Pliny's Epistles has an uncommon felicity of expression in the original. Pliny thus jocu larly remonstrates with his friend Præsens, for passing so much of his time in the country: Quousque regnabis? Quousque vigilabis quum voles? dormies quamdiu voles? quousque calcei nusquam? toga feriata? liber totos dies? Tempus est te revisere molestias nostras, vel ob hoc solùm, ne voluptates ista satietate languescant. Ep. lib. vii. 3.

"Are you obstinately bent to live your own master, and sleep and rise when you "think proper? Will you never change 66 your country dress for the habit of the 66 town, but spend your whole days unem"barrassed by business? It is time, how

ver, you should revisit our scene of hurry, "were it only that your rural pleasures may "not grow languid by enjoyment," Melmoth's Pliny.

THE looseness of this version, and at the same time its insipidity, when contrasted with the happy ease and familiarity of the original, would almost incline us to suspect,

that in this instance the translator had not fully apprehended his author's meaning. The sense, at least, if not the full spirit of the passage, may be thus more faithfully given:

"How long must you enjoy the royal privilege of idleness-sleep when you please, and wake when you please saunter the livelong day, with your book "in your hand; in all the comfort of an old coat, and a pair of easy shoes; your town accoutrements and dress-pumps gone, "the Lord knows where, and not to be "found for love or money ?-For heaven's "sake, come and taste of our turmoils : "seek something to plague you, were it only to give a zest to your happiness."

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BUT while a translator endeavours to transfuse into his work all the ease of the original, the most correct taste is requisite to prevent that ease from degenerating into licentiousness. I have, in treating of the imitation of style and manner, given some examples of the want of this taste. The most licentious of all translators was Mr Thomas

Brown, of facetious memory, in whose translations from Lucian we have the most perfect ease; but it is the ease of Billingsgate and of Wapping. I shall contrast a few passages of his translation of this author, with those of another translator, who has given a faithful transcript of the sense of his original, but from an over-scrupulous fidelity has failed a little in point of

ease.

GNATHON.

"What now! Timon, do "you strike me? Bear witness, Hercules! "O O me, O me! But I will call you into "the Areopagus for this. TIMON, Stay a "little only, and you may bring me in guilty of murder *.” FRANCKLIN's Lu

cian.

GNATHON : "Confound him! what a "blow he has given me! What's this for,

* ΓΝ. Τι τότο; παίεις ὦ Τίμων; μαρτύρομαι· ὦ Ηράκλεις· ἰοὺ. του. Προκαλέμαι σε τραύματος εἰς Αρειον πάγον ΤΙΜ. Καὶ μὴν ἂν γε μικρον επιβράδυνης, φόνου τάχα προκεκλήση με. LUCIAN, Ti

mon.

"old Touchwood? Bear witness, Hercules, "that he has struck me. I warrant you, I "shall make you repent of this blow. I'll "indite you upon an action of the case, and "bring you coram nobis for an assault and "battery." TIMON. "Do, thou confound"ed law-pimp, do; but if thou stayest one "minute longer, I'll beat thee to pap. I'll "make thy bones rattle in thee, like three "blue beans in a blue bladder. Go, stink

ard, or else I shall make you alter your "action, and get me indicted for manslaugh"ter." Timon, trans. by Brown in Dryden's Lucian.

"On the whole, a most perfect charac"ter; we shall see presently, with all his "modesty, what a bawling he will make." FRANCKLIN'S Lucian, Timon*.

"In fine, he's a person that knows the "world better than any one, and is extreme

* Και όλως πάνσοφον τὸ χρῆμα, και πανταχόθεν ἀκριβές, καὶ ποικί λώς ἐντελές· οίμωζεται τοιγαρέν ἐκ εις μακρὰν χρηστὸς ὤν. LUCIAN, Timon.

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ly well acquainted with the whole Encyclopædia of villany; a true elaborate fi"nished rascal; and for all he appears so "demure now, that you'd think butter "would not melt in his mouth, yet I shall 66 soon make him open his pipes, and roar " like a persecuted bear." cian, Timon.

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DRYDEN'S Lu

"HE changes his name, and instead of Byrria, Dromo, or Tibius, now takes the name of Megacles, or Megabyzus, or Protarchus, leaving the rest of the expectants gaping and looking at one another in si"lent sorrow." FRANCKLIN'S Lucian, Timon *.

"STRAIGHT he changes his name, so that "the rascal, who the moment before had no other title about the house, but, you

son of a whore, you bulk-begotten cur, you scoundrel, must now be called his

* Αντί τε τέως Πυῤῥία, ἢ Δρόμωνος, ἢ Τιβις, Μεγακλῆς, ἢ Μεγάβυ ζος, ἢ Πρώταρχος μετονομασθείς, τις μάτην κεχηνότας εκεινος εἰς ἀλλή λες ἀποβλέποντας καταλιπών, &c. LUCIAN, Timon.