curiosity with the Latin printed on the opposite page, declared that
from the rude simplicity of the lines literally rendered he formed
nobler ideas of the Homeric majesty than from the laboured elegance
of polished versions. Those literal translations were always at
hand, and from them he could easily obtain his author's sense with
sufficient certainty and among the readers of Homer the number is
very small of those who find much in the Greek more than in the
Latin, except the music of the numbers.

If more help was wanting he had the poetical translation of Eobanus
Hessus, an unwearied writer of Latin verses; he had the French
Homers of La Valterie and Dacier, and the English of Chapman,
Hobbes, and Ogilby. With Chapman, whose work, though now totally
neglected, seems to have been popular almost to the end of the last
century, he had very frequent consultations, and perhaps never
translated any passage till he had read his version, which he indeed
has been sometimes suspected of using instead of the original.
Notes were likewise to be provided, for the six volumes would have
been very little more than six pamphlets without them. What the
mere perusal of the text could suggest Pope wanted no assistance to
collect or methodise; but more was necessary. Many pages were to be
filled, and learning must supply materials to wit and judgment.
Something might be gathered from Dacier, but no man loves to be
indebted to his contemporaries, and Dacier was accessible to common
readers. Eustathius was therefore necessarily consulted. To read
Eustathius, of whose work there was then no Latin version, I suspect
Pope if he had been willing not to have been able. Some other was
therefore to be found who had leisure as well as abilities, and he
was doubtless most readily employed who would do much work for
little money.