Two Things remain to be taken notice of, equally relating to Rhime, and Blank Verse. It is a known Fault in our Language, that it is too much crouded with Monosyllables: Yet some Verses consisting wholly of them sound well enough: However, the fewer we have of them, the better it is. I believe there are as few of them in this Translation as in any English Poem of an equal Length; which is all I shall say upon This Article.
The Other is the Elision of Vowels: Upon which, in my Opinion, the Criticks have ran into Extremes on both Sides. Mr. Dryden declares for it as a general Rule which he has observed without Exception, in his Translation of the Æneis;[22] and is utterly against a Vowel gaping after another for want of a Cesura, as he expresses himself. Another great Master and Refiner of our Language[23] is for very little, or no Abbreviation; if I do not mistake his Meaning. It is true, in the Letter, to which I refer, he instances only in cutting off the Vowel E at the End of our Participles ending in ed; but I presume his Argument is equally designed against the Elision of a Vowel before a Vowel in two different Words: And, if I do not forget, he has declared himself of That Opinion, when I have had the Honour and Pleasure of his most agreeable and instructive Conversation. But with humble Submission to both these great Men, the Elision seems sometimes proper, and sometimes not, in the Particle The; for upon That, and the Particle To, the Question chiefly turns; He, and She being but very rarely abbreviated by any tolerable Writer: And therefore Mr. Dryden expresses himself too much at large, when he speaks of Vowels in general. And when this Elision is proper, and when not, the Ear is a sufficient Judge. The French, we know, continually use it in their Le, and that in Prose, and common Discourse, as well as in Verse: L'Amour, L'Eternel, L'Invincible, &c. As also in their Pronouns, me, te, and se. In our English Poetry, I think it may be either, Th' Eternal, Th' Almighty; or The Eternal, The Almighty; but rather the former: It should be always, The Army, The Enemy; never Th' Army, or Th' Enemy. And so in other Instances: Of which the Ear (which by the way will never endure the Sound of Th' Ear) is always to be Judge. But of these Things too much.
The Kind of Verse therefore, which I have chosen, distinguishes this Translation from Those of Others, who have gone before me in this bold Undertaking: For I had never heard of Dr. Brady's Design, 'till long after This was in a great Forwardness. And His being not yet executed; He is not to be reckoned among my Predecessors: of whom I presume it is expected that I should now give some Account. When I say my Translation is thus distinguished from Those of Others, I speak of our own Countrymen; because Hannibal Caro's Italian Æneis is in Blank Verse, such as it is: For [24]Mr. Dryden's Character of it is a very true one; and I need not add any thing to it. Few Persons were ever more familiarly acquainted with the Æneis, had a truer Gust, and Relish of it's Beauties, or enter'd more deeply into the Sentiments, into the very Soul, and Spirit of it's Author, than Monsieur Segrais. His Preface is altogether admirable; and his Translation perhaps almost as good as the French Language will allow; which is just as fit for an Epic Poem, as an ambling Nag is for a War-Horse. It is indeed my Opinion of the French; that none write better of Poetry, and few (as to Metre) worse in it. Their Language is excellent for Prose; but quite otherwise for Verse, especially Heroic. And therefore tho' the Translating of Poems into Prose is a strange, modern Invention; yet the French Transposers are in the right; because their Language will not bear Verse. The Translation of the Æneis into Scotish Metre by Gawin Douglas Bishop of Donkeld, is said to be a very extraordinary Work by Those who understand it better than I do: There being added to it a long List of great Men, who give him a wonderful Character, both as an excellent Poet, and a most pious Prelate. What Mr. Pope says of Ogilby's Homer, may as well be apply'd to his Virgil, that his Poetry is too mean for Criticism. Mr. Dryden tells us, that no Man understood Virgil better than the Earl of Lauderdale; and I believe few did. His Translation is pretty near to the Original; tho' not so close, as it's Brevity would make one imagine; and it sufficiently appears that he had a right Taste of Poetry in general, and of Virgil's in particular. He shews a true Spirit; and in many Places is very beautiful. But we should certainly have seen Virgil far better translated by a Noble Hand; had the Earl of Lauderdale been the Earl of Roscommon; or had the Scotish Peer followed all the Precepts, and been animated with the Genius of the Irish.
But the most difficult, and invidious Part of my prefacing Task is yet to come. How could I have the Confidence to attempt a Translation of Virgil, after Mr. Dryden? At least to publish it; after Mr. Pope has in effect given us his Opinion before-hand, that such a Work must be unsuccessful to any Undertaker (much more to so mean a one, as I am) by declaring that He would never undertake it Himself? I do not say he makes That Inference; but if his Modesty would not suffer him to do it, his Merit must oblige others to do it for him. I so far agree with That most ingenious Gentleman, that Mr. Dryden's is, in many Parts, a noble, and spirited Translation; and yet I cannot, upon the Whole, think it a good one; at least, for Mr. Dryden. Not but that I think his Performance is prodigious, and exceedingly for his Honour, considering the little time he allowed himself for so mighty a Work; having translated not the Æneis only, but all Virgil's Poems in the Compass of three Years. Nobody can have a truer Respect for That great Man, than I have; or be more ready to defend him against his unreasonable Accusers; who (as Mr. Pope justly observes) envy, and calumniate him. But I hope I shall not be thought guilty of either (I am sure they are the Things of the World which I abhor) if I presume to say that his Writings have their dark, as well as their bright Side; and that what was said of somebody else may be as well applied to Him: Ubi bene, nemo melius; Ubi male, nemo pejus.
This may be affirmed of his Works in general; but I am now obliged to consider his Translation of the Æneis in particular. As he was the great Refiner of our English Poetry, and the best Marshaller of Words that our Nation had then, at least, produced; and all, who have followed him, are extremely indebted to him, as such: his Versification here, as every where else, is generally flowing, and harmonious; and a multitude of Beauties of all kinds are scattered through the Whole. But then, besides his often grosly mistaking his Author's Sense; as a Translator, he is extremely licentious. Whatever he alledges to the contrary in his Preface; he makes no Scruple of adding, or retrenching, as his Turn is best served by either. In many Places, where he shines most as a Poet, he is least a Translator; And where you most admire Mr. Dryden, you see least of Virgil. Then whereas my Lord Roscommon lays down this just Rule to be observed by a Translator with regard to his Author,
Fall, as he falls; and as he rises, rise:
Nothing being more absurd than for those two Counter-parts to be like a Pair of Scales, one mounting as the other sinks; Mr. Dryden frequently acts contrary to this Precept, at least to the latter Part of it: Where his Author soars, and towers in the Air, He often grovels, and flutters upon the Ground. Instances of all these Kinds are numerous. If I produce a few, it is not to detract from his Translation, in order to recommend my own: I detest That base Principle of little, and envious Spirits: And besides, I am sensible that it would be as foolish, as ungenerous: For of Mine, the World will, and ought to be judge, whatever I say, or think; and it's Judgment in these Matters is never erroneous. It is not therefore that I am acted by the Spirit of malevolent Criticism, or Criticism commonly so called; which is nothing but the Art of finding Fault: But I do it, partly to justify my Undertaking (tho' of a different Kind from His, which is what I chiefly insist upon) not to recommend my Performance; partly for the Instruction, and Improvement of my self, and others; for the sake of Truth, and true Criticism; that is, right, and impartial Judgment, joined with good Nature, and good Manners; prone to excuse, but not to falsify; and delighting to dwell upon Beauties, tho' daring to remark upon Faults.
Were we to make a few scattered Strictures upon the First Book only; we should observe that he leaves out a very material Word in the very first Line: And That too happens to be the Word First: As if That stood for Nothing, in Virgil's Verse; and as if First would not have stood as well as Forc'd in his own. Especially, since there are two Adjectives more of the same Signification [Expell'd, and Exil'd in the next Verse but one] agreeing with the same Substantive, all three to express the single Epithet Profugus: Which, by the way, is Tautology, and utterly unlike Virgil's Manner; who never says any thing in vain, and whose chief Beauty is Brevity. In the very next two Lines, Italiam, Lavinaque Littora are left out; tho' necessary to the Design of the Poem: Not to mention his strange Transposing of sævæ memorem Junonis ob iram. V. 28. Long cited by the People of the Sky, is entirely added. As is, V. 41. Electra's Glories, and her injur'd Bed; and the two following Lines. The Addition of three Verses together is too much in all Reason. V. 66. Then as an Eagle grasps the trembling Game, is wholly his own. And so is V. 107, 108. The charming Daughters of the Main Around my Person wait, and bear my Train. V. 144, 145.——Whose dismember'd Hands yet bear The Dart aloft, and clench the pointed Spear. As there is no Hint of This in Virgil; so I doubt it is not Sense in it self. For how the Hand of a Body, which has been dead seven Years, can hold a Spear aloft, I cannot imagine. V. 220. And quenches their innate Desire of Blood. This is not only added; but too gross, and horrid for Virgil's Meaning in that Place. V. 233. After, Two Rows of Rocks (which, by the way, is no Translation of geminique minantur in cœlum scopuli) the next Words are totally omitted; Quorum sub vertice late Æquora tuta silent. V. 459. Then on your Name shall wretched Mortals call, is not included in Multa tibi ante aras nostra cadet hostia dextra. He is speaking of himself, and his Friends in particular; not of wretched Mortals in general; of Thanksgiving, not of Prayer. V. 886.——You shall find, If not a costly Welcome, yet a kind, is no more in Virgil, than it is like his Stile. But as for the Flatnesses, and low prosaick Expressions, which are not a few, and which even the Rhime neither covers, nor excuses; I will for several Reasons forbear to transcribe any of them. These Errata which I have mentioned in the First Book only, (and there are in it many more such, which I have not mentioned) are either in adding to, or curtailing, or mistaking the Sense of the Original.
But upon the Article of adding to his Author, and altering his Sense, there is one Fault in Mr. Dryden which is not to be pardoned. I mean when he does it directly contrary not only to the Sense, but to the Temper and Genius of his Author; and that too in those Instances which injure him not only as a good Poet, but as a good Man. As Virgil is the most chaste, and modest of Poets, and has ever the strictest Regard to Decency; after the Prayer of Iarbas to Jupiter in the Fourth Book, he proceeds thus:
Talibus orantem dictis, arasque tenentem
Audiit omnipotens; oculosque ad mœnia torsit
Regia, & oblitos famæ melioris amantes.