The funne withdrewe him: Athamas and eke his wife were caft And fplaying (a) foorth her filthy armes beknit with foakes about, The fnakes did craule about their brefts, infpiring in their heart To cruell murther: all the which, fhe did together grinde. And mingling them with new-hed blood, fhe boyled them in brage, The loves of Hero and Leander afcribed to Mufæus, and the first book of Lucan, were tranflated by Chriftopher Marlowe, the contemporary of Shakefpear, and a dramatic poet of great reputation. He was alfo the author of many beautiful fonnets, and of that remarkable one called the Paffionate Shepherd to bis Love, which appears in the Merry Wives of Windfor. "That Marlowe (our author obferves) was admirably qualified for what Mr. Mafon, with a happy and judicious propriety, calls PURE POETRY, will appear from the following palage of his forgotten tragedy of EDWARD THE SECOND, written in the year 1590, and firft printed in 1593. The higheft tertainments, then in fashion, are contrived for the gratification of the infatuated Edward, by his profligate minion, Piers Gavellon. I must haue wanton poets, pleasant wits, (a) Displaying. (4) Madness. May May drawe the plyant king which way I pleafe. Therefore I'll have Italian mafques by night, * * * Shall bathe him in a spring: and there hard by, The Iliad of Homer was tranflated by George Chapman to wards the latter end of this reign. Mr. Warton's account of this poet is as follows. "In the Preface, he declares that the laft twelve books were tranflated in fifteen weeks: yet with the advice of his learned and valued friends, Mafter Robert Hews (6), and Mafter Harriots. It is certain that the whole performance betrays the negligence of hafte. He pays his acknowledgements to his "moft ancient, "learned, and right noble friend, "Mafter Richard Stapilton (c), "the first moft defertful mouer "in the frame of our Homer." He endeavours to obviate a popu lar objection, perhaps not totally groundlefs, that he confulted the profe Latin version more than the Greek original. He fays, fenfibly enough," it is the part of " euery knowing and judicious "interpreter, not to follow the "number and order of words, but "the materiall things themelues, "and fentences to weigh dili "gently; and to clothe and a"dorne them with words, and "fuch a ftile and forme of ora❝tion, as are most apt for the "language into which they are "conuerted." The danger lies, in too lavith an application of this fort of cloathing, that it may not difguife what it fhould only adorn. I do not fay that this is Chapman's (a) That is, acting the part of Diana. (b) This Robert Hue, or Hofius, was a scholar, à good geographer and mathematician, and published a Tract in Latin on the Globes, Lond. 1593. 8vo. With other pieces in that way. There was allo a Robert Hughes who wrote a Dictionary of the Eglish and Pertic. See Wood, ATH. OXON. i. 571. HIST. ANTIQUIT. UNIV. OxON. Lib. ii. p. 288. b. (c) Already mentioned as the publisher of a poetical mifcellany in 1593. Supr. p. 401. "The fpirituall poems or hymnes of R. S." are entered to J. Bufbie, Oct. 17, 1595. REGISTR. STATION. C. fol. 3. b. fault; fault; but he has by no means reprefented the dignity or the fimplicity of Homer. He is fometimes paraphraftic and redundant, but more frequently retrenches or impoverishes what he could not feel and exprefs. In the mean time, he labours with the inconvenience of an aukward, in harmonious, and unheroic measure, impofed by custom, but disguftful to modern ears. Yet he is not always with out ftrength or fpirit. He has en, riched our language with many compound epithets, fo much in the manner of Homer, fuch as the filver-footed Thetis, the filvertbroned Juno, the triple-featbered helme, the bigh walled Thebes, the faire-haired boy, the filverflowing floods, the bugely peopled towns, the Grecians navy-bound, the ftrong-winged lance, and many more which might be collected. Dryden reports, that Waller never could readChapman's Homerwithout a degree of tranfport. Pope is of opinion, that Chapman covers his defects " by a daring "fiery fpirit that animates his "tranflation, which is fomething "like what one might imagine "Homer himself to have writ "before he arrived to years of "< difcretion." But his fire is too frequently darkened, by that fort of fuftian which now disfi gured the diction of our tragedy." Chapman also, in the year 1614, published the Odyffea, which he dedicated to Carr Earl of Somerfet. In addition to the antient authors of Greece and Rome, translations of most of the Italian poets into English took place towards the clofe of this century. Ariosto, the tales of Boccafe, Bandello, and of other Italian authors, were tranflated into our language, and became the foundation of many of the works of Shakespear, Dryden and others. Whatever could enrich, or furnifh with matter our future poets, was now showered down upon them with uncommon exuberance. Our language was confiderably improved, the beauties of antient literature were ftudied and copied with fuccefs, the works of the modern claffics, if I may fo call them, were laid open to our ancestorsetin medium proferuntur, and finally our poetry was arrived at that point, when he had neither contracted the feverity of age, nor was fo much a child as to be pleafed most with what was most strange and unnatural. As a confiderable part of the laft fection of this volume, containing a general view and character of the poetry of Queen Elizabeth's age, is inferted in another part of our Register for this year*, we fhall not touch upon it here. See p. 141. of this last part. THE THE CONTENTS. HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHA P. I. Retrospective view of affairs in Europe in the year 1780. CHA P. II. Retrospective view of affairs in America and the Weft Indies, in the Connecticut Connecticut Farms. Springfield. Unexpected effect produced by the reduction of Charles Town, in renewing and exciting the fpirit of union and refiftance in America. Great hopes founded on the ex- pected co-operation of a French fleet and army in the reduction of New York, and the final expulfion of the British forces from that fruftrate the grand views formed by France and America, for the remainder of the campaign. Spanish fleet and army proceed to the Havannah; and M. de Guichen returns from St. Domingo, with a convoy, to Europe. Great preparations made by the Americans for effectually co-operating with the French forces on the arrival of M. de Guichen. Wafbington's army increased for that purpose, to 20,000 men. Invafion of Canada intended, and preparatory pro- clamations iffued by the Marquis de la Fayette. Caufes which pre- CHAP. III. enemy. Dreadful hurricane in the Weft Indies. Deftruction and calamity in Barbadoes, St. Lucia, Granada, St. Vincent. Great loffes fuftained and dangers encountered, by the British naval force in thofe feas. French iflands. Humanity of the Marquis de Bouille. Hurricane in Jamaica. Town of Savanna la Mar overwhelmed. Large tract of rich country, in a great measure deftroyed. Diftreffes and great loffes of the Inhabitants. Bounty of the crown and parlia- ment. Liberal benefactions of individuals. New-York. Nego- ciation, between Sir Henry Clinton and the American Gen. Arnold. Major André employed in the completion of the fcheme. Is taken |