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"Tytyre te patulæ cecini fub tegmine fagi.

Where the two feveral Hemifticks or Parts of the Verse Rhyme each to itself.

I would obferve here that both Ovid and Lucan, for want of Judgment, begin with a full Rhyme; the Confequence of which is, that the Conclufion of the Paragraph is lefs fonorous than the Beginning, which muft needs have a bad Effect.

"In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas.

Ovid.

"Bella per Emathios plus quam Civilia Campos. Lucan.

But a modern Writer, and a much better Compofer of Latin Verses than either Ovid or Lucan, has with great Judgment taken care to follow Virgil's Example in this and many other Particulars. I mean Vanerius. There are a great Number of Lines in his Prædium Rufticum which are worthy of Virgil himself: I fhall entertain you with fome of them.

In his Kitchen-Garden, the following Paffage is a Description of all the numerous Family of Colworts, or the Cabbage-kind.

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"Quid dicam quanta jactat fe Braffia laude?
"Sive volubilibus redit in fe frondibus, Orbefque
"Orbibus agglomerans, capitis fub mole laborat ;
"Tornato fimiles Ebori feu candida Flores
"Ediderit, feu Coniacas imitata Cupreffus,

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'

Seque fuas plicat in frondes, & acumen in album Definit, & tenui venit haud ingloria Menfa. "Sive bieme in media cum cætera frigore torpent

Læta

2

B C

"Læta viret, boreamque trucem caurofque malignos Defpiciens, vacuis ultro Dominatur in bortis."

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In his Description of the Farm-yard, he paints the following feveral Sorts of Fowls in this manner :

"Se picta cervicis Anas | & Garrulus Anfer
"Tarda mole movent: | babitu Gallina modefto
Progreditur: Caudam Gallus Criftafq; rubentes
Erigit,& motis fibi plaudit Latior alis."

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And I cannot omit this moft charming Verse which describes the Courtship of a Pigeon,

"Sæpe folum verrens Pennâ pendente rotatur."

"Oft with his trailing Wing the wanton Dove
"Brushes the Ground, and wheels about his Love.

Such Verse as this must please in all Ages, and in all Countries, where the Readers have any Taste and Delicacy of Ear. All the Beauties

of Virgil's Poetry are in thefe Lines; and you may obferve in the four last mentioned,

1. How curiously the Pause is varied.

In the firft Line it is upon the firft Syllable of the fourth Foot.

In the second Line it is upon the firft Syllable of the third Foot.

In the third Line it is upon the firft Syllable of the second Foot.

In the fourth Line it is upon the last Syllable of the first Foot.

2. Obferve the initial Alliteration in the first, fecond, and third Lines.

In the first, Anas and Anfer.

In the fecond, Mole, Movent, and Modesto,
In the third, Caudam, Criftafque.

The mixt Alliteration in the firft Line where Garrulus is placed betwixt Anfer and Anas, makes the Verse very fonorous; but the mixt Alliteration in the last Line where the Vowel i is repeated eight times in seven Words, is a very masterly Stroke;

' Erigit, & motis fibi plaudit lætior alis.”

Ille hinc concentus in omni

Carmine Divini vatis.

Which extempore Remark is itself an Inftance of what I am taking notice of as imitated from Virgil.

3. You will perceive the Allufio Verborum to have a very good Effect in the fecond Line.

“Tarda mole movent, habitu gallina modesto.”

4. The mixing the fingular and plural Numbers in the third Line is very judicious.

"Caudam Criftafque rubentes.

Ovid would have faid,

"Caudam Criftamque ·

Laftly, The full Rhyme in the fourth Line makes the whole Paragraph very harmonious. It is not improper to produce here the Conclufion of D

the

the Defcription of Eolus's Cave, which is one of the fineft Paffages in the Æneid.

"Sed pater omnipotens fpeluncis abdidit atris "Hoc metuens, molemque & montes infuper altos "Impofuit, regemque dedit, qui fædere certo "Et premere, & laxas fciret dare juffus habenas.

Would not any body think that Vanerius intended to vie with Virgil in this Place?

October 2. 1736.

I am, SIR, &c.

I Am

I

LETTER & V.

SIR,

X

Am now to confider Milton's Verfification under the fame heads as I have confidered Virgil's, fo far as there is Opportunity of doing it.

I. To begin with The Varying of the Paufe, which is the Soul of all Verfification in all Languages. Verse is Mufick, and Mufick is more or lefs pleasing as the Notes are more or less varied, that is, raised or funk, prolonged or shortned.

In order to judge of the varying of English Verfification, I firft endeavour'd (as I have already faid, with respect to the Latin) to find out the common Pause in English Verse, that is, where the Voice naturally makes fome fort of Stop when a Verfe is read. To this Purpose I look'd into Mr. Cowley's Davideis (for it would be of no ufe to quote fuch Authors as Quarles and Ogilby, who never had any Reputation for Poetry; but this Gentleman has been ftil'd and is at present recorded in Westminster-Abbey, as Anglorum Pindarus, Maro, Flaccus) and there I foon found the common Pause to be upon the laft Syllable of the second Foot. For Example,

D 2

"I fing

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