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CHAP. XVII.

A difcontented Temper.

• A difcontented temper, is "A frame of mind which fets a man upon complaining without reason." When one of his neighbours who makes an entertainment,. fends a fervant to him with a plate of any thing that is nice, What, fays he,'" your master did not think me good enough to dine with him?" he complains of his miftrefs at the very time she is careffing him ; • and when she redoubles her kisses and endearments, “ I "wish, fays he,'" all this came from your heart." In a dry feafon he grumbles for want of rain, and when a fhower falls, mutters to himself, "Why could not "this have come fooner?" If he happens to find a 'purfe of money,' "had it been a pot of gold, fays "he, it would have been worth stooping for." • He

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takes a great deal of pains to beat down the price of a flave; and after he has paid his money for him,' " I "am fure, fays he, thou art good for nothing, or I fhould not have had thee fo cheap." When a meflenger comes with great joy to acquaint him that his wife is brought to bed of a fon, he anfwers,' That is as much as to "fay, friend, I am poorer by half to day than I was yefterday." Though he has gained a caufe with full cofts and damages, he complains that his council did not infift upon the moft material points. If after any mif⚫ fortune has befallen him, his friends raise a voluntary ⚫ contribution for him, and defire him to be merry,' "how is that poffible, fays he, when I am to pay every "one of you his money again, and be obliged to you "into the barg ai?"

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The inftances of a difcontented temper which Theophraftus has here made ufe of, like those which he fingles out to illuftrate the rest of his characters, are chofen with the greatest nicety, and full of humour. His ftrokes are always fine and exquifite, and though they are not fometimes violent enough to affect the imagination of a coarse reader, cannot but give the highest pleasure to every man of a refined taste, who has a thorough insight into human nature.

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As for the tranflation, I have never seen any of a profe author which has pleafed me more. The gentleman who has obliged the public with it, has followed the rule which Horace has laid down for tranflators, by preferving every where the life and fpirit of his author, without fervilely copying after him word for word. This is what the French, who have moft diftinguished themselves by performances of this nature, fo often inculcate when they advise a tranflator to find out fuch particular elegances in his own tongue as bear foine analogy to thofe he fees in the original, and to exprefs himfelf by fuch phrafes as his author would probably have made use of, had he written in the language into which he is tranflated. By this means, as well as by throwing in a lucky word, or a short circumftance, the meaning of Theophraftus is all along explained, and the humour very often carried to a greater height. A tranflator, who does not thus confider the different genius of the two languages in which he is concerned, with fuch parallel turns of thoughts and expreffion as correfpond with one another in both of them, may value himself upon being a faithful interpreter ;' but in works of wit and humour will never do justice to his author, or credit to himself.

As this is every where a judicious and a reasonable liberty, fee no chapter in Theophraftus where it has been fo much indulged, and in which it was fo abfolutely neceffary, as in the character of the Sloven. I find the tranflator himself, though he has taken pains to qualify it, is still apprehenfive that there may be fomething too

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grofs in the defcription. The reader will fee with how much delicacy he has touched upon every particular, and caft into fhades every thing that was fhocking in fo naufeous a figure.

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CHAP. XIX.

A Sloven.

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'Slovenlinefs is' "fuch a neglect of a man's person, "as makes him offenfive to other people." The floven " comes into company with a dirty pair of hands, and a fet of long nails at the end of them, and tells you for an excufe, that his father and grandfather used to do fo before him. However, that he may out-go his fore-fathers, his fingers are covered with warts of his own raifing. He is as hairy as a goat, and takes care to let you fee it. His teeth and breath are perfectly well fuited to one another. He lays about him at table after a most extraordinary manner, and takes in a meal at a mouthful; which he feldom difpofes of without offending the company. In drinking he generally makes more hafte than good speed. When he < goes into the bath, you may eafily find him out by the fcent of his oil, and diftinguish him when he is dreffed by the fpots in his coat. He does not ftand upon decency in converfation, but will talk fmut, though a priest and his mother be in the room. He commits a blunder in the moft folemn offices of devotion, and afterwards falls a laughing at it. At a confort of mufick he breaks in upon the performance, hums over the tune to himself, or if he thinks it long, afks the musicians' "whether they will never have "done?" he always fpits at random, and if he is at an entertainment, it is ten to one but it is upon the fervant who ftands behind him.?

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The foregoing tranflation brings to my remembrance that excellent obfervation of my Lord Rofcommon's.

None yet have been with admiration read,
But who, befide their learning were well-bred.

Lord Rofcommon's effay on tranflated verse.

If after this the reader can endure the filthy reprefentation of the fame figure expofed in its worft light, he may fee how it looks in the former English verfion, which was published fome years fince, and is done from the French of Bruyere.

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Naftiness or Slovenlinefs.

• Slovenlinefs is a lazy and beaftly negligence of a 'man's own perfon, whereby he becomes fo fordid, as < to be offenfive to those about him. You will fee him " come into company when he is covered all over with a leprofy and fcurf, and with very long nails, and fays, thofe diftempers were hereditary, that his father and grandfather had them before him. He has ulcers in his thighs, and boils upon his hands, which he takes · no care to have cured, but lets them run on until they are gone beyond remedy. His arm pits are all hairy, and moft part of his body like a wild beaft. His teeth ་ are black and rotten, which makes his breath tink fo that you cannot endure him to coine nigh you; he will alfo fnuff up his nofe and fpit out as he eats, and uses to speak with his mouth crammed full, and lets his victuals come out at both corners. He belches in the cup as he is drinking, and ufes nafty stinking oil in the bath. He will intrude into the best company in fordid ragged cloaths. If he goes with his 'mother to the toothfayers, he cannot then refrain from wicked and prophane expreffions. When he is making his oblations at the temple, he will let the difh drop out of his hand, and fall a laughing, as if he had

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done fome brave exploit. At the fineft confort of mufick he cannot forbear clapping his hands and mak⚫ing a rude noife; will pretend to fing along with them, and fall a railing at them to leave off. Sitting at table, he fpits full upon the fervants who waited there."'

I cannot close this paper without obferving, that if gentlemen of leifure and genius would take the same pains upon fome other Greek or Roman author, that has been bestowed upon this, the world would foon be convinced, that there is a great deal of difference between putting an author into Englifb, and tranflating him.

End of the SECOND Volume.

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