The learned and ingenious Translator of Pindar has suggested several striking pleas in his favour, both with respect to the _connection of his thoughts_ and the _regularity of his measure_[85]. To resume on the present occasion any part of what he hath advanced, would be equally useless and improper. As to the first, I shall only add to this Gentleman’s observations, that all the writings of Pindar which have reached the present times are of the panegyrical kind, in which _remote circumstances_ and _distant allusions_ are often referred to with great propriety; that sometimes several Odes are inscribed to _the same person_; and that all of them are wrote on subjects too _exactly similar_ to afford room for _continued variety of description_, without allowing him frequently to digress. It is obvious that in these circumstances the Poet must have been forcibly prompted to indulge the natural exuberance of his genius, that he might gain materials to fill up his subject, and that he might pay a compliment to his Patron by some digression on the merit of his Ancestors, as well as by an encomium on his personal qualities[86]. If these considerations do not fully apologize for the excursions of this Great Genius, they render them at least more excusible in him, than the same liberties without an equal inducement can possibly be in any of his imitators. [Footnote 85: Mr. West. See the Preface and Notes of his Translation.] [Footnote 86: It is generally to be supposed, that a Poet in a panegyrical address to his Patron will select with solicitude every circumstance in his character and actions which excite approbation, in order to render his encomium as perfect and compleat as possible. When therefore he is unexpectedly engaged to retouch a subject which he had formerly discussed, we ought to expect, either that he will fix upon _new points of panegyric_, which is always a matter of the greatest difficulty; or we must indulge him in the liberty of calling in _adventitious assistance_, when he is deprived of other materials. This appears on many occasions to have been the case of Pindar. No less than four of his Odes are inscribed to Hiero King of Syracuse, all on account of his victories in the Games of Greece. Two Odes immediately following the first to Hiero are addressed to Theron King of Agrigentum; Psaumis of Camarina is celebrated in the 4th and 5th Olympic; and the 9th and 10th are filled with the praises of Agesidamus the Locrian. Every reader must make _great allowances_ for a Poet, who was so often obliged to retouch and to _diversify_ subjects of one kind.]