He then retired to his living, a place very pleasing by its fituation, and therefore likely to excite the imagination of a poet where he paffed the rest of his life, reverenced for his virtue, and beloved for the foftnefs of his temper and the eafinefs of his manners. Before strangers he had fomething of the scholar's timidity or distrust; but when he became familiar he was in a very high degree chearful and entertaining. His general benevolence procured general refpect; and he paffed a life placid and honourable, neither too great for the kindness of the low, nor too low for the notice of the great. At what time he compofed his Mifcellany, published in 1727, it is not eafy nor neceffary to know those which have dates appear to have been very early productions, and I have not obferved that any rife above mediocrity. The fuccefs of his Vida animated him to a higher undertaking; and in his thirtieth year he published a verfion of the first book of the Eneid. This being, I fuppofe, commended R 3 mended by his friends, he fome time afterwards added three or four more; with an advertisement, in which he represents himself as tranflating with great indifference, and with a progress of which himself was hardly conscious. At laft, without any further contention with his modefty, or any awe of the name of Dryden, he gave us a complete English Eneid, which I am forry to fee excluded from the collection of his poems. It would have been pleasing to have an opportunity of comparing the two beft translations that perhaps were ever produced by one nation of the fame author. Pitt engaging as a rival with Dryden, naturally obferved his failures, and avoided them; and, as he wrote after Pope's Iliad, he had an example of an exact, equable, and fplendid verfification. With thefe advan tages, feconded by great diligence, he might fuccessfully labour particular paffages, and escape many errors. If the two verfions are compared, perhaps the refult would be, that Dryden leads the reader forward by his ge neral neral vigour and sprightliness, and Pitt often ftops him to contemplate the excellence of a fingle couplet; that Dryden's faults are forgotten in the hurry of delight, and that Pitt's beauties are neglected in the languor of a cold and listless perusal; that Pitt pleases the criticks, and Dryden the people; that Pitt is quoted, and Dryden read. He did not long enjoy the reputation which this great work defervedly conferred; for he left the world in 1748, and lies buried under a stone at Blandford, on which is this inscription: In memory of CHR. PITT, clerk, M. A. for his talents in poetry; and yet more for the univerfal candour of his mind, and the primitive fimplicity of his manners, He lived innocent, and died beloved Apr. 13, 1748. THOMSON. R 4 |