be gratified by the prefent Work, which endeavours to explain thofe Paffages only, that are of real, acknowledged Obfcurity. The Difficulties of Horace arife, in general, from his frequent Translations of Lines in Grecian Writers, and Parodies on thofe of his Cotemporaries; from his introducing new Characters on the Scene, and changing the Speakers of his Dialogues; from his not marking his Tranfitions from Thought to Thought, but giving them as they lay in his Mind. Thefe unconnected Transitions are of great Life and Spirit, nor should a Translator be too coldly regular in fupplying the Connexion, fince it will be a tame Performance, that gives us the Senfe of Horace, if it be not given in his peculiar Manner. As his Editors have often perplexed the Text, by altering the Measures of our Author, for the Sake of a more musical Cadence, fo they who have imitated or tranflated him with most Success in English, seem to have forgotten, that a Careleffnefs of Numbers is a peculiar Part of his Character, which which ought to be preferved almoft as faithfully as his Sentiments. Style is Genius, and juftly numbered amongst the Fountains of the Sublime. Expreffion in Poetry is that Colouring in Painting which diftinguishes a Master's Hand. But the Misfortune of our Tranflators is, that they have only one Style, and confequently all their Authors, Homer, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, are compelled to speak in the fame Numbers, and the fame unvaried Expreffion. The free-born Spirit of Poetry is confined in twenty constant Syllables, and the Sense regularly ends in every fecond Line; as if the Writer had not Strength enough to fupport himself, or Courage enough to ven-. ture into a third. This unclaffical Kind of Verfification would be particularly unnatural in a Tranflation of Horace. It would make him argue in Couplets, and the Perfons of his Dialogues converse almost in Epigrams, The Tranflator hath therefore followed the Senfe in one unbroken Period. He hath often endeavoured to imitate the profaic Ca dence dence of his Author, when he could with Manner of preserving that loose profaic Poe- try; that Negligence of Numbers, which If we confider the poetical Spirit, and nu- merous Variety of Meafures in his Odes, we believe this careless Verfification in his Satires was not an Effect of Neceffity, but Judgment. His frequent Ufe of Proverbs, and common Phrases; his different Manner of expreffing the fame Sentiments in his Odes and Satires, will convince us, that he really thought a Satirist and a Poet were ex- tremely different Characters; and that the Language of Poetry was as unnatural to the Morality of Satire, as a low, familiar Style to the Majefty of an Epic Poem; or, as he himself expreffes it, that the Muse of Satire If If this Criticism be juft, the Dispute between Juvenal and Horace may with Ease be decided. In Juvenal the Vices of his Age are fhewn in all their natural Horrours. He commands his Readers in the Language of Authority, and terrifies them with Images drawn in the Boldness of a truly poetical Spirit. He ftands like a Prieft at an Altar facrificing to his Gods; but even a Priest, in his warmest Zeal for Religion, might be forgiven, if he confeffed fo much Humanity, as not to take pleasure in hearing the Groans, and searching into the Entrails of the Victim. There is a Kind of Satire of fuch Malignity, as too furely proceeds from a Defire of gratifying a conftitutional Cruelty of Temper. The Satirift does not appear like a Magiftrate to give Sentence on the Vices of Mankind, but like an Executioner to flaughter the Criminal. It was the Saying of a great Man, that he, who hated Vice, hated Mankind; but certainly he does not love them as he ought, who indulges to his natural Sagacity in a Discernment of their Faults, and an ill-natured Pleasure of expofing them to public View. Our Author was of another Spirit; of a natural Chearfulness of Temper, with an. Eafinefs of Manners, fashioned by the Politeness of Courts; a good Understanding, improved by converfing with Mankind; a quick Difcernment of their Frailties, but in general, fo pleafing an Art of correcting them, that he reproves without offending, and inftructs without an Affectation of Superiority. He preferves a Strength of Reafoning neceffary to perfuade, but without that dogmatical Serioufnefs, which is apt to difguft or difoblige. He has this Advan- . tage over the rigid Satirift, that we receive him into our Bofoms, while he reasons with Good-humour and corrects in the Language of Friendship. Nor will his Satires be lefs ufeful to the prefent Age, than to that in which they were written; fince he does not draw his Characters from particular Perfons, but from human Nature itself, which is invariably the fame in all Ages and Countries. In |