Bofiu's admirable treatise of the Epic poem the justest notion of his design and conduct. But after all, with whatever judgment and study a man may proceed, or with whatever happiness he may perform fuch a work, he must hope to please but a few: thofe only who have at once a tafte of poetry, and competent learning. For to fatisfy such as want either, is not in the nature of this undertaking; since a mere modern wit can like nothing that is not modern, and a pedant nothing that is not Greek. What I have done is fubmitted to the Publick, from whofe opinions I am prepared to learn; though I fear no judges fo little as our beft poets, who are moft fenfible of the weight of this talk. As for the worst, whatever they fhall please to fay, they may give me fome concern as they are unhappy men, but none as they are malignant writers. I was guided in this tranflation by judgments very different from theirs, and by persons for whom they can have no kindness, if an old obfervation be true, that the strongest antipathy in the world is that of fools to men of wit. Mr. Addison was the firft whose advice determined me to undertake this tafk, who was pleased to write to me upon that occafion in fuch terms as I cannot repeat without vanity. I was obliged to Sir Richard Steele for a very early recommendation of my undertaking to the publick. Dr. Swift promoted my intereft with that warmth with which he always ferves his friend. The humanity and franknefs of Sir Samuel Garth are what I never knew wanting on any occafion. I muft alfo acknowledge, with infinite pleasure, the many friendly offices, as well as fincere criticifms of Mr. Congreve, who had led me the way in tranflating fome parts of Homer; as I wish for the fake of the world he had prevented me the reft. I muft add the names of Mr. Rowe and Dr. Parnell, though I fhall take a further opportunity of doing justice to the last, whofe good-nature (to give it a great panegyrick) is no lefs extenfive than his learning. The favour of these gentlemen is not entirely undeferved by one who bears them fo true an affection. But what can I say of the honour fo many of the Great have done me, while the first names of the age appear as my fubfcribers, and the most diftinguished patrons and ornaments of learning as my chief encouragers? Among thefe it is a particular pleasure to me to find, that my highest obligations are to fuch who have done moft honour to the name of poet; that his grace the duke of Buckingham was not difpleafed I should undertake the author to whom he has given (in his excellent Effay) fo complete a praise. "Read Homer once, and you can read no more; That the earl of Halifax was one of the first to favour me, of whom it is hard to ay whether the advancement of the polite arts is more owing to his generofity or his example. That fuch a genius as my lord Bolingbroke, not more diftinguished in the great fcenes of bufinefs, than in all the ufeful and entertaining parts of learning, has not refufed to be the critick of these sheets, and the patron of their writer. And that fo excellent an imitator of Homer as the noble author of the tragedy of Heroic Love, has continued his partiality to me, from my writing Paftorals, to my attempting the Iliad. I cannot deny myself the pride of confeffing, that I have had the advantage not only of their advice for the conduct in general, but their correction of several particulars of this tranflation. I could fay a great deal of the pleasure of being diftinguifhed by the earl of Carnarvon but it is almoft abfurd to particularize any one generous action in a person whose whole life is a continued feries of them. Mr. Stanhope, the prefent fecretary of state, will pardon my defire of having it known that he was pleased to promote this affair. The particular zeal of Mr. Harcourt (the son of the late lord chancellor) gave me a proof how much I am honoured in a fhare of his friendship. I must attribute to the fame motive that of feveral others of my friends, to whom all acknowledgments are rendered unneceffary by the privileges of a familiar correfpondence: and I am fatisfied I can no way better oblige men of their turn, than by my filence. In fhort, I have found more patrons than ever Homer wanted. He would have thought himself happy to have met the fame favour at Athens, that has been shewn me by its learned rival, the univerfity of Oxford. If my author had the Wits of after ages for his defenders, his tranflator has had the Beauties of the prefent for his advocates; a pleasure too great to be changed for any fame in reverfion. And I can hardly envy him thofe pompous honours he received after death, when I reflect on the enjoyment of fo many agreeable obligations, and eafy friendships, which make the fatisfaction of life. This diftinction is the more to be acknowledged, as it is fhewn to one whofe pen has never gratified the prejudices of particular parties, or the vanities of particular men. Whatever the fuccefs may prove, I fhall never repent of an undertaking in which I have experienced the candour and friendship of fo many perfons of merit; and in which I hope to pafs fome of thofe years of youth that are generally loft in a circle of follics, after a manner, neither wholly unufeful to others, nor disagreeable to myself. THE The Contention of Achilles and Agamemnon. IN the war of Troy, the Greeks, having facked fome of the neighbouring towns, and taken from thence two beautiful captives, Chryfeis and Brifeis, allotted the firft to Agamemnon, and the last to Achilles. Chryfes, the father of Chryfeis, and prieft of Apollo, comes to the Grecian camp to ranfom her; with which the action of the poem opens, in the tenth year of the fiege. The priest being refused, and infolently difmiffed by Agamemnon, intreats for vengeance from his God, who inflicts a peftilence on the Greeks. Achilles calls a council, and encourages Chalcas to declare the cause of it, who attributes it to the refufal of Chryfeis. The king being obliged to fend back his captive, enters into a furious conteft with Achilles, which Nefton pacifies; however, as he had the abfolute command of the army, he feizes on Brifeis in revenge. Achilles in difcontent withdraws himself and his forces from the reft of the Greeks; and complaining to Thetis, fhe fupplicates Jupiter to render them fenfible of the wrong done to her fon, by giving victory to the Trojans. Fupiter granting her fuit incenfes Juno, between whom the debate runs high, till they are reconciled by the addrefs of Vulcan. nine during the plague, Jupiter's ftay with the The fcene lies in the The time of two and twenty days is taken up in this book; one in the council and quarrel of the princes, and twelve for Ethiopians, at whofe return Thetis prefers her petition. Grecian camp, then changes to Chryfa, and lastly to Olympus. A CHILLES' wrath, to Greece the direful spring Declare, O Mufe! in what ill-fated hour, And heap'd the camp with mountains of the dead; Such was the fovereign doom, and fuch the will of His captive daughter from the victor's chain. 39 Jove. Suppliant the venerable father stands, 20 Ye kings and warriours! may your vows be crown'd, And Troy's proud walls lie level with the ground; The Creeks in fhouts their joint affent declare, 30 Hence, on thy life, and fly thofe hoftile plains, 35 Till time thall rifle every youthful grace, The trembling priest along the shore return'd, 45 O Smintheus! fprung from fair Latona's line, Or fed the flames with fat of oxen flain; And from Olympus' lofty tops defcends. Achilles thus the king of men addreft: Why leave we not the fatal Trojan shore, And measure pack the feas we croit before? 85 The plague destroying whom the fword would spare, He faid, and fat: when Chalcas thus repli'd: 90 95 100 Thus fpoke the prudence and the fears of age. For though we deem the short-liv'd fury paft, 105 'Tis fure, the Mighty will revenge at last. To whom Pelides. From thy inmost soul Speak what thou know'st, and speak without controul. Ev'n by that God I swear, who rules the day, To whom thy hands the vows of Greece convey, 110 And whofe bleft oracles thy lips declare; Long as Achilles breathes this vital air, No daring Greek of all the numerous band Encourag'd thus, the blameless man replies; 125 55 60 65 But he, our chief, provok'd the raging peft, 120 130 70 75 To teach the Greeks to murmur at their Lord? 145 |