我需要一个英雄，一种不寻常的需要，每年每个月都会出现一个新的英雄，直到时代用虚伪的话语使报纸厌倦之后，才发现他不是真正的英雄;关于这些，我不愿夸大其词，因此我要以我们的老朋友唐璜为例，我们都见过他，在哑剧里，被送到魔鬼那里去了。弗农、屠夫坎伯兰、沃尔夫、霍克、费迪南王子、格兰比、伯戈因、吉伯尔、豪、善恶之士，都曾有过他们的十分之一的口头语，并填满了他们的标志，就像现在的韦尔斯利一样;他们每个人都像班柯的君主一样，追随名声，“九胎”的那头母猪:法国也有布纳帕特尔和迪穆里埃记录在《通报》和《信使》上。三、巴纳夫、布里索、孔多塞、米拉波、帕斯琴、克鲁兹、丹东、马拉、拉费耶特都是法国人，都是名人，我们知道;还有一些人，几乎还没有被遗忘，如儒贝尔、奥歇、玛索、兰内、德塞、莫罗，他们有许多军事背景，有时非常出色，但根本不适合我的押韵。纳尔逊曾是不列颠尼亚的战神，他仍应如此，但时过境移;关于特拉法加已经没有什么可说的了，我们的英雄已经悄然入土;因为陆军越来越受欢迎，这与海军的人有关;此外，王子一心为土地服务，忘记了邓肯、纳尔逊、豪和杰维斯。在阿伽门农之前就有勇敢的人，此后，也有比他更勇敢、更贤明的人，虽然没有一个和他完全一样;但它们没有在诗人的书页上闪耀，于是就被遗忘了:我不谴责任何人，但在当代找不到适合我的诗(也就是说，适合我的新诗)的; So, as I said, I'll take my friend Don Juan.VI Most epic poets plunge "in medias res" (Horace makes this the heroic turnpike road), And then your hero tells, whene'er you please, What went before--by way of episode, While seated after dinner at his ease, Beside his mistress in some soft abode, Palace, or garden, paradise, or cavern, Which serves the happy couple for a tavern.VII That is the usual method, but not mine-- My way is to begin with the beginning; The regularity of my design Forbids all wandering as the worst of sinning, And therefore I shall open with a line (Although it cost me half an hour in spinning), Narrating somewhat of Don Juan's father, And also of his mother, if you'd rather....CC My poem's epic, and is meant to be Divided in twelve books; each book containing, With love, and war, a heavy gale at sea, A list of ships, and captains, and kings reigning, New characters; the episodes are three: A panoramic view of Hell's in training, After the style of Virgil and of Homer, So that my name of Epic's no misnomer.CCI All these things will be specified in time, With strict regard to Aristotle's rules, The Vade Mecum of the true sublime, Which makes so many poets, and some fools: Prose poets like blank-verse, I'm fond of rhyme, Good workmen never quarrel with their tools; I've got new mythological machinery, And very handsome supernatural scenery.CCII There's only one slight difference between Me and my epic brethren gone before, And here the advantage is my own, I ween, (Not that I have not several merits more, But this will more peculiarly be seen); They so embellish, that 'tis quite a bore Their labyrinth of fables to thread through, Whereas this story's actually true.CCIII If any person doubt it, I appeal To history, tradition, and to facts, To newspapers, whose truth all know and feel, To plays in five, and operas in three acts; All these confirm my statement a good deal, But that which more completely faith exacts Is, that myself, and several now in Seville, Saw Juan's last elopement with the Devil.CCIV If ever I should condescend to prose, I'll write poetical commandments, which Shall supersede beyond all doubt all those That went before; in these I shall enrich My text with many things that no one knows, And carry precept to the highest pitch: I'll call the work "Longinus o'er a Bottle, Or, Every Poet his own Aristotle."CCV Thou shalt believe in Milton, Dryden, Pope; Thou shalt not set up Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey; Because the first is craz'd beyond all hope, The second drunk, the third so quaint and mouthy: With Crabbe it may be difficult to cope, And Campbell's Hippocrene is somewhat drouthy: Thou shalt not steal from Samuel Rogers,