PREFACE I HOPE we need not make any Apo logy for endeavouring to do Juftice to fo Ufeful and Beautiful a Poem, as the CALLIPEDIA. The Subject is certainly very noble, and of great Impor tance to Mankind; and the Poet has handled it in a way not at all offenfive to Decency and good Manners. He feems to have taken in all that was neceffary to make his Work complete, and industriously declin'd running out too far upon fo nice a Subject. His Pre cepts are plain and short, as they ought to be; but his Illuftrations are always full of Reason and Philosophy, and turn'd with the peculiar Happiness of found Judgment and fine Poetry. If he ever leans towards Indecency in a descriptive Part, he first begs Pardon, or excufes it by the neceffary Relation it bore to his Scheme, which muft have been deficient without that Defcription. However, in the English the Terms of Art have fo fhadow'd thefe Parts, that they will be intelligible only to Phyfical Readers, who meet with the fame in every Book of Anatomy they read. As to his Philofophy, he has given us the best of the Age he flourish'd in, tho later Improvements difcover his Mistakes in fome Inftances: This we did not think fitto alter, intending only tofhow (as well as we could) his Beauties, not to correct his Faults. THE Prefent pretends not to the name of a literal or clofe Tranflation, but gives the Author's meaning with a freedom of Verfe, that was neceflary to make it agreeable to the English Reader. The many Patterns of this way of Tranflating, are fufficient to recommend it; and the Succefs of them has juftified their Judgment who departed from from the old fcrupulous Conformity to their Author. And indeed it is a wonder that this Method was not fooner follow'd, fince it has the Authority of Quintilian, who lays down the following words as a general Rule for Translation: Neque Paraphrafin effe interpretationem tantum volo, fed circa eofdem fenfus certamen atque amulationem. And it is Mr. COWLEY'S Opinion, That Tranflators fhould add by their own Wit and Invention, not deferting the Subject: he thus prcceeds, The not obferving of this, is the Caufe that all Tranflations that I ever yet far, are fo much inferior to their Originals. The like happens too in Pictures, from the fame Root of exact Imitation, which being a vile and unworthy kind of Servitude, is uncapable of producing any thing good or noble. However we could not at the fame time take the Liberty of altering any of the Characters, either of Panegyrick or Satire, that Quillet has made upon particular Perfons and Nations. The Reader is only defir'd to obferve on this Point, that the Verses between the black Lines in the first and fourth Book, which reflect on Cardinal Mazarine, were left out of the Paris Edi |