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jects; but I never faw a copy better than the original : which indeed cannot be otherwife; for, men refolving in no cafe to shoot beyond the mark, it is a thousand to one if they foot not fhort of it. It does not at all trouble me that the grammarians perhaps will not faffer this libertine way of rendering foreign authors to be called Tranflation; for I am not so much enamoured of the name Translator, as not to'wish rather to be something better, though it want yet a name. I speak not fo much all this, in defence of my manner of tranflating, or imitating (or what other title they please) the two enfuing Odes of Pindar; for that would not deserve half these words; as by this occafion to rectify the opinion of divers men upon this matter. The Pfalms of David (which I believe to have been in their original, to the Hebrews of his time, though not to our Hebrews of Buxtorfius's making, the most exalted pieces of poefy) are a great example of what I have said; all the tranflators of which (even Mr. Sands himself; for in despite of popular error, I will be bold not to except him) for this very reafon, that they have not fought to supply the loft excellencies of another language with new ones in their own, are so far from doing honour, or at least juftice, to that divine poet, that methinks they revile him worse than Shimei. And Buchanan himself (though much the best of them all, and indeed a great perfon) comes in my opinion no lefs fhort of David, than his country does of Judea. Upon this ground have, in these two Odes of Pindar, taken, left out, and added, what I please; nor make it

fo much my aim to let the reader know precisely what he fpoke, as what was his way and manner of speaking; which has not been yet (that I know of) introduced into English, though it be the nobleft and highest kind of writing in verfe; and which might, perhaps, be put into the lift of Pancirolus, among the loft inventions of antiquity. This effay is but to try how it will look in an English habit : for which experiment, I have chofen one of his Olympic, and another of his Nemean Odes; which are as followeth.

THE

THE SECOND

OLYMPIC ODE

OF PINDA R.

Written in praise of Theron, prince of Agrigentum (a famous city in Sicily, built by his ancestors) who, in the feventy-feventh Olympic, won the chariot-prize. He is commended from the nobility of his race (whose story is often toucht on); from his great riches (an ordinary common-place in Pindar); from his hofpitality, munificence, and other virtues. The Ode (ac-cording to the constant custom of the Poet) confifts more in digreffions, than in the main fubject: and the Reader must not be choqued to hear him speak fo often of his own Mufe; for that is a liberty which.. this kind of poetry can hardly live without.

Q

UEEN of all harmonious things,

Dancing words, and speaking ftrings! What God, what Hero, wilt thou fing?

What happy man to equal glories bring?

Begin, begin thy noble choice,

And let the hills around reflect the image of thy voice.. Pifa does to Jove belong;

Jove and Pifa claim thy fong.

The fair firft-fruits of war, th' Olympic games,

Alcides offer'd-up to Jove ;

Alcides too thy ftrings may move;

But, oh! what man to join with these can worthy prove!

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Join Theron boldly to their facred names;
Theron the next honour claims;

Theron to no man gives place,

Is firft in Pifa's and in Virtue's race;

Theron there, and he alone,

Ev'n his own fwift forefathers has outgone.

They through rough ways, o'er many ftops they paft,

Till on the fatal bank at last

They Agrigentum built, the beauteous eye

Of fair-fac'd Sicily;

Which does itself i' th' river by

With pride and joy espy.

Then chearful notes their painted years did fing,
And Wealth was one, and Honour th' other, wing;
Their genuine virtues did more sweet and clear,
In Fortune's graceful drefs, appear.
To which, great fon of Rhea! fay

The firm word which forbids things to decay!
If in Olympus' top, where thou
́Sitt'st to behold thy facred show;
If in Alpheus' filver flight;
If in my verfe, thou doft delight,
My verfe, O Rhea's fon! which is
Lofty as that, and smooth as this.

For the past fufferings of this noble race (Since things once paft, and fled out of thine hand, Hearken no more to thy command)

Let prefent joys fill up their place,

And

And with Oblivion's filent stroke deface

Of foregone ills the very trace.
In no illuftrious line

Do these happy changes shine

More brightly, Theron! than in thine.
So, in the crystal palaces

Of the blue-ey'd Nereides,
Ino her endless youth does please,
And thanks her fall into the feas.
Beauteous Semele does no lefs

Her cruel midwife, Thunder, blefs;
Whilft, sporting with the Gods on high,
She' enjoys fecure their company;
Plays with lightnings as they fly,

Nor trembles at the bright embraces of the Deity.

But death did them from future dangers free;
What God, alas! will caution be

For living man's fecurity,

Or will enfure our veffel in this faithlefs fea?
Never did the fun as yet

So healthful a fair-day beget,

That travelling mortals might rely on it.
But Fortune's favour and her fpite

Roll with alternate waves like day and night:

Viciffitudes which thy great race pursue,

E'er fince the fatal fon his father flew,

And did old oracles fulfil

Of Gods that cannot lye, for they foretell but their own

Erynnis

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