UNIV. OF Translation. He, not unmindful of his usual art, First in dissembled fire attempts to part: But, having shifted ev'ry form to 'scape, My name and bus'ness, god! nor need I tell. "No man can Proteus cheat: but, Proteus, leave "Thy fraudful arts, and do not thou deceive: "Following the gods' command, I come" DRYDEN. A LETTER ΤΟ MR. DODSLEY, BOOKSELLER IN PALL-MALL; Written in January 1742-3. Fis Anus et tamen. SIR;-Though, for the generality, the books you usher into the world come forth as correct as possible, for which (as a man of reading) I take this opportunity of thanking you; yet, give me leave to tell you that, in your edition of Dr. Young's Poem, called, "The Complaint, or Night Thoughts," Part II., there is one erratum so gross and apparent, that I am surprised it could escape you. It is in the first of the two following lines, at the bottom of the 28th page. A Wilmington goes slower than the Sun, And all mankind mistake their time of day. Now, suppose you should, to use your own. phrase, dele the Sun, and lege a snail; and then the verses would run thus: A Wilmington goes slower than a snail, And all mankind mistake their time of day. And, as the last line is plainly intended by the poet, as an excuse for this noble person's having mistaken his time of day, I would also submit it to you, whether that likewise should not receive a small alteration of, But instead of And; and then the verses will run thus: A Wilmington goes slower than a snail, But all mankind (i. e. all mankind as well his lordship), mistake their time of day. Which is a genteel excuse for a superannuated person's accepting such an employment as his lordship is now in; seeing that, according to this author, it is no particular failing in his lordship; but that all mankind are subject to the same error of mistaking their time of day. A Wilmington goes slower than a snail, But, to return to the most material error, which is that of the word Sun. I must beg leave to impute it entirely to your negligence, and to be almost certain, that it can be no other than a false print; for do you, Mr. Dodsley, believe, that Dr. Young really thinks it necessary to keep up a character of orthodoxy among his brethren, by pretending to believe literally the old story of Joshua? Does not he yet know, from the concurrent assent of all astronomers, that the Sun never stirs out of its place? And how can Lord Wilmington go slower than that which never moves? I really believe he could, if any man in England could; but having so lately made himself first minister, it would be hard to put his Lordship so soon upon attaining any more impossibilities. Another reason why I think this Sun must have been a mistake is, that I have myself been preparing a panegyric in honour of this able, active, supreme, sole minister, throughout which I could never connect his Lordship with the Sun, so as to bring them both into the same sentence; and, Good God, how could a man think of his Lordship and the Sun in the same line? "Tis, I must confess, a vast extent of thought, far beyond my compass. The Sun shines fixed, and immoveable in its own proper sphere. Is his Lordship in his sphere? Is his Lordship immoveable? Is his Lordship bright? Does he shine? Does he dazzle? Does he influence? Does he enlighten? Does he warm? Or can he create ? When he retires from mortal eyes for some short time to Chiswick, do men wish to see his face again? Do they wait impatiently his coming out? Don't they rather think it time he should go out? How could his Lordship put any body in mind of the Sun? Nay, the Poet himself owns that his Lordship has mistaken his time of day; and that too is a thing |