MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS ΠΕΡΙ ΒΑΘΟΥΣ: OR, OF THE ART OF SINKING IN POETRY. WRITTEN IN THE YEAR MDCCXXVII. 187 MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS ΠΕΡΙ ΒΑΘΟΥΣ. CHAP. I. Ir hath been long (my dear Countrymen) the subject of my concern and surprise, that whereas numberless Poets, Critics, and Orators have compiled and digested the Art of ancient Poesy, there hath not risen among us one person so public-spirited, as Martinus] The learned Mr. Upton has made an ingenious remark on the title of this piece: "It is pleasant enough to consider how the change of a single letter has often led learned Commentators into mistakes; and a II, being accidentally altered into a B, in a Greek Rhetorician, gave occasion to one of the best pieces of satire that ever was written in the English language, viz. ПIEPI BAOOYE; a treatise concerning the Art of Sinking in Poetry. The blunder I mean is in the second section of Longinus: ΕΙ ΕΣΤΙΝ ΥΨΟΥΣ ΤΙΣ Η ΒΑΘΟΥΣ ΤΕΧΝΗ, instead of ПАOYΣ; a most ridiculous blunder, which has occasioned as ridiculous criticisms." Observations on Shakspeare, p. 256. M. De Larchet, the translator of Herodotus, gave a French translation also of this Life of Scriblerus. It is easy to imagine that the humour has evaporated in a French translation. The blunder relating to the word wálovç, reminds one of a most egregious mistake of Rapin the critic, whose knowledge of Greek has been much questioned. Relating a story of Euphranor the painter, he says, "Apion has related it." Having read the story in Eustathius; who says, άπiv éypayer; which meant, that Euphranor hearing a description of Jupiter read in Homer, "went away and painted it." |