Englishing the whole, he gave us the
first book of it some years ago, with a design to go through the poem.
It was the misfortune of that first attempt to appear just about the
time of the late Revolution, when few had leisure to mind such books;
yet, though by reason of his absence, it was printed with a world of
faults, those that are sufficient judges have done it the justice to
esteem it a very successful attempt, and cannot but wish that he would
complete the entire translation."--_Gent. Journ._ for August 1692.

[20] See the Preface to "A Funeral Idyll, sacred to the glorious Memory
of King William III.," by Mr. Oldmixon.

"In the Idyll on the peace, I made the first essay to throw off rhymes,
and the kind reception that poem met with, has encouraged me to attempt
it again. I have not been persuaded by my friends to change the Idyll
into Idyllium; for having an English word set me by Mr. Dryden, which he
uses indifferently with the Greek, I thought it might be as proper in an
English poem. I shall not be solicitous to justify myself to those who
except against his authority, till they produce me a better: I have
heard him blamed for his innovations and coining of words, even by
persons who have already been sufficiently guilty of the fault they lay
to his charge; and shown us what we are to expect from them, were their
names as well settled as his. If I had qualifications enough to do it
successfully, I should advise them to write more naturally, delicately,
and reasonably themselves, before they attack Mr. Dryden's reputation;
and to think there is something more necessary to make a man write well,
than the favour of the great, or the success of a faction. We have every
year seen how fickle Fortune has been to her declared favourites; and
men of merit, as well as he who has none, have suffered by her
inconstancy, as much as they got by her smiles. This should alarm such
as are eminently indebted to her, and may be of use to them in their
future reflections on others' productions, not to assume too much to
themselves from her partiality to them, lest, when they are left like
their predecessor, it should only serve to render them the more
ridiculous."

[21] "Homer in a Nutshell," (16th Feb.) 1700-9, by Samuel Parker, Gent.

"_Preface_.--Ever since I caught some termagant ones in a club,
undervaluing our new translation of Virgil, I've known both what opinion
I ought to harbour, and what use to make of them; and