March 24, 1917; Edward S. Dodgson. The Works of Horace, Virgil and Phædrus, are already done in the fame Manner as these EPISTLES: All printed for JOSEPH DAVIDSON, at the *********** 29812e 124 ***** God, King of Great Bris tain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all, to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting. Whereas Our Trusty and Wellbeloved Jofeph Davidson, of Our City of London, Bookseller, hath humbly represented unto Us, That he hath been at a very great Expence to get The Works of Horace and Virgil translated into English Profe, with Critical, Historical, Geographical, and Classical Notes in English, from the best Commentators, both ancient and modern, together with the Latin Text put into Order of Construction; Which Works he is now publishing in Latin and English Prose, with the aforefaid Notes, in Octavó, and purposes to publish all the other Latin Authors in the fame Manner; And hath therefore humbly befought Us to grant bim Our Royal Privilege and Licence for the fole printing, publishing, and vending the aforesaid Works of Horace and Virgil, and all the other Latin Authors in the fame Manner, for the Term of Fourteen Years; We being willing to give all due Encouragement to Works of this Nature, which tend to the Advancement of Learning, are graciously pleased to condescend to his Request; and do therefore, by these Presents, fo far as may be agreeable to the Statute in that Behalf made and provided, grant unto the faid Jofeph Davidson, his Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, Our Royal Licence for the fole printing, publishing, and vending the faid Works, for the Term of Fourteen Years, to be computed from the Date hereof; strictly forbidding all Our Subjects, within Our Kingdoms and Dominions to reprint the fame, either in the like, or any other Volume or Volumes whatsoever; or to Import, Buy, Vend, Utter, or Distribute any Copies thereof, Reprinted bey beyond the Seas, during the aforesaid Term of Fourteen Years, without the Consent or Approbation of the faid Jofeph Davidson, his Heirs, Executors, and Assigns, under their Hands and Seals first had and obtained, as they will answer the contrary at their Peril; Whereof the Commissioners and other Officers of Our Customs, the Master, Wardens, and Company of Stationers are to take Notice, that due Obedience may be rendered to our Pleasure therein declared. Given at Our Court at St. James's the Twenty fourth Day of February, 1741-2, in the fifteenth Year of Our Reign. By His Majesty's Command, HOLLES NEWCASTLE. THE EPISTLES OF OVID TRANSLATED into ENGLISH PROSE, As near the ORIGINAL as the different Idioms of the WITH The LATIN TEXT and ORDER OF CONSTRUCTION in the For the Ufe of Schools as well as of Private GENTLEMEN. LONDON: Printed for JOSEPH DAVIDSON, at the Angel in (v) 2 PREFACE. A Is the Reader is here presented with Part of Ovid's Account of his Life and Writings, with a Criticism upon his Poetry. But as that will come in better before his Metamorphofes, I shall for the present content myself with observing, that he flourished in the Reign of Augustus Cæfar, when Poetry was much encouraged, and had been carried in many Branches to a very great Degree of Perfection. He was of Equestrian Rank, born to a splendid Fortune, and in his Youth applied to the Study of the Law. But foon quitting that Profeffion for the Amusements of Poetry, to which bis Genius naturally led him, and which the Taste and Manners of that Age numbered among the Accomplishments of a Gentleman, be fucceeded so happily, as to distinguish himself eminently at a Court abounding in the best Models of every Species of good Writing; nor have even fuch powerful Rivals as Virgil and Horace, been able to eclipse his Fame, or binder him from being accounted by Posterity, one of the brightest Ornaments of the Age in which he lived. I mean not by this to put him on a Level with these immortal Poets, whose Productions were of a higher Kind, and in their feveral Ways arrived nearer to the Standard of Perfection; but to show, that his Reputation, tho somewhat inferior to their's, was nevertheless very great, and such as will in all Probability entitle him to that Immortality, which he with a becoming Confidence challenges as his Due, at the End of his Metamorphofes. And indeed, as Mr. Dryden judiciously obferves, if the Imitation of Nature be the Business of a Poet, no Author can be compared with our's, especially in the Description of the Paffions. This nowhere appears more evidently than in bis Writings upon the Subject of Love, and as there are few Men but some Time or other in their Lives have had Experience of this Passion, so I may appeal to clmost all his Readers, whether his Representations of the various Emotions and Feelings of the Mind when under the Influence of it, |