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THE Author might here (according to the laudi­ble custom of Prefaces) entertain the Reader with a Discourse of the Original, Progress, and Rules of Satyr, and let him understand, that he has lately Read Casaubon, and several other Criticks upon the Point; but at present he is minded to wave it, as a vanity he is in no wise fond of. His only intent now is to give a brief account of what he Publishes, in order to prevent what Censures he foresees may coulourably be past thereupon: And that is, as followeth:

What he calls the Prologue, is in imitation of Persius, who has prefix'd somewhat by that Name before his Book of Satyrs, and may serve for a pretty good Authority. The first Satyr he drew by Sylla's Ghost in the great Johnson, which may be perceived by some strokes and touches therein, however short they come of the Original. In the second, he only followed the swinge of his own [...]. The Design, and some Passages of the Franciscan of Buchanan. Which ingenious confession he thinks fit to make, to shew he has more modesty than the common Padders in Wit of these times. He doubts, there may be some few mi­stakes in Chronology therein, which for want of Books he could [...]ot inform himself in. If the skilful Reader meet with any such, he may the more easily pardon them upon that score. Whence he had the hint of the fourth, is obvious to all, that are any thing acquainted with Horace. And without the Authority of so great a President, the making of an Image speak, is but an ordinary Miracle in Poetry. He expects, that some will tax him of Buffoonery, and turning holy things into ridicule. But le [...] them Read, how severely Arnobius, Lactantius, Minutius Fe­lix, and the gravest Fathers; have railly'd the fopperies and superstitions of the Heathen, and then consider whether those, [Page] which he has chosen for his Argument, are not as worthy of laugh­ter. The only difference is that they did it in Prose, as he does in Verse, where perhaps 'tis the more allowable.

As for the next Poem (which is the most liable to censure) tho the world has given it the Name of the Satyr against Vertue, he declares 'twas never design'd to that intent, how apt soever some may be to wrest it. And this appears by what is said after it, and is discernable enough to all, that have the sense to under­stand it, 'Twas meant to abuse those, who valued themselves upon their Wit and Parts, in praising Vice, and to shew, that others of sober Principles, if they would take the same liberty in Poetry, could strain as high rants in Profaneness as they. At first he intended it not for the publick, nor to pass beyond the privacy of two or three Friends, but seeing it had the Fate to steal abroad in Manuscript, and afterwards in Print, without his knowledg, he now thinks it a Justice due to his own Reputation, to have it come forth without those faults, which it has suffered from Transcribers and the Press hitherto, and which make it a worse Satyr upon himself, than upon what it was design'd.

Something should be said too of the last Trifle, if it were worth it. 'Twas occasioned upon reading the late Translations of Ovid's Epistles, which gave him a mind to try what he could do upon a like Subject. Those being already forestall'd, he thought fit to make choice of the same Poet, whereon perhaps he has taken too much liberty. Had he seen Mr. Sandys his Transla­tion before he began, he never durst have ventured: Since he has, and finds reason enough to despair of his undertaking. But now 'tis done, he is loth to burn it, and chuses rather to give somebody else the trouble. The Reader may do as he pleases, either like it, or put it to the use of Mr. Jordan's Works. 'Tis the first attempt, he ever made in this kind, and likely enough to be the last, his vein (if he may be thought to have any) lying another way.

ADVERTISEMENT.

BEing to appear anew in the World, it may be ex­pected, that I should say something concerning these ensuing Trisies, which I shall endeavour to do with as much briefness, as I did besore what I last pub­lished in this kind.

I doubt not but the Reader will think me guilty of an high presumption in adventuring upon a Transla­tion of The Art of Poetry, after two such great Hands as have gone before me in the same attempts: I need not acquaint him, that I mean Ben Johnson, and the Earl of Roscommon, the one being of so establish'd an Authority, that whatever he did is held as Sacred, the other having lately performed it with such admirable success, as almost cuts off all hope in any after Pretenders of ever coming up to what he has eone. Howbeit, when I let him kn [...]w, that it was a Task imposed upon me, and not what I voluntarily engaged in; I hope he will be the more favourable in his Censures. I would indeed very willingly have wav'd the undertaking upon the forementioned ac­count, and urged it as a reason for my declining the same, but it would not be allowed as sufficient to ex­cuse me therefrom. Wherefore, being prevailed up­on to make an Essay. I fell to thinking of some course, whereby I might serve my self of the Advantages, which those that went before me, have either not [Page] minded, or scrupulously abridged themselves of. This I soon imagined was to be effected by putting Horace into a more modern dress, than hitherto he has ap­peared in, that is by making him speak, as if he were living, and writing now. I therefore resolved to alter the Scene from Rome to London, and to make use of English names of Men, Places, and Customs, where the Parallel would decently permit, which I conceived would give a kind of new Air to the Poem, and render it more agreeable to the rellish of the pre­sent Age.

With these Considerations I set upon the Work, and pursued it accordingly. I have not, I acknowledg, been ever-nice in keeping to the words of the Origi­nal, for that were to transgress a Rule therein con­tained. Nevertheless I have been religiously strict to its sense, and express'd it in as plain, and intelli­gible a manner, as the Subject would bear. Where I may be thought to have varied from it (which is not above once or twi [...]e, and in Passages not much material) the skilful Reader will perceive 'twas necessary for carrying on my proposed design, and the Author himself, were he again alive, would (I be­lieve) forgive me. I have been careful to avoid stiffness, and made it my endeavour to hit (as near as I could) the easie and familiar way of writing, which is peculiar to Horace in his Epistles, and was his proper Talent above any of mankind. Af­ter all, 'tis humbly submitted to the judgment of the truly knowing, how I have acquitted my self herein. Let the success be what it will, I shall not however wholly repent of my undertaking, being (I [Page] reckon) in some measure recompenced for my pains by the advantage I have reaped of fixing these admirable Rules of Sense so well in my memory.

The Satyr and Odes of the Author, which fol­low next in order, I have translated after the same libertine way. In them also I labour'd under the disadvantages of coming after other persons. The Satyr had been made into a Scene by Ben Johnson, in a Play of his, called the Poetaster. After I had finished my imitation thereof, I came to learn, that it had been done likewise by Dr. Sprat, and since I have had the sight of it amongst the Printed Tran­slations of Horace's Works. The Odes are there done too, but not so excellently well, as, to discou­rage any farther endeavours. If these of mine meet with good entertainment in the world, I may per­haps find leisure to attempt some other of them, which at present suffer as much from their Transla­ters, as the Psalms of David from Sternhold and Hopkins.

The two sacred Odes I designed not to have made publick now, forasmuch as they might seem unfit to appear among Subjects of this nature, and were in­tended to come forth apart hereafter in company of others of their own kind. But, having suffer'd Co­pies of them to straggle abroad in Manuscript, and remembring the Fate of some other Pieces of mine, which have formerly stoln into the Press without my leave, or knowledg, and be exposed to the world abominably false and uncorrect; to prevent the same misfortune likely en [...]ugh to befal these, I have been persuaded to yield my consent to their Publishing [Page] amongst the rest. Nor is the Printing of such Miscella­nies altogether so unpresidented, but that it may be seen in the Editions of Dr. Donne, and Mr. Cowley's Works, whether done by their own appointment, or the sole direction of the Stationers, I am not able to determine.

As for the two Essays out of Greek, they were occasioned by a report, that some persons found fault with the roughness of my Satyrs formerly published, tho, upon what ground they should do it, I could be glad to be informed. Unless I am mistaken, there are not many Lines but will endure the reading with­out shocking any Hearer, that is not too nice, and censorious. I confess, I did not so much mind the Ca­dence, as the Sense and expressiveness of my words, and therefore chose not those, which were best disposed to placing themselves in Rhyme, but rather the most keen, and tuant, as being the most sutable to my Argu­ment. And certainly no one that pretends to distin­guish the several Colours of Poetry, would expect that Juvenal, when he is lashing of Vice and Villa­ny, should flow so smoothly, as Ovid, or Tibullus, when they are describing Amours and Gallantries, and have nothing to disturb and ruffle the evenness of their Stile.

Howbeit, to shew that the way I took, was out of choice, not want of judgment, and that my Genius is not wholly uncapa [...]e of performing upon more gay and agreeable Subjects, if my humour inclined me to exercise it, I have pitch'd upon these two, which the greatestmen of sense have allowed to be some of the softest and tenderest of all Antiquity. Nay, if we [Page] will believe Rapine, one of the best Criticks which these latter Ages have produced; they have no other fault, than that they are too exquisitely delicate for the Cha­racter of Pastoral, which should not seem too laboured, and w [...]ose chief beauty is an unaffected air of plainness and simplicity.

That, which laments the Death of Adonis has been attempted in Latine by several great Masters, namely, Vulcanius, Douza, and Monsieur le Fevre. The last of them has done it Paraphrastically, but left good part of the Poem toward the latter end untouch'd, perhaps because he thought it not so capable of Ornament, as the rest. Him I chiefly chose to follow, as being most agreeable to my way of translating, and where I was at a loss for want of his guidance, I was content to steer by my own Fancy.

The Translation of that upon Bion was begun by another Hand, as far as the first fifteen Verses, but who was the Author I could never yet learn. I have been told that they were done by the Earl of Roche­ster; but I could not well believe it, both because he seldom medled with such Subjects, and more especially by reason of an uncorrect line, or two to be found amongst them, at their first coming to my hands, which never us'd to flow from his excellent Pen. Conceiving it to be in the Original, a piece of as much Art, Grace, and Tenderness, as perhaps was ever offered to the Ashes of a Poet, I thought fit to dedicate it to the memory of that incomparable Person, of whom nothing can be said, or thought so choice and curious, which his Deserts do not surmount. If it be thought mean to have borrowed the sense of another to praise him [Page] in, yet at least it argues at the same time a value and reverence, that I durst not think any thing of my own good enough for his Commendation.

This is all, which I judg material to be said of these following Resveries. As for what others are to be found in the parcel, I reckon them not worth menti­oning in particular, but leave them wholly open and unguarded to the mercy o [...] the Reader; let him make his Attaques how, and where he please.

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THE Author of the following Pieces must be excused for their being hud­led out so confusedly. They are Printed just as he finished them off, and some things there are which he designed not ever to ex­pose, but was fain to do it, to keep the Press at work, when it was once set a going. If it be their Fate to perish, and go the way of all mortal Rhimes, 'tis no great matter in what method they have been placed, no more than whether Ode, Elegy, or Satyr have the honour of Wiping first. But if they, and what he has formerly made Publick, be so happy as to live, and come forth in an Editi­on all together; perhaps he may then think them worth the sorting in better Order. By that time belike he means to have ready a very Sparkish Dedication, if he can but get himself known to some Great Man, that [Page] will give a good parcel of Guinnies for be­ing handsomly flatter'd. Then likewise the Reader (for his farther comfort) may ex­pect to see him appear with all the Pomp and Trappings of an Author; his Head in the Front very finely cut, together with the Year of his Age, Commendatory Ver­ses in abundance, and all the Hands of the Poets of the Quorum to confirm his Book, and pass it for Authentick. This at present is content to come abroad naked, Undedica­ted, and unprefaced, without one kind Word to shelter it from Censure; and so let the Criticks take it amongst them.