DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9260#0033
PREFACE.
Buafve referre par em? fed nunc, eft omnia quando
IJle animus fupra - iEn. II. 1. fop.
Ida quidem quia not a mihi tua, magne, voluntas,
jupSer ,-- - Uo8'
But the Sun has its Spots ; and if amongft Thoufands of inimitable Lines, there fhou'd be fome found of
an unequal Dignity with the reft, nothing can be faid for their Vindication more, than, it they be faults,
they are the Faults of Virgil. , T , . , . , , . nwf.ni
As I ought to be on this Occafion an Advocate for Ovid, who I think is too much run down at preient
by the critical Spirit of this Nation, I dare fay, I cannot be more effeftually fo, than by comparing him m
many Places with his admir'd Contemporary Virgil; and tho' the laft certainly deferves the 1 aim, 1 hall
make ufe of Ovid's own Lines, in the tryal of Strength betwixt Achelous and Hercules, to mow how much
he is honour'd by the Contention.
. Non tarn
Turpe fuit vinci, quam contendijje decorum. Met. B. o.
. I mall finifli my Remarks on our Author by taking Notice of the Juftnefs, and Perfpicuity of his Allego-
ries which are either Phyfical, or Natural; Moral, or Hiftorical. Of the firft Kind is the Fable of Apollo,
and Python j in the Explanation of this all the Mythologifts agree ; Exhalations and Mifts, being the conftant
Effects of Inundations, are here diffipated by the Rays of the Sun.
_ Of the Second Kind, are Actaon torn to Pieces by.his own Pack of Dogs, and Erifichthon ftarv'd by the
Difeafe of Hunger. Thefe two Allegories feem to fignify, that Extravagance and Luxury end in Want.
Of the Third, is the Story of the Rape of Europa. Hiftory fays, me was Daughter to Agenor, and car-
ry'd by the Candians in a Galley, bearing a Bull in the Stern, in order to be marry'd to one of their Kings
nam'd Jupiter.
This Explanation gives an Occafion for a Digrefllon which is not altogether foreign to the prefent purpofe,
becaufe it will be of Ufe to juftify Ovid on fome other Occafions, where he is cenfured for being too free
with the Characters of the Gods. I was once reprefenting the Metamorphofes, as an excellent Syftem of Mo-
rality but an illuftrious Lady, whofe leaft Advantage above her Sex, is that of being one of the greateft Prin-
cefles in Europe, objected, that the loofe and immodeft Sallys of Jupiter did by no means confirm my
Ahertion.
One muft confider, that what appear'd an Abfurdity in Ovid, is not fo much his own Fault, as that of the
Times betore him. The Characters of the Gods of the old Heroick Age reprefented them unjuft in their Ac-
tions; mutable in their Defi gns; partial in their Favours; ignorant of Events; fcurrilous in their Language,
bome of the fuperior Hierarchy treating one another with injurious Brutalities, and are often guilty of fuch
Indecencies and Mif-behaviour as the loweft of Mortals would blulh to own. Juno calls Diana, the Goddefs
of Chaftity, xuoi k^iis, Brazen-fac'd Bitch; Horn. II. B. 21. 1. 481. Jupiter infults his Daughter, the God-
defs of Wifdom, for E^alhnefs and Folly, bids Iris tell her, he'll maul her Coach Horfes for her, like a
iurly Bitch as fhe is; ouyoTa-nj kwv: II. B. S.from 1.400. to 1. 42?. then threatens in another Place to beat his
Wife, that divine Vixon, the immortal Partner of the Empyreal Throne, xai at 7r\^a-iv Ifjiiaaa. II.B. 15-. 1.17.
The Commentators may endeavour to hide thofe Abfurdities under the Veil of Allegories; but the Readet
that confiders the whole Texture of the Iliad, will find, that the Author's Meaning, and their Interpretation,
are often as unlike, as the imaginary Heroes of his time, are to the real ones of Ours.
Allegories fliould be obvious, and not like Meteors in the Air, which reprefent a different Figure to every
anrerent Eye. Now they are Armies of Soldiers; now Flocks of Sheep; and by and by nothing.
Perhaps the Criticks of a more exalted Tafte, may difcover fuch Beauties in the antient Poetry, as may
elcape the Comprehenfion of us Pigmies of a more limited Genius. They may be able to fathom the Divine
denle of the Pagan Theology; whilft we aim at no more, than to judge of a little common Senfe.
It is, and ever will be a Rule to a great many, to applaud and condemn with the general Vogue, tho'
never (o ill grounded. The moft are affraid of being Particular-, and rather than ftrive againft the Stream, are
Proud of being in the wrong with the Many, rather than defirous of being in the right with the Few: and
tho' they be convine'd of the Reafonablenefs of diflenting from the common Cry, yet out of a poor fear of
Cenfure, they contribute to eftablim it, and thus become an Authority againft others, who in reality are but
°f their own Opinion.
P^id was fo far from paying a blind Deference to the venerable Name of his Grecian Predeceflbr, in the
. larafrer of his Gods; that when Jupiter punifhes Andromeda for the Crimes of her Mother, he calls him
1njuflus Ammon, Met. B. 4. and takes commonly an honourable Care of the Decorum of the Godhead, when
. cir Actions are confiftent with the Divinity of their Character. His Allegories include fome Religious, or
mitru£tive Moral, wrap'd up in a peculiar Perfpicuity. The Fable of Pro/erpina, being fometimes in Hell,
?nd fometimes with Ceres her Mother, can fcarce mean any thing elfe than the fowing and coming up of Corn.
A he various Drefles, that Vertumnus, the God of Seafons, puts on in his Courtfhip of 'Pomona the Garden-
Goddefs, feem plainly to exprefs the different and moft proper Times for Digging, Planting, Pruning, and
gathering the Increafc. I fliall be ftiorter on this Head, becaufe our Countryman Mr. Sands has, by a labo-
^OUs Search amongft the Mythologifts, been very full. He has annex'd his Explanations to the end of each
«ook, which deferve to be recommended to thofe, that are Curious in this figurative Learning.
The Reader cannot fail of obferving, how many excellent Leffons of Morality Ovid has given us in the
courfe of his Fables.
The Story of Deucalion, and Tyrrha teaches, that Piety, and Innocence cannot mifs of the divine Protec-
tlQn, and that the only Lofs irreparable is that of our Probity, and Juftice.
.That of Phaeton-, how the too great tendernefs of the Parent proves a cruelty to the Child; and that he,
hp wou'd climb to the Seat of Jupiter, generally meets with his Bolt by the way.
The Tale of Baucis and Philemon is moft inimitably told. He omits not the minuteft Circumftance of a
^ottage Life, and is much fuller than Virgil, where he brings in his contented old Man Corycius, G. 4.
vid reprefents a good old Couple; happy, and fatisfy'd in a cleanly Poverty; hofpitable, and free of the
ew things, that Fortune had given them; moderate in Defires; affectionate in their conjugal Relation; fo
religious
Buafve referre par em? fed nunc, eft omnia quando
IJle animus fupra - iEn. II. 1. fop.
Ida quidem quia not a mihi tua, magne, voluntas,
jupSer ,-- - Uo8'
But the Sun has its Spots ; and if amongft Thoufands of inimitable Lines, there fhou'd be fome found of
an unequal Dignity with the reft, nothing can be faid for their Vindication more, than, it they be faults,
they are the Faults of Virgil. , T , . , . , , . nwf.ni
As I ought to be on this Occafion an Advocate for Ovid, who I think is too much run down at preient
by the critical Spirit of this Nation, I dare fay, I cannot be more effeftually fo, than by comparing him m
many Places with his admir'd Contemporary Virgil; and tho' the laft certainly deferves the 1 aim, 1 hall
make ufe of Ovid's own Lines, in the tryal of Strength betwixt Achelous and Hercules, to mow how much
he is honour'd by the Contention.
. Non tarn
Turpe fuit vinci, quam contendijje decorum. Met. B. o.
. I mall finifli my Remarks on our Author by taking Notice of the Juftnefs, and Perfpicuity of his Allego-
ries which are either Phyfical, or Natural; Moral, or Hiftorical. Of the firft Kind is the Fable of Apollo,
and Python j in the Explanation of this all the Mythologifts agree ; Exhalations and Mifts, being the conftant
Effects of Inundations, are here diffipated by the Rays of the Sun.
_ Of the Second Kind, are Actaon torn to Pieces by.his own Pack of Dogs, and Erifichthon ftarv'd by the
Difeafe of Hunger. Thefe two Allegories feem to fignify, that Extravagance and Luxury end in Want.
Of the Third, is the Story of the Rape of Europa. Hiftory fays, me was Daughter to Agenor, and car-
ry'd by the Candians in a Galley, bearing a Bull in the Stern, in order to be marry'd to one of their Kings
nam'd Jupiter.
This Explanation gives an Occafion for a Digrefllon which is not altogether foreign to the prefent purpofe,
becaufe it will be of Ufe to juftify Ovid on fome other Occafions, where he is cenfured for being too free
with the Characters of the Gods. I was once reprefenting the Metamorphofes, as an excellent Syftem of Mo-
rality but an illuftrious Lady, whofe leaft Advantage above her Sex, is that of being one of the greateft Prin-
cefles in Europe, objected, that the loofe and immodeft Sallys of Jupiter did by no means confirm my
Ahertion.
One muft confider, that what appear'd an Abfurdity in Ovid, is not fo much his own Fault, as that of the
Times betore him. The Characters of the Gods of the old Heroick Age reprefented them unjuft in their Ac-
tions; mutable in their Defi gns; partial in their Favours; ignorant of Events; fcurrilous in their Language,
bome of the fuperior Hierarchy treating one another with injurious Brutalities, and are often guilty of fuch
Indecencies and Mif-behaviour as the loweft of Mortals would blulh to own. Juno calls Diana, the Goddefs
of Chaftity, xuoi k^iis, Brazen-fac'd Bitch; Horn. II. B. 21. 1. 481. Jupiter infults his Daughter, the God-
defs of Wifdom, for E^alhnefs and Folly, bids Iris tell her, he'll maul her Coach Horfes for her, like a
iurly Bitch as fhe is; ouyoTa-nj kwv: II. B. S.from 1.400. to 1. 42?. then threatens in another Place to beat his
Wife, that divine Vixon, the immortal Partner of the Empyreal Throne, xai at 7r\^a-iv Ifjiiaaa. II.B. 15-. 1.17.
The Commentators may endeavour to hide thofe Abfurdities under the Veil of Allegories; but the Readet
that confiders the whole Texture of the Iliad, will find, that the Author's Meaning, and their Interpretation,
are often as unlike, as the imaginary Heroes of his time, are to the real ones of Ours.
Allegories fliould be obvious, and not like Meteors in the Air, which reprefent a different Figure to every
anrerent Eye. Now they are Armies of Soldiers; now Flocks of Sheep; and by and by nothing.
Perhaps the Criticks of a more exalted Tafte, may difcover fuch Beauties in the antient Poetry, as may
elcape the Comprehenfion of us Pigmies of a more limited Genius. They may be able to fathom the Divine
denle of the Pagan Theology; whilft we aim at no more, than to judge of a little common Senfe.
It is, and ever will be a Rule to a great many, to applaud and condemn with the general Vogue, tho'
never (o ill grounded. The moft are affraid of being Particular-, and rather than ftrive againft the Stream, are
Proud of being in the wrong with the Many, rather than defirous of being in the right with the Few: and
tho' they be convine'd of the Reafonablenefs of diflenting from the common Cry, yet out of a poor fear of
Cenfure, they contribute to eftablim it, and thus become an Authority againft others, who in reality are but
°f their own Opinion.
P^id was fo far from paying a blind Deference to the venerable Name of his Grecian Predeceflbr, in the
. larafrer of his Gods; that when Jupiter punifhes Andromeda for the Crimes of her Mother, he calls him
1njuflus Ammon, Met. B. 4. and takes commonly an honourable Care of the Decorum of the Godhead, when
. cir Actions are confiftent with the Divinity of their Character. His Allegories include fome Religious, or
mitru£tive Moral, wrap'd up in a peculiar Perfpicuity. The Fable of Pro/erpina, being fometimes in Hell,
?nd fometimes with Ceres her Mother, can fcarce mean any thing elfe than the fowing and coming up of Corn.
A he various Drefles, that Vertumnus, the God of Seafons, puts on in his Courtfhip of 'Pomona the Garden-
Goddefs, feem plainly to exprefs the different and moft proper Times for Digging, Planting, Pruning, and
gathering the Increafc. I fliall be ftiorter on this Head, becaufe our Countryman Mr. Sands has, by a labo-
^OUs Search amongft the Mythologifts, been very full. He has annex'd his Explanations to the end of each
«ook, which deferve to be recommended to thofe, that are Curious in this figurative Learning.
The Reader cannot fail of obferving, how many excellent Leffons of Morality Ovid has given us in the
courfe of his Fables.
The Story of Deucalion, and Tyrrha teaches, that Piety, and Innocence cannot mifs of the divine Protec-
tlQn, and that the only Lofs irreparable is that of our Probity, and Juftice.
.That of Phaeton-, how the too great tendernefs of the Parent proves a cruelty to the Child; and that he,
hp wou'd climb to the Seat of Jupiter, generally meets with his Bolt by the way.
The Tale of Baucis and Philemon is moft inimitably told. He omits not the minuteft Circumftance of a
^ottage Life, and is much fuller than Virgil, where he brings in his contented old Man Corycius, G. 4.
vid reprefents a good old Couple; happy, and fatisfy'd in a cleanly Poverty; hofpitable, and free of the
ew things, that Fortune had given them; moderate in Defires; affectionate in their conjugal Relation; fo
religious