pe, especially when we think of Chapman's fine,
bold, rough old English;--far be it from, us to hold up his translation as
what a translation of Homer _might_ be. But we can still dismiss Pope's
Iliad to the hands of our readers, with the consciousness that they must
have read a very great number of books before they have read its fellow.

As to the Notes accompanying the present volume, they are drawn up without
pretension, and mainly with the view of helping the general reader. Having
some little time since translated all the works of Homer for another
publisher, I might have brought a large amount of accumulated matter,
sometimes of a critical character, to bear upon the text. But Pope's
version was no field for such a display; and my purpose was to touch
briefly on antiquarian or mythological allusions, to notice occasionally
_some_ departures from the original, and to give a few parallel passages
from our English Homer, Milton. In the latter task I cannot pretend to
novelty, but I trust that my other annotations, while utterly disclaiming
high scholastic views, will be found to convey as much as is wanted; at
least, as far as the necessary limits of these volumes could be expected
to admit. To write a commentary on Homer is not my present aim; but if I
have made Pope's translation a little more entertaining and instructive to
a mass of miscellaneous readers, I shall consider my wishes satisfactorily
accomplished.

THEODORE ALOIS BUCKLEY.

_Christ Church._

POPE'S PREFACE TO THE ILIAD OF HOMER

Homer is universally allowed to have had the greatest invention of any
writer whatever. The praise of judgment Virgil has justly contested with
him, and others may have their pretensions as to particular excellences;
but his invention remains yet unrivalled. Nor is it a wonder if he has
ever been acknowledged the greatest of poets, who most excelled in that
which is the very foundation of poetry. It is the invention that, in
different degrees, distinguishes all great geniuses: the utmost stretch of
human study, learning, and industry, which masters everything besides, can
never attain to this. It furnishes art with all her materials, and without
it judgment itself can at best but "steal wisely:" for art is only like a
prudent steward that lives on managing the riches of nature. Whatever
praises may be given to works of judgment, there is not even a single
beauty