Thus Greece and Rome, in modern Drefs array'd, Is but Antiquity in Masquerade.

95

Difguis'd in Oldfworth's Verse or Watson's Profe,
What Claffic Friend his alter'd Flaccus knows?
Whilft great Longinus gives to Welfted Fame,
And Tacitus to Gordon lends his Name,
Unmeaning Strains debase the Mantuan Mufe,
And Terence fpeaks the Language of the Stews.
In Learning thus muft Britain's Sons decay, 95
And fee her Rival bear the Prize away,"
In Arts as well as Arms to Gallia yield,
And own her happier Skill in either Field?
See where her boafted d'Ablancourt appears,
Her Mongualts, Brumoys, Olivets, Daciers;

100

Careful

LINE 91. See Welfted's Tranflation of Longinus, done almoft Word for Word from Boileau,

LINE 62. To Gordon.-This Gentleman translated Tacitus in a very ftiff and affected Manner, tranfpofing Words, and placing the Verb at the End of the Sentence, according to the Latin Idiom. He was called in his Life-Time Tacitus-Gordon.

LINE 97. To Gallia yield. It was faid by a great Wit in the laft War, that he fhould never doubt of our Success, if we could once bring ourselves to hate the French as heartily as we do the Arts and Sciences. It is indifputable, that they are more warmly encouraged, and confequently more cultivated and improved in France than amongst us. Their Tranflations (efpecially in Profe) are acknowledged to be more faithful and correct, and in general more lively and fpirited than ours.

LINE 99. The French had fo high an Opinion of d'Ablancourt's Merit, as to think him deferving of the following Epitaph:.

L'illuftre d'Ablancourt repofe en ce tombeau,
Son genie à fon fiécle fervi de flambeau,"

Dans

105

Careful to make each Ancient's Merit known,
Who, juft to others Fame, have rais'd their own';
No Wonder these fhou'd claim fuperior Praise;
A Nation thanks them, and a Monarch pays.
Far other Fate attends our hireling Bard,
A Sneer his Praise, a Pittance his Reward;'
The Butt of Wit, and Jeft of every Mufe,
Foes laugh to Scorn, and even Friends abufe;
The great Tranflator bids each Dunce tranflate,
And ranks us all with Tibbald and with Tate.

110

But know, whate'er proud Art hath call'd her own,
The breathing Canvas, and the fculptur'd Stone,
The Poet's Verfe, 'tis Imitation all;
Great Nature onlyis Original.

Her various Charms in various Forms exprefs'd, 115
They best have pleas'd us, who have copy'd beft;
And thofe ftill fhine more eminently bright,
Who fhew the Goddess in the fairest Light.

So when great Shakespeare to his Garrick join'd, With mutual Aid confpire to roufe the Mind, 120 'Tis not a Scene of idle Mimickry,

?Tis Lear's, Hamlet's, Richard's felf we fee;

Dans fes fameux ecrits toute la France admire Des Grecs & des Romains les precieux trefors; A fon trepas on ne peut dire

Qui perd le plus, des vivans ou des morts.

LINE 109. The great Tranflator, &c. Pope, in his Epiftle to Arbuthnot, after his Enumeration of Dunces, concludes with thefe two Lines:

All these my modest Satire bade tranflate,
And own'd that nine fuch Poets made a Tate.

I make no Doubt but the very defpicable Light in which Translation is here reprefented, may have deterr'd many from engaging in it, who would, perhaps, have made no contemptible Figure in that Branch of Literature.

125

We feel the Actor's Strength, the Poet's Fire s
With Joy we praife, with Rapture we admire,
To fee fuch Pow'rs within the Reach of Art,
And Fiction thus fubdue the human Heart.
When Sarto's Pencil trac'd the faithful Line,
So just each Stroke, fo equal the Defign,
That pleas'd he faw aftonish'd Julio ftand,
Nor knew his own, nor Raphael's magic Hand; 139
Blushing to find himself enamour'd grown
Of rival Charms and Beauties not his own.

135

Theirs be the Talk to comment and tranflate, Like thefe who judge, like these who imitate. Unless an Authour like a Mistress warms, How fhall we hide his Faults, or tafte his Charms, How all his modeft, latent Beauties find, How trace each lovelier Feature of the Mind, Soften each Blemifh, and each Grace improve, And treat him with the Dignity of Love?

140

'Tis not enough that, fraught with Learning's Store, By the dim Lamp the taftelefs Critic pore; 'Tis not enough that Wit's misguiding Ray Uncertain glance, and yield a doubtful Day,

LINE 129. Andrea del Sarto being defired by Frederic, Duke of Mantua, to copy a Picture of Leo X. did it with fo much Juftnefs, that Julio Romano, who drew the Drapery of that Piece under Raphael, took his Copy for the Original, and faid to Vafari, Don't I fee the Strokes that I ftruck with my own Hand; but Vafari fhewing him Del Sarto's Mark, he was convinced of his Mistake.

The Story is told at large in the 27th Chapter of the first Book of De Pile's Art of Painting. LINE 135. Unless, &c. Rofcommon fays,

⚫ Chuse then an Author as you chuse a Friend.'

Perhaps the Image is better drawn from the more lively Paffion.

Not

Not ev❜n when both by partial Nature giv❜n,
United bless the Favourite of Heav'n;
Unless, by fecret Sympathy combin'd,
The faithful Glafs reflects its kindred Mind;
Unless from Soul to Soul th' imparted Fire
Congenial catch, and kindle warm Defire;
Ev'n fuch as lives in Rowe's enraptur'd Strain,
And gives Pharfalia to our Eyes again;
Where glowing in each animated Line,
We fee the fiery Soul of Lucan shine
Or fuch as gilds the fair hiftoric Page,
For Smith referv'd, to grace our latter Age;
Such as o'er Dryden all its Influence fhed,
And bade his Muse recall the mighty Dead,
Such as in Pope's extenfive Genius fhone,
And made immortal Homer all our own.

View all that proud Antiquity displays,
Count o'er her boasted Heirs of endless Praife,
Who thought fo nobly, or who wrote fo well,
Britain can fhew th' illuftrious Parallel.
Methinks I hear each venerable Shade
For bafe Neglect his genuine Sons upbraid.
Why would not Congreve Afer' Charms revive,
Or tender Hammon bid Tibullus live?

145

150

160

LINE 147. Unless by fecret, &c.] A Bias of Inclination towards a particular Author, and a Similarity of Genius in the Tranflator, feem more immediately neceffary than Wit or Learning.

LINE 154. See Rowe's Tranflation of Lucan's Pharfalia, at the End of which is a fhort Supplement written in the true Spirit of the Original.

LINE 156. See Smith's Tranflation of Thucydides, lately published.

LINE 168. Hammond, Author of Love Elegies.

Plautus

Plautus had pleas'd in Vanbrugh's loofer Page,
And Otway fhould have trod the Grecian Stage; 170
Lucian wou'd fhine unveil'd by Swift alone,
And Tully calls in vain for Middleton;
A Livy's Senfe demands a St. John's Style,
And Plato afks a Melmoth or a Boyle.

Ev'n now there are, ere Learning take her Flight,
And Gothick Darkness spread a fecond Night;
Tho' Science droop, and ling'ring Arts decay,
There are, who gild the Evening of our Day.
Once more behold, majestic in her Tears,
By Gray adorn'd, fair Elegy appears,
Whilft by her Side the foft Elfrida ftands,
And all our Love and all our Grief demands;
With Roman Spirit Johnson's manly Page
Rifes fevere to fcourge a venal Age;

Brown draws the Pen in facred Truth's Defence, 185
And Armfrong paints his own Benevolence.
From ancient Models these exalted few

Their faireft Forms and bright Ideas drew;

LINE 180. See Elegy in a Country Church-yard. LINE 181. Elfrida, by Mr. Mason.

-LINE 183. Samuel Johnfon, Author of the Ram. bler, and alfo of two fine Imitations of Juvenal.

LINE 185. See Effay on, the Characteristics of Lord Shaftesbury,

LINE 186. See an Epistle on Benevolence, by Dr. Armstrong fo well known for his celebrated Poem on Health, one of the beft Performances in the English Language.

We