pictures represent the fame ftory; men of taste find pleasure in remarking the various manner, and each according to his turn is ftruck with the ftile of particular painters. It is a kind of trial of fkill which contributes to the perfection of the arts, and to the information of the public.

If the french Merope has met with the fame fuccefs as the italian, 'tis to you, Sir, I am indebted for it; 'tis to that fimplicity which I was always fo fond of, and of which your performance furnished me the model, Though I have marched in a different track from you, yet you have been conftantly my guide.

I wish it were in my power to follow the example of the English and Italians, as to blank verfe.

But I foon perceived, and have long fince faid, that fuch an attempt would never fucceed in France, and that it shewed more weakness than ftrength of parts, to endeavour throwing off a yoke borne by authors of fo many performances, which

will

will laft as long as the french nation or language.

Our poetry is not allowed the many other liberties which are taken in yours; and perhaps this is one reafon why the Italians have been three or four ages beforehand with us in this amiable, but difficult art.

I fhould be glad, Sir, to follow your example in other refpects, as well as in tragedy. I would particularly form myfelf on your taste in the science of history; not that vague and barren knowledge of facts and dates, which confifts in relating, when fuch a man, useless, perhaps, or pernicious, to the world, left it; a mere dictionary fcience, which clogs the memory, without informing the judg

ment.

I mean the history of the mind of man; that leads us into the knowledge of manners, and traces out, fault by fault, and prejudice after prejudice, the effects of human paffions; that lays before us the evils produced by ignorance, or mistaken knowledge; that, above all, marks out the progress of the arts, through the favage

broils

3

broils of potentates, and the overthrow of empires.

Such hiftories are precious in my eyes; and I shall value them the more, on account of the rank in which they must place you, Sir, among those to whom mankind is indebted for new pleasures and instructions. Pofterity will emulate your country, which has rendered you fuch distinguished honours, has erected you a ftatue with this infcription, To THE MARQUIS SCIPIO MAFFEI, LIVING. As fine an inscription in its kind, as that at Montpellier; To LEWIS THE FOURTEENTH, AFTER HIS DEATH. Vouchfafe to add, Sir, to the homages of your fellow-citizens, that of a foreigner, whofe esteem and attachment for you, are as fincere as if he had been a native of Verona.

PRE

PREFACE*

To the Edition of

Mr. VOLTAIRE'S CÆSAR, in 17:38.

WE give this

E give this edition of the tragedy of the death of Cæfar, by Mr. de Voltaire, who, we can fafely fay, is the first that has made the english mufes known in France. He tranflated into verfe fome years ago, feveral paffages out of the best poets of England, for the instruction of his friends; and, by that means, he induced many to learn the English; fo that, now, this language is become familiar to men of letters. It is doing service to our minds to embellish them thus with the riches of foreign

countries.

Among the most fingular extracts from the english poets that our friend tran

*This in the original, is called the publisher's preface.

flated

flated for us, was the scene of Antony and the people of Rome, taken from the tragedy of Julius Cæfar, which was wrote an hundred and fifty years ago by the famous Shakespear, and acted to this day with fuch fuccefs on the theatres of London. We asked for the whole play, but it was impoffible to tranflate it.

Shakespear was a great genius, but he lived in an ignorant age, and one finds in all his pieces the barbarism of the times, much more than the genius of the writer. Mr. de Voltaire, instead of translating the monftrous compofition of Shakespear, wrote in the english tafte, this Julius Cæfar, which we now present to the public. This imitation is not like the Sir Politick of Mr. de St. Evremond, who, without any knowledge of the english ftage, or being even acquainted with the language, published his Sir Politick, with an intent to make englifli comedy known to the French. It may be justly faid of that comedy that it was neither in the tafte of the English, nor or of any other nation.

It