me," says Dryden, "that the true rea son why we have so few versions that are tolerable, is, because there are so "few have all the talents requisite for translation, and that there is so little praise and "small encouragement for so considerable a "part of learning." Pref. to Ovid's Epistles*, 66 "where; and if not in himself, we must impute it to the "defectiveness of our country and age, in social improvement, government and laws. The world, it may be, that " is, a very small portion of the world, gains something, " in having a foreign publication translated by a man who " is capable of entering into the soul of his original; but, at any rate, it loses, out of all comparison, more than it gains," Here we have the solemn judgment of a grave and learned critic, that Translation is an employment fit only for Dunces! and that there is a radical defect in the govern ment, laws and social improvements of a country, where any man of real talents is suffered thus to degrade himself, and mispend his valuable time. • The justness of the following observations, which form a striking contrast with those in the preceding note, will be felt, as soon as announced. "A faithful and elegant trans"lator is a character of the highest virtue in the literary "republic. It implies public spirit, the most void of osten"tation; a kind regard for the illiterate; a love of our na"tive country, shewn by enriching its language with va Ir is, however, to the real honour of the literary character, and taste of the times, that there have been, and that there are men of genius among the moderns who have vindicated the dignity of this art so ill appretiated, and have furnished us with excellent translations, both of the ancient classics, and of the productions of foreign writers of our own and of former ages. These works lay open a great field of useful criticism; and from them it is certainly possible to draw the principles of that art which has never yet been methodised, and to establish its rules and precepts. Towards this purpose, even the worst translations would have their utility, as in such a critical exercise, it would be equally necessary to illustrate defects as to exemplify perfections. "luable books; a just regard for merit, of whatever country, by placing the merit of some valuable foreigners in the "truest and fairest light; a care, a judgment and exactness "that original writings do not require, and some degree “of humility, in scarce aspiring to the name of an author. "But how few of those heroes and heroines are there! "The common herd of translators are mere murderers." Letter from Miss Talbot to Mrs Carter. Carter's Letters, vol. i. p. 126. An attempt of this kind forms the subject of the following Essay, in which the Author solicits indulgence, both for the imperfections of his treatise, and perhaps for some errors of opinion. His apology for the first, is, that he does not pretend to exhaust the subject, or to treat it in all its amplitude, but only to point out the general principles of the art; and for the last, that in matters where the ultimate appeal is to Taste, it is almost impossible to be secure of the solidity of our opinions, when the criterion of their truth is so very uncertain. CHAPTER I Description of a good Translation.—General Rules flowing from that Description. F If it were possible accurately to define, or, perhaps more properly, to describe what is meant by a good Translation, it is evident that a considerable progress would be made towards establishing the rules of the Art; for these Rules would flow naturally from that definition or description. But there is no subject of criticism on which there has been so much difference of opinion. If the genius and character of all languages were the same, it would be an easy task to translate from one into another; nor would any |