I heave the gods, the ocean, and the land;
I fix the chain to great Olympus’ height,
And the vast world hangs trembling in my sight!
For such I reign, unbounded and above;
And such are men and gods, compar’d to Jove![22]
It would be endless to point out all the instances in which Mr. Pope has improved both upon the thought and expression of his original. We find frequently in Homer, amidst the most striking beauties, some circumstances introduced which diminish the merit of the thought or of the description. In such instances, the good taste of the translator invariably covers the defect of the original, and often converts it into an additional beauty. Thus, in the simile in the beginning of the third book, there is one circumstance which offends against good taste.
Ευτ’ ορεος κορυφῆσι Νοτος κατεχευεν ὀμιχλην,
Ποιμεσιν ουτὶ φιλην, κλεπτη δε τε νυκτος αμεινω,
Τὸσσον τις τ’ επιλευσσει, ὅσον τ’ επι λααν ἵησιν·
Ὡς ἂρα των ὓπο ποσσι κονισσαλος ωρνυτ’ αελλης