SE C T. XL. BUT, UT, as scholars began to direct their attention to our vernacular poetry, many more of the antient poets now appeared in English verse. Before the year 1600, Homer, Mufaeus, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, and Martial, were tranflated. Indeed most of these verfions were published before the year 1580. For the fake of prefenting a connected difplay of thefe early translators, I am obliged to trefpafs, in a flight degree, on that chronological order which it has been my prefcribed and conftant method to obferve. In the mean time we must remember, that their verfions, while they contributed to familiarife the ideas of the antient poets to English readers, improved our language and verfification; and that in a general view, they ought to be considered as valuable and important acceffions to the stock of our poetical literature. These were the claffics of Shakespeare. I shall begin with those that were tranflated first in the reign of Elifabeth. But I must premise, that this inquiry will neceffarily draw with it many other notices much to our purpose, and which could not otherwife have been fo conveniently difpofed and difplayed. Thomas Phaier, already mentioned as the writer of the story of OWEN GLENDOUR in the MIRROUR OF MAGISTRATES, a native of Pembrokeshire, educated at Oxford, a student of Lincoln's Inn, and an advocate to the council for the Marches of Wales, but afterwards doctorated in medicine at Oxford, tranflated the feven first books of the Eneid of Virgil, on his retirement to his patrimonial feat in the forest of Kilgarran 3D 2 garran in Pembrokeshire, in the years 1555, 1556, 1557. They were printed at London in 1558, for Ihon Kyngfton, and dedicated to queen Mary. He afterwards finished the eighth book on the tenth of September, within forty days, in 1558. The ninth, in thirty days, in 1560. Dying at Kilgarran the fame year, he lived only to begin the tenth. All that was thus done by Phaier, one William Wightman published in 1562, with a dedication to fir Nicholas Bacon, "The nyne first books of the "Eneidos of Virgil conuerted into English verse by Thomas "Phaer doctour of phyfick, &c." The imperfect work was at length completed, with Maphaeus's fupplemental or thirtcenth book, in 1583, by Thomas Twyne, a native of Canterbury, a physician of Lewes in Suffex, educated in both univerfities, an admirer of the mysterious philofophy of John Dee, and patronifed by lord Buckhurst the poet. The ninth, tenth, eleventh, In quarto. Bl. Lett. At the end of the feventh book is this colophon, "Per "Thomam Phaer in forefta Kilgerran fi"nitum iij. Decembris. Anno 1557. Opus "xij dierum." And at the end of every book is a fimilar colophon, to the fame purpofe. The first book was finished in eleven days, in 1555. The fecond in twenty days, in the fame year. The third in twenty days, in the fame year. The fourth in fifteen days, in 1556. The fifth in twenty-four days, on May the third, in 1557," poft periculum eius Karmerdini," i. e. at Caermarthen. The fixth in twenty days, in 1557. Phaier has left many large works in his feveral profeffions of law and medicine. He is pathetically lamented by fir Thomas Chaloner as a most skilful physician, ENCOм. p. 356. Lond. 1579. 4to. He has a recommendatory English poem prefixed to Philip Betham's MILITARY PRECEPTS, tranflated from the Latin of James earl of Purlilias, dedicated to lord Studley, Lond. 1544. 4to. For E. Whitchurch. There is an entry to Purfoot in 1566, for printing" ferten verfes of Cupydo by "Mr. Fayre [Phaier]." REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 154. a. bEx coloph. ut fupr. In quarto. Bl. Lett. For Rowland Hall. See fupr. p. 287. His father was John Twyne of Bolington in Hampshire, an eminent antiquary, author of the Commentary DE REBUS ALBIONICIS, &C. Lond. 1590. It is addreffed to, and published by, with an epiftle, his faid fon THOMAS. Laurence, a fellow of All Souls and a civilian, and John Twyne, both THOMAS's brothers, have copies of verfes prefixed to several cotemporary books, about the reign of queen Elifabeth. THOMAS wrote and tranflated many tracts, which it would be fuperfluous and tedious to enumerate here. To his BREVIARIE OF BRITAINE, a tranflation from the Latin of Humphrey Lhuyd, in 1573, are prefixed recommendatory verfes, by Browne prebendary, and Grant the learned schoolmafter, of Weftminfter, Llodowyke Lloyd a poet in the PARADISE OF DAINTIE DEVISES, and his two brothers, aforefaid, Laurence and John. Our tranflator, THOMAS TWYNE, died in 1613, aged 70, and was buried in the chancel of faint Anne's church at Lewes, where his epitaph of fourteen verses ftill, I believe, and twelfth books, were finished at London in 1573°. The whole was printed at London in 1584, with a dedication, dated that year from Lewes, to Robert Sackville', the eldest son of lord Buckhurst, who lived in the diffolved monastery of the Cluniacs at Lewes 5. So well received was this work, that it was followed by three new editions in 1596a, 1607, and 16201. Soon after the last-mentioned period, it became obsolete and was forgotten *. Phaier undertook this translation for the defence, to use his own phrafe, of the English language, which had been by too many deemed incapable of elegance and propriety, and for the "honest "recreation of you the nobilitie, gentlemen, and ladies, who " ftudie in Latine." He adds, " By mee first this gate is fet open. If now the writers will uouchfafe to enter, they young may finde in this language both large and abvndant camps [fields] of uarietie, wherein they may gather innumerable "fortes of most beavtifull flowers, figures, and phrafes, not 66 only to supply the imperfection of mee, but also to garnish "all kinds of their own verfes with a more cleane and compen"diovs order of meeter than heretofore hath bene accustomed'." Phaier has omitted, mifrepresented, and paraphrased many paffages; but his performance in every respect is evidently fuperior to Twyne's continuation. The measure is the fourteen-footed I believe, remains on a brass plate affixed to the eastern wall. Large antiquarian and hiftorical manufcript collections, by the father JOHN TWYNE, are now in Corpus Christi library at Oxford. In his COLLECTANEA VARIA, (ibid. vol. iii. fol. 2.) he fays he had written the Liyes of T. Robethon, T. Lupfet, Rad. Barnes, T. Eliot, R. Sampfon, T. Wriothefle, Gul. Paget, G. Day, Joh. Chriftopherfon, N. Wooton. He is in Leland's ENCOMIA, p. 83. Coloph. ut fupr. In quarto. Bi. Lett. For Abraham Veale. Now ruined. But to this day called, Lord's Place. For Thomas Creed. All in quarto. Bl. Lett. In the edition of 1607, printed at London by Thomas Creede, it is faid to "be newly fet "forth for the delight of fuch as are fludious "in poetrie." a. * In 1562, are entered with Nicholas England"the fyrste and ix parte of Virgill." REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 85. I fuppofe Phaiers firft nine books of the Eneid. And, in 1561-2, with W. Copland, the " booke of Virgill in 4to." Ibid. fol. 73. b. See REGISTR. C. fol. 8. a. fub ann. 1595. See "Maifter Phaer's Conclufion to "his interpretation of the Aeneidos of Virgil, by him conuerted into English "verse." Alexandrine Alexandrine of Sternhold and Hopkins. I will give a short fpecimen from the fiege of Troy, in the second book. Venus addreffes her fon Eneas. Thou to thy parents heft take heede, dread not, my minde obey: In yonder place, where ftones from stones, and bildings huge to fway, Thou feeft, and mixt with dust and smoke thicke ftremes of reekings rife, Himselfe the god Neptune that fide doth furne in wondersTM wife; With forke threetinde the wall vproots, foundations allto shakes, And quite from vnder foile the towne, with groundworks all vprakes. On yonder fide with Furies moft, dame Iuno fiercely stands, The gates fhe keeps, and from the fhips the Greeks, her friendly bands, In armour girt she calles. Lo! there againe where Pallas fits, on fortes and castle-towres, With Gorgons eyes, in lightning cloudes inclosed grim the lowres. The father-god himfelfe to Greeks their mights and courage fteres, Himselfe against the Troyan blood both gods and armour reres. Appeare the grisly faces then, Troyes en'mies vgly dight. The popular ear, from its familiarity, was tuned to this meafure. It was now ufed in most works of length and gravity, but seems to have been confecrated to tranflation. Whatever abfolute and original dignity it may boaft, at prefent it is almost Wondercus. ridiculous, ridiculous, from an unavoidable affociation of ideas, and because it neceffarily recalls the tone of the versification of the puritans. I fufpect it might have acquired a degreee of importance and reverence, from the imaginary merit of its being the established poetic vehicle of scripture, and its adoption into the celebration of divine service. I take this opportunity of obferving, that I have seen an old ballad called GADS-HILL by Faire, that is probably our translator Phaier. In the Registers of the Stationers, among seven Ballettes licenced to William Bedell and Richard Lante, one is entitled "The Robery at Gads hill," under the year 1558". I know not how far it might contribute to illuftrate Shakespeare's HENRY THE FOURTH. The title is promifing. After the affociated labours of Phaier and Twyne, it is hard to say what could induce Robert Stanyhurst, a native of Dublin, to tranflate the four first books of the Eneid into English hexameters, which he printed at London, in 1583, and dedicated to his brother Peter Plunket, the learned baron of Dufanay in Ireland. Stanyhurst at this time was living at Leyden, having left England for some time on account of the change of religion. In the choice of his meafure, he is more unfortunate than his predeceffors, and in other refpects fucceeded worse. It may be remarked, that Meres, in his WITS TREASURIE, printed in 1598, among the learned tranflators, mentions only" Phaier, "for Virgil's Aeneads "." And William Webbe, in his Dis REGISTR. A. fol. 32. b. See Clavell's RECANTATION, a poem in quarto, Lond. 1634. Clavell was a robber, and here recites his own adventures on the high-way. His firft depredations are on Gad's-hill. See fol. 1. In octavo. Licenced to Binneman, Jan. 24. 1582. "By a copie printed at Lei"den." REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 192. b. At the end of the Virgil are the four first of David's pfalms Englished in Latin measures, p. 82. Then follow " Certayne "Poetical Conceits (in Latyn and Eng "lish) Lond. 1583." Afterwards are printed Epitaphs written by our author, both in Latin and English. The firft, in Latin, is on James earl of Ormond, who died at Ely-houfe, Octob. 18. 1546. There is another on his father, James Stanyhurst, Recorder of Dublin, who died, aged 51, Dec. 27, 1573. With translations from More's Epigrams. Stanyhurst has a copy of recommendatory verfes prefixed to Verftegan's RESTITUTION OF DECAYED INTELLIGENCE, Antwerp, 1605. 4to. Fol. 289. p. 2. COURSE |