As to the Instances of Mr. _Dryden_'s sinking, where his Author most remarkably rises, and being flat where his Author is most remarkably elegant; they are many: But I am almost tired with Quotations; quite tired with such invidious ones, as these are; it being (as I said) much more agreeable to my Temper to remark upon Beauties, than upon Faults, and Imperfections; especially in the Works of great Men, who (tho' they may have written many things not capable of being defended, yet) have written many more, which I can only admire, but do not pretend to equal. And That is the present Case. I shall therefore mention but one Example of this Kind; And it is the unutterable Elegancy of these Lines in the Fourth Book, describing the Scrietch-Owl:
_Solaque culminibus, ferali carmine bubo Sæpe queri_, & longas in fletum ducere voces.
How is This translated in the following Verses? Or rather is it translated at all?
_----With a boding Note The solitary Scrietch-Owl strains her Throat; And on a Chimney's Top, or Turret's height, With Songs obscene disturbs the Silence of the Night._
To produce more Instances would be needless; because One general Remark supersedes them all. It is acknowledged by every body that the First Six Books in the Original are the best, and the most perfect; but the Last Six are so in Mr. _Dryden_'s Translation. Not that even in These _Virgil_ properly sinks, or flags in his Genius; but only he did not live to correct them, as he did the former. However, they abound with Beauties in the Original; and so indeed they do in the Translation, more, as I said, than the First Six: Which is visible to any one that reads the Whole with Application.
I observed in the last place, that where Mr. _Dryden_ shines most, we often see least of _Virgil_. To omit many other Instances, the Description of the _Cyclops_ forging Thunder for _Jupiter_, and Armour for _Æneas_, is elegant, and noble to the last degree in the _Latin_; and it is so to a very great degree in the _English_. But then is the _English_ a Translation of the _Latin_?
_Hither the Father of the Fire by Night Thro' the brown Air precipitates his Flight: On their eternal Anvils here be found The Brethren beating, and the Blows go round._
