Letters Concerning Poetical Translations | Page 3

Milton's Versification, in which you will meet with that Paradox, as you thought it at first, namely, that the principal Advantage Virgil has over Milton is Virgil's Rhyme. But I beg leave to postpone that matter at present, because I have a mind to make some Remarks upon the second Line in the Translation of the beginning of the Iliad mentioned in my former Letter, in which the auxiliary Verb did (as our Grammarians call it) is made use of. The Line runs thus.
"Which to the Greeks did endless Sorrows bring.
It is commonly apprehended from a Passage in Mr. Pope's _Essay on Criticism, that all auxiliary Verbs are mere Expletives_.
"While Expletives their feeble Aid do join, And ten low Words oft creep in one dull Line.
But this I believe Mr. Pope never intended to advance. Milton has used them in many Places, where he could have avoided it if he had pleased. I will produce one.
--"Him the most High Wrapt in a balmy Cloud with fiery Steeds Did, as thou saw'st, receive.--
Milton might have said,
"Receiv'd, as thou hast seen.--
But he thought the auxiliary Verb added Strength to the Expression, as indeed it does. I own where the auxiliary Verb is brought close to its principal, and that a thin monosyllable, as in the Line just now referred to, the Verse is very rude and disagreeable. But to prove that the auxiliary Verb may be employed properly, I will produce an Instance in rhym'd Verse, as strong as that of Milton just mentioned.
"Then did the roaring Waves their Rage compose, When the great Father of the Flood arose.
Pit's 1st ?neid.
I believe it will not be disputed, but that this Line is as full, as sonorous, and majestick as if the auxiliary Verb had been left out, and the Author had used compos'd instead of did compose. The Expression is certainly more beautiful and more poetical; and the reason of it is, that it occasions suspence, which raises the attention; or in other Words the auxiliary Verb gives notice of something coming, before the principal thing itself appears, which is another Property of Majesty. Mr. Dryden's authority might likewise be added on this occasion; even in his celebrated Lines on Milton it is to be met with.
"Greece, Italy, and England did adorn.
In his Translation of the ?neid there are many Instances of the same nature, one of which I will mention;
"The Queen of Heav'n did thus her fury vent.
The Metre of this Line, as the Words are here rang'd, is not bad, as the Ear can judge; but it would have been extremely so, if he had writ it thus,
"The Queen of Heaven her Fury thus did vent.[A]
[Footnote A: His Heart, his Mistress and his Friends did share. Pope, on Voiture.]
From whence it appears that the auxiliary Verb is not to be rejected at all times; besides, it is a particular Idiom of the English Language: and has a Majesty in it superior to the Latin or Greek Tongue, and I believe to any other Language whatsoever.
Many Instances might be brought to support this Assertion from Great Authorities. I shall produce one from Shakespear.
--_This to me In dreadful Secrecy impart they_ did.
The Auxiliary Verb is here very properly made use of; and it would be a great loss to English Poetry, if it were to be wholly laid aside. In Translations from the Greek and Latin, I believe it wou'd sometimes be impossible to do justice to an Author without this Help: I think the Passage in Homer before us, I mean the two first Lines of the Iliad, are an Instance of this kind. They have been translated by many Persons of late, Dryden, Manwaring, Mr. Tickel, and by Mr. Pope twice, and not by any one of 'em, as I apprehend, in the Spirit of Homer. As to Mr. Pope's two Translations, I don't understand why the latter ought to be preferr'd to the former. Mr. Pope's first Translation stood thus.
The Wrath of Peleus' Son, the direful Spring Of all the Grecian Woes, O Goddess sing.
Mr. Pope had reason to be dissatisfy'd with the O in the second Line, and to reject it; for Homer has nothing of it. But now let us see how the Vacancy is supplied in Mr. Pope's new Translation.
Achilles' Wrath, to Greece the direful Spring Of Woes un-number'd, Heav'nly Goddess, sing.
Is not Heav'nly as much an Expletive as O, and can either of these Couplets deserve to be plac'd in the Front of the Iliad? I could wish Mr. Pope would return these two Lines once more to the Anvil, and dismiss all Expletives here at least. But enough of Expletives.
I shall now say something of Monosyllables, which seem to be absolutely condemn'd in the second Line of the two Verses just mention'd from Mr.