--All our religion, almost all our law, almost
all our arts, almost all that sets us above savages, has come to us
from the shores of the Mediterranean.' The General observed, that 'THE
MEDITERRANEAN would be a noble subject for a poem.'
We talked of translation. I said, I could not define it, nor could I
think of a similitude to illustrate it; but that it appeared to me
the translation of poetry could be only imitation. JOHNSON. 'You may
translate books of science exactly. You may also translate history, in
so far as it is not embellished with oratory, which is poetical. Poetry,
indeed, cannot be translated; and, therefore, it is the poets that
preserve languages; for we would not be at the trouble to learn a
language, if we could have all that is written in it just as well in a
translation. But as the beauties of poetry cannot be preserved in any
language except that in which it was originally written, we learn the
language.'
'Goldsmith (he said,) referred every thing to vanity; his virtues, and
his vices too, were from that motive.
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