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to rhythmical poetry. The doctrine that an allegorical fenfe was hid under the narratives of epic poetry had not yet ceased; and he here promises a poem on the myfteries he had newly difcovered in Homer. In the Preface, he declares that the laft twelve books were tranflated in fifteen weeks: yet with the advice of his learned and valued friends, Mafler Robert Hews", and Mafter Harriots. It is certain that the whole performance betrays the negligence of hafte. He pays his acknowledgements to his "most ancient, learned, and right noble friend, Master Richard Stapilton, the first most desertfull mouer in the frame of our "Homer." He endeavours to obviate a popular objection, perhaps not totally groundless, that he confulted the profe Latin version more than the Greek original. He fays, fenfibly enough, "it is the part of euery knowing and iudicious interpreter, not "to follow the number and order of words, but the materiall things themfelues, and fentences to weigh diligently; and to "clothe and adorne them with words, and fuch a ftile and "forme of oration, as are most apt for the language into which they are conuerted." The danger lies, in too lavish an application of this fort of cloathing, that it may not disguise what it should only adorn. I do not say that this is Chapman's fault : but he has by no means reprefented the dignity or the fimplicity Homer. He is fometimes paraphraftic and redundant, but more frequently retrenches or impoverishes what he could not feel and exprefs. In the mean time, he labours with the inconvenience of an aukward, inharmonious, and unheroic measure, imposed by custom, but difgustful to modern ears. Yet he is not always without ftrength or fpirit. He has enriched our language with many compound epithets, fo much in the manner

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"This Robert Hues, or Hufius, was a fcholar, a good geographer and mathematician, and published a tract in Latin on the Globes, Lond. 1593. 8vo. With other pieces in that way. There was also a Robert Hughes who wrote a Dictionary of the English and Perfic. See Wood, ATH.

OXON. i. 571. HIST. ANTIQUIT. UNIV.
OXON. Lib. ii. p. 288. b.

Already mentioned as the publisher of a poetical mifcellany in 1593. Supr. p. 401. "The fpirituall poems or hymnes "of R. S." are entered to J. Busbie, Oct. 17, 1595. REGISTR. STATION. C. fol.

3. b.

of

of Homer, fuch as the filver-footed Thetis, the filver-throned Juno, the triple-feathered helme, the high-walled Thebes, the faire-haired boy, the filver-flowing floods, the hugely-peopled towns, the Grecians navy-bound, the ftrong-winged lance, and many. more which might be collected. Dryden reports, that Waller never could read Chapman's Homer without a degree of tranfport. Pope is of opinion, that Chapman covers his defects" by "a daring fiery fpirit that animates his tranflation, which is "fomething like what one might imagine Homer himself to "have writ before he arrived to years of discretion." But his fire is too frequently darkened, by that fort of fuftian which now disfigured the diction of our tragedy.

He thus tranflates the comparison of Diomed to the autumnal ftar, at the beginning of the fifth book. The lines are in his

beft manner.

From his bright helme and shield did burne, a most unwearied fire,

Like rich Autumnus' golden lampe, whofe brightnesse men

admire

Past all the other host of starres, when with his chearefull face Fresh-washt in loftie ocean waues, he doth the skie enchase *.

The fublime imagery of Neptune's proceffion to affist the Grecians, is thus rendered.

The woods, and all the great hils neare, trembled beneath the weight

Of his immortall mouing feet: three steps he only tooke,
Before he farr-off Æge reach'd: but, with the fourth, it shooke
With his dread entrie. In the depth of those feas, did he hold
His bright and glorious pallace, built of neuer-rusting gold:
And there arriu'd, he put in coach his brazen-footed steeds
All golden-maned, and paced with wings, and all in golden
weeds

- Fol. 63.

Having wings on their feet.

3 K 2

Himselfe

Himselfe he clothed. The golden fcourge, moft elegantly done", He tooke, and mounted to his feate, and then the god begun To drive his chariot through the waues. From whirlpools euery

way

The whales exulted under him, and knewe their king: the fea
For ioy did open, and his horse so swift and lightly flew,
The vnder axeltree of braffe no drop of water drew b.

My copy once belonged to Pope; in which he has noted many of Chapman's abfolute interpolations, extending fometimes to the length of a paragraph of twelve lines. A diligent obferver will easily discern, that Pope was no careless reader of his rude predeceffor. Pope complains that Chapman took advantage of an unmeasureable length of line. But in reality Pope's lines are longer than Chapman's. If Chapman affected the reputation of rendering line for line, the fpecious expedient of chufing a protracted measure which concatenated two lines toge ther, undoubtedly favoured his usual propenfity to periphrafis.

Chapman's commentary is only incidental, contains but a fmall degree of critical excurfion, and is for the most part a pedantic compilation from Spondanus. He has the boldness severely to cenfure Scaliger's impertinence. It is remarkable that he has taken no illustrations from Euftathius, except through the citations of other commentators. But of Euftathius there was no Latin interpretation.

This volume is closed with fixteen Sonnets by the author, addreffed to the chief nobility. It was now a common practice, by these unpoetical and empty panegyrics, to attempt to conciliate the attention, and fecure the protection, of the great,

*Wrought. Finished.

a For Horses.

Fol. 169, feq.

To the Duke of Lenox, the lord Chancellor, Lord Salisbury lord treasurer, earl of Suffolk, earl of Northampton, earl of Arundel, earl of Pembroke, earl of Montgomery, lord Lifle, countess of Montgomery, lady Wroth, countess of Bedford,

earl of Southampton, earl of Suffex, lord Walden, and fir Thomas Howard. Lady Mary Wroth, here mentioned, wife of fir Robert Wroth, was much courted by the wits of this age. She wrote a romance called URANIA, in imitation of fir Philip Sydney's ARCADIA. See Jonfon's EPIGR. 103. 105.

without

without which it was supposed to be impoffible for any poem to ftruggle into celebrity. Habits of fubmiffion, and the notions of fubordination, now prevailed in a high degree; and men looked up to peers, on whofe fmiles or frowns they believed all fublunary good and evil to depend, with a reverential awe. Henry Lock fubjoined to his metrical paraphrase of Ecclesiastes, and his Sundry Chriftian Paffions contayned in two hundred Sonnets, both printed together for Field, in 1597, a set of secular fonnets to the nobility, among which are lord Buckhurft and Anne the amiable countess of Warwick. And not to multiply more inftances, Spenfer in compliance with a difgraceful custom, or rather in obedience to the established tyranny of patronage, prefixed to the FAIRY QUEENE fifteen of these adulatory pieces, which in every respect are to be numbered among the meanest of his compofitions *.

In the year 1614, Chapman printed his verfion of the ODYSSEY, which he dedicated to king James's favorite, Carr earl of Somerset. This was foon followed by the BATRACHOMUOMACHY, and the HYMNS, and EPIGRAMS. But I find long before Chapman's time, "A Ballett betweene the myce and the "frogges," licenced to Thomas East the printer, in 1568'. And there is a ballad, "A moste strange weddinge of the frogge "and the mouse," in 1580 %.

He is also supposed to have translated Hefiod.

But this no

tion feems to have arifen from these lines of Drayton, which

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mous interlude, called THERSYTES his humours and conceits, in 1598. See Shakesp. vol. ix. p. 166. See ibid. p. 331. And the verfions of Homer perhaps produced a ballad, in 1586, "The Lamentation of "Hecuba and the Ladies of Troye." Aug. 1, to E. White. REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 209. a. Again to W. Matthews, Feb. 22, 1593, "The Lamentation of Troye "for the death of Hector." Ibid. fol.. 305. a.

Licenced to E. White, Nov. 21, 1580:. REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 174. b.

alfo

also contain a general and a very honourable commendation of Chapman's fkill as a tranflator 1.

1

Others againe there liued in my days,

That haue of us deferued no lefs prayse

For their TRANSLATIONS, than the daintiest wit

That on Parnaffus thinks he high'ft doth fit,

And for a chair may mongst the Muses call

As the most curious Maker of them all :

As reuerend Chapman, who hath brought to vs
Mufæus, Homer, and Hefiodvs,

Out of the Greeke: and by his skill hath rear'd
Them to that height, and to our tongue endear'd,
That were those poets at this day aliue

To see their books thus with vs to furuiue,
They'd think, hauing neglected them so long,
They had been written in the English tongue'.

I believe Chapman only tranflated about fourteen lines from the beginning of the fecond book of Hefiod's WORKS AND DAYS," as well as I could in hafte," which are inferted in his commentary on the thirteenth Iliad for an occafional illuftration *. Here is a proof on what flight grounds affertions of this fort are often founded, and, for want of examination, tranfmitted to pofterity'.

As an original writer, Chapman belongs to the class of dramatic poets, and will not therefore be confidered again at the period in which he is placed by the biographers". His tranfla

See alfo Bolton's opinion of Chapman, fupr. p. 276.

i Elegy to Reynolds, ut fupr.

* Fol. 185. feq.

1 Since this was written, I have difcovered that" Hefiod's Georgics tranflated "by George Chapman," were licenced to Miles Patrich, May 14, 1618. But I doubt if the book was printed. REGISTR. STATION. C. fol. 290. b.

m But this is faid not without fome degree of restriction. For Chapman wrote "OVID'S BANQUET OF SAUCE, A Coro"net for his mistress Philofophy and his "amorous Zodiac. Lond. 1595. 4to." To which is added, "The AMOROUS CON"TENTION of Phillis and Flora," a tranflation by Chapman from a Latin poem, written, as he fays, by a Frier in the year 1400. There is alfo his PERSEUS AND ANDROMEDA,

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