Ver. 23, 24. "Inventor Pallas, of the "fatning oil, Thou founder of the plough, "and ploughman's toil! Written as if 66 66 66 thefe had been Pallas's invention. The ploughman's toil's impertinent. Ver. 25. "-The broud-like cyprefs Why Shroud-like? Is a cypress pull'd up by the roots, which the sculpture in "the last Eclogue fills Sylvanus's hand "with fo very like a shroud? Or did ❝ not Mr. D. think of that kind of cy 66 prefs us'd often for fcarves and hat"bands at funerals formerly, or for "widow's vails, &c. if fo, 'twas a deep good thought. 66 Ver. 26. "That wear the royal ho nours, and increase the year-What's "meant by increafing the year? Did the "gods t 66 σε gods or goddeffes add more months, or days, or hours to it? Or how can arva "tueri fignify to wear rural honours? "Is this to tranflate, or abuse an author? "The next couplet are borrow'd from Ogylby, I fuppofe, because lefs to the purpose than ordinary. Ver. 33. "The patron of the world, "and Rome's peculiar guard— Idle, and "none of Virgil's, no more than the "fenfe of the precedent couplet; fo again, ❝he interpolates Virgil' with that and the round circle of the year to guide powerful of bleffings, which thou frew'ft «around. A ridiculous Latinism, and "an impertinent addition; indeed the "whole period is but one piece of ab"furdity furdity and nonfenfe, as those who "lay it with the original muft find. Ver. 42, 43." And Neptune fhall refign "the fafces of the fea. Was he conful or "dictator there? And watry virgins for "thy bed fhall frive. Both abfurd inter66 polations. Ver. 47, 48. "Where in the void of "heaven a place is free. Ah happy D-n, "were that place for thee! But where "is that void? Or what does our tranfla"tor mean by it? He knows what Ovid "fays, God did to prevent fuch a void * in heaven; perhaps, this was then forgotten but Virgil talks more fen 66 fibly. Ver. 49. "The fcorpion ready to re ceive thy laws. No, he would not "then have gotten out of his way fo "faft. Ver. 56. "The Proferpine affects her filent feat-What made her then fo angry with Afcalaphus, for preventing "her return? She was now mus'd to 66 "Patience under the determinations "Fate, rather than fond of her refi"dence. Ver. 61, 2, 3. "Pity the poets, and the ploughmans cares, Interest thy great nefs in our mean affairs. And use thyfelf betimes to hear our prayers. Which "is fuch a wretched perverfion of Virgil's "noble thought as Vicars would have "blush'd at; but Mr. Ogylby makes us "fome amends, by his better lines. "O where "And now, as if tranflated, hear our 66 prayers. This is fenfe, and to the purpose: the "other, poor mistaken fluff." Such were the ftrictures of Milbourne, who found few abettors; and of whom it may be reasonably imagined, that many who favoured his defign were afhamed of his infolence. When admiration had fubfided,' the tranflation was more coolly examined, |