Slaves to the things we too much prize,

We mafters grow of all that we defpife.

V.

A field of corn, a fountain, and a wood,

Whatever an estate does beyond this afford,

Is not a rent paid to the lord,

But is a tax illegal and unjust,

Exacted from it by the tyrant Luft.

Much will always wanting be

To him who much defires. Thrice happy he

To whom the wife indulgency of Heav'n

60

With fparing hand, but just enough, has giv'n. 64

Written in imitation of the

STYLE AND MANNER

OF THE ODES OF PINDAR.

Pindarici fontis qui non expalluit hauftus. HOR. Ep. 1. 1. 3.

PREFACE.

IF a man fhould undertake to translate Pindar word for word, it would be thought that one madman bad translated another; as may appear, when he that underftands not the original, reads the verbal traduction of him into Latin profe, than which nothing feems more raving. And fure rhyme, without the addition of wit, and the spirit of poetry, (quod nequeo monftrare et fentio tantùm) would but make it ten times more diftracted than it is in profe. We must confider, in Pindar, the great difference of time betwixt his age and our's, which changes, as in pictures, at least the colours of poetry; the no lefs difference betwixt the religions and cuftoms of our countries, and a thousand particularities of places, perfons, and manners, which do but confufedly appear to our eyes at fo great a diftance: and, laftly, (which were enough, alone, for my purpose) we must confider that our ears are ftrangers to the mufick of his numbers, which fometimes, (efpecially in songs and odes) almaft without any thing else, makes an excellent poet. For

though the grammarians and criticks have laboured to reduse bis verfes into regular feet and measures, (as they have alfo thofe of the Greek and Latin Comedies) yet, in effect, they are little better than profe to our cars: and I would gladly know what applause our beft pieces of English poefy could expect from a Frenchman or Italian, if converted faithfully, and word for word, into French or Italian profe. And when we have confidered all this, we must needs confefs, that after all these loffes fuftained by Pindar, all we can add to bim by our wit or invention (not deferting ftill bis fubject) is not like to make bim a richer man than be was in his own country. This is, in fome measure, to be applied to all tranflations, and the not obferving of it is the caufe that all which ever 1 yet faw are fo much inferiour to their originals. The like happens, too, in pictures, from the fame root of exact imitation, which being a vile and unworthy kind of fervitude, is incapable of producing any thing good or noble. I have feen originals, both in painting and poefy, much more beautiful than their natural objects; but i never far a copy better than the original, which indeed cannot be otherwise; for men refolving in no cafe to foot beyond the mark, it is a thousand to one if they fooct not foort of it. It does not at all trouble me that the grammarians, perhaps, will not fuffer this libertine way of rendering foreign authors to be called Tranflation; for I am not fo much enamoured of the name Tranflator, as not to wifh rather to be fomething better, though it want yet a name. I freak not fo much all this in defence of my manner of

Translating or imitating (or what other title they please) the two enfuing Odes of Pindar; for that would not deferve half these words, as by this occafion to rectify the opinion of divers men upon this matter. The Pfalms of Diavid, (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 faid; all the tranflators of which, (even Mr. Sands himself, for in defpite of popular errour I will be bold not to except him) for this very reaJon, that they have not fought to supply the loft excellencies of another language with new ones in their own, are fo far from doing bonour, or at leaft juftice, to that divine poet, that, methinks, they revile him worfe 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 I have, in these two Odes of Pindar, taken, left out, and added, what I please; nor make it so much my aim to let the reader know precifely aphat he spoke, as what was his way and manner of speaking; which has not been yet (that Į know of) introduced into English, though it be the nobleft and bigheft kind of writing in verse; 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 Englifo babit, for which experiment I have chofen one of his Olympick,and another of his Nemecan, Odes, which are as followeth.

THE SECOND

OLYMPICK ODE

OF PINDAR.

WRITTEN in praife of Theron Prince of Agrigentum, (a famous city in Sicily, built by his ancestors) who, in the seventy-seventh Olympick, won the Chariot-prize. He is commended from the nobility of his race, (whofe ftory is often touched on) from his great riches, (an-ordinary common place in Pindar) from his hofpitality, munificence, and other virtues. The Ode (according to the conftant custom of the Poet) confifts more in digreffions than in the main fubject; and the reader must not be shocked to hear him fpeak fo often of his owa Mufe; for that is a liberty which this kind of poetry can hardly live without.

I.

QUEEN of all harmonious things,
Dancing words and speaking strings,
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' Olympick Games,

Alcides offer'd up to Jove;

Alcides, too, thy firings may move,

ΙΟ

But, oh! what man to join with these can worthy Join Theron boldly to their facred names; [prove? Theron the next honour claims;