P.S.

"———Through many a dark and dreary ValeThey pass'd, and many a Region dolorous,O'er many a frozen, many a fiery Alp,Rocks, Caves, Lakes, Fens, Bogs, Dens, andShades of Death.

"———Through many a dark and dreary Vale

They pass'd, and many a Region dolorous,

O'er many a frozen, many a fiery Alp,

Rocks, Caves, Lakes, Fens, Bogs, Dens, and

Shades of Death.

Again,

"Sporting theLionramp'd, and in his PawDandled theKid; Bears, Tigers, Ounces, Pards,Gambol'd before them.————

"Sporting theLionramp'd, and in his Paw

Dandled theKid; Bears, Tigers, Ounces, Pards,

Gambol'd before them.————

Again,

"———————Sweet InterchangeOf Hill and Valley, Rivers, Woods and Plains,Now Land, now Sea, and Shores with Forest crown'dRocks, Dens and Caves.

"———————Sweet Interchange

Of Hill and Valley, Rivers, Woods and Plains,

Now Land, now Sea, and Shores with Forest crown'd

Rocks, Dens and Caves.

[page 45]

Again,

"The glittering Guard he pass'd, and now is comeInto the blissful Field, thro' Groves of Myrrh,And flow'ry Odours,Cassia,Nard, andBalm.

"The glittering Guard he pass'd, and now is come

Into the blissful Field, thro' Groves of Myrrh,

And flow'ry Odours,Cassia,Nard, andBalm.

V. As to the fifth Remark uponVirgil, which relates to his using the ParticlesQueandEtin his Verse, there can be nothing of that nature inMilton. So that I proceed to

VI. The sixth thing to be observed, which is,The Collocatio Verborum.

Miltonoften places the Adjective after the Substantive, which very much raises the Stile.

"Strait he commands that at the warlike SoundOf Trumpetsloud, and Clarions, be uprear'dHis mighty Standard. That proud Honour claim'dAzazel, as his Right; a Cherubtall.————

"Strait he commands that at the warlike Sound

Of Trumpetsloud, and Clarions, be uprear'd

His mighty Standard. That proud Honour claim'd

Azazel, as his Right; a Cherubtall.————

Again,

"Thy Goodness beyond Thought and Pow'rDivine.———

And again,

"Then from the Mountain hewing Timbertall.

But the utmost of his Art in this respect consists in his removing the Adjective, the Substantive, and even the Verb, from the Line or Verse in which the Sense is previously contained, and the grammatical Construction inverted, to the Beginning of the[page 46]next Line. This has a wonderful Effect; especially when the Word is a Monosyllable.

"Here finish'd he, and all that he had madeView'd—and behold all was entirely good.

"Here finish'd he, and all that he had made

View'd—and behold all was entirely good.

Again,

"Over their Heads triumphant Death his DartShook—But refus'd to strike.

"Over their Heads triumphant Death his Dart

Shook—But refus'd to strike.

This artful Collocation commands the Attention, and makes the Reader feel and see what is offer'd to him.

That this Effect is owing to the Collocation will appear by considering any one of the Instances now produc'd. For Example:

"Over their Heads triumphant Death his DartShook.———

"Over their Heads triumphant Death his Dart

Shook.———

This Passage makes the Reader see Death with his Dart in his Hand, making it over the Heads of the unhappy Creatures describ'd in theLazar-house, as plainly as if the whole was painted upon Canvas. But let this Line be alter'd thus:

"Over their Heads Death shook his dreadful Dart.

How much of the Fire and Spirit of this Passage is lost, will be easily perceiv'd.

I was long of Opinion thatMiltonhad invented this Art himself, for I knew he had it not fromVirgil: TheLatinLanguage is hardly capable of it. But by Accident I foundMiltonlearn'd it fromHomer, though it is plain what isArtin the former wasChancein the latter; which cannot be disputed when[page 47]it is considered that in so many thousand Lines that we have ofHomer's, there is I believe but one single Instance of this Monosyllable Collocation; but inMiltonthere are many, both Substantives, Adjectives and Verbs. The single Instance inHomeris inOdysse9. in the Story ofPolyphemus.

Συν δὲ δύω μαρπσας, ὥς τε φύλακας ποτὶ γαίηΚοπτ'.[ Συν δε δύω μαρπσας, ώς τε φύλακας ποτι γαίηΚοπτ'. ]Hom.Odyss.&c.

Συν δὲ δύω μαρπσας, ὥς τε φύλακας ποτὶ γαίηΚοπτ'.

[ Συν δε δύω μαρπσας, ώς τε φύλακας ποτι γαίηΚοπτ'. ]

Hom.Odyss.&c.

"Two of my hapless Friends with all his Pow'r,Like Dogs, the Monster on the rocky FloorDASH'D.———

"Two of my hapless Friends with all his Pow'r,

Like Dogs, the Monster on the rocky Floor

DASH'D.———

Can any body be insensible of the Power of this Word,Dash'd, as it is here plac'd.

I remember an Instance of this Monosyllable Collocation at the Beginning of a Line in rhym'd Verse, which is very well worth inserting here. It is at the Conclusion of Mr.Pit's 4thÆneid, whenJunosendsIrisfrom Heaven in haste to relieveDidofrom the Agonies of Death.

"Tum Juno Omnipotens, longum miserata dolorem,Difficilesque obitus, IrimDemisit OlympoQuæ luctantem animam, nexosque resolveret artus.

"Tum Juno Omnipotens, longum miserata dolorem,

Difficilesque obitus, IrimDemisit Olympo

Quæ luctantem animam, nexosque resolveret artus.

"Then mightyJunowith a melting Eye,Beheld her dreadful Anguish from the Sky;And bade fairIrisfrom the starry Pole,Fly, and enlarge her agonizing Soul.

"Then mightyJunowith a melting Eye,

Beheld her dreadful Anguish from the Sky;

And bade fairIrisfrom the starry Pole,

Fly, and enlarge her agonizing Soul.

How is the Verse animated by the placing that Monosyllable,Fly, at the Beginning of the last Line.—The Reader sees all the Concern ofJuno, and all the Hurry she is in to get the unhappy Queen released from the Pangs of Death.

[page 48]

Miltonlikewise uses his Monosyllables very artfully in placing them at the Conclusion of a Line, so as to divide the last Foot of the Verse, which has a very extraordinary Effect.

"Silence, ye troubled Waves, and thou,Deep,Peace.

"Silence, ye troubled Waves, and thou,Deep,

Peace.

Again he divides the last Foot by making a Monosyllable the Beginning of a new Sentence, which is very pleasing.

"——————Up flood the Corny ReedImbattled in his Plain, the humble FurzAnd Bush with frisled Hair implicit.LastRose as in Dance the stately Trees.

"——————Up flood the Corny Reed

Imbattled in his Plain, the humble Furz

And Bush with frisled Hair implicit.Last

Rose as in Dance the stately Trees.

Miltonalso sometimes places two Monosyllables at the End of the Line, stopping at the 4th Foot, to adapt the Measure of the Verse to the Sense; and then begins the next Line in the same manner, which has a wonderful Effect.

"Now at their shady Lodge arriv'd,both stopt,Both turn'd, and under open Sky ador'dThe God who made,&c.

"Now at their shady Lodge arriv'd,both stopt,

Both turn'd, and under open Sky ador'd

The God who made,&c.

This artful Manner of writing makes the Reader see themStopandTurnto worship God before they went into their Bower. If this Manner was alter'd, much of the Effect of the Painting would be lost.

"And now arriving at their shady LodgeBoth stopt, both turn'd, and under open SkyAdor'd the God,&c.

"And now arriving at their shady Lodge

Both stopt, both turn'd, and under open Sky

Ador'd the God,&c.

This falls very short of the Original. So inLatin,

[page 49]

"Jamq; domûs ventum est umbrosæ ad limina: sistuntAmbo, ambo vertunt, &aperto numen adorantSub Cœlo.——————

"Jamq; domûs ventum est umbrosæ ad limina: sistunt

Ambo, ambo vertunt, &aperto numen adorant

Sub Cœlo.——————

Alter these Lines, thus,

"Et nunc Arborei ventum est ad limina tecti;Sistunt Ambo, Ambo vertunt,& numen AdorantSub Cœlo.——————

"Et nunc Arborei ventum est ad limina tecti;

Sistunt Ambo, Ambo vertunt,& numen Adorant

Sub Cœlo.——————

There is here just the same Difference in theLatinas in theEnglish.

I cannot omit two other Instances ofMilton's wonderful Art in the Collocation of Words, by which the Thoughts are exceedingly heighten'd.

"Under his forming Hands a Creature grewManlike, but different Sex, so lovely fair,That what seem'd fair in all the World, seem'd nowMean, or in her summ'd up.————

"Under his forming Hands a Creature grew

Manlike, but different Sex, so lovely fair,

That what seem'd fair in all the World, seem'd now

Mean, or in her summ'd up.————

What a Force has that Wordmean, as it is plac'd!

Again,

"I turn'd my Thoughts, and with capacious MindConsidered all Things visible in Heav'n,Or Earth, or Middle, all Things fair and good;But all that Fair and Good, in thy DivineSemblance, and in thy Beauty's heav'nly RayUnited I beheld————————

"I turn'd my Thoughts, and with capacious Mind

Considered all Things visible in Heav'n,

Or Earth, or Middle, all Things fair and good;

But all that Fair and Good, in thy Divine

Semblance, and in thy Beauty's heav'nly Ray

United I beheld————————

I presume there is no other Language in which Perfection equal to this is to be found: And I could give many more Instances of the same kind out of theParadise Lost.

[page 50]

VII. The seventh Particular inVirgilwas hisVarying the Common Pronunciation, in whichMiltonhas imitated him in several Places; the following is one Instance.

———Thus to his Son au—di—bly spake.

For so it must be read, and not after the common manner.

Again,

"Hoarse Murmur eccho'd to his Words Applause"Thro' the in—fi—nite Host————

"Hoarse Murmur eccho'd to his Words Applause

"Thro' the in—fi—nite Host————

And the like in many other Places.

VIII.His Verses contrary to the Common Measure.The following is an Example of this kind.

"Drove headlong down to the Bottomless Pit.—

Those who may be apt to find fault with such Arts as these (for Arts they are inVirgilandMilton) little think what it is to write 10 or 12 thousand Lines, and to vary the Sound of them in such manner as to entertain the Ear from the Beginning to the End of the Work.

IX. I come now to theAlliteratio.

And 1. To speak of the singleAlliteratio. This is so common inMilton, that you need but begin the Poem, or open any Page of it, and you will meet with it.

[page 51]

"Of Man'sfirstDisobedience, and theFruitOf that forbiddenTree, whose mortalTasteBrought Death into theWorld, and all ourWoe.

"Of Man'sfirstDisobedience, and theFruit

Of that forbiddenTree, whose mortalTaste

Brought Death into theWorld, and all ourWoe.

Again,

"Restoreus, andRegainthe blissful Seat.

And

"SingHeav'nly Muse! that on theSecretTop.

And a little lower,

"ThatShepherdwho first taught the chosenSeed.

But I will produce an Example or two of this kind out of our Author's juvenile Poems. His Verses upon the Circumcision are addressed to the Angels that appear'd to the Shepherds, and begin thus,

"Ye flaming Pow'rs, andwinged Warriorsbright,That erst with Musick and triumphant SongThrough thesoft Silenceof the listning NightSo sweetly sungyour Joy the Clouds along.

"Ye flaming Pow'rs, andwinged Warriorsbright,

That erst with Musick and triumphant Song

Through thesoft Silenceof the listning Night

So sweetly sungyour Joy the Clouds along.

All the Masters of Verse fromChaucertoMilton, and fromMiltonto this time, were sensible of this Art.Drydenattends to it more than any thing else.

"Beneaththe Shade whichBeechen Boughsdiffuse,You TityrusentertainyourSylvan Muse:Roundthewide Worldin Banishmentwe roam,Forc'd fromour pleasingFieldsand native Home.

"Beneaththe Shade whichBeechen Boughsdiffuse,

You TityrusentertainyourSylvan Muse:

Roundthewide Worldin Banishmentwe roam,

Forc'd fromour pleasingFieldsand native Home.

[page 52]

Again,

Arms andthe Man I sing, whoforc'dbyFateAndhaughtyJuno's unrelentingHate,Expell'dandExil'd, left theTrojanShore:Long Labours, both by Sea andLandhe bore.

Arms andthe Man I sing, whoforc'dbyFate

AndhaughtyJuno's unrelentingHate,

Expell'dandExil'd, left theTrojanShore:

Long Labours, both by Sea andLandhe bore.

Mr.Popebegins his Poems with this Delicacy.

"Firstin theseFieldsI try theSylvan Strains,Norblushto sport onWindsor's blissfulPlains.FairThamesflowgentlyfromthySacred Spring,While on thy BanksSicilianMusesSing;Let Vernal Airsthro' trembling Osiers play,AndAlbion's CliffsresoundtheruralLay.You, that too wise forPride, too good forPow'rEnjoy theGloryto begreatno more.

"Firstin theseFieldsI try theSylvan Strains,

Norblushto sport onWindsor's blissfulPlains.

FairThamesflowgentlyfromthySacred Spring,

While on thy BanksSicilianMusesSing;

Let Vernal Airsthro' trembling Osiers play,

AndAlbion's CliffsresoundtheruralLay.

You, that too wise forPride, too good forPow'r

Enjoy theGloryto begreatno more.

Mr.Pitthas the following Lines in his 2dÆneid.

"So when anaged Ash, whose Honours riseFrom somesteepMountain tow'ring to theSkies,With manyan Axebyshouting Swainsis ply'd,Fiercethey repeat theStrokes fromeverySide;The tall Tree trembling, as the Blows go round,Bows thehigh Head, and nods to every Wound.

"So when anaged Ash, whose Honours rise

From somesteepMountain tow'ring to theSkies,

With manyan Axebyshouting Swainsis ply'd,

Fiercethey repeat theStrokes fromeverySide;

The tall Tree trembling, as the Blows go round,

Bows thehigh Head, and nods to every Wound.

SirPhilip Sidney, who was very unhappy in Versification, seems to have despised this Beauty in Verse, and even to have thought it an Excellence to fix the Pause always in one Place, namely at the End of the second Foot: So that he must have had no more Ear for Poetry than Mr.Cowley. Not but that I am apt to think some Writers in SirPhilip Sidney's time carried this matter to a ridiculous Extreme. Others thought this Beauty a Deformity, and concluded it so from two or three sillyLatin[page 53]Lines ofEnniusandTully,such as,

O Tite, Tute, Tati, &c.

And,

O Fortunatam, natam, &c.

without ever attending toVirgilin the least.

Spencerevery where abounds in all his Works withAlliterations; I will produce but one, which is exceeding beautiful.

"TheLilly, Ladyof theFlow'ry Field.

Here is a double initial Alliteration, and a continual mix'd Alliteration of the liquidL, which makes the Verse so very musical that there are few such Lines in our, or any other Language.

Fairfax, who was one of the first curious Versifyers amongst us, embellishes his Lines continually with this Ornament.

In his Description of a Troop of fighting Monks, in his first Book of his Translation ofTasso, are these Lines.

"Their jolly Notes, theyChantedloud andClear:Andhorrid Helms highon theirHeadsthey bear.

"Their jolly Notes, theyChantedloud andClear:

Andhorrid Helms highon theirHeadsthey bear.

Than which Verses nothing can be more truly poetical.

But to go farther back than eitherFairfaxorSpencer, those celebrated Lines in our antient Translation of thePsalmsowe their greatest Beauty to theirAlliteration.

[page 54]

"The Lord descended from above,And bow'd theHeavens high,And underneath his Feet he castThe Darkness of the Sky."OnCherubsand onCherubimsFullroyallyherode,And on theWingsof mightyWindsCame flyingall abroad.

"The Lord descended from above,And bow'd theHeavens high,And underneath his Feet he castThe Darkness of the Sky.

"The Lord descended from above,

And bow'd theHeavens high,

And underneath his Feet he cast

The Darkness of the Sky.

"OnCherubsand onCherubimsFullroyallyherode,And on theWingsof mightyWindsCame flyingall abroad.

"OnCherubsand onCherubims

Fullroyallyherode,

And on theWingsof mightyWinds

Came flyingall abroad.

A Line ofChaucer's just now offers itself to my Memory, which has almost all the Arts of Poetry in it.

"ASheffieldWhittle bareheinhis Hose.

There is a fine Alliteration in the Conclusion of the Line, Bareheinhis Hose, and a mix'd one at the Beginning of it. Thehin the first Syllables of the second and third Words mixes the Sound very agreeably; and lastly, the Inversion of the Phrase (where the Nominative is put immediately after the Verb) is extremely poetical.Bare he.Chaucerseems (to me) by the help of a delicate Ear, and a curious Judgment, to have learnt all his Graces fromVirgil. 1. His Rhyme. 2. His Inversion of the Phrase: And 3. His Alliteratio. The Varying of the Pause he does not seem to have attended to. But to return toMilton.

Having spoken sufficiently of theInitial, I come now to themix'd Alliteration. And this latter is almost as common as the former, and is to be found in all such Lines as these.

"————————And now is comeInto theblissful Field.———————

"————————And now is come

Into theblissful Field.———————

Every Ear must perceive how thefand thelare mingled in the two last Words.

[page 55]

Again,

"—————Thro' Groves of Myrrh.———

Here the roughrpredominates as much as the softldid in the first Part of the Verse.

Again,

"AndFlow'ry Odours.————

Here theAllusio Verborumis introduc'd.Flow'rat the Beginning of the first Word, andDourat the End of the second, make a most agreeable Harmony. The Line concludes with what may be call'd theAssultus, or the Attack upon the Ear.

"———Cāssiā, Nārd ānd Bālm.———

These fiveA's in four Words at the End of the Line must make themselves perceiv'd if Words can do it. 'Tis of the same kind asVirgil's,

"————Tumidā æquorā plācāt.

But it may be proper to add another Instance or two of theAllusio Verborum.

"So talk'd thespirited sly Snake, andEveYet more amaz'd.————————

"So talk'd thespirited sly Snake, andEve

Yet more amaz'd.————————

Again,

"When from theBoughsa savoury Odourblown.

[page 56]

Again,

"Immediately the Mountains huge appearEmergent, and theirbroad bare BacksupheaveInto the Clouds.————

"Immediately the Mountains huge appear

Emergent, and theirbroad bare Backsupheave

Into the Clouds.————

Again,

"—Scarce from his MouldBehemoth, biggest bornof Earth, upheav'dHis Vastness.———————

"—Scarce from his Mould

Behemoth, biggest bornof Earth, upheav'd

His Vastness.———————

Spirited sly Snake.———Boughs blown.———Broad bare Backs.———Behemothbiggest born.

Spirited sly Snake.———Boughs blown.———

Broad bare Backs.———Behemothbiggest born.

All these Passages are in the same Stile of Sound asVirgil's—Metuens,Molem,Montis.

"Hoc metuens, molemque & montis insuper altosImposuit.—————————

"Hoc metuens, molemque & montis insuper altos

Imposuit.—————————

Observe how themolemque & montislabour in the Verse exactly in the same manner as

Broad, bare Backs, andBehemothbiggest born.

But here let me give you a few more Instances of theAllusio Verborum, or the mixing of Sounds of Words in rhym'd Verse.

"As o'er th'AerialAlpssublimely spreadSome aged Oak uprears his reverend Head.Pit's Æneid.

"As o'er th'AerialAlpssublimely spreadSome aged Oak uprears his reverend Head.

"As o'er th'AerialAlpssublimely spread

Some aged Oak uprears his reverend Head.

Pit's Æneid.

A Gentleman justly esteemed for his great Learning and excellent Skill in Criticism, but not of so delicate an Ear as Mr.Pit, would have had him writ,As on th'Aerial Alps.

[page 57]

But then the Verse would have wanted much of its Harmony, becauseO'ermingles in Sound withA'erwhichOndoes not; and the same thing would have happen'd in the next Line, if it had stood thus—Some aged Oak uplifts his mighty Head.—Becauseupliftsandmightyhave no Resemblance in Sound to each other, or toAgedandHead; but as the Line stands,

"Some aged Oak uprears his Reverend Head,

the Words all melt into one another, and the Musick dies along the Verse from the Beginning to the End. This is the greatest Delicacy of Poetry, neither are the other Graces wanting in this Verse. The Pause is properly varied, the first Line is entirely suspended. There is in it a double Alliteration,Aerial Alps, sublimely spread: And to conclude all, the Rhyme is as perfect as possible.

Octob. 11. 1736.

I am,Sir,&c.

In looking over this Letter I observe a Passage inMilton, which merits a very particular Consideration, and which I ought to have taken notice of before, when I was speaking of the Collocation of Words; the Passage I mean is,For since I first, &c. The entire Passage runs thus,

[page 58]

Eve, easilymay Faith admit that allThe Good which we enjoy, from Heav'n descends;But, that fromusought should ascend to Heav'nSo prevalent as to concern the MindOf God high-blest, or to incline his Will,Hard to belief may seem;yetthis will Prayer,Or one short Sigh of human Breath, up bornEv'n to the Seat of God. For since I soughtBy Pray'r th' offended Deity to appease;Kneel'dand before him humbled all my Heart,Methought I saw him placable and mild,Bending his Ear,&c.

Eve, easilymay Faith admit that all

The Good which we enjoy, from Heav'n descends;

But, that fromusought should ascend to Heav'n

So prevalent as to concern the Mind

Of God high-blest, or to incline his Will,

Hard to belief may seem;yetthis will Prayer,

Or one short Sigh of human Breath, up born

Ev'n to the Seat of God. For since I sought

By Pray'r th' offended Deity to appease;

Kneel'dand before him humbled all my Heart,

Methought I saw him placable and mild,

Bending his Ear,&c.

How extremely fine is the Poetry of this Passage? How soft is the beginning, occasion'd by the Assonance of the two first Words,Eve, Easily, and of the five next all alliterated with the same Vowel,A

"——————May Faith admit that all.

How solemn is the Pause at the 1st Syllable of the 3d Line!But————

And the Cæsure upon the MonosyllableUsthat follows immediately,

"But—that fromus————

And the same Energy is plainly perceiv'd at the End of the 6th Line, where the Cæsure is plac'd upon the Monosyllableyet,

"Yet—this will Prayer,&c.

But when we come to that Line,

"Kneel'd; and before Him humbled all my Heart,

[page 59]

such is the Force of the Wordkneel'din that Situation, that we actually seeAdamupon his Knees before the offended Deity; and by the Conclusion of this Paragraph,———Bending his Ear, Infinite Goodness is visibly as it were represented to our Eyes as inclining to hearken to the Prayers of his penitent Creature.

[page 60]

SIR,

XI.

AM now to proceed to theAssonantia SyllabarumorRhyme. I have shown under this Head how muchVirgilabounds inRhyme; from whence I conclude, that it may be reasonably supposedRhymehad its Original from a nobler Beginning than the Barbarity ofDruidsandMonks. It is very probable thatChaucer,Dante, andPetrarchlearnt it fromVirgil, and that other Nations follow'd the Example they had set them.

To say theBardsrhym'd in the Times of grossest Ignorance, merely by their own Invention, only proves that Rhyme is naturally harmonious. We are told by the Learned that theHebrewPoetry is inRhyme, and that where-ever any Footsteps of this Art are to be trac'd,Rhymeis always found, whether inLaplandor inChina.

If it should be objected that theGreekTongue is an Exception to this general Rule; that Matter perhaps may be disputed, or a particular Answer might be given. But that theLatinLanguage is a Friend toRhymeis clear beyond all doubt; and the same is as true of all the living Tongues that are distinguished in the learned World.

It is no wonder thatVersewithoutRhymehas so many Advocates amongst the Dealers in Poetry, because of its Facility.Rhym'dVerse, with all its Ornaments, especially the artful Way of varying the[page 61]Pause, is exceeding difficult; and so are all the curious Productions of Art. Fine Painting, fine Musick or Sculpture, are all very hard to perform; it is the Difficulty that makes those Performances so deserving of Applause when they attain the highest Perfection. As to the Matter before us;Rhyme(as Mr.Drydenjustly observes) never wasMilton's Talent: This appears from his juvenile Poems. And when he sate down to write theParadise lost, his Imagination was too vigorous, too lofty to be shackled byRhyme. It must be own'd that a thousand Beauties would have been lost, which now shine with amazing Splendor in that Poem, ifMiltonhad writ in the most exquisiteRhyme. But then on the other hand, it is as certain that upon the whole it would have been a more agreeable Poem to the Generality of Readers than it is at present. Of this Opinion was the learned Foreigner mentioned in a former Letter, a judicious Critick both in the ancient and modern Languages.

"Quicquid tamen ejus sit, ostendunt Miltoni scripta virum vel in ipsâ juventute: quæ enim ille adolescens scripsit carmina Latina, unà cum Anglicis edita, ætatem illam longè superant, quâ ille vir scripsit poëmata Anglica, sed sine rythmis, quos, ut pestes carminum vernaculorum, abesse volebat, quale illud decem libris constans,The Paradise Lost, plena ingenii & acuminis sunt, sed insuavia tamen videntur obrythmidefectum; quem ego abesse à tali carminum genere non posse existimo, quicquid etiam illi, & Italis nonnullis, & nuper Isaaco Vossio in librode Poematum cantu, videatur."Polyhist.

Polyhist.

[page 62]

However, we must takeParadise Lostas it is, and rejoice that we have in it, one of the finest Works that ever the Wit of Man produc'd: But then the Imperfection of this Work must not be pleaded in favour of such other Works as have hardly any thing worthy of Observation in them. PlacingMiltonwith his blank Verse by himself (as indeed he ought to be in many other respects, for he certainly has no Companion) this Dispute about the Excellency ofblankVerse, and even the Preference of it torhym'dVerse, may be determined by comparing two Writers of Note, who have undertaken the same Subject; that is,Virgil's Æneid.

Now I will take all the Passages of that Poem mentioned in my Letters to you, and compare them in these two Translations: And if it shall appear by the Comparison that therhym'dVerses have not only more Harmony and Conciseness, but likewise that they expressVirgil's Sense more fully and more perspicuously than theblankVerse, will it not be easy to determine which of these two Sorts ought to be preferr'd?

Octob. 22. 1736.

I am,Sir,&c.

When I was taking notice ofVirgil's Arts of Versification, I should not have omitted his sudden varying the Tense of the Verb from the Preterperfect to the Present.

"Non tua te nobis, Genitrix pulcherrima talemPromisit,Graiisque ideo bisvindicatarmis.

"Non tua te nobis, Genitrix pulcherrima talem

Promisit,Graiisque ideo bisvindicatarmis.

[page 63]

This is very agreeable both as to the Verse and the Sense; for it makes the thing described more immediately present than it would be otherwise. I cannot just now recollect an Example inMiltonof this nature, but I remember one inFairfax, in a Couplet already cited.

"Their jolly Notes theychantedloud and clear,And horrid Helms high on their Heads theybear.

"Their jolly Notes theychantedloud and clear,

And horrid Helms high on their Heads theybear.

This is much more lively and peinturesque than if he had writbore, and you will easily perceive it. It may be said, perhaps, thatFairfaxusedbearhere for the sake of the Verse; let that be allow'd, but then it must be likewise granted, thatVirgilusesvindicatinstead ofvindicavit, for the sake of his Verse, which he would not have done, if it had not been more beautiful than the common Prose way of writing: And as it is an Excellency inVirgil, so it is inFairfax.

[page 64]

SIR,

AM now to collect the Passages of theÆneid, mentioned in my former Letters, and bring them together with therhym'dandblankVerse Translations.

The first Passage is this (not to take notice of the very first Lines, which Mr.Pithas translated in two different manners)

"Sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, æquora postquamProspiciens genitor, cœloque invectus apertoFlectit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo.

"Sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, æquora postquam

Prospiciens genitor, cœloque invectus aperto

Flectit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo.

Dr.Trapp,

"So all the hurry of the Ocean ceas'd,Soon as its God appear'd above the Waves:Who, managing his Steeds in Air serene,Flies swift with slacken'd Reins and loose Career.

"So all the hurry of the Ocean ceas'd,

Soon as its God appear'd above the Waves:

Who, managing his Steeds in Air serene,

Flies swift with slacken'd Reins and loose Career.

Mr.Pit,

"Then did the roaring Waves their Rage compose,When the great Father of the Flood arose,Rapt by his Steeds he flies in open Day,Throws up the Reins, and skims the watry Way.

"Then did the roaring Waves their Rage compose,

When the great Father of the Flood arose,

Rapt by his Steeds he flies in open Day,

Throws up the Reins, and skims the watry Way.

"Atque rotis summas levibus pellabitur undas.

[page 65]

Dr.Trapp,

"And with light Wheels upon the Surface rides,

Mr.Pit,

"Then mounted on his radiant Carr he rides,And wheels along the Level of the Tides.

"Then mounted on his radiant Carr he rides,

And wheels along the Level of the Tides.

Again,

"Æole (namque tibi divûm pater atque hominum rexmulcere dedit fluctus, & tollere vento)

"Æole (namque tibi divûm pater atque hominum rex

mulcere dedit fluctus, & tollere vento)

Dr.Trapp,

"———————O Æolus (for theeThe Sire of Gods, and King of Men impow'rsTo smooth the Waves, or raise them with the Wind.)

"———————O Æolus (for thee

The Sire of Gods, and King of Men impow'rs

To smooth the Waves, or raise them with the Wind.)

Mr.Pit,

"———————Since mightyJove,The King of Men, and Sire of Gods above,Gives thee, greatÆolus, the Power to raiseStorms at thy sovereign Will, and smooth the Seas.

"———————Since mightyJove,

The King of Men, and Sire of Gods above,

Gives thee, greatÆolus, the Power to raise

Storms at thy sovereign Will, and smooth the Seas.

Again,

"Sit ait, & dicto citius tumida æquora placat,Collectasque fugat nubes, solemque reducit.

"Sit ait, & dicto citius tumida æquora placat,

Collectasque fugat nubes, solemque reducit.

[page 66]

Dr.Trapp,

"So spake the God, and sooner than he spokeAppeas'd the tossing of the Waves, dispell'dThe Clouds collected, and restor'd the Sun.

"So spake the God, and sooner than he spoke

Appeas'd the tossing of the Waves, dispell'd

The Clouds collected, and restor'd the Sun.

Mr.Pit,

"He spoke, and speaking chas'd the Clouds away:Hush'd the loud Billows, and restor'd the Day.

"He spoke, and speaking chas'd the Clouds away:

Hush'd the loud Billows, and restor'd the Day.

Again,

"———————Fotum Gremio dea tollit in altosIdaliæ lucos.

"———————Fotum Gremio dea tollit in altos

Idaliæ lucos.

Dr.Trapp,

"———————And on her Bosom hush'd,Carries him toIdalia's lofty Groves.———

"———————And on her Bosom hush'd,

Carries him toIdalia's lofty Groves.———

Mr.Pit,

"Lull'd in her Lap to rest, the Queen of LoveConveys him to the softIdalianGrove.

"Lull'd in her Lap to rest, the Queen of Love

Conveys him to the softIdalianGrove.

Again,

"————Ubi tot Simois correpta sub undisScuta virûm, galeasque, & fortia corpora volvit,

"————Ubi tot Simois correpta sub undis

Scuta virûm, galeasque, & fortia corpora volvit,

Dr.Trapp,

"WhereSimoisin his rapid Torrent rollsSo many Warriour Bodies, Helms and Shields.

"WhereSimoisin his rapid Torrent rolls

So many Warriour Bodies, Helms and Shields.

[page 67]

Mr.Pit,

"WhereSimoisStreams incumber'd with the Slain,Roll'd Shields, and Helms, and Heroes to the Main.

"WhereSimoisStreams incumber'd with the Slain,

Roll'd Shields, and Helms, and Heroes to the Main.

Again,

"Urbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere coloniCarthago, Italiam contra, Tiberinaque longeOstia, dives opum, studiisque asperrima belli,

"Urbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere coloni

Carthago, Italiam contra, Tiberinaque longe

Ostia, dives opum, studiisque asperrima belli,

Dr.Trapp,

"Fronting th'ItalianCoast, andTyber's Mouth,Tho' far remote, an ancient City stood.Carthageits Name, a Colony ofTyre,Mighty in Wealth, and rough in study'd War,

"Fronting th'ItalianCoast, andTyber's Mouth,

Tho' far remote, an ancient City stood.

Carthageits Name, a Colony ofTyre,

Mighty in Wealth, and rough in study'd War,

Mr.Pit,

"Against th'ItalianCoast, of ancient Fame,A City rose, andCarthagewas the Name;ATyrianColony: FromTyberfar,Rich, rough, and brave, and exercis'd in War,

"Against th'ItalianCoast, of ancient Fame,

A City rose, andCarthagewas the Name;

ATyrianColony: FromTyberfar,

Rich, rough, and brave, and exercis'd in War,

Again,

Back to Index Next