IN Advertisement. N reading feveral paffages of the Prophet Ifaiah, which foretell the coming of Chrift and the felicities attending it, I could not but obferve a remarkable parity between many of the thoughts, and those in the Pollio of Virgil. This will not feem furprising, when we reflect, that the Eclogue was taken from a Sibylline prophecy on the same subject. One may judge that Virgil did not copy it line by line, but felected fuch ideas as beft agreed with the nature of paftoral poetry, and difpofed them in that manner which served moft to beautify his piece. I have endeavoured the fame in this imitation of him, though without admitting any thing of my own; fince it was written with this particular view, that the reader, by comparing the feveral thoughts, might fee how far the images and descriptions of the Prophet are fuperior to those of the Poet. But as I fear I have prejudiced them by my management, I fhall fubjoin the paffages of Isaiah, and those of Virgil, under the same difadvantage of a literal translation. P. A SACRED ECLOGUE, In Imitation of VIRGIL'S POLLIO. YE E Nymphs of Solyma! begin the song: To heav'nly themes fublimer strains belong. The moffy fountains, and the fylvan fhades, The dreams of Pindus and th' Aonian maids, Delight no more---O thou my voice infpire 5 Who touch'd Ifaiah's hallow'd lips with fire! Rapt into future times, the Bard begun : A Virgin shall conceive, a Virgin bear a Son! IMITATIONS. VER. 8. A Virgin shall conceive---- All crimes fhall ceafe, etc.] Jam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna; Te duce, fi qua manent fceleris veftigia noftri, "Now the Virgin returns, now the kingdom of Saturn "returns, now a new progeny is fent down from high hea"ven. By means of thee, whatever reliques of our crimes "remain, fhall be wiped away, and free the world from perpetual fears. He fhall govern the earth in peace, with "the virtues of his father." ISAIAH, Ch. vii. ver. 14. "Behold a Virgin shall con"ceive and bear a fon.-Chap. ix. ver. 6, 7. Unto us a "Child is born, unto us a Son is given; the Prince of Peace : of the increase of his government, and of his peace, there "fhall be no end: Upon the throne of David, and upon his a From Jeffe's root behold a branch arise, I I Whofe facred flow'r with fragrance fills the skies: REMARK S. VER 13. Ye Heav'ns! from high the dewy nectar pour, And in foft filence fhed the kindly fhow'r !] His Original says, "Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteoufnefs : let the earth open, and let them "bring forth falvation, and let righteousness fpring up toge"ther."-This is a very noble defcription of divine grace fhed abroad in the hearts of the faithful under the Gospel difpenfation. And the poet understood all its force, as appears from the two lines preceding thefe,-Th' Ethereal Spirit, etc. The prophet defcribes this under the image of rain, which chiefly fits the first age of the Gospel: The poet, under the idea of dew, which extends it to every age. And it was his purpose it should be fo understood, as appears from his expreffion of foft filence, which agrees with the common, not the extraordinary effufions of the Holy Spirit. The figurative term is wonderfully happy. He who would moralize the ancient Mythology in the manner of Bacon, would fay, that by the poetical nectar, is meant the grace of the Theologifts. VER. 17. Ancient fraud] i. e. the fraud of the Serpent. IMITATIONS. kingdom, to order and to stablish it, with judgment, and "with justice, for ever and ever." P. a Ifai. xi. ver. I. Ch. ix. ver. 7. Ch. xlv. ver. 8. c Ch. xxv. ver. 4. Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend, 19 e IMITATIONS. VER. 23. See Nature hafte, etc.] At tibi prima, puer, nullo munufcula cultu, 30 "For thee, O Child, fhall the earth, without being tilled, "produce her early offerings; winding ivy, mixed with "Baccar, and Colocafia with fmiling Acanthus. Thy cradle "fhall pour forth pleafing flowers about thee." ISAIAH, Ch. xxxv. ver. 1. "The wilderness and the fo"litary place fhall be glad, and the defert fhall rejoice and "bloffom as the rofe." Ch. lx. ver. 13. "The glory of "Lebanon fhall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of thy fanc tuary." P. VER. 29. Hark! a glad Voice, etc.] VIRG. Ecl. iv. ver. 46. Aggredere ô magnos, aderit jam tempus, honores, Ch. xxxv. ver. 2, f Ch. xl. ver. 3, 4, A God, a God! the vocal hills reply, g purge REMARK S. 40 VER. 39. He from thick films fhall purge the vifual ray,] The fenfe and language fhew, that by vifual ray, the poet meant the fight, or, as Milton calls it, indeed, fomething lefs boldly, tho' more exactly, the vifual nerve. However, no critic would quarrel with the figure which calls the inftrument of vision by the name of the caufe. But tho' the term be noble and fublime, yet the expreffion of thick films is faulty; and he fell into it by IMITATIONS. Ipfi lætitia voces ad fydera jactant Intonfi montes, ipfæ jam carmina rupes, Ipfa fonant arbufta, Deus, deus ille Menalca ! Ecl. v. ver. 62. "Oh come and receive the mighty honours: the time "draws nigh, O beloved offspring of the Gods, O great en"creafe of Jove! The uncultivated mountains fend shouts of "joy to the stars, the very rocks fing in verfe, the very shrubs "cry out, a God, a God!" ISAIAH, Ch. xl. ver. 3, 4. "The voice of him that "crieth in the wildernefs, Prepare ye the way of the Lord! "make strait in the defert a high way for our God! Every "valley fhall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall "be made low, and the crooked shall be made strait, and the rough places plain." Ch. iv. ver. 23. Break forth into fing"ing, ye mountains! O foreft, and every tree therein! for "the Lord hath redeemed Ifrael." P... Ch. xliii. ver. 18. Ch. xxxv. ver. 5, 6. |