Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

NOTE S.

I HAVE referved the Notes to this place, that the reader might be left to his genuine feelings, and the natural impreffion on reading the Epistle, whether adverfe or favourable to the idea I ventured to premise, concerning its Subject and Defign. In the address to my learned and worthy friends I faid little more than was neceffary to open my plan, and to offer an excufe for my undertaking. The Notes defcend to particulars, tending to illuftrate and confirm my hypothefis; and adding occafional explanations of the original, chiefly intended for the use of the English Reader. I have endeavoured, according to the best of my ability, to follow the advice of ROSCOMMON in the lines, which I have ventured to prefix to these Notes. How far I may be entitled to the poetical blessing promised by the Poet, the Publick muft determine: but were I, avoiding arrogance, to renounce all claim to it, fuch an appearance of Modefty would include a charge of Impertinence for having hazarded this publication. Take

Take pains the GENUINE MEANING to explore!
There fweat, there ftrain, tug the laborious oar:
Search ev'ry comment, that your care can find ;
Some here, fome there, may hit the PORT'S MIND:
Yet be not blindly guided by the Throng;
The Multitude is always in the Wrong.

When things appear unnatural or hard,
Confult your AUTHOR, with HIMSELF compar'd!
Who knows what Bleffing Phoebus may bestow,
And future Ages to your labour owe?
Such Secrets are not eafily found out,
But once difeover'd, leave no room for doubt.
TRUTH ftamps conviction in your ravish'd breaft,
And Peace and Joy attend the GLORIOUS GUEST.

Effay on Tranflated Verfe,

THE

THE

ART of POETRY, an EPISTLE, &c.

Q. HORATII FLACCI EPISTOLA AD PISONES,

THE

HE work of Horace, now under confideration, has been fo long known, and fo generally received, by the name of The Art of Poetry, that I have, on account of that notoriety, fubmitted this tranflation to the Publick, under that title, rather than what I hold to be the true one, viz. Horace's EPISTLE TO THE PISOS. The Author of the English Commentary has adopted the fame title, though directly repugnant to his own fyftem; and, I fuppofe, for the very fame reason.

The title, in general a matter of indifference, is, in the present inftance, of much confequence. On the title Julius Scaliger founded his invidious, and injudicious, attack. De arte quæres quid fentiam. Quid? equidem quod DE ARTE, SINE ARTE traditâ. To the Title all the editors, and commentators, have particularly

4

1

particularly adverted; commonly preferring the Epiftolary Denomination, but, in contradiction to that preference, almost universally inscribing the Epiftle, the Art of Poetry. The conduct, however, of JASON DE NORES, a native of Cyprus, a learned and ingenious writer of the 16th century, is very remarkable. In the year 1553 he published at Venice this work of Horace, accompanied with a commentary and notes, written in elegant Latin, infcribing it, after Quintilian, Q. Horatii Flacci LIBER DE ARTE POETICA*, The very next year, however, he printed at Paris a fecond edition, enriching his notes with many obfervations on Dante and Petrarch, and changing the title, after mature confideration, to 2. Horatii Flacci EPISTOLA AD PISONES, de Arte Poeticâ. His motives for this change he affigns in the following terms,

Quare adductum me primum fciant AD INSCRIPTIO NEM OPERIS IMMUTANDAM non levioribus de caufis, & quod formam EPISTOLÆ, non autem LIBRI, in quo præcepta tradantur, vel ex ipfo principio præ fe ferat, & quod in vetuftis exemplaribus Epiftolarum libros fub

* I think it right to mention that I have never feen the first edition, publifhed at Venice. With a copy of the fecond edition, printed at Paris, I was favoured by Dr. Warton of Winchefter.

[ocr errors]

fequatur,

fequatur, & quod etiam fummi et præftantiffimi homines ita fentiant, & quod minimè nobis obftet Quintiliani teftimonium, ut nonnullis videtur. Nam fi LIBRUM appellat Quintilianus, non eft cur non poffit inter EPISTOLAS enumerari, cum et illæ ab Horatio in libros digefta fuerint. Quod vero DE ARTE POETICA idem Quintilianus adjungat, nihil commoveor, cùm et in EPISTOLIS præcepta de aliquâ re tradi poffint, ab eodemque in omnibus penè, et in iis ad Scavam & Lollium præcipuè jam factum videatur, in quibus breviter eos inftituit, quâ ratione apud majores facile verfarentur*.

Defprez, the Dauphin Editor, retains both titles, but fays, inclining to the Epiftolary, Attamen ARTEM POETICAM vix appellem cum Quintiliano et aliis: malim vero EPISTOLAM nuncupare cum nonnullis eruditis. Monfieur Dacier infcribes it, properly enough, agree. able to the idea of Porphyry, Q. Horatii Flacci DE ARTE POETICA LIBER; feu, EPISTOLA AD PISONES, PATREM, ET FILIOS.

Julius Scaliger certainly ftands convicted of critical mal.ce by his poor cavil at the SUPPOSED title;

* Since writing and first publishing the above, I have feen the first Edi tion of DE NORES, and find the title of the Epistle to be the fame as in his fecond; fo that he here refers to his departure from the ufage of others, not to any variation from himself.

and

« PoprzedniaDalej »