rob it of its native luftre. There is, therefore, a liberty to be allowed for the expreffion; neither is it neceflary that words and lines fhould be confined to the measure of their original. The sense of an author, generally fpeaking, is to be facred and inviolable. If the fancy of Ovid be luxuriant, it is his character to be fo; and if I retrench it, he is no longer Ovid. It will be replied, that he receives advantage by this lopping of his fuperfluous branches; but I rejoin, that a tranflator has no fuch right. When a painter copies from the life, I fuppofe he has no privilege to alter features, and lineaments, under pretence that his picture will look better: perhaps the face, which he has drawn, would be more exact, if the eyes or nose were altered ; but it is his bufinefs to make it resemble the original. In two cafes only there may a feeming difficulty arife; that is, if the thought be notoriously trivial, or difhoneft: but the fame answer will ferve for both, that then they ought not to be translated: Et que

Defperes tractata nitefcere poffe, relinquas.

Thus I have ventured to give my opinion on this fubject against the authority of two great men, but I hope without offence to either of their memories; for I both loved them living, and reverence them now they are dead. But, if, after what I have urged, it be thought by better judges, that the praise of a tranflation confifts in adding new beauties to the piece, thereby to recompenfe the lofs which it fuftains by change of language, I fhall be willing to be taught better, and to recant. In the mean time, it feems to me, that the true reason, why we have fo few versions which are tolerable, is not from the too close pursuing of the author's fenfe, but because there are fo few, who have all the talents, which are requifite for tranflation, and that there is fo little praife, and fo fmall encouragement, for fo confiderable a part of learning.

CANACE TO MACAREUS.

то

EPIST. XI.

THE ARGUMENT.

Macareus and Canace, fon and daughter to Eolus, God of the Winds, loved each other incestuously: Canace was delivered of a fon, and committed him to ber nurse, to be fecretly conveyed away. The infant crying out, by that means was discovered to Eolus, who, inraged at the wickedness of his children, commanded the babe to be expofed to wild beafts on the mountains: and withal, fent a fword to Canace, with this message, That her crimes would inftruct ber how to use it. With this fword fhe flew berfelf: but before she died, she writ the following letter to her brother Macareus, who had taken fanctuary in the temple of Apollo.

I

F streaming blood my fatal letter ftain,
Imagine, ere you read, the writer flain;

One hand the fword, and one the pen employs,

And in my lap the ready paper lies.

Think in this pofture thou behold'st me write :
In this my cruel father would delight.

O! were he prefent, that his eyes and hands! Might fee, and urge, the death which he commands:

Than all the raging winds more dreadful, he,
Unmov'd, without a tear, my wounds would fee.
Jove juftly plac'd him on a ftormy throne,
His people's temper is fo like his own.

The North and South, and each contending blaft,
Are underneath his wide dominion caft:
Those he can rule; but his tempeftuous mind
Is, like his airy kingdom, unconfin'd.

Ah! what avail my kindred Gods above,
That in their number I can reckon Jove!
What help will all my heav'nly friends afford,
When to my breast I lift the pointed sword?
That hour, which join'd us, came before its time:
In death we had been one without a crime.
Why did thy flames beyond a brother's move?
Why lov'd I thee with more than fifter's love?
For I lov'd too; and knowing not my wound,
A fecret pleasure in thy kiffes found:
My cheeks no longer did their color boast,

My food grew loathfome, and my strength I loft:
Still ere I fpoke, a figh would ftop my tongue;
Short were my flumbers, and my nights were
long.

grow,

I knew not from my love thefe griefs did Yet was, alas, the thing I did not know. My wily nurse by long experience found, And firft difcover'd to my foul its wound. 'Tis love, faid fhe; and then my down-caft eyes, And guilty dumbness, witnefs'd my furprize. Forc'd at the laft, my fhameful pain I tell : And, oh, what follow'd we both know too well! "When half denying, more than half content, "Embraces warm'd me to a full confent.

Then with tumultuous joys my heart did beat, "And guilt that made them anxious made them great."

But now my fwelling womb heav'd up my breast,
And rifing weight my finking limbs oppreft.
What herbs, what plants, did not my nurse produce,
To make abortion by their pow'rful juice?
What medicines try'd we not, to thee unknown?
Our first crime common; this was mine alone.
But the strong child, fecure in his dark cell,
With nature's vigor did our arts repel.
And now the pale-fac'd emprefs of the night
Nine times had fill'd her orb with borrow'd light:
Not knowing 'twas my labor, I complain

Of fudden shootings, and of grinding pain :

My throes came thicker, and my cries increas'd, Which with her hand the conscious nurse supprefs'd.

To that unhappy fortune was I come,

Pain urg'd my clamors, but fear kept me dumb.
With inward struggling I restrain'd my cries,
And drunk the tears that trickled from my eyes.
Death was in fight, Lucina gave no aid;
And even my dying had my guilt betray'd.
Thou cam'ft, and in thy count'nance fate despair;
Rent were thy garments all, and torn thy hair:
Yet feigning comfort, which thou couldst not give,
(Preft in thy arms, and whisp'ring me to live :)
For both our fakes, (faidft thou) preserve thy life;
Live, my dear fifter, and
my dearer wife.
Rais'd by that name, with my laft pangs I ftrove:
Such pow'r have words, when spoke by those we

love.

The babe, as if he heard what thou hadst fworn,
With hafty joy fprung forward to be born.
What helps it to have weather'd out one storm?
Fear of our father does another form.

High in his hall, rock'd in a chair of state,
The king with his tempeftuous council fate.
Thro this large room our only paffage lay,
By which we could the new-born babe convey.