Mr. Pope has not omitted this image in his charming epistle of Eloïfa to Abelard: Suck my last breath, and catch my flying foul. This we have alfo feen thus retained in a Latin tranflation of a few of his felect pieces: Spiritus extremus noftri tua labra per intus Infiliat, capiafque animam ter amate volantem! We could not well suppose our Tranflator judged this too warm an image, in the fituation of Adonis, for his transfufion, when he has put the following lines into the mouth of Venus on this occafion, p.10. Far other sport might thofe fair limbs effay Than the rude combat, or the favage fray; which befides are very nearly a prefent of our Tranflator's to his original; though they are much more in the fpirit of Ovid than Bion, the former giving occafion, in one of his epiftles, to his tranflator to fay almost the fame thing: Let dusty warriors in the field delight, These limbs were fashion'd for another fight: while Bion only fays, pretty literally-Being so very handsome, how could you encounter wild beafts! Καλος εων τοσσετον εμηνας θηρσι παλαίειν ; In the last distich of this tranflation, which concludes thus, Spare, Venus, fpare that too luxurious tear For the long forrows of the mournful year, we imagine luxuriant would correfpond better to the intention of Bion, which was to reprefent the tears of Venus as fuperabundant and exceffive, confidering fhe was to mourn him for a year, or at least anniverfarily. Δει σε παλιν κλαῦσαι, παλιν εις ετος αλλο δακρυσαι. A luxurious tear, if the expreffion may be allowed, feems to have a different fense, and may even fignify a tear of joy-But having remarked thefe efcapes, not without a view to the author's confideration of them, in cafe his tranflation fhould hereafter appear in any mifcellany, we think we may be juftify'd in commending it upon the whole; and in fuppofing that, as a pretty bagatelle, it may deferve a place among the nuga canora, referring our readers, at the fame time, to the following specimen of it, for their own opinion, or entertainment. Adonis dead, the mufe of woe fhall mourn, Stretch'd on this mountain thy torn lover lies. Kifs, Kifs, kifs thofe fading lips, 'ere chill'd in death; Adonis dead, the muse of woe shall mourn, His faithful dogs bewail their mafter flain, In ftreams of purple, down his limbs of fnow. Art. 22. The Satires of Ludovico Arifto. 8vo. 3s. Millar. Five of these fatires are tranflated by a reverend Gentleman, whofe name is fignified, or rather very nearly revealed, by the Editor, the Rev. Mr. Temple Henry Croker, in this contraction, H-rt-n: the tranflation of the fecond and last being acknowledged by the Editor himself. A fummary account of the life of Ariofto is prefixed by the fame gentleman, many of the incidents related in it being taken from the fatires themselves, which contain above two thousand lines. The celebrated author is reprefented in it by his admiring biographer, not only as a poet fuperior to all the moderns, which will perhaps be contefted by many; but as a man of great abilities, virtue, and probity, and indeed of a moft amiable difpofition, many traces of which are visible throughout thefe tranflations. One remarkable incident in his life is, that Pope Leo X. fhould publish a bull in favour of his Orlando Furiofo, excommunicating all who should difapprove it, or defraud him of his profits; and yet never promote or reward the author, to whom he had alfo confiderable political obligations; though, perhaps, the pontiff might confider his bull as no mean benefaction. This will naturally remind our readers of a like neglect of the author of Hudibras by one of our monarchs, who was faid to carry that poem conftantly about him: a poem which gave fo many proofs of the author's attachment to the cause of the royalifts, and contained so much wit and ridicule on their enemies. A fecond incident is that of Ariofto's ftraying infenfibly, in a fit of meditation or abfence, among a gang of Banditti, who, on difcovering him to be Ariofto, treated him with the utmost respect; entertained him with finging feveral parts of his own Poem to him; and reconducted him fafely to his fortress of Garfagnana, of which he was then governor. This will equally remind us of fome extraordinary and miraculous protections, which not only Horace and other antient poets, but even fome fome modern ones have affumed, as a compliment perhaps to their poetry, and the supposed divinities infpiring it: as Ovid fays, Eft deus in nobis, agitante calefcimus illa. With regard to thefe fatires of Ariofto, though they chiefly arofe from his diffatisfactions with the great, murmuring when unprefer'd, complaining for want of leifure and liberty when employed, and hence neceffarily abound with egotifms; they evince him nevertheless to be a man of fenfe, of honour, and of fentiment. While they shew an excellent difcernment of human nature, they have nothing of that turgid imagination and extravagance, fo confpicuous throughout his Orlando; and which, in fpight of its numerous admirers, the judicious Horace muft have frequently branded with his incredulus odi, as he commends one of his intimates for laughing at all fuch marvels as Ariosto revels in : Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, fagas, No&urnos lemures, portentaque theffala rides. In his first fatire, after enumerating the inceffant and groveling fervilities, which an unreasonable, and even retentive patron may expect, he fays, the nobleft ufe of life is to read and reflect; adding, more senfibly, perhaps, than practicably, Thefe teach in home-fpun clothes, with tafte refin'd, To dine on humble food, but feast the mind; The following verfes, in the fame fatire, evince that love of natu ral freedom, and that ingenuity of fpirit, which generally accompany true genius. For this to Heav'n I lift my grateful hands, His fecond fatire is juftly fevere on the corruptions of the court of Rome, and the thocking vices of the Italian priests. Mr. Croker obferves very appofitely here in a note, p. 48. That as more than one part of the Orlando Furiofo is fevere on the Popes, it is whimfi sal cal to fee Leo X. excommunicating those who do not approve of very poetry, which condemns the papal tyranny." His fixth fatire, addreffed to Hannibal Maleguccio, on the choice of a wife, is very fevere on the fex; though thort of the rancour of Juvenal's on the fame fubject, and entirely free from his groffnefs and obicenity; for which Ariotto had too much delicacy and elegance. Thele induce him, with his utmoft invectives, to allow all proper indulgence to the fair. As the ufe of paint among the ladies here seems rather more extenfive than formerly, we give a few lines on that topic from this fatire. The beauty-wash excepted, grant your wife To know what meets his kifs on Lydia's face, Lotions, pomatums, ointments, fublimate, Punish with fwift decays th' uncleanly guile, Hence furrow's feam the cheeks, and pimples glow, Time never fails the fecret fraud to show; Hence pois'nous fteams exhales the fetid breath, And tainted drop the black uneven teeth. The laft fatire, addreffed to cardinal Bembo, in which he defires his recommendation of a tutor for his fon, atteft that familiarity and efteem in which Ariofto liv'd with the great, with the capable and accomplished fpirits of his time: and the last diftich of it proves that ardent defire for his fon's fuccefs with the muses, to whom the father certainly was a moft zealous and genuine devotee : That, tho' the father fail'd for want of time, He to Parnaffus topmoft height may climb. Upon the whole, these fatires of Ariofto are not without some refemblance to thofe of Horace, particularly in the many fhort tales or fables, fo aptly introduced, and fo pithily related. We think, however, notwithstanding their frequent merit, they are obviously inferior to Horace's, and lefs interefting, as more particular and perfonal. With regard to this tranflation of them, though we have not affumed to compare it critically with the Italian, we can affirm, that it generally reads, as the phrase is, very pleasingly; for we should not count it the leaft compliment to this work to fay, that it greatly excells, as far as they can be compared, the last tranflation of the Orlando Fu riofo; which, from an affectation, as it fhould feem, of keeping literally to, and preserving the very feries and order of the Italian language, has murdered the English, and finn'd against the grammar m or arrangement of it, in a great majority of the numerous of which that long work confifts. In confequence of this, the the poetical manes of Ariofto muft appear, to an Englishman, a more difmal reprefentation of him, than the mangled figure of Hector did in the dream of Eneas. Wherefore, in defence of genuine criticism, we may impartially affert, that the panegyrifts of that verfion can never be confiftent in reprehending any English translation that may appear hereafter; and that a Tranflator of real merit may henceforth dread their applause more than their cenfure. Art. 23. Genuine Happiness. A poetical Effay. Addreffed to the young Club at Arthur's. By John Bland, Efq; 4to. Is. Townshend. In this poem, our author acquaints us that, An artless muse would aim through tott'ring flight, Inculcate nature's eafy rules, and teach, That men, thro' falfe pursuits, true comforts mifs, Whether reafon be a foe to mankind, in general, is a point we will not undertake to difpute with this author; but that reafon and himself are at variance, in particular, we very readily believe. He is alfo, unhappily, as little the favourite of the muíes, as an adept in moral philofophy; and has nearly as poor pretenfions to rhime as to reason. Why a work of this nature fhould be addreffed to the club at Arthur's: or wherefore, on a repetition of the word patrons, he fhould hail the facred found,' we are alfo much at a lofs to conceive. In fact, we wish our poet be not one of those fort of people which he himfelf characterises as dupes, that thwarting nature's rules, In fearch of wisdom, dwindle into fools. Art. 24. The Orphan of China, a Tragedy; as it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury-lane. 8vo. Is. Vaillant. This is not a tranflation of Voltaire's celebrated L'Orphelin de la Chine, but rather a new English play, formed upon the Frenchman's model, with confiderable improvements of the plan. It is to Mr. Murphy, author of feveral other dramatic performances, that the public is obliged for this tragedy; which was acted with fuccefs, equal to what most of our modern theatrical productions have met with; yet with lefs fuccefs than it deferved. This is attributed to its being brought on the stage too near the close of the season, when the warm weather, and the performers benefits, were fet in. As it was the fate of this tragedy to be too late in its exhibition on the theatre, fo it is alfo now (through the Reviewer's indifpofition) too late in its appearance in this Journal, to admit of our attempting to do justice to its merits. Every one has, by this time, feen or read, and most have applauded it.-For ourfelves, we have therefore only to add, in few |