LORD TO THE HERBERT*, Eldest Son of his Excellency the Earl of PEMBROKE and MONTGOMERY; Baron HERBERT of Caerdiff, Ross of Kendal, PARR, FITZ-HUGH MARMION, ST. QUINTIN, and HERBERT of Shutland; Knight of the Garter, &c. &c. MY LORD, THE HE following lines are written on a subject that will naturally be protected by the goodness and temper of your Lordship: for, as the advantages of your mind and perfon muft kindle the flames of Love in the coldest breaft; so you are of an age most susceptible of them in your own. You have acquired all thofe accomplishments at home, which others are forced to seek abroad; and have given the world atfurance, by fuch beginnings, that you will foon be qualified to fill the highest Offices of the Crown with the fame univerfal applause that has conftantly attended your illuftrious Father in the discharge of them. For the good of your Pofterity, may you ever be happy in the choice of what you love! And though these rules will be of fmall ufe *Henry lord Herbert fucceeded to his father's titles in 1732, and died in 1749. N. to you that can frame much better; yet let me beg leave that, by dedicating them to your service, I may have the honour of telling the world, that I am obliged to your Lordship; and that I am most entirely Your Lordship's Moft faithful humble fervant, WILLIAM KING.. PREFACE." PREFACE. T is endeavoured, in the following Poems, to give IT the Readers of both fexes fome ideas of the Art of Love; fuch a Love as is innocent and virtuous, and whose defires terminate in present happiness and that of pofterity. It would be in vain to think of doing it without help from the Ancients, amongst whom none has touched that paffion more tenderly and juftly than Ovid. He knew that he bore the mastership in that Art; and therefore, in the Fourth Book De Tristibus,. when he would give fome account of himself to future ages, he calls himself." Tenerorun Lufor Amorum," as if he gloried principally in the defcriptions he had. made of that paffion. The prefent imitation of him is at least fuch a one as Mr. Dryden mentions," to be an endeavour of a: "later Poet to write like one who has written before: "him on the fame fubject; that is, not to translate his "words, or be confined to his fenfe, but only to fet. "him as a pattern, and to write as he fuppofes that “Author, would have done, had he lived in our age: " and in our country. But he dares not say that Sir "John Denham *, or Mr. Cowley, have carried this 66 *Mr. Dryden alludes to "The Deftruction of Troy, &c." N, 3 "Libertine "Libertine way, as the latter calls it, fo far as this "definition reaches." But, alas! the prefent Imitator has come up to it, if not perhaps exceeded it. Sir John Denham had Virgil, and Mr. Cowley had Pindar, to deal with, who both wrote upon lafting foundations : but, the prefent fubject being Love, it would be unreasonable to think of too great a confinement to be laid on it. And though the paffion and grounds of it will continue the fame through all ages; yet there will be many little modes, fashions, and graces, ways of complaifance and addrefs, entertainments and diverfions, which time will vary. Since the world will expect 'new things, and perfons will write, and the Ancients have fo great a fund of Learning; whom can the Moderns take better to copy than fuch originals? It is moft likely they may not come up to them; but it is a thousand to one but their imitation is better than any clumfy invention of their own. Whoever undertakes this way of writing, has as much reason to understand the true fcope, genius, and force of the expreflions of his Author, as a literal Translator: and, after all, he lies under this misfortune, that the faults are all his own; and, if there is any thing that may feem pardonable, the Latin at the bottom fhews to whom he is engaged for it. An Imitator and his Author stand * In the first editions of the "Art of Cookery," and of the "Art of Love," Dr. King printed the original under the refpective pages of his tranflations. N. much |