T. Trotter sculp UNIV OF CH HOMER. London: Published as the Act directs, March 26, 1796. by T. Songman, Homerus THE ILIAD OF HOME R. TRANSLATED BY ALEXANDER POPE, Esq. TE SEQUOR, O GRAIÆ GENTIS DECUS! INQUE TUIS NUNC FIXA PEDUM PONO PRESSIS VESTIGIA SIGNIS: NON ITA CERTANDI CUPIDUS, QUAM PROPTER AMOREM, LUCRET. A NEW EDITION, WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES, CRITICAL AND ILLUSTRATIVE, BY GILBERT WAKEFIELD, B. A. VOLUME I. LONDON: Printed by . Baldwin: FOR T. LONGMAN, B. LAW, J. JOHNSON, C. DILLY, G. G. AND J. ROBINSON, W. OTRIDGE AND SON, J. NICHOLLS, R. BALDWIN, G. NICOL, F. AND C. RIVINGTON, LEIGH AND SOTHEBY, T. PAYNE, J. WALKER, J. CLARKE AND SON, R. FAULDER, HOOKHAM AND CARPENTER, J. SCATCHERD, B. AND J. WHITE, J. EDWARDS, CADELL AND DAVIES, C. AND G. KEARSLEY, AND M. POTE. M DCC XCVI. HOMER is univerfally allowed to have had the greatest Invention of any writer whatever. The praise of judgment Virgil has justly contested with him, and others may have their pretenfions as to particular excellencies; but his Invention remains yet unrivaled. unrivaled. Nor is it a wonder if hé has ever been acknowledged the greatest of poets, who moft excelled in that which is the very foundation of poetry.* It is the Invention that in different degrees distinguishes For poetry, in it's proper acceptation, is abfolutely creation, Bois: or invention. In the three requifites, prescribed by Horace, of poetic excellence, Ingenium cui fit, cui mens divinior, atque os the first, ingenium, or native fertility of intellect, correfponds to the Invention of Pope. See the preface to my volume of obfervations on our poet. Editor. VOL. I. all great Geniuses: the utmost stretch of human study, learning, and industry, which masters every thing befides, can never attain to this. It furnishes Art with all her materials, and without it, Judgment itself can at best but fteal wifely: for Art is only like a prudent steward that lives on managing the riches of Nature. Whatever praises may be given to works of judgment, there is not even a fingle beauty in them to which the Invention * * Quintilian, in book ii. chapter 19th of his oratorical inftitutes, has appreciated these respective claims of art and nature with an elegance, a comprehenfion, and precifion, that induce me to exhibit the whole of his remarks for the gratification of the reader. 66 "I know, it is made a question, whether Nature, or Learning. "contributes most to Eloquence. Now, if they must be separated, Nature, even without Learning, has great efficacy; but Learning " without Nature is altogether inefficient. But, if you suppose them " combined in equal quantity, Mediocrity, in my judgement, will owe more to Nature, but the confummation of excellence, to "Learning: just as a foil, deftitute of fertility, will derive no "benefit from the most fkilful cultivator; while fomething useful, " even without cultivation, will spring from a teeming foil: but more " will accrue from the cultivator, where the foil is good, than from "it's native excellence. So, fhould Praxitiles himself undertake to "carve a statue from a mill-ftone, I would prefer a block of Parian "marble in it's unpolished state; but, fhould that artift exert his "fkill on this piece of marble, the ftatue would owe more to his ingenuity, than to it's materials. In fhort, Nature is the materials 66 |