1796.] 
tutions, without which his boafted fu- 
periority is empty pretence. | Wilder 
theories, abfurder conclufions, greater 
perverfity of manners, more pernicious 
miftakes in morals, and errors in legifla- 
tion, than have too frequently blerted 
the page of hiftory, and difgraced,the 
annals-of mankind, teebler woman could 
{carcely have effeéted :—While the con- 
templates their effects, and fuffers their 
confequences, a fentiment of melan- 
choly indignation will at times diftend 
her heart, and efface from it the leffons fo 
alliduoufly inculcated of meek dependence 
and tame fubsmiffion. 
Sept. 6, 1795. A WomMAN. 
P.S. Some circumftances having occafion- 
ed the editor ef the Magazine to delay, till 
the prefent month, the infertion of the 
preceding remaks on the cilay of C.D. 
the writer has had an opportunity of pe- 
rufiag the fecond letter of A. B. on the 
fame fruitful f{ubjeét, in which there is 
much affertion, but no z¢w argument ad- 
vanced. It may, perhaps, be obferved, 
that were the works of an equal, or far 
greater number of male, than female, 
“writers, to be utterly loft to the republic 
of letters, the deprivation would be com- 
paratively light, when weighed in the ba- 
lance with the exquifite, philofophic 
poetry of Shakfpeare. A. B. does not 
feem to underftand the comprcheniive im- 
port of the word education: the imprettions 
eceived by formal tuition, bear no pro- 
portion to thofe forced upon us by civil 
and focial inftitution. Talents fpontane~ 
oufly fhoot forth, equal to “ the {pur 
of the vccafion.”’ 
Nov. 3, 1796. 

For tbe Monthly Magazine.: 
OBSERVATIONS ON Mr. MICKLE’s 
LUSIAD, WITH THE PORTUGUESE 
CRITICISM ON THAT TRANSLA- 
TION. 
NK7HEN we read an imitation, we ex-. 
pect a beautiful poem, becaufe the 
imitator may add beauties of his own to 
thofe of the firf author ; but in atranfla- 
mon, we ought to find a faithful copy of 
the original. 
Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere, fidus 
Interpres — 
is an admirable text for a title-page; but 
furely it is the duty of the tranflator to 
preferve the meaning of his original, 
while he adapts its idioms to another 
language. 
Luis. de Camoens is entitled the Prince 
MenruLty Mac. No. Xx. 
/ 
Mickle’s Lufiad, 
787 
of the Poets of Spain: I willnot de« 
hounce the title. Mr. Mickle, how- 
ever, is not contented with this; he has 
defended his faults, allegorized his ab- 
furdities, hid the thread-bare texture of 
the Portuguefe, with his own embroidery, 
and then raifes him to a proud equality 
with Homer, and Virgil, and Milton; 
but Camoens muft not be lifted up fo 
high, neither muft Homer, and Virgil, 
and Milton, be degraded into fuch com- 
pany: though Camoens may, perhaps, 
come the next to Taffo, he muft be pror= 
emus, Jed longo intervalla! For though 
in the choice of a fubjeé&t, and the unity 
of defign, he may have the advantage 
ever Lucan, and Statius, and Ariofto, in 
the execution of it he is lamentably in- 
ferior. : 
The Englifh reader will be furprifed 
to hear, that the language of the Lufiad 
is remarkably bald; but before I proceed 
to point out what poetical beauties belong 
to Camoens, and what to Mr. Mickle, 
it will be proper to give she Portuguese 
review of the Engtifh verfion, 
I ufe the Lifoon edition of 1782, edited 
by Thomas Jofeph de Aquino, and the 
fecond of his editions: 
“In my firftedition,”’ fays he, ‘1 inform- 
ed my readers of a new and famous tran- 
flation, publifhed at London, by the cele- 
brated poet, William Julius Mickle. At 
that time I knew nothing more of the 
verfion, and contented myfelf with thus 
flightly noticing it; now, however, I 
have the pleafure to give the public a 
a complete analyfis of all that the cele- 
brated tranflator has written in his feve- 
ral differtations and traéts upon the fub- 
ject; for all this, Tam obliged to the 
moft reverend father Michael Daly, a 
man, as all know, fignally accomplithed 
in every kind of erudition, and more a 
Portuguefe in his affections, than many 
who are fo by birth. I could enlarge in 
weil deferved encomiums upon this fage, 
did not my intimate knowledge of his 
modefty preventme. This, however, I 
will always publifh with a grateful mind, 
that in the general reformation of ftudies 
which tuok place in the reign of. our 
lord the king, Don Jofeph the Firft ; he 
it was who principally revived Greek li- 
terature, which had been for fo many 
years deadin Portugal; and he likewife 
it was, who, with an ardent and inde- 
fatigable zeal for religion, laboured in 
the re-eftablifthment of the college, which 
the Irifh have here, for the educating of 
miffionaries, and the prefervation of tbe Ca- 
5 H thetic 

