Dulce ridentem; mifero quod omnis Quod loquar amens. Lingua fed torpet: tenuis fub artus My learned reader will know very well the reafon why one of these verses is printed in Roman Letters * ; and if he compares this tranflation with the original, will find that the three first stanzas are rendered almoft word for word, and not only with the fame elegance, but with the fame fhort turn of expreffion which is fo remarkable in the Greek, and fo peculiar to the Sapphic Ode. I cannot imagine for what reafon Madam Dacier has told us, that this Ode of Sappho is preferved intire in Longinus, fince it is manifett to any one whọ looks into that author's quotation of it, that there must at least have been another ftanza, which is not transmitted to us. The fecond tranflation of this fragment which I fhall here cite, is that of Monfieur Boileau. Heureux! qui prés de toi, pour toi feule foûpire *It is wanting in the old Copies and has been fupplied by conjecture as above. But in a curious edition of Catullus, published at Venice in 1738, faid to be printed from an ancient MS. newly dif covered, this line is given Thus"Voce loquendum.” M 4 Je Je fens de veine en veine une subtile fiamme Un nuage confus fe répand fur ma vuë, The Reader will fee that this is rather an imitation than a tranflation. The circumftances do not lie fo thick together, and follow one another with that vehemence and emotion as in the original. In fhort, Monfieur Boileau has given us all the poetry, but not all the paffion of this famous fragment. fhall, in the Yaft place, prefent my reader with the English tranflation. J. "Bleft as th' immortal Gods is he, "Twas this depriv'd my foul of reft, "And rais'd fuch tumults in my breaft; "For while I gaz'd, in tranfport toft, "My breath was gone, my voice was loft: My bofom glow'd; the fubtle flame "Ran quick through all my vital frame; "O'er my dim eyes a darkness hung; "My ears with hollow murmurs rung. IV. "In dewy damps my limbs were chill'd; Inftead of giving any character of this laft tranflation, I fhall defire my learned reader to look into the criticifms which Longinus has made upon the original. By that means he will know to which of the translations he ought to give the preference. I fhall only add, that this tranflation is written in the very fpirit of Sappho, and as near the Greek as the Genius of our language will poffibly fuffer. Longinus has obferved that this description of love in Sappho is an exact copy of nature, and that all the circumstances which follow one another in fuch an hurry of fentiments, notwithstanding they appear repugnant to each other, are really such as happen in the phrenzies of love. I wonder, that not one of the critics or editors, through whofe hands this Ode has paffed, has taken occafion from it to mention a circumftance related by Plutarch. That author in the famous ftory of Antiochus, who fell in love with Stratonice, his mother-in-law, and (not daring to difcover his paffion) pretended to be confined to his bed by fickness, tells us, that Erafiftratus, the phyfician, found out the nature of his diftemper by thofe fymptoms of love which he had learnt from Sappho's Writings. Stratonice was in the room of the love-fick prince, when thofe fymptoms difcovered themfelves to his phyfician; and it is probable, that they were not very different from thofe which Sappho here describes in a lover fitting by his mistress. The Story of Antiochus is fo well known, that I need not add the fequel of it, which has no relation to my prefent fubject. C⭑ * By ADDISON, .dated Chelsea. +++ At Drury Lane, Nov. 23. "The Squire of Alfatia." Si William Belfond, by Mr. Pinkethman; the Squire, by Mr. Bullock;' Young Belfond, by Mr. Wilks; Sir Edward Belfond, by Mr. Keene; Trueman, by Mr. Mills; Cheatly, by Mr. Bickerstaff; Shamwell, by Mr. Bullock, jun. Lolpoop, by Mr. Leigh; Isabella, by Mrs. Rogers; Terefa, by Mrs. Oldfield; Mrs. Termagant, by Mrs. Knight; Lucy, by Mifs Sherborn; and Ruth, by Mrs. Powell. SPECT. in folio. This day is published, "A State of the BEWDLEY Cafe." Ibid. N° 230 Friday, November 23, 1711. Homines ad Deos nullâ re propius accedunt, quàm falutem . Hominibus dando. Tull. "Men refemble the Gods in nothing fo much, as in doing good to their fellow-creatures." H Uman nature appears a very deformed, or a very beautiful object, according to the different lights. in which it is viewed. When we fee men of inflamed paffions, or of wicked defigns, tearing one another to pieces by open violence, or undermining each other by fecret treachery; when we obferve base and narrow ends purfued by ignominious and difhoneft means; when we behold men mixed in fociety as if it were for the deftruction of it; we are even afhamed of our fpecies, and out of humour with our own being. But in another light, when we behold them niild, good, and benevolent, full of a generous regard for the public profperity, compaffionating each other's diftreffes, and relieving each other's wants, we can hardly believe they are creatures of the fame kind. In this view they appear Gods to each other, in the exercife of the noblest power, that of doing good; and the greatest compliment we have ever been able to make to our own being, has been by calling this difpofition of mind Humanity. We cannot but obferve a pleafure arifing in our own breaft upon the feeing or hearing of a generous action, even when we are wholly difinterested in it. I cannot give a more proper inftance of this, than by a letter from PLINY, in which he recommends a friend in the moft handfome manner, and, methinks, it would be a great pleasure to know the fuccefs of this epiftle, though each party concerned in it has been fo many hundred years in his grave. To To MAXIMUS. What I fhould gladly do for any friend of your", I think I may now with confidence request for a friend of mine. Arrianus Maturius is the most con'fiderable man of his country; when I call him fo, I do not speak with relation to his fortune, though that is very plentiful, but to his integrity, justice, gravity, and prudence; his advice is ufeful to me in bufinefs, and his judgment in matters of learning. His fidelity, truth, and good understanding, are very great; befides this, he loves me as you do, than which I cannot fay any thing that fignifies a warmer affection. He has nothing that's afpiring; and though he might rife to the higheft order of nobility, he keeps himfelf in an inferior rank; yet I think myself bound to use 'my endeavours to serve and promote him ; and would therefore find the means of adding fomething to his honours while he neither expects nor knows it, nay, though he should refufe it. Something, in fhort, E would have for him that may be honourable, but not troublefome; and I intreat that you will procure him the first thing of this kind that offers, by which you ⚫ will not only oblige me, but him alfo ; for though he does not covet it, 1 know he will be as grateful in acknowledging your favour as if he had asked it. * Mr. SPECTATOR, T HE reflections in fome of your Papers on the fervile manner of Education now in ufe, have 'given birth to an ambition, which unless you difcoun-tenance it, will, I doubt, engage me in a very diffi-cult, though not ungrateful adventure.. I am about: to undertake, for the fake of the British youth, to inftruct them in fuch a manner, that the most dangerous page in Virgil or Homer may be read by them with much pleafure, and with perfect fafety to their perfons. ་ Could I prevail fo far as to be honoured with the protection of fome few of them, (for I am not hero Thus far by Mr. John HUGHES. M 6 enough |