the translations of Ovid are determined to be the production of Heywood. "That his ftudies were moft demonflratively confined to nature, and his own language," I readily allow; but does it hence follow that he was fo deplorably ignorant of every other tongue, living or dead, that he only "remembered, perhaps, enough of his fchool-boy learning to put the hig, hag, hog, into the mouth of Sir H. Evans; and might pick up in the writers of the time, or the course of his converfation, a familiar phrafe or two of French or Italian." In Shakspeare's plays both these last languages are plentifully fcattered; but, then we are told, they might be impertinent additions of the players. Undoubtedly they might: but there they are, and, perhaps, few of the players had much more learning than Shakspeare. Mr. Farmer himself will allow that Shakspeare began to learn Latin: I will allow that his ftudies lay in English: but why infift that he neither made any progress at school; nor improved his acquifitions there? The general encomiums of Suckling, Denham, Milton, &c. on his native genius, prove 9 Mr. Farmer clofes the general teflimonies of Shakspeare's having been only indebted to nature, by faying, "He came out of her hand, as fome one elfe expreffes it, like Pallas out of Jove's head, at full growth and mature. It is whimfical enough, that this fome one elfe, whofe expreffion is here quoted to countenance the general notion of Shakspeare's want of literature, fhould be no other than myself. Mr. Farmer does not choose to mention where he met with the expreffion of Some one elfe; and fome one else does not choose to mention where he dropt it. * * It will appear ftill more whimsical that this fome one else whose expreffion is here quoted, may have his claim to it fuperfeded by 2 nothing; and Ben Jonfon's celebrated charge of Shakspeare's Small Latin, and lefs Greek, feems abfolutely to decide that he had fome knowledge of both; and if we may judge by our own time; a man, who has any Greek, is feldom without a very competent fhare of Latin; and yet fuch a man is very likely to ftudy Plutarch in English, and to read tranflations of Ovid. See Dr. Farmer's reply to thefe remarks by Mr. Colman, in a note on LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, Vol. VII. p. 258. In defence of the various reading of this paffage, given in the Preface to the laft edition of Shakspeare, "fmall Latin and no Greek, Mr. Farmer tells us, that it was adopted above a century ago by W. Towers, in a panegyrick on Cartwright." Surely, Towers having faid that Cartwright had no Greek, is no proof that Ben Jonfon faid fo of Shakspeare.' งง that of the late Dr. Young, who in his Conjectures on Original Compofition, (p. 100. Vol. V. edit. 1773.) has the following fentence; An adult genius comes out of nature's hands, as Pallas out of Jove's head, at full growth and mature. Shakspeare's genius was of this kind." Where fome one else the first may have intermediately dropped the contested expreffion I cannot ascertain; but fome one else the fecond tranfcribed it from the author already mentioned. ANON. ANCIENT TRANSLATIONS FROM CLASSICK AUTHORS.* HOME R. TEN Bookes of Homer's Iliades tranflated out of French, by Arthur Hall, Efquire. At London. Imprinted by Ralph Newberie, 4to.3 1581 The Shield of Achilles from the 18th Book of Homer, by Geo. Chapman, 4to. Lond. Seven Books of the Iliades, by ditto, 4to. 1596 Lond. 1596 1598 Do. *Homer Prince of Poets: tranflated according to the Greeke in Twelve Bookes of his Iliads: This Lift was drawn up by Mr. Steevens. I have made a few inconfiderable additions to it, which are distinguished by this mark *. MALONE. In the first vol. of the books of entries belonging to the Stationers' Company, is the following: 66 Henry Bynneman.] Nov. 1580. lycenfed unto him under the wardens' handes ten bookes of the Iliades of Homer." Again, Samuel Macham.] Nov. 14. 1608. Seyen bookes of Homer's Iliades tranflated into English by Geo. Chapman. -[By affignment from Mr. Windett.] Again, Nathaniel Butter] April 8. 1611. "A booke called Homer's Iliades in Englifhe, containing 24 Bookes. Again, Nov. 2. 1614. Homer's Odiffes 24 bookes, tranflated by George Chapman.' .. 4 Meres, in his Second Part of Wits Commonwealth, says that Chapman is "of good note for his inchoate Homer. } By Geo. Chapman; small folio. Lond. printed for Samuel Macham. No date. [This, I believe, was published in 1609. There are feveral Sonnets at the end, addreffed to different noblemen; among them one, "to the Lord Treafurer, the Earle of Salisbury." See alfo the entry below.] Fifteen Books of D°. thin folio 1600 The whole Works of Homer, by do. printed for 1611 The Crowne of all Homer's Works, Batrachomy- The strange wonderfull and bloudy Battel between HESIO D. 1603 The Georgicks of Hefiod, by George Chapman ; Tranflated elaborately out of the Greek: Cóntaining Doctrine of Husbandrie, Moralitie, and Pietie; with a perpetual Calendar of Good and Bad Daies; Not fuperftitious, but neceffarie (as farre as naturall Caufes compell) for all men to obferve, and difference in following their affaires. Nec caret, umbra Deo. London, In the first volume of the Entries of the Stationers' Company is the following: T. Purfoote.] The Battel of the Frogges and Myce, and certain orations of Ifocrates." Jan. 4. 1579. Printed by H. L. for Miles Partrich, and are to be folde at his Shop neare Saint Dunftans Church in Fleetstreet. 1618 [This title-page is given at full length, because the existence of the book it belongs to (which is in Mr. Steevens's poffeffion) has been queftioned by the late Mr. Warton, Hiftory of English Poetry, Vol. III. p. 446.] MUSE U S. Marlowe's Hero and Leander, with the firft Book of Lucan, 4to. 1600 There must have been a former Edition, as a fecond Part was published by Henry Petowe, 1598 Mufæus's Poem of Hero and Leander, imitated by Christopher Marlow, and finished by Geo. Chapman, 4to. Lond. 1606 6 This tranflation, or at leaft Marlowe's part in it, muf have been published before 1599. being twice mentioned in Nath's Lenten Stuff, &c. which bears that date. "Leander and Hero, of whom divine Mufeus fung, and a diviner muse than him, Kit Marlow." Again, "She fprung after him, and fo refigned up her priesthood, and left worke for Mufæus and Kit Marlow." Among the entries at Stationers' Hall I find the following made by John Wolfe in 1593. Sept. 8th. "A booke entitled Hero and Leander, being an amorous poem devised by Chriftopher Marlow." At the fame time, "Lucan's firft book of the famous Cyvill Warr betwixt Pompey and Cæfar. Englished by Christopher Marlow." Again, in 1597. "A booke in English called Hero and Leander." Again, April 1598. "The feconde Parte of Hero and Leander by Henry Petowe." Andrew Harris entered it. Again, in 1600. "Hero and Leander by Marlowe." In 1614 an entire tranflation of Lucan was published by Sir Arthur Gorges, and enter'd as such on the same books." |