THUS, Mr Macpherson, in his tranflation of Homer, (a work otherwife valuable, as containing a moft perfect tranffusion of the sense of his author), has generally adopted an inverted conftruction, which is incompatible with the genius of the English language. "Tlepo"lemus, the race of Hercules,—brave "in battle and great in arms, nine ships "led to Troy, with magnanimous Rho"dians filled. Those who dwelt in "Rhodes, diftinguished in nations three, "who held Lindus, Ialyffus, and "white Camirus, beheld him afar.“Their leader in arms was Tlepolemus, "renowned at the fpear, II. l. 2.—Thé "heroes the flaughter began.-Alexan"der firft a warrior flew--Through the "neck, by the helm paffed the steel. "Iphinous, the son of Dexius, through "the "the fhoulder he pierced-to the earth "fell the chief in his blood, lb. l. 7. Not unjustly we Hector admire; match "lefs at launching the fpear; to break "the line of battle, bold, Ib. l. 5. Nor "for vows unpaid rages Apollo; nor "folemn facrifice denied," b. l.. 1. 3. THE English language is not incapable of an elliptical mode of expreffion; but it does not admit of it to the fame degree as the Latin. Tacitus fays, Trepida civitas incufare Tiberium, for trepida civitas incepit incufare Tiberium, We cannot fay in English, "The terrified city "to blame Tiberius:" And even as Gordon has tranflated these words, the ellipfis is too violent for the English language; "hence against Tiberius many "complaints." Έννήμαρ μεν ανα τρατὸν ωκετο κῆλα θεοῖο. Il. l. 1. l. 53. "FOR nine days the arrows of the "god were darted through the army." The elliptical brevity of Mr Macpherfon's tranflation of this verse, has no parallel in the original; nor is it agreeable to the English idiom: "Nine days rufh the shafts of the God." CHAP CHAPTER VIII. Whether a Poem can be well tranflated into Profe. FROM 'ROM all the preceding observations respecting the imitation of style, we may derive this precept, That a tranflator ought always to figure to himself, in what manner the original author would have expressed himself, if he had written in the language of the translation. THIS THIS precept leads to the examination, and probably to the decision, of a queftion which has admitted of fome difpute, Whether a poem can be well tranflated into profe? THERE are certain fpecies of poetry, of which the chief merit confifts in the fweetness and melody of the versification. Of these it is evident, that the effence must perish in tranflating them into profe. What should we find in the following beautiful lines, when divested of the melody of verfe? very She said, and melting as in tears fhe lay, The filver stream her virgin coldness keeps, 1. For ever murmurs, and for ever weeps ; - Still bears the name the hapless virgin bore, And bathes the foreft where she rang'd before. POPE'S Windfor Foreft. BUT |