The reader, however, must not think that we are blind to the defects of this author. Compare Virgil to Statius, that is, compare general ease and perfpicuity to frequent involution and obfcurity, and you will often be difgufted with him. You will be difpleased to find him no where relaxed, but always keeping up to the fame high-wrought and figurative expreffion. He has few of those warning pieces' which lord Rofcommon praises in Virgil. When his fubject requires his ftile fhould be elevated, and his expreffion raised, an extravagant fwelling is the confequence of the attempt. Every thing fhould have its lights and 1hades; the eye is dazzled with one conftant glare of light, and fhade is abfolutely neceflary to project the parts which should be prominent. In a word, Statius was ruined by a vicious affectation of the stile of Lucan, added to the depraved expreffion of his own times. It would be needlefs to infift upon the favage manners of his favourite heroes: they are represented more like cannibals than men. To as little ufe would it be to take notice of his breach of unities in the fixth book." Thefe are faults fo frequently repeated, that we would willingly spare our readers the difguft of another repetition. If he would fee fome endeavours to defend Statius from these and other objections, we refer him to the differtation prefixed to the present tranflation, which, however, we cannot commend as difplaying a regular chain of argument, or as doing great honour to Mr. Lewis's critical abilities. The first circumftance which we obferve, in a poetical tranflation, is the measure; and here, amidst the prefent general and clamorous demand for blank verfe, amidst the many objections alledged against rhime, on account of its impediments and its jingle, we cannot but commend the tranflator's choice of rhime. The poet who tranflates into blank verfe, confidering the avowed facility of the execution, lies under the ftrongeft temptations of excurfion from his author's meaning, and dilatation of his fenfe. Finding himself under little restraint, he thinks himself at full liberty to ramble in digreflion, and to sport in paraphrase; hence his original is at once mifrepresented and enervated. In rhime these inconveniences are effectually avoided; for upon the conceflion it is a bondage, the poet is feldom defirous of multiplying his trammels; his intereft is not to diffuse but to comprefs; to retrench rather than to add. To compare the verfion of Mr. Lewis with that of Mr. Pope, as far as it goes, would not be the part of a candid critic. No man feems to have been more adapted to elegant tranflation than Pope, for no man was more acquainted with the graces of his own language: every poffible mode of expreflion feems to have been prefent to him, and his great judgment eafily directed him to the beft. Hence it is, that though in his tranflation he is frequently paraphraftic, yet paraphrafe in him is feldom de: trimental to his author. He diffufes not because he did in many words what he could not do in few, but because in using many words he could exalt a flight hint into a finished description. Pope well knew, that the number of those who read a tranflation to be diverted, greatly exceeds those who read to compare it with the original. In a word, he confidered himself in the fituation of a statuary, who fets himself to finish the performance of another mafter to the rude whole he has no claim, but the higher graces, and the more minute elegancies are entirely his own. We would not, however, be thought to infinuate, that the verfion of Mr. Lewis is altogether deftitute of the excellencies we have pointed out in thofe of Pope: but as readers of curiofity are generally induced to compare different merits, we thought it neceffary to admonish them not to expect that which they ought not to expect; nor to be difgufted if they find Mr. Lewis is not fo happy in his power of translation as Mr. Pope. On the other hand, if we confider the general difficulties of render ing any author with tolerable elegance, and the particular ob ftacles in rendering an author who wrote when perspicuity had given way to involution, and when the general: defire seems to have been intent upon faying a common thing in an * uncommon manner, we must be pleased to see a tranflation of Statius executed with no small share of spirit, and tolerable accuracy. Of this the reader will be enabled to judge by the quotations we fhall felect, when we have finished our remarks upon the execu tion of the whole. The verfification is moftly smooth, and frequently harmonious; circumftances from which the tranflator may juftly claim fome praife, confidering the great inclination the present age difcovers towards the uncultivated measure of Donne and Johnfon. The expreffion is generally eafy and natural. This we obferved with the greater pleasure, as we have lately had occafion to remark fome painful endeavours to adopt into our compo fition a new mode of phrafeology, not only departing from the purity of our language in particular, but even from the analogy of language in general, Inftances, however, may be produced, in which our tranflator has trefpaffed againft grammatical con * The reader may take the first example which occurs. Tum dextra virgam inferuit, fays Statius, when speaking of Mercury's inferting his red into his right hand.' Virgil defcribes the fame action by Virgam capit, ' He took his rod.' ftruction ftruction and purity of diction. Of the firft* the examples are not many; of the latter + more, Another fault, we obferved in. this tranflation, is the frequent introduction of obfolete terms, fuch as ween, erft, 'gan, whilome, aftounded, and many others, which the most careless reader muft perceive. Our language has in vain been refined from impurities and enlarged by improvement, if we reject the prefent mode of expreffion, and go back for our words to the days of Chaucer and of Gower. Perhaps Mr. Lewis thought, that in ufing such antiquated terms he confulted elegance and strength; but what ftrength or elegance can be confulted by the ufe of terms, to every common reader wholly unintelligible, we are at a lofs to conceive? Old words can only pleafe a reader who takes delight in turning over the leaves of a gloffary; and, like old coins, may afford entertainment to an antiquarian in his closet; but that money alone is current which carries upon its face the public ftamp. We now proceed to give some specimens; and in felecting them we shall confine ourselves to the first book. The speech of Oedipus, in the original, breathes a fpirit of unconquerable hatred and deteftation of his fons : let us fee how the translator has fucceeded in transfufing this fpirit. "Ye gods, who fway in Tartarus maintain, I've dwelt, if Oedipus attention claim, Oh! lend an ear, and from thy realms below, * Thus in ver. 1119. B. VI. we have, The Spartan youth bewares A thoufánd deaths + Ver. 1157. B. VI. Ver. 987. B. X. Say, prithee, what new,' &c. In justice to ourselves, we must obferve, that we were not induftrious in searching for these examples. We are forry to say, they may be found too often. If If from my fire mif-deem'd I took my way Th' infidious Sphinx, and gain'd the glitt'ring prize; To meet with equal fires Jocafta's love. Forc'd from thefe ftreaming orbs the balls of fight: Give them the crown, which fteep'd in recent gore, These lines, as the reader must perceive, have a great share of ftrength and bold expreffion; but at the fame time, we must obferve, that Mr. Lewis has, rather in an unfair manner, availed himself of Pope's tranflation; for many of the lines, with fome fmall alterations, are the fame, as, upon comparison, may be feen. the The perfon and defcent of Mercury is a favourite subject of description with the poets. Statius has tried his fkill upon fame theme. He is thus reprefented by our tranflator. Swift as the word, the fprightly fon of May The The glitt'ring fandals to his feet applies, And to his heels the well-trim'd pinion ties. He grafps the wand, which draws from hollow graves, In flumbers foft, or caufes fleep to fly. From the vast height with swift descent he springs In the fifth line Mr. Lewis has introduced the word hat, which though it in fome measure, answers the Latin galerus, yet appears here with little dignity; for, in all probability, Statius ufed his galerus elegantly, as it was one of the peculiar characteristics of the god, and as it was not degraded by common ufe; circumstances which can by no means be observed in favour of our hat. We are not fure, at the fame time, whether the terms avide-Spread circumference, when joined with the word bar, do not form, by an unavoidable affociation of ideas, rather a burlefque image than an image adapted to the occafion, by calling to mind the broad-brim'd beavers of our forefathers. Few epic poets are to be found without their ftorms; with the description of that raised by Statius we shall close our specimens and account. The winds arife, and with tumultuous rage I |