I shall give the particular Reasons for my Opinion of these two great Poets, before I finish: In the mean time, I hope the Reader will excuse my Rambling. I am very sensible that I shall not only differ in judgment from many Criticks of great Name, both Ancient and Modern; but that I am like to fall under the ready, and natural Censure of being prejudiced my self, while I warn against it in others. All I can say, is, that I have endeavoured to divest my self of it as much as possible; but cannot be positive that I am entirely free from it; being well aware that nothing in the World is more difficult. For I am sure I have followed _One_ Precept of my Lord _Roscommon_, in his excellent Essay on Translated Verse:
_Examine how your Humour is inclin'd, And which the ruling Passion of your Mind; Then seek a Poet who that way does bend, And chuse an Author, as you chuse a Friend._
And as this is _One_ Circumstance, which is like to make a Man succeed, as a _Translator_; so it is like to make him err, as a _Judge_. For this Sort of Friendship (like all others) will certainly incline us to be partial in favour of the Person whom we praise, or defend. It is in This, as in every thing else; the Affections will be apt to biass the Understanding; and doubtless a Man in a great measure judges This, or That way of Writing to be best, because it is most agreeable to his own natural Temper. Thus, for Example; One Man judges (as he calls it) _Horace_'s Satyrs to be the best; Another is for _Juvenal_'s: When, all this while, strictly speaking, they may not so much differ in _Judgment_, as _Inclination_: For each of them perhaps will allow Both to be best _in their Kind_; but the one is chiefly _delighted_ with this Kind, and the other with that; and _there_ is all the real Difference between them. And tho' this does not exactly parallel the present Case; the Poems of _Homer_ and _Virgil_ being more of the same Species, than the Satyrs of _Horace_ and _Juvenal_; yet it comes very near it: and the Word _Species_ will admit of more Distinction than is commonly imagined: These two Heroic Poets being very different in their _Turn_, and _Manner_ of Thinking, and Writing. But after all, there are in Nature and Reason certain Rules by which we are to judge in these Matters, as well as in others; and there are still such things as Truth and Falshood, notwithstanding Partiality and Prepossession. And this I can assure my Reader, I am not prejudiced in Behalf of my Author, by attempting to be his Translator; for I was of the same Opinion, before I had the least Thought of this daring Enterprize. However, I do not pretend to decide as a Judge, but only to argue as an Advocate; and a Man may be allowed to plead with Prejudice, tho' he always ought to determine without it: For it may do no Mischief at the Bar, tho it be intolerable upon the Bench. But that my Reader may not be misguided by it, upon a Supposition that I am; I desire him to consider, that as I differ from some great Criticks, so I have the Authority of others to support my Opinion. I need not insist upon _Scaliger_, _Rapin_, and the incomparable Earl of _Roscommon_, whose Judgments upon this Point are very well known; but I will produce the Words of _Macrobius_, as collected by _la Cerda_[6], because he is commonly supposed to be in the other Interest. It is true, in the Comparison of particular Passages, he generally prefers _Homer_; yet he says, _Virgilius Homero ditior, locupletior, cultior, purior, clarior, fortior vi argumentorum, diligentior, observantior, uberior, pulchrior_. "_Virgil_ is richer, and fuller than _Homer_, neater, purer, clearer, stronger in the Force of his Arguments, more diligent, more observing, more copious, more beautiful." Thus, I say, he speaks, as he is represented by the above-mentioned Commentator; who only pretends to have picked up those Words from several scattered Passages in his Writings: Whether they are faithfully collected, or no (for he does not quote the particular Places) I have not had the Patience to examine, nor am I at all solicitous to know. It would be endless to cite _Scaliger_ upon this Subject; and besides, when I agree with him, it is rather in his Praise of _Virgil_, than in his Dispraise of _Homer_. I am far from being of his Opinion in some Particulars, and farther from approving of his Way and Manner of Proceeding. He inveighs against _Homer_ with as much Bitterness, as if he had a personal Quarrel with him; prosecutes him with all the Malice of Criticism, and that too sometimes false Criticism; and is upon the whole highly injurious to the Character of that wonderful Poet.
