The Moors ('tis said) us'd to cast their newborn children into the
sea, and only if they swam would think 'em worth their care; but mine,
with more neglect, I turn into the world, for sink or swim, I have
done all I design'd for't. I have already, with as much satisfaction
as _Aeneas_ in a cloud heard _Dido_ praise him, heard the
_Beaux-Criticks_ condemn this translation before they saw it, and with
as much judgment as if they had: And after they had prophetically
discover'd all the flaws in the turns of thought, the cadence of
periods, and had almost brought in _Epick_ and _Drama_, they supt
their coffee, took snuff, and charitably concluded to send _Briscoe_
the pye-woman to help off with his books. Well, I have nothing to
say, but that these brisk gentlemen that draw without occasion, must
put up without satisfaction.
After the injury of 1700 years, or better, and the several editions in
_Quarto_, _Octavo_, _Duodecimo_, etc., with their respective notes to
little purpose; for these annotators upon matters of no difficulty,
are so tedious, that you can't get rid of their enlargements without
sleeping, but at any real knot are too modest to interrupt any man's
Curiosity in the untying of it. After so many years, I say, it
happened upon the taking of _Belgrade_ this author was _made_ entire;
made so because the new is suspected to be illegitimate: But it has so
many features of the lawful father, that he was at least thought of
when 'twas got. Now the story's made out, the character of _Lycas_
alter'd, and _Petronius_ freed from the imputation of not making
divine or humane justice pursue an ill-spent life.
As to the translation, the other hand, I believe, has been very
careful; but if my part don't satisfie the world, I should be glad to
see my self reveng'd in a better version; and though it may prove no
difficult province to improve what I have done, I shall yet have the
credit of the first attempt.
If any of the fine gentlemen should be angry after they have read it,
as some, to save that trouble, have before; and protest I've yet
debauch't _Petronius_, and robb'd him of his language, his only
purity, I hope we shall shortly be reconciled, for I have some very
pretty new songs ready for the press: If this satisfies them, I'll
venture to tell others that I have drest the meaning of the original
as modestly as I could, but to have quite hid the obscaenity, I
thought, were to invent, not translate.
As for the ladies, if any too-discerning antiquated hypocrite (for
only such I fear) shou'd be angry with the beastly author; let the
work be my advocate, where the little liberties I take, as modestly
betray a broad meaning, as blushing when a man tells the story.
Those who object, that things of this nature ought not to he
translated, must arraign the versions of _Juvenal Suetonius_, etc.,
but what _Suetonius_ thought excusable in _History_, any sober man
will think much more allowable in _Satyr_: Nor can this be offensive
to good-manners, since the gross part here is the displaying of vices
of that dye, that there's an abhorrence even in nature from 'em; nor
is it possible that any ill man can talk a good one into a new frame
or composition; nay, perhaps it may be applicable to a good use, to
see our own happiness, that we know that to be opposite to humanity it
self, which some of the ancients were deluded even to practise as wit
and gallantry, thus I'm so far from being toucht in expressing those
crimes, that I think it makes the more for me, the more they're
detested.
If I have alter'd or added to the author, it was either to render
those customs of the _Romans_ that were analogous to ours, by what was
more familiar to us, or to prevent a note by enlarging on others where
I found 'em.
The verse of both parts are mine, and I have taken a great liberty in
'em; and tho' I believe there I have not wrong'd the original, yet all
will not amount to call them _good_.
The money at first I made _English_ coin, but not the exact worth,
because it would have been odd in some places to have brought in pence
and farthings; as when the thousand sesterces are offered for _Gito_,
it would not be consistent with the haste they were in to offer so
many pounds, so many shillings, and so many pence: I therefore
proportioned a sum to the story without casting up the sesterces; thus
they went to the press: But advis'd either to give the just value or
the _Roman_ coin, I resolv'd on the latter for the reasons I have
given, and alter'd the summs as the proofs came to my hands; but
trusting the care of one sheet to a friend, the summ of 2000 crowns
past unalter'd.