CRITICISM

ON

MASSEY'S TRANSLATION

OF THE

FASTI OF OVID.

Ir was no bad remark of a celebrated French lady,* that a bad translator was like an ignorant footman, whose blundering messages disgraced his master by the awkwardness of the delivery, and frequently turned compliment into abuse, and politeness into rusticity. We cannot, indeed, see an ancient elegant writer mangled and misrepresented by the doers into English, without some degree of indignation; and are heartily sorry that our poor friend Ovid should send his sacred kalendar to us by the hands of Mr William Massey, who, like the valet, seems to have entirely forgot his master's message, and substituted another in its room very unlike it. Mr Massey observes in his preface, with great truth, that it is strange that this most elaborate and learned of all Ovid's works should be so much neglected by our English trans lators; and that it should be so little read or regarded, whilst his Tristia, Epistles, and Metamorphoses, are in almost every schoolboy's hands. "All the critics, in general," says he, "speak of this part of Ovid's writings with a

Madame la Fayette,

particular applause; yet I know not by what unhappy fate, there has not been that use made thereof, which would be more beneficial, in many respects, to young students of the Latin tongue, than any other of this poet's works. For though Pantheons, and other books that treat of the Roman mythology, may be usefully put into the hands of young proficients in the Latin tongue, yet the richest fund of that sort of learning is here to be found in the Fasti. I am not without hopes, therefore, that by thus making this book more familiar and easy, in this dress, to English readers, it will the more readily gain admittance into our public schools; and that those who become better acquainted therewith, will find it an agreeable and instructive companion, well stored with recondite learning. I persuade myself, also, that the notes which I have added to my version will be of advantage, not only to the mere English reader, but likewise to such as endeavour to improve themselves in the knowledge of the Roman language.

"As the Latin proverb says, Jacta est alea: and my performance must take its chance, as those of other poetic adventurers have done before me. I am very sensible, that I have fallen in many places far below my original; and no wonder, as I had to copy after so fertile and polite a genius as Ovid's; who, as my Lord Orrery, somewhere in Dean Swift's Life, humorously observes, could make an instructive song out of an old almanack.'

6

"That my translation is more diffuse, and not brought within the same number of verses contained in my original, is owing to two reasons; firstly, because of the concise and expressive nature of the Latin tongue, which it is very difficult (at least I find it so) to keep to strictly, in our language; and secondly, I took the liberty sometimes to expatiate a little upon my subject, rather than leave it in obscurity, or unintelligible to my English readers, being indifferent whether they may call it translation or paraphrase; for, in short, I had this one design most particularly in view, that these Roman Fasti might have a way opened for their entrance into our grammar schools."

What use this translation may be of to grammar schools, we cannot pretend to guess, unless, by way of foil, to give the boys a higher opinion of the beauty of the original, by the deformity of so bad a copy. But let our readers judge of Mr Massey's performance, by the following specimen.

For the better determination of its merit, we shall subjoin the original of every quotation.

* The calends of each month, throughout the year,
Are under Juno's kind peculiar care;

But, on the ides, a white lamb from the field,
A grateful sacrifice to Jove, is kill'd;
But o'er the nones no guardian god presides;
And the next day to calends, nones, and ides,
Is inauspicious deem'd; for on those days
The Romans suffer'd losses many ways;
And from those dire events, in hapless war,
Those days unlucky nominated are.

Ovid's address to Janus, than which, in the original, scarce any thing can be more poetical, is thus familiarized into something much worse than prose by the translator :

"Say, Janus, say, why we begin the year
In winter? sure the spring is better far:
All things are then renew'd; a youthful dress
Adorns the flowers, and beautifies the trees;
New swelling buds appear upon the vine,
And apple blossoms round the orchard shine;
Birds fill the air with the harmonious lay,
And lambkins in the meadows frisk and play;
The swallow then forsakes her win'try rest,
And in the chimney chatt'ring makes her nest;
The fields are then renew'd, the ploughman's care:
Mayn't this be call'd renewing of the year?
To my long questions Janus brief replied,
And his whole answer to two verses tied: -
"The winter tropic ends the solar race,
Which is begun again from the same place;

*Vindicat Ausonias Junonis cura kalendas:
Idibus alba Jovi grandior agna cadit.
Nonarum tutela Deo caret. Omnibus istis
(Ne fallare cave) proximus Ater erit.
Omen ab eventu est: illis nam Roma diebus
Damna sub adverso tristia Marte tulit.

+ Dic, age, frigoribus quare novus incipit annus,
Qui melius per ver incipiendus erat?
'Omnia tunc florent: tunc est nova temporis ætas :
Et nova de gravido palmite gemma tumet.
Et modo formatis amicitur vitibus arbos;

Prodit et in summum seminis herba solum :
Et tepidum volucres concentibus aera mulcent:
Ludit et in pratis, luxuriatque pecus.
Tum blandi soles: ignotaque prodit hirundo;
Et luteum celsa sub trabe fingit opus.
Tum patitur cultus ager, et renovatur aratro
Hæc anni novitas jure vocanda fuit.
Quæsieram multis: non multis ille moratus,
Contulit in versus sic sua verba duos.

And to explain more fully what you crave,
The sun and year the same beginning have."
"But why, on new-year's day," said I again,

"Are suits commenced in court?" "The reason's plain,'
Replied the god; "that business may be done,
And active labour emulate the sun,

With business is the year auspiciously begun;
But every artist, soon as he was tried
To work a little, lays his work aside."
Then I, -"But farther, father Janus, say,
When to the gods we our devotions

pay,

Why wine and incense first to thee are given ?"
"Because," said he, " I keep the gates of heaven;
That when you the immortal powers address,
By me to them you may have free access.
"But why on new-year's day are presents made,
And more than common salutations paid?"
Then, leaning on his staff, the god replies,
"In all beginnings there an omen lies;

From the first word we guess the whole design,
And augurs, from the first seen bird, divine;
The gods attend to every mortal's prayer,
Their ears and temples always open are.'

Is there a possibility that any thing can be more different from Ovid in Latin than this Ovid in English? Quam sibi dispar! The translation is indeed beneath all criticism. But let us see what Mr Massey can do with the sublime and more animated parts of the performance, where the subject might have given him room to shew his skill, and the example of his author stirred up the fire of poetry in his breast, if he had any in it. Towards the end of the second book of the Fasti, Ŏvid has introduced the most tender and interesting story of Lucretia. The original is inimitable. Let us see what Mr Massey has made of it in his translation.

Bruma novi prima est, verterisque novissima solis
Principium capiunt Phoebus et annus idem.
Post ea mirabar, cur non sine litibus esset
Prima dies. Causam percipe, Janus ait.
Tempora commisi nascentia rebus agendis;
Totus ab auspicio ne foret annus iners.
Quisque suas artes ob idem delibat agendo:
Nec plus quam solitum testificatur opus.
Mox ego; cur, quamvis aliorum numina placem,
Jane, tibi primo thura merumque fero?
Ut per me possis aditum, qui limina servo,
Ad quoscunque velim prorsus, habere deos.
At cur læta tuis dicuntur verba kalendis ;

Et damus alternas accipimusque preces ?
Tum deus incumbens baculo, quem dextra gerebat;
Omina principiis, inquit, inesse solent.

Ad primam vocem timidas advertitis aures;

Et visam primum consulit augur avem.
Templa patent auresque deum: nec lingua caducas
Concipit ulla preces; dictaque pondus habent.

After he has described Tarquin returning from the sight of the beautiful Lucretia, he proceeds thus :

The near approach of day the cock declared
By his shrill voice, when they again repair'd
Back to the camp; but Sextus there could find
Nor peace nor ease for his distemper'd mind;
A spreading fire does in his bosom burn,
Fain would he to the absent fair return;
The image of Lucretia fills his breast:

Thus at her wheel she sat! and thus was drest!
What sparkling eyes, what pleasure in her look!
How just her speech, and how divinely spoke!
Like as the waves, raised by a boisterous wind,
Sink by degrees, but leave a swell behind;
So, though by absence lessen'd was his fire,
There still remain'd the kindlings of desire.
Unruly lust from hence began to rise,
Which how to gratify he must devise:
Ali on a rack, and stung with mad designs,
He reason to his passion quite resigns;
"Whate'er's the event," said he, "I'll try my fate,
Suspense in all things is a wretched state;
Let some assistant god, or chance, attend,
All bold attempts they usually befriend :
This way, said he, I to the Gabii trod ;"
Then girding on his sword, away he rode.
The day was spent, the sun was nearly set,
When he arrived before Collatia's gate;
Like as a friend, but with a sly intent,
To Collatinus' house he boldly went;
There he a kind reception met within
From fair Lucretia, for they were akin.
What ignorance attends the human mind!
How oft we are to our misfortunes blind!

Jam dederat cantum lucis prænuncius ales;
Cum referunt juvenes in sua castra pedem.
Carpitur attonitos absentis imagine sensus
Ille recordanti plura magisque placent.
Sic sedit: sic culta fuit: sic stamina nevit:
Neglectæ collo sie jacuere comæ :
Hos habuit vultus: hic illi verba fuere :

Hic decor, hæc facies, hic color oris erat.
Ut solet a magno fluctus languescere flatu;
Sed tamen a vento, qui fuit ante, tumet:
Sic, quamvis aberat placitæ præsentia formæ,
Quem dederat præsens forma, manebat amor.
Ardet; et injusti stimulis agitatus amoris
Comparat indigno vimque dolumque toro.
Exitus in dubio est: audebimus ultima, dixit:
Viderit, audentes forsne deusne juvet:
Cepimus audendo Gabios quoque. Talia fatus
Ense latus cingit: tergaque pressit equi.

Accipit ærata juvenem Collatia porta:

Condere jam vultus Sole parante suos.

Hostis, ut hospes, init penetralia Collatina:

Comiter excipitur: sanguine junctus erat.