which perhaps are no leẞ Plea fing and Delightful. I have carefully endeavour'd, throughout the Work, to obferve a due Medium between a Paraphrafe and a Verbal Tranflation; I have kept my felf close to my Author's Senfe, and have had fome Regard to the Genius and Spirit of every particular Satire and Epiftle. This I thought the most likely Way to make him intelligible, which is much better done in Profe than Verfe. The Reftraint of Rhime is no ordinary Difficulty, it too often forces the ingenious Tranflator to abandon the true Senje of the Poet, and for the fake of a founding Word, put in fomething of his own. This is too apparent in Mr. Creech's Performance; in Mr. Oldham's Verfion of Horace's Impertinent, and Art of Poetry; but more especially in our Modern Imitations, in which the the Poets, to make their Compofitions the more pleafing and agreeable, have given themselves So great a Liberty, that Horace is little or nothing concern'd in Attempts of that Nature. 'Tis beyond all Question the Bufineẞ of a Tranflator to have his Author always in his Eye, that the Picture he draws may refemble the Original. If in this Particular he discharges his Duty, tho' the Sail he manures be Barren and Unfruitful in fome few Places, let him not. fear that his Verfion will fuffer on that Account. He is to confider himself as a Labourer in another Man's Vineyard. Author can command his Thoughts and Expreffions; he can change and vary both as he pleafes: But he who Tranflates has no fuch Privilege, he is confind to his Author's Thoughts, and is confequently under an in An difpenfable difpenfable Obligation to render his Meaning in a happy, easy, natural Manner, Having given this Account of the following Verfion, I must advertise the Reader of one thing more, which is, that I have tranflated nothing which was contrary to the Rules of Decency and good Manners; infomuch that the most modeft PerSon may now Safely read thefe Satires and Epiftles, and not run the Rifque of endangering his Virtue. Torquet ab obfcænis jam nunc fermonibus aurem. Lib. II. Epift. I, v. 127, HQ Q. HORATII FLACCI SATIRARUM LIBER PRIMUS. Ο UI fit, Mecenas, ut nemo, quam fibi fortem, Seu ratio dederit feu fors objecerit, illa Contentus vivat; laudet diverfa fequentis? O fortunati mercatores, gravis annis Miles ait, multo jam fractus membra labore. Contra mercator, navem jactantibus Auftris, Militia eft potior. quid enim? concurritur: bore Momento aut cita mors venit, aut victoria læta. Agricolam |