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transforms into kids; where kids do seem to brouze." In the description of the fisherman, ver. 43. he has these lines,

The nerves in's neck are swoln, look firm and strong,

Altho' he's old, and fit for one that's young.

Ver. 112. He makes Daphnis say to Venus,

Go now stout Diomed, go soon pursue,

Go nose him now, and boast, my arts o'erthrew:
Young Daphnis, fight, for I'm a match for you.

Exinas pov and oãμe Avxrovidao, he renders, Helick's cliff, and Licon's tomb.-A little further on, and likewise in the 5th Idyllium, he turns nightingales into thrushes.

Idyllium III. Where Olpis is looking out for tunnies, he makes him stand, To snare his trouts.—— The girl Erithacis he calls Tawney Bess-and Alphesiboa's mother, Alphish's mother.

Idyllium V. ver. 11. He translates Crocylus into Dick, and Idyllium XIV. Argivus, Apis and Cleunicus, into Tom, Will and Dick. Near the end of the 5th, Lacon says;

I love Eumedes much, I gave my pipe,

How sweet a kiss he gave; ah charming lip!

Then come successively the following delicate rhymes: strains, swans; shame, lamb; piece, fees; joy, sky: afterwards he makes Comates say;

I'll toot at Lacon, I have won the lamb,

Go foolish shepherd, pine, and die for shame.

Idyllium VII. ver. 120. He renders uns parsley, thinking it the same as apium, whereas it signifies a pear. Idyllium XI. He makes Polyphemus say of himself;

Sure I am somewhat, they my worth can see,
And I myself will now grow proud of me.

He says of Cynisca, Idyl. XIV. 23.

That you might light a candle at her nose.

Idyllium XV. One of the gossips says to a stranger,

-You are a sawcy friend,

I'm ne'er beholding t'ye, and there's an end.

And so there's an end of my animadversions upon Mr. Creech; were I to quote all his dull insipid lines, I should quote above half his book: this much was proper for me to say in my own vindication; and to add more might to some people seem invidious.

It has been hinted to me by more ingenious judges, that if Theocritus was translated in the langeage of Spenser, he would appear to great advantage, as such an antique style would be a proper succedaneum to the Doric idiom. There appeared to me at first something plausible in this scheme; but happening to find part of Moschus's first Idyllium, which is a Hue and Cry after Cupid, paraphrastically translated by Spenser himself, I had reason to alter my opinion. Í shall transcribe the passage, that the reader may judge whether such a version would be more agreeable than one in modern language.

It fortun'd fair Venus having lost

Her little son, the winged god of love,

Who for some slight displeasure which him crost,

Was from her filed, as flit as any dove,

And left her blissful bower of joy above;

(So from her often he had fled away,

When she for aught him sharply did reprove,
And wander'd in the world in strange array,

Disguis'd in thousand shapes, that none might him bewray:}
Him for to seek, she left her heavenly house,
And searched every way, thro' which his wings
Had borne him, or his tract she mote detect:

She promis'd kisses sweet, and sweeter things,
Unto the man that of him tidings to her brings.

Fairy Queen, b. 3. ch. 6.

From this specimen I could not be persuaded to think that a translation of Theocritus, even in the purest language of Spenser, would afford any pleasure to an English reader: and therefore I have given him the dress which I apprehend would best become him. How I have executed this work, I leave to the decision of the candid and impartial, desiring they will allow me all the indulgence which the translator of so various and difficult an author can reasonably require; an author on whom there are but few Greek scholia published, only to the 17th Idyllium inclusive, and these often extremely puerile; an author on whom fewer notes have been written than upon any other equally exsellent. Scaliger, Casaubon, Heinsius and Meursius frequently leave the most difficult passages un

touched; their observations are sometimes trifling and unsatisfactory, often repugnant to each other, and now and then learnedly obscure: amidst these disadvantages I have endeavoured to conduct myself with the utmost caution; and if I may be allowed to speak of the following sheets, I will briefly explain what I have attempted to accomplish. First then as to the translation; I have neither followed my author too closely nor abandoned him too wantonly, but have endeavoured to keep the original in view, without too essentially deviating from the sense: no literal translation can be just; as to this point, Horace gives us an excellent caution;

Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus
Interpres.

Nor word for word too faithfully translate.

an admirable precept

A too faithful interpretation, Mr. Dryden says, must be a pedantic one: to this purpose is contained in the compliment sir John Denham pays sir Richard Fanshaw on his version of the Pastor Fido;

That servile path thou nobly dost decline,
Of tracing word by word, and line by line;
A new and nobler way thou dost pursue,
To make translations, and translators too;
They but preserve the ashes, thou the flame,
True to his sense, but truer to his fame.

And as I have not endeavoured to give a verbal translation, so neither have I indulged myself in a rash paraphrase, which always loses the spirit of an ancient by degenerating into the modern manners of expression; and to the best of my recollection, I have taken no liberties but those which are necessary for exhibiting the graces of my author, transfusing the spirit of the original, and supporting the poetical style of the translation. This is the plan, and these are the rules by which every translator should, conduct himself: how I have acquitted myself in these points must be left to the determination of superior judges. As to the notes, which I found the most laborious part of my task, they are intended either to illustrate the most difficult, and exemplify the beautiful passages; or else to exhibit the various imitations of authors, which I look upon as an agreeable comment, for they not only show the manner in which the ancients copied each other's excellencies, but likewise often help to elucidate the passages that are quoted. Upon a review of my notes, I have instanced too many passages from Virgil as imitations of Theocritus: what I have to say in my defence is, they appeared to me at the time to be similar, if they do not appear in the same light to the reader, they are easily overlooked: if I have in this respect committed a fault, this acknowledgment will plead in mitigation of it.

Besides these errours and mistakes, I am conscious of many more, though I hope not very material ones; those the learned and judicious, who are sensible of the difficulty of this undertaking, will readily excuse. This work has already met with the approbation of the best critics of the age, therefore what the worst may think or say of it, will give me no concern. I must acknowledge a fault or two quas incuria fudit: there are, I believe, two or three proper names falsely accented: I have also mistaken the sense of my author in the first Idyllium, ver. 31,

This goat with twins I'll give, &c.

It should have been translated, "I will give you three milkings of this goat; sa aminžai, that you may milk her three times ;" not the goat herself and twins, which would have been a most extravagant present from a poor goat-herd, in return for a song. The reader therefore may correct the passage thus,

Thrice shall you milk this goat; she never fails
Two kids to suckle, though she fill two pails;
To this I'll add, &c.

This mistake was imparted to me by the ingenious and learned Dr. Jortin, together with the following emendation; see note on ver. 57, "for you you read with Pierson, Kgo.cOLD; which, as to the sense, seems to be right. But, as the lonic dialect is not often used in a Doric song, I should prefer the adjective Kaua, which is also a smaller alteration. As from χρυσος comes χρύσειος, so from Κροίσος, Κροισείας.” I am much obliged to the same gentleman for the fol lowing short but full account of the bucolic measure.

"Whosoever shall carefully examine in Theocritus the composition of his verses, may perceive that, in his opinion, the nature of bucolic or pastoral metre requires that the fourth foot of the verse be a dactyl, and that the last syllable of this dactyl be the end of a word, which must not run into the next foot. The first foot also should rather be a dactyl than a spondee, and the asura

is here likewise to be shunned. If after the fourth foot there be a pause, of a comma at least, the verse will be still more elegant; as,

Αρχετε | βωκολικάς, Μώσαι φίλαι, | αρχετ' αοιδας.

Thus the verses will abound with dactyls, which, together with the broad Doric dialect, gives a certain rustic vivacity and lightness to the poesy. But yet the above-mentioned rules, if they were constantly observed, would displease by a tiresome uniformity, and confine the poet to much; and therefore a variety is better, as in the line,

Αμφωες, νεοτυχίες, ετι γλυφα | -νοιο ποτόσδον,

And it is sufficient if the other structure predominate. These rules Virgil hath quite neglected ; except in those verses of his eighth Eclogue, which are called, versus intercalares :

And

Incipe Mænalios mecum, mea | tibia, versus,

Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, | ducite Daphnim.

For a further account of this matter, the curious reader is referred to the Memoires de L'Acad. tom. vi. p. 238."

AN ACCOUNT OF SOME MSS. AND CURIOUS EDITIONS OF THEOCRITUS.

It may be asked, why I have not acted the part of a verbal critic in this performance? My reason was, that far more able men had considered Theocritus in that light. The late Mr. D'Orville, the author of the Critica Vannus, and Sicula, during his travels in Italy and Sicily, collated upwards of forty MSS. of Theocritus: his collation is now at Amsterdam. Mr. St. Amand, a few years ago, left to the university of Oxford a large collection of collations, which Mr. Thomas Warton, who has prepared a noble edition of this author, has the use of. Mr. Taylor, late Greek professor of Cambridge, left likewise a Theocritus almost ready for the press. In the public library at Cambridge, there are some notes on Theocritus by Isaac Casaubon, written in the margin of Henry Stephens' Poctæ Græci; likewise manuscript notes in the edition of Commelin printed in quarto; and also some notes by Thomas Stanley, the author of the Lives of the Philosophers: all these, and likewise a MS. Theocritus, are in the public library at Cambridge. There is also a MS. of the first eight Idylliums in Emanuel college library. Mr. Hoblyn, late member for the city of Bristol, left behind him many notes and observations for an edition of Theocritus. Besides these, there are great materials for illustrating this author in private libraries.

As to the editions of Theocritus, which are very numerous, I think proper to say something; as we have but an imperfect account of them in Fabricius and Maittaire. Reiske, in the preface to his late edition of this Greek poet, has given us an account of the various editions, but this account is far from being satisfactory. The first edition of Theocritus was printed at Milan in the year 1493, the letter is the same with the Isocrates of the same place and date: see the catalogue of the Leyden library, page 251. The second edition was printed by Aldus Manutius at Venice in the year 1495; this is the only edition Aldus ever printed; there are some leaves cancelled in it, which is the reason why Reiske and others have imagined that Al- · dus printed two editions: Mr. Maittaire, in the first volumes of his Annales Typographici, page 244, has given us an account of these differences. In the year 1515, we have an edition by Philip Junta at Florence; and another in 1516, by Zachary Caliergus at Rome.

These are all the editions that came out before the year 1520. Besides these, and those mentioned by Reiske, which I have seen, there are some curious editions, viz. that of Florence by Benedict Junta, printed in the year 1540; the Basil edition of 1558, and the Paris edition of 1627, printed by John Libert. I have purposely omitted mentioning the others, as they are already taken notice of, either by Fabricius, Maittaire, or Reiske.

I cannot conclude this preface without paying my acknowledgments to those gentlemen who have kindly assisted me in this undertaking. Dr. Pearce, the present lord bishop of Rochester, many years eminent for his critical disquisitions, has in the friendliness of conversation furnished me with several useful rules for conducting my translation. Dr. Jortin has favoured me with a concise but full account of the old bucolic measure; and a few valuable notes. The celebrated Mr. Samuel Johnson has corrected part of this work, and furnished me with some judicious remarks. In a short conversation with the ingenious Mr. Joseph Warton, I gathered several observations, particularly in regard to the superiority of Theocritus to Virgil in pastoral, which are interspersed amongst the notes. The learned Dr. Plumptre, archdeacon of Ely, has, with great candour and accuracy, done me the honour to peruse and amend every sheet as it came from the press. Dr. Askew, so eminently distinguished in his profession, as well as for a large and most curious collection of the classics, and an intimate knowledge of them, with the sincerity of an old acquaintance and a friend, gave me many various readings, showed me every

valuable edition of Theocritus that is extant, and furnished me with the account of some MSS. and scarce editions of my author, which were never taken notice of by former editors. Swithin Adee, M. D. and the rev. Mr. John Duncombe of Canterbury, have at my own request sent me several notes and strictures upon my performance, which are candid, and valuable. Mr. Burnaby Greene, author of Juvenal paraphrastically imitated, very obligingly supplied the Essay on Pastoral, and some ingenious observations: and Dr. William Watson lent me his friendly assistance in the botanical part. I could mention other eminent names of gentlemen who have corrected and improved this work;

-Each finding, like a friend,

Something to blame, and something to commend.

The list I have given, I am apprehensive, will appear ostentatious-however, I had rather be onvicted of the foible of vanity, than thought guilty of the sin of ingratitude,

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS

OF THEOCRITUS.

As the life of Theocritus has been several times written in English, I flattered myself that I might single out the account I liked best, and save myself the trouble of compiling it afresh: I depended a good deal upon Kennet, but when I came to peruse his account of Theocritus, I found it unsatisfactory, and no ways answerable to my purpose: he seems more solicitous, in an affected quaintness of style, to exhibit a display of his own learning, than studious, by the investigation of truth, to give information to his readers: his thoughts lie loose and unconnected, and therefore are generally tedious and perplexing.

The account of our author in the Biographical Dictionary, published in twelve volumes octavo, is nothing but a servile epitome of Kennet, and, where the conciseness of it will allow, expressed in his very words. Thus dissatisfied with the moderns, I had recourse to the ancients: in the life generally prefixed to his works by Suidas, we are told, "that Theocritus was a Chian, a rhetorician: but that there was another Theocritus, the son of Praxagoras and Philina, though some say of Simichidas, a Syracusian;" others say, "he was born at Cos, but lived at Syracuse;" now this was the case of Epicharmus, and might easily occasion the mistake. See the note on Epigram XVII.

In another Greek account in the front of his works, we are told, " that Theocritus the Bucolic poet was born at Syracuse, and that his father's name was Simichidas." Gyraldus says, "some have thought him of Cos, some of Chios." From such a confused jumble of relations, what can with certainty be

made out?

Then take him to develop, if you can,

And hew the block off, and get out the man.

There are but few memorials left of this poet; those that I produce, I shall endeavour to establish on good authority, and whenever an opportunity offers, which is but very reasonable, will let him speak for himself.

Theocritus was a Sicilian, as is evident from many testimonies: Virgil invokes the Sicilian Muses because Theocritus, whom he professedly imitates, was of that country; Sicilides Musa, paulo majora canamas. Ecl. 4.1. and, Extremum hunc, Arethusa, mihi concede laborem. Ecl. 10. 1. He is called a Sicilian poet by the emperor Julian in one of his epistles; and by Terentianus Maurus, in his book de Metris, ver. 407, Siculæ telluris alumnus: by Manilius, B.2. ver. 40, he is said to be Siculâ tellure creatus, which fixes his birth on that island: and that he was born at Syracuse, Virgil seems to intimate when he says, Prima Syracosio dignata est ludere versu. Ecl. 6. 1. But in one of his own Epigrams, which generally stands in the front of his works, probably according to his own original intention, he assures us he was born at Syracuse, and gives us the names of his parents :

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