Spence, Joseph; Tindal, Nicholas [Hrsg.]; Dodsley, James [Bearb.]: A Guide To Classical Learning: Or, Polymetis Abridged: Containing, I. By Way of Introduction, the Characters of the Latin Poets and their Work ... II. An Inquiry concerning the Agreement between the Works of the Roman Poets and the Remains of the Antient Artists ... Being a Work absolutely necessary, not only for the Right Understanding of the Classics, but also for forming in Young Minds a True Taste for the Beauties of Poetry, Sculpture, and Painting (London: Printed for J. Dodsley, 1786)

PREFACE.
Apollo, in his famous Parnassus, playing
on a modern fiddle,—He will see, in
Spenser’s Fairy Queen, (the work of our
best allegorist,) many instances of his mix-
ing Heathenism and Chrlstianity toge-
ther ; of his misreprefenting the antient
allegories, and of his own being too com-
plicated or over-done, and stretched to an
extravagant degree.—He will see Dry-
den, one of our best transsators, without
any authority, misrepresenting, in his
transsation of Virgil, the persons, attri-
butes, dress, and actions of the allegorical
beings$ as Peace with wings — Proteus
with grey hair—Cybele drawn by tygers*
instead of her lions. — He will see him
fall into the most vulgar notions of the
antient machinery, from his being unac-
quainted with the real design of it, and
the principle on which it was founded.
If then our best artists, allegorists, and
transsators, are so defective in their alle-
gorical subjedts, for want of a clear idea of
the antient allegories and machinery, how
necessary is it that our youths at school
should be made acquainted, as early as
posslble, with a right notion os these
things!