 1613. His predeceffor in the house was Peter Short, printer; among the books printed by whom, as noticed by Ames, is, " 1598, Part of Du Bartas's Divine Weeks, tranflated by Joshua Sylvefter.” 66 his early love of books made him a fréquent vifitor to his neighbour the printer, who, from his address to the reader *, *The addrefs is as follows: THE PRINTER TO THE READER. The name of JOSHUA SYLVESTER is garland enough to hang before this doore; a name worthily dear to the present age, to pofterity. I do not therefore go about to apologize for this work, or to commend it: it shall speak for itself louder than others friendship or envy. I only advertise my reader, that, fince the death of the author, (if at leaft it be safe to fay thofe men are dead, who ever furvive in their living monuments,) I have carefully fetched together all the dispersed iffue' of that divine wit, as those which are well worthy to live (like brethren) together under one fair roof, that may both challenge time and outwear it. I durft not conceal the harmlefs fancies of his inoffenfive youth, which himself had devoted to filence and forgetfulness. It is fo much the more glory to that worthy fpirit, that he, who was fo happy in those youthful ftrains, would yet turn and confine his pen to none but holy and religious ditties. Let the present and future times enjoy fo profitable and pleafing a work; and at once honour the author, and thank the editor. appears appears to have been a man of a poetical tafte; and who, as fuch, was probably much struck with our young poet's early attention to books, and his other indications of genius. I have never feen Du Bartas's poems in their original French. They have been much condemned by fome critics; and it has been faid on ne trouve dans fes ouvrages ni invention ni genie poeti"que." The ftyle of them has also been cenfured as ampoulé. By others they have been as much applauded and approved *. It is probable that Milton, before he wrote his great poem, had feen them in the original; but this is a very immaterial confideration. To the English Du BARTAS we certainly must trace him, in fome of *Gulielmus Salluftius Du BARTAS, poemate Gallico de Creatione Mundi edito, tantum fibi gloriæ concivit, ut intra quinque et sex annos tricies editio redintegrari neceffe haberet. HOFMAN. his his earliest poetry, as well as in his Tateft. The English Du Bartas reads with a high fpirit of originality; and I am fully *The teftimony of Ben Jonfon's Encomiaftic Verfes may here well be adduced. EPIGRAM, To Mr. Joshua Sylvefter. If to admire were to commend, my praise Might then both thee, thy work, and merit raise ; But as it is, (the child of ignorance, And utter ftranger to all airs of France,) How can I speak of thy great pains but err? Since they can only judge, that can confer. B. JONSON. Ben Jonfon indeed, in a general cenfure of the poets of his time, (recorded from his converfation by fully perfuaded, that it ftrongly caught the willing attention of the young poet. Nothing can be farther from my intention than to infinuate that Milton was a plagiarift, or fervile imitator; but I conceive, that, having read thefe facred poems of very high merit, at the immediate age when his own mind was juft beginning to teem with poetry, he retained by Drummond of Hawthornden,) fays, "Sylvef"ter's tranflation of Du Bartas was not well done; "but he wrote his verfes, before he understood to "confer. By which we may understand Jonfon "cenfuring the exactness of the translation: which he must have done on the report of others, as his verfes confefs that he did not understand the original. The poetry of Sylvefter (which is my object) ftands unimpeached. Drummond himself commends Sylvefter's translation of Du Bartas's Judith as excellent, and speaks of" his happy tranilations in fundry places equal ling the original." Drummond is great authority; efpecially for that age.-The works of Drummond were published in 1656, with a preface by Edward Phillips the nephew of Milton. numberlefs |