in the theme he has written upon is not very obvious; his poem may rather be faid to vindicate fafhion than to combat it, as the Principles of Gardening which it inculcates are the fame that have prevailed for fome years: it cannot, however, be denied that the manner in which he has unfolded and explained those principles may be the means of making them better and more generally understood. His other propofition, that all tafte must be destroyed when blank verfe ceases to be fashionable, ftands upon no better grounds than the former. If Mr. Mafon means to infinuate that the writer of rhyme is to expect nothing further than the reputation of the day, what is to become of Dryden, Pope, or his immortal friend, Gray? and we might add, of many others among the living? whofe names we forbear to mention, as a selection among fuch numbers as are intitled to notice, might appear to be invidious. After all that can be faid on this fubject, verse being nothing more than the cloathing of poetry, it is the poet's privilege to choose what drefs his mufe fhall appear in; in which, indeed, grace and convenience ought equally to be confulted. And though the fashion of the times might, poffibly, give an improper bias to his choice, we muft not therefore conclude that all tafte is completely deftroyed. Such a conclufion would be almost as precipitate as his, who taking offence at the want of that elegant fimplicity in the dress of a modern fine lady which characterizes the drapery of a Grecian Venus, fhould decifively pronounce that female beauty was no longer attractive. ART. III. Homer's Hymn to Ceres. Tranflated into English Verfe; with Notes, critical and illuftrative. To which is prefixed, a Tranflation of the Preface of the Editor, David Ruhnkenius. By the Rev. Robert Lucas, of Trinity College, Cambridge. 4to. 3s. fewed. Robfon. 1781. F the original Hymn (which, whether it be really the production of Homer, or of any other early writer of antiquity feems not yet to be determined) a very ample account was given in the Appendix to the 63d volume of our Review. It was natural to suppose that the attention not only of the antiquary and the fcholar, but of the man of tafte and ingenuity would be attracted by a literary curiofity of fo fingular a kind. As a proof of this we need only to adduce the elegant tranflation by Mr. Hole (fee M. R. for Auguft 1781) and this of Mr. Lucas, which is before us. In the examination of rival performances, there is one rule that ought rarely, if ever, to be deviated from, which is, to Jet each performance fpeak, as much as poflible, for itfelf. In original productions great latitude is left to the candour and dif 2 cretion cretion of the Critic in felecting fueh paffages as may appear to be fimilar. But in tranflations it is otherwife: he has no longer a discretionary power, as the corresponding paffages point out themselves; all he has, therefore, to do is to bring each paffage impartially before the tribunal of the Public. In conformity with this equitable rule we shall lay before our Readers that part of Mr. Lucas's Tranflation which correfponds with our firft quotation from Mr. Hole's: To graceful CERES, now, who widely wields The fair, from Ceres guardian eye escaped, Mr. Hole, concurring with Ruhnkenius, that the expreffion αγλαόκαρποι ελαίαι is corrupted and unintelligible, propofes, with a happinefs of conjecture that does great credit to his fagacity, to read αγλαόκαρπος εταιραι, juftifying his interpretation of άγλα καρποι ayraoxapro by the authority of Pindar. Mr. Lucas, however, adheres to the first reading, which he explains very ingeniously. • The original of this paffage runs thus: Οὐδέ τις αθανάτων, ἐδὲ θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων Ηκεσιν φωνῆς, ἐν ἀγλαόκαρποι ἐλαίαι. On the last part sayλaśxapro thai, the editor fays in a note, " hæc non capio: videant acutiores." After fuch a declaration, I could not hope to difcover the meaning of thefe words, if it depended on a learned penetration: but, as the fenfe of them feems to me to lie on the furface (the reafon probably why the editor has overlooked it) I may venture my idea of it. Nothing is more common with poets than to feign an attention in mountains, woods, rivers, to perfons finging or bewailing; which no doubt took its rife from the echoes which ufually proceed from thofe places. Virgil, Ecl. x. 8. Non canimus furdis, refpondent emnia fylva. Confurgunt gemitu Rutuli, totufque remugit Mons circum, et vocem latè nemora alta remittunt. I take, therefore, ♪ dyλaśxaptos that to mean fimply this; that the fruitful olive groves, which were near, heard not, or were inattentive to, the cries of Proferpine; and gave no answer to them with their accustomed echoes.' ART. IV. Propertii Monobiblos: Or, That Book of the Elegies of Propertius, entitled Cynthia; tranflated into English Verse: With Claffical Notes. 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Nichols. 1782. EVIEWERS have been cenfured, and in fome inftances. perhaps, it is to be feared, not unjustly, for deviating from that unbending line which strict impartiality points out to them. It may, however, very truly be faid, that were every thing, by which their judgments may be impofed upon, taken into full confideration, greatly would it abate the feverity of their condemnation. No one, who had not been in a similar situation, can be aware of the variety of artifices that are daily put in practice to avert their cenfure or to fecure their approbation. We have fometimes thought of making A Collection of Letters depre catory and complimental to the Monthly Reviewers. But fetting afide the violence fuch a publication might do to our modefty, there are other motives which reftrain us from it: The arts of literary adulation, which, indeed, are but too well understood already, would be laid open to every one; and we might also be suspected of wanting to take an unchriftian-like revenge of many a good gentleman, who in public affects to treat our decifions with infinite contempt, and yet in his private correfpondence con defcends to folicit our applaufe by every method which the meannefs of flattery or fupplication can fuggeft to him; nay even to treat us with a refpect little lefs profound than could have been paid to Apollo himself, prefiding at his own Court of Criticism on Parnaffus. But befides thefe modes of attack, there are others more oblique, which, as they are lefs apt to be suspected, it requires greater circumfpection to guard againft. But, perhaps, the greatest trial of our critical integrity is, when the fincerity of the compliment, by which our vanity may be gratified, admits not of fufpicion. We were led into this train of reflexions by an involuntary wish to fhew every reasonable indulgence to the performance before us, arifing in our minds from difcovering, from the preface, that it had been undertaken in confequence of a hint formerly dropped in our Review, that such a work would be acceptable. Sorry, however, are we to add, that this Tranflation by no means correfponds with the idea we had formed of such a work. Though its fidelity and closeness evince the learning and induftry of the Tranflator, the elegance of the original too frequently evaporates in the tranflation. The verfification is commonly harth, and the rhymes are diffonant. This cenfure, however, does not extend to each individual Elegy; for inftance, the following, in which, if proper allowance be made for the difficulty of tranflating so closely as that each line in the translation shall have its correfpondent one in the original, will be thought not deftitute of merit: Go then, on Tiber's velvet banks recline; Tu licèt abjectus Tiberinâ mollitur undâ E e Then beyond kings my joys proclaim me bleft; Propitious prove, thou charmer of the kies! Tum mihi ceffuros fpondent mea gaudia reges: NOTES, by the Tranflator. • He addreffes his friend Tullus; with whofe riches he fets in competition the pleasure refulting from his love. This elegy, fays Vulpius, is moft fweet, florid, fprightly, and polished; it breathes the utmost freedom, and its numbers are fimple, foft, round, well turned; in a word they are Propertian; and we may fay of our bard, what Cowley faid of Anacreon, in the character of Love: All thy verfe is fofter far, Than the downy feathers are All with Venus' girdle bound. Broukhufius informs us, that Joannes Secundus has beautifully imitated this elegy, together with Eleg. 3. Lib. 3. of Tibullus, in the fecond elegy of his first book. • 1. Tiberinâ unda] From this paffage, as well as from many others, it appears, that Tullus was no mean perfonage; fince, like other Romans of condition, he had his villa on the banks of the Tiber. 2. Mentoreo opere :] So high-wrought drinking cups are called, by way of excellence. Mentor was a famous fculptor or emboffer; of whose workmanship Pliny informs us, Lib. 33. Cap. 11. that the orator Lucius Craffus bought two goblets, at an hundred HSS. Martiak frequently speaks of Mentorean cups; and Cicero, as well as many others, mention them. We may here remark, that the antients made their more coftly drinking cups of gold, gems, and a compofition called murrba, about which antiquaries are fo much divided; fome contend |