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INTRODUCTION.
That Prophecies are seldom rightly interpreted till their Completion, must always be less the Fault of the Prophet than of the Commentator; who, being more sparingly gifted with the Spirit of Vaticination, is left to supply the Defect by Conjecture. It was Kuster's Misfortune to publish Aristophanes before the End of the eighteenth Century; and, as he could not with equal Certainty anticipate the mysterious History of that eventful Period, we need not be surprised that he has totally mistaken his Author.
Of the NOMINAL Reformers of the Constitution, few have not already, in one Way or another, attained public Notoriety: To discriminate minutely the small Shades of Difference, and to mark the strong Resemblances , by which they are distinguished from their Fellow-Citizens and from each other, would be a very idle as well as ill-natured Employment . Let the Authors of the Jockey-Club —with whom we have neither Style, Subject, nor End
Without condescending to mention the wretched Plagiarism, by which (as appears from the Proceedings of political Dramatists) the Impieties of the old Greek Comedian have been revived for modern Exhibition, we may observe, that Innovation is often bold , impertinent, and puerile , and at the present Moment unseasonable .
In order to simplify the Dialogue we have introduced only two Speakers, assigning to
In both, unless the Popularity of the Farce require Repetition, new Features are put on, new Sentiments uttered, and all the Proteism of Hypocrisy exhibited every Evening; Tears and Triumph alternately occupying the same Face, and disguising the same Heart .
In translating Chremylus and Plutus by the modern Names of Thomas Paine and John Bull we are fully warranted by the corresponding Poverty of the first, and the Opulence of the latter Character.
Finally and seriously, let us not by the hasty Adoption of any crude Proposal justify the Charge of national Credulity, nor realize the Character by which we are pronounced to be
“Of Schemes enamour'd and of Schemes the Gull:”(Rolliad.)
Let us not risque the Possibility of deteriorating our Condition by the rash Application of empirical Nostrums and Elixirs: Ægrescere medendo (Virg. Æn. xii. 46.) was the Misfortune of the Italian who, as a Warning to others, ordered the following Epitaph to be inscribed on his Tomb: ‘I was well: I endeavoured to be better; and here I lie.’
Concerning the personal Satire, into which I have been betrayed in the Translation, I think it sufficient to observe that I am only the Interpreter of Aristophanes: and for the digressive Variety of Correction which prevails throughout the Commentary I can plead the great modern Authority of Wakefield .
It may be sufficient to remark in general that, if — as the Society for Constitutional Information (Morning Chronicle, May 25, 1792) declares — “Virtues and Vices have been described by a Geographical Chart” with Accuracy, the Morality, like the Politics, of these Visionaries will be found in Utopia.
As those Gentlemen are “not conversant in the Language of Panegyric,” the extorted Praises, which they bestow, wear well: The Line, which couples the Names of Savile and Frederick Montagu, will escape the Contempt and Infamy which overwhelm the rest of that Publication.
We wish to effect in Politics what has already been so happily accomplished in Poetry:
Qui BAVIAD non odit, amet mea Carmina------Animus paratus ad periculum, si suâ CUPIDITATE non UTILITATE COMMUNI impellitur, audaciæ potiùs nomen habeat quam fortitudinis.
Cic.Νηπιοι, ουδ' ισασιν οσω ΠΛΕΟΝ ΗΜΙΣΥ ΠΑΝΤΟΣ(Hes. Εργ. και Ημερ I.40) Whatever Euclid (1 Elem. Ax. 9.) may say to the contrary.
“Οι μεν την ΗΛΙΚΙΑΝ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΙ τη εμπειρια των πραγματων των ανθρωπινων ΕΠΙΜΕΛΕΣΤΕΡΟΝ εαυτων τε και των υπηκοων ΑΓΟΥΣΙ· οι δε κομιδη ΝΕΟΙ, ραθυμοτερον βιωντες, ΠΟΛΛΑ ΚΑΙΝΟΤΟΜΟΥΣΙ. Herod.
[ADOLESCENTEM etiam ERRARE cum excusatione posse (Mat. ad Cic. Ep. 28. lib. II. ad Fam.) is no Apology for Errors which arise from the premature Anticipation of Manhood and a Disavowal of the Age of Venialness.]
Fuerunt & alii similis amentiæ cives: Multi enim OMNIS ÆTATIS, OMNIS ORDINIS, UTRIUSQUE SEXUS etiam vocantur in periculum (v.49) & vocabuntur. Plin. Ep. X. 97.
These disinterested Cosmopolities generously offer their Service to the Arch Engineer:
Tu quoscunque voles in planum effundere MUROS, (v. 46.)His aries actus disperget saxa lacertis;
Illa licèt, penitus tolli quam jusseris urbem,
ROMA sit------
Lucan I. 381.
“Omnibus ferè COMITIBUS & DUCIBUS non solum tacitè mussantibus, sed etiam apertè timentibus; contra consilia hominum, contra haruspicum monita ipsi, per semet liberandæ gentis tempus venisse sentiunt.”
Paneg. Vet. VIII. II. 4.Qui autum TEMPUS quid postulet non vident, aut PLURA LOQUUNTUR, aut SE OSTENTANT, aut EORUM QUIBUSCUM SUNT rationem non habent, ii INEPTI esse dicuntur.”
Cic.“The Purpose you undertake, is dangerous; the Friends you have named, uncertain; the Time itself unsorted; and your whole plot too light for the Counterpoise of so great an Opposition” (Shakes. I. Henry IV. II. 3.) was formerly objected to the Son of Northumberland, and may be repeated at present without deserving Percy's Charge of Cowardice and Falsehood.
Proximus à tectis ignis defenditur ægrè.OV. Rem. Am. v. 625.
The Observation of Junius on the Sorrows of a good Man does not render it necessary to expunge this Passage, or disavow the Allusion which it contains: If he had confined his Remark to a great Man, from habitual Deference to his Opinion it would have been omitted.
Of That Man it may be observed, in conformity to the adage,
Cœlum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt,that ου τον ΤΡΟΠΟΝ αλλα τον τοπον μονον μετηλλαξε Æsch.
In compliment to the Virtues of Chremylus it is admitted that the Parallel MIGHT have been more complete.
“Vitiata proculdubiò loca venia concedi debet variè tentanti:” Ita Wakefieldus iste, omnium in his (quos vocat) commentariis philologis facilè princeps, de quo quid sentiamus ut uno verbo dicamus;
------Nil fuit unquamTam dispar sibi------
Qui enim lectorem “nunquam sibi de se vel in alios verbum esse aliquid dictum arrogantius” admonuit, suamque mediocritatem “exigui Muris, regium Leonem (si Æsopo sides) è plagis extricantis” similitudine illustravit; idem se “difficultatem, cui enodandæ & Vett. & zecentiores incassos conatus impenderunt, commodissimè & nullo etiam negotio solvisse” in eâdem paginâ gloriatur.
Nec illi satis suit cæcutientes Commentt. convicisse: “assirmare nullus dubitat, securus etiam lectoris consentientis, secum sæpius Auctores ipsos scribere debuisse, si scripta verè nobilissima voluissent contexere.”
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