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The Fourth Book of Virgil's Aeneid and the Ninth Book of Voltaire's Henriad — Voltaire — John Shaqi
The Fourth Book of Virgil's Aeneid and the Ninth Book of Voltaire's Henriad

Voltaire · en
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                           THE FOURTH BOOK
                                 of
                           VIRGIL'S AENEID,
                                and
                           THE NINTH BOOK
                                 of
                         VOLTAIRE'S HENRIAD.

       Translated into English verse with a view of comparison
           between the Latin, French, and English poetry.

                  By the Translator of the HENRIAD.



                               PARIS:
                      PRINTED BY CH. CRAPELET.

                                1804.




TO
MONSIEUR DELILLE.


SIR,

After reading with infinite pleasure your masterly translations of
Virgil, I have been led into a train of reflection on the mechanism of
words, and on the manners, the ideas, and pursuits of Nations in as much
as they frequently give rise to the difference of character which we
remark in their language. Few literary discussions would I think be more
curious than an impartial comparative enquiry of this kind.

Not only have the easy elegance and courtly air of your verses displayed
the French tongue in these respects worthy of your original; but have
inclined me to think that they have raised it near the highest pitch of
perfection of which it is at present capable, in the translation of a
Latin poet. After two brillant ages of literature the French language
did not, till you appeared, possess one translation of the great
masterpieces of antiquity, which might fairly be said to have attained
the rank of a classical work: while the English had been long enriched
with such translations of most of them, as will like yours, in all
probability share the immortality of their originals. In the cloud of
critics which superior lustre necessarily attracts, many perhaps were
not sufficiently aware of the peculiar difficulties of your undertaking,
from the nature of the materials which you had to employ, and some not
candid enough to compare the work which you have raised out of them,
with what they had hitherto been made to produce.

That the English language might be so managed as to surpass the French
in expression of strong sentiments, in boldness of imagery, in harmony
and variety of versification I will not be sufficiently hardy to assert.
The universality of the latter must be admitted as a strong presumption
of its general excellency. Yet I cannot help wishing, that some pen
worthy to be compared with Monsieur Delille's would give the world an
opportunity of judging whether the former may not have some pretensions
to superiority in the instances which I have mentioned.