servation be true, that the strongest antipathy in the world is that of fools to men of wit. Mr. Addison was the first whose advice determined me to undertake this task, who was pleased to write to me upon that occasion in such terms as I cannot repeat without vanity. I was obliged to Sir Richard Steele for a very early recommendation of my undertaking to the public. Dr. Swift promoted my interest with that warmth with which he always serves his friend. The humanity and frankness of Sir Samuel Garth are what I never knew wanting on any occasion. I must also acknowledge with infinite pleasure, the many friendly offices, as well as sincere criticisms of Mr. Congreve, who had led me the way in translating some parts of Homer.* I must add the names of Mr. Rowe and Dr. Parnell, though I shall take a further opportunity of doing justice to the last, whose good-nature (to give it a great panegyric) is no less extensive than his learning. The favour of these gentlemen is not entirely undeserved by one who bears them so true an affection. But what can I say of the ho * In former editions it followed, " as I wish for the sake of the world, he had prevented me in the rest ;" also in page 472, in former editions, speaking of Lord Lansdown, it was said, “ that so excellent an imitator of Homer as the author,"-which words are now omitted. Several other expressions are altered, up and down, as in page 429, "must not contribute,” instead of “ owing to the insertion; and in page 430, common critics," for "most;" page 434, "to furnish," instead of "supply;" page 438, "that of Ajax," instead of "we see in Ajax." These alterations, it is presumed, were made by Dr. Warburton, who tells us, Pope desired him to correct this Preface: such was the partiality of Pope to his friend! Warton. 66 nour so many of the Great have done me, while the first names of the age appear as my subscribers, and the most distinguished patrons and ornaments of learning as my chief encouragers? Among these it is a particular pleasure to me to find that my highest obligations are to such who have done most honour to the name of poet: that his Grace the Duke of Buckingham was not displeased I should undertake the author to whom he has given (in his excellent Essay) so complete a praise :* Read Homer once, and you can read no more; That the Earl of Halifax was one of the first to * In the former editions it was, "the finest praise he ever received;" and the two last lines here quoted from Buckingham stood thus: Verse will seem prose; but still persist to read, And Homer will be all the books you need. But Buckingham was for ever altering and revising his Essay. It concluded with these lines: Must above Milton's lofty flights prevail, Succeed where great Torquato, and where greater Spenser fail; which he thus at last corrected : Must above Tasso's lofty flights prevail, Succeed where Spenser, and e'en Milton fail. Boileau's praise of Homer is surely far more complete than these prosaic lines of Buckingham, so much extolled by our author: "On diroit que pour plaire, instruit par la nature, Homère ait à Venus dérobé sa ceinture; Son livre est d'agrémens une fertile trésor, Tout ce qu'il a touché se convertit en or, favour me, of whom it is hard to say whether the advancement of the polite arts is more owing to his generosity or his example. That such a genius as my Lord Bolingbroke, not more distinguished in the great scenes of business, than in all the useful and entertaining parts of learning, has not . refused to be the critic of these sheets, and the patron of their writer. And that the noble author of the Tragedy of Heroic Love, has continued his partiality to me, from my writing Pastorals, to my attempting the Iliad. I cannot deny myself the pride of confessing, that I have had the advantage, not only of their advice for the conduct in general, but their correction of several particulars of this translation. I could say a great deal of the pleasure of being distinguished by the Earl of Carnarvon, but it is almost absurd to particularize any one generous action in a person whose whole life is a continued Tout recoit dans ses mains une nouvelle grace, No nation in Europe can boast of having such excellent translations of the more eminent Greek Poets, as the Homer of Pope, the Pindar of West, the Sophocles of Franklin the Eschylus and Euripides of Potter. Warton. series of them. Mr. Stanhope, the present Secretary of State, will pardon my desire 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 share of his friendship. I must attribute to the same motive that of several others of my friends, to whom all acknowledgments are rendered unnecessary by the privileges of a familiar correspondence: and I am satisfied I can no way better oblige men of their turn, than by my silence. In short, I have found more patrons than ever Homer wanted. He would have thought himself happy to have met the same favour at Athens that has been shewed me by its learned rival, the University of Oxford.* And I can hardly envy him those pompous honours he received after death, when I reflect on the enjoyment of so many agreeable obligations, and easy friendships, which make the satisfaction of life. This distinction is the more to be acknowledged, as it is shewn to one whose pen has never gratified the prejudices of particular parties, or the vanities of particular men. Whatever the success may prove, I shall * It is remarkable, that in the long list of his Subscribers prefixed to the first quarto Edition, ten Colleges in Oxford subscribed for their respective Libraries, and not a single College in Cambridge. Warton. And equally remarkable, that when Cowper translated the same, the case was exactly reversed. Many Colleges in Cambridge subscribed, and not one, I believe, in Oxford. Bowles. |