8 PHO en Vers François par le Poëte fans fard. A Rotterdam, chez Fritsch & Bohm, MDCC XII. That is, THE ODES of ANACREON and SAPPHO translated into French Verfe. Rotterdam 1712. in 12mo. Pagg. 211. 354. HIS Work confifts of two Parts. The First is a long Preface containing 211 Pages; and the Second is entituled, The Hiftory of the Life and Odes of Anacreon, during his Stay at the Court of Polycrates. The Preface runs upon three different Subjects. 1. The Author makes an Apology for the Poets and Poetry. 2. He fhews that the Ancients are above the Moderns. 3. He undertakes to prove that the Works of the Ancient Poets may be better tranflated into Verfe than into Profe. LOITAA I 4 I. 1. The ५ I. 1. The Author having defined Poetry, an Art of expreffing ones Thoughts in the most perfect Man ner, and of pleafing and perfuading with the Beauty of Images, and the Harmony of Words, does not fcruple to affirm that of all Men a Poet Reafons with the greatest Solidity. It is objected by a Modern Writer, (fays the Author,) That Poetry is contrary to Morals, and that Poets are ignorant, athe iftical, impious, and wicked Men. If fuch an Ar gument can be admitted, (fays our Author) it will be no difficult thing to prove that Profe is worfe ftill than Poetry; for there are more wicked Men among the Writers in Profe than among Poets. Some look upon a Poet as a mere Liar, who takes upon himself to fill the Reader's Mind with chimerical Notions, or at least with Truths fo ftrangely dif guifed, that 'tis a hard matter to diftinguish what is true from what is falfe. His Expreffions (fay they) are generally defigned to impofe upon our Reaton, and the Cadence and Harmony of his Expreffions, to flatter our Ears, and raise intus a great Admiration of his Performance. In answer to this Objection, we are told that if fuch an Argument be good, it may be alledged with greater Force againft our common Theology. The Pa rallel being fomewhat odious, I fhall not dwell upon 1 Our Author, in order to fet off the Excellency of Poetry, obferves that the Holy Scripture reprefents to us the Attributes of God with Images that are wholly Poetical, and that the Pfalms are full of fuch Ideas. In the next Place, He mentions the Sublimity of feveral: Chriftian Poets; and looks upon the Heathen Poets, as fo many perfect Theologers in that Refpect. Their Jupiter, fays he, fhakes the whole Universe with a Nod, deftroys the Giants with his Thunderbolt, and is defcribed as the Su preme Mafter of all the Kings of the Earth. If it be objected that the Poetical Images of the Heathen Poe ་་ Poets have occafioned Idolatry; the Author answers,' That one may make an ill Ufe of the best Things, and that feveral Chriftians have entertained the most extravagant Notions, by putting a wrong Senfe upon the facred Writings, as the Anthropomorphites and others. A ༄ -St. Paul, continues our Author, does frequently exclaim against the Errors and Impoftures of the Phi lofophers; but it appears from fome Paffages of the Ancient Poets quoted by that Holy Apostle, that he had van Efteem for them. Grotius writ his Treatise concerning the Truth of the Chriftian Religion in Dutch Verfe, and alledges a vaft Number of Poets to prove the Existence of God, and his Providence, and that he bestows Rewards and Punishments after this Life. 66 "From all the fe Confiderations (fays the Author) "I infer that the Theology of Poets is more agreeable "to the Scripture than that of Syftematick Divines, commonly called School-Divinity. Nay, I dare af firmy that for the fame Reafon one Pfalm of David, the' never fo Poetical, ought to be more esteemed, than all the large Volumes of the moft: fubtil and "profound. Theologers. What Benefit has the World "reaped from thofe Voluminous Tracts de Attributis ; "de Exiftentia; de Prædeterminatione ; Of the Distincti "on of Perfons; Of efficacious or fufficient Grace, &c? "Are thofe Men the beft Chriftians, who read fuch "Books? Have not those frivolous Difputes occafioned the spreading of Atheism by Vaninus, Pom Hoponatius, and Spinoza ? 66 ་་ In the next Place, our Author undertakes to ju ftify an Hymn of Horace, and to anfwer Mr. Le Cherd's Reflexions upon it in his Parrhafiana. He obferves that fuppofing Horace was an Epicurean, it can be no Objection against his Poetry. Tho Marot was a Libertin, (fays be), is Mr. Le Clerc ff displeafed than his Verfes fhould be fung sinothe 90T Pro 66 "Proteftant Churches? Tho' Mr. De Santeuil was "not fo holy a Man as Fa her Gourdan, one of his Brethren, will any Body fay that his Hymns are not Sublime? Tho' Mr. R calls the Bible a Romance, is the Tranflation of fome Pfalms, "made by that Author, lefs Poetical and Mo❝ving? The Readers will find here a Prayer of Horace. The Author maintains that there is nothing in it but what perfectly agrees with the Holy Scripture; and then breaks out into thefe Words. "Dites "nous, Miniftres & Chretiens Reformez, fi une pareille priere eft un tiffu de fadaifes & d' abfur"ditez? Croiez-vous que vos Auditeurs vous trai. teroient d'impies ou d' extravagans, fi vous la prononciez dans les Chaires de vos Temples? Elle eft pourtant toute entiere d'Horace, & telle que le Pere Tarteron a traduite. I en fais juges tous vos habiles predicateurs, dont l'éloquence Chretienne n'eft point differente de celle "de notre Poëte", c. That is, "Minifters "and Reformed Chriftians, tell me whether fuch a Prayer is only made up of Fooleries and Abfurdities? Do you believe that your Congregations would call you impious and extravagant Men, "if you fhould pronounce it in your Churches? And yet it is entirely a Prayer of Horace, fuch as it has been tranflated by Father Tarteron. I appeal to your eminent Preachers, whofe Christian Eloquence does not differ from that of our Poet ”. &c. รา Our Author having endeavoured to fhew the Excellency of Poetry with respect to Religion, proceeds to Philofophy, and undertakes to vindicate the Poets upon this Second Head. There are (fays he) 70s.mes to batwo to 29:01 sd ar out. The Names of the falfe Deities have been left two Sorts of Philofophy. The one is fublime and abftrufe, and properly cultivated by thofe that arẹ called Philofophers: The other is fenfible and natu ral; it is the Philofophy of ingenious Men of all Conditions. The Poets apply themselves to this Second Sort of Philofophy, as being the most u eful. The Plurality of the Worlds, written by Mr. De Fontenelle, which is a Poetical Work, is more glorious to that Author, than the moft folid Pieces relating to Philofophy, that have been published by him. Our Author adds, That one might compare the Philofophy of the Philofophers to a regular, but grave and auftere Beauty, and that of the Poets to a Beauty not fo perfect, but pleasant and smiling. He tells us, That he might eafily name a great many Philofophers of this Second Sort; but he refers the curious Reader to the Books of Aldrovandus, that Great Naturalist, who confirms what he says upon all Sorts of Animals by a Thousand Paffages in the Poets. The Author mentions me of thote Paffages; and then obferves that Cicero, Seneca, Plutarch, and other Philofophical Writers have quoted many Verles. He makes feveral other Obfervations in Favour of Poetry, on which I cannot enlarge. The Benefit arifing from Comedies appears to him very confiderable: He is perfuaded, "That the French Plays called l'Avare, le Grondeur, le Foueur, le Mifanthrope, le Tartufe, and other Pieces of that Nature, are not only very proper to make a Man wife and virtuous, but also to qualify "him for a Chriftian ". 66 66 Our Author obferves that the Design of the Poets is to deftroy Vice. When they perceived that Tragedies and Comedies required too much Labour, and - were not fufficient to put a Stop to the growing -Evil, they had recourfe to Satyr. That Poem is a Kind of a Remedy always ready at Hand to prevent the Progrefs of Vice, The Satyrs of Lucilius, Horace, Perfius, and Juvenal fhew how great is the Zeal of the Poets for the Reformation of Manners. Thofe |