BEing to appear anew in the World, it may be ex­pected, that I should say something concerning these ensuing Trisles, which I shall endeavour to do with as much briefness, as I did before what I last pub­lished in this kind.

I doubt not but the Reader will think me guilty of an high presumption in adventuring upon a Transla­tion of The Art of Poetry, after two such great Hands as have gone before me in the same attempts: I need not acquaint him, that I mean Ben Johnson, and the Earl of Roscommon, the one being of so establish'd an Authority, that whatever he did is held as Sacred, the other having lately performed it with such admirable success, as almost cuts off all hope in any after Pretenders of ever coming up to what he has eone. How be it, when I let him know, that it was a Task imposed upon me, and not what I voluntarily engaged in; I hope he will be the more favourable in his Censures. I would indeed very willingly have wav'd the undertaking upon the forementioned ac­count, and urged it as a reason for my declining the same, but it would not be allowed as sufficient to ex­cuse me therefrom. Wherefore, being prevailed up­on to make an Essay. I fell to thinking of some course; whereby I might serve my self of the Advantages; which those that went before me; have either not [Page] minded, or scrupulously abridged themselves of. This I soon imagined was to be effected by putting Horace into a more modern dress, than hitherto he has ap­peared in, that is by making him speak, as if he were living, and writing now. I therefore resolved to alter the Seene from Rome to London, and to make use of English names of Men, Places, and Customs, where the Paralel would decently permit, which I conceived would give a kind of new Air to the Poem, and render it more agreeable to the rellish of the pre­sent Age.

With these Considerations I set upon the Work, and pursued it accordingly. I have not, I acknowledg, been over-nice in keeping to the words of the Origi­nal, for that were to transgress a Rule therein con­tained. Nevertheless I have been religiously strict to its sense, and express'd it in as plain, and intelli­gible a manner, as the Subject would bear. Where I may be thought to have varied from it (which is not above once or twice, and in Passages not much material) the skilful Reader will perceive 'twas necessary for carrying on my proposed design, and the Author himself, were he again alive, would (I be­lieve) forgive me. I have been careful to avoid stiffness, and made it my endeavour to hit (as near as I could) the easie and familiar way of writing, which is peculiar to Horace in his Epistles, and was his proper Talent above any of mankind. Af­ter all, 'tis humbly submitted to the judgment of the truly knowing, how I have acquitted my self herein. Let the success be what it will, I shall not however wholly repent of my undertaking, being (I [Page] reckon) in some measure recompenced for my pains by the advantage I have reaped of fixing these admirable Rules of Sense so well in my memory.

The Satyr and Odes of the Author, which fol­low next in order, I have translated after the same libertine way. In them also I labour'd under the disadvantages of coming after other persons. The Satyr had been made into a Scene by Ben Johnson, in a Play of his, called the Poetaster. After I had finished my imitation thereof, I came, to learn, that it had been done likewise by Dr. Sprat, and since I have had the sight of it amongst the Printed Tran­slations of Horace's Works. The Odes are there done too, but not so excellently well, as, to discou­rage any farther endeavours. If these of mine meet with good entertainment in the world, I may per­haps find leisure to attempt some other of them, which at present suffer as much from their Transla­ters, as the Psalms of David from Sternhold and Hopkins.

The two sacred Odes I designed not to have made publick now, forasmuch as they might seem unfit to appear among Subjects of this nature, and were in­tended to come forth apart hereafter in company of others of their own kind. But, having susser'd Co­pies of them to straggle abread in Manuscript, and remembring the Fate of some other Pieces of mine, which have formerly stoln into the Press without my leave, or knowledg, and be exposed to the world abominably false and uncorrect; to prevent the same misfortune likely enough to befal these, I have been persuaded to yield my consent to their Publishing [Page] amongst the rest. Nor is the Printing of such Miscella­nies altogether so unpresidented, but that it may be seen in the Editions of Dr. Donne, and Mr. Cowley's Works, whether done by their own appointment, or the sole direction of the Stationer's, I am not able to determine.

As for the two Essays out of Greek, they were occasioned by a report, that some persons found fault with the roughness of my Satyrs formerly published, tho, upon what ground they should do it, I could be glad to be informed. Unless I am mistaken, there are not many Lines but will endure the reading with­out shocking any Hearer, that is not too nice, and censorious. I confess, I did not so much mind the Ca­dence, as the Sense and expressiveness of my words, and therefore chose not those, which were best disposed to placing themselves in Rhyme, but rather the most keen, and tuant, as being the most sutable to my Argu­ment. And certainly no one that pretends to distin­guish the several Colours of Poetry, would expect that Juvenal, when he is lashing of Vice and Villa­ny, should flow so smoothly, as Ovid, or Tibullus, when they are describing Amours and Gallantries, and have nothing to disturb and ruffle the evenness of their Stile.

Howbeit, to shew that the way I took, was out of choice, not want of judgment, and that my Genius is not wholly uncapable of performing upon more gay and agreeable Subjects, if my humour inclined me to exercise it, I have pitch'd upon these two, which the greatest men of sense have allowed to be some of the softest and tenderest of all Antiquity. Nay, if we [Page] will believe Rapine, one of the best Criticks which these latter Ages have produced; they have no other fault, than that they are too exquisitely delicare for the Cha­racter of Postoral, which should not seem too laboured, and whose chief beauty is an unaffected air of plainness and simplicity.

That, which laments the Death of Adonis has been attempted in Latine by several great Masters, namely, Vulcanius, Douza, and Monsieur le Fevre. The last of them has done it Paraphrastically, but left good part of the Poem toward the latter end untouch'd, perhaps because he thought it not so capable of Ornament, as the rest. Him I chiefly chose to follow, as being most agreeable to my way of translating, and where I was at a loss for want of his guidance, I was content to steer by my own Fancy.

The Translation of that upon Bion was begun by another Hand, as far as the first fifteen Verses, but who was the Author I could never yet learn. I have been told that they were done by the Earl of Roche­ster; but I could not well believe it, both because he seldom medled with such Subjects, and more especially by reason of an uncorrect line, or two to be found amongst them, at their first coming to my hands, which never us'd to flow from his excellent Pen. Conceiving it to be in the Original, a piece of as much Art, Grace, and Tenderness, as perhaps was ever offered to the Ashes of a Poet, I thought fit to dedicate it to the memory of that incomparable Person, of whom nothing can be said, or thought so choice and curious, which his Deserts do not surmount. If it be thought mean to have borrowed the sense of another to praise him [Page] in, yet at least it argues at the same time a value and reverence, that I durst not think any thing of my own good enough for his Commendation.

This is all, which I judg material to be said of these following Resveries. As for what others are to be found in the parcel, I reckon them not worth menti­oning in particular, but leave them wholly open and unguarded to the mercy of the Reader; let him make his Attaques how, and where he please.