Dove. A Tale, from the French of M.
de Florian. 8vo. pp 25. Printed at Caen in Normandy; and sold in
London by Payne.1
Turtle doves have long been celebrated for their fidelity; and this turtle dove, though he flirts, en passant,2 with a sky lark, a jay, and a quail, does not materially discredit the famed
constancy of his species, these birds being all coquettes,3 but when he meets (as he fortunately does)
with an amiable dove-mate, he is as faithful as any turtle, of any grove. The author had probably some meaning, and
intended to illustrate some moral, in this poem: but our dullness is at a loss to
discover either. The secret, therefore, must remain in
his own bosom. As for the translator, his humility deserves encouragement: he should
be truly flattered, (he says,) 'were it permitted him to believe that his copy
displayed any of the artless graces of the original.'
It is with pleasure that we assure this humble copyist,
that we think full as well of his translation as we do
of the original.