Not only innumerable words, but the ancient forms of the Roman letters, prove the origin of the language to have been Grecian. From the fame fource it derived progreffive improvements. The earliest Latin Poets, Pacuvius, Ennius, and Plautus, modelled their works upon the Grecian plan, as is particularly evident from their frequent ufe of compound words. As foon as the art of public fpeaking began to be cultivated in Rome,' the Greek language, which contained fome of the richest treasures of eloquence, became a favourite object of purfuit. The attention which was paid to the productions of Greece by the Romans when alvancing towards refinement, fufficiently marks the high eftimation in which their literature was held. Cato, the Cenfor, at a late period of life, learned the elements of that language; and Pompey, when' Conful, as a mark of diftinguished refpect to a Greck philofopher, ordered his fafces to be lowered to Pofidonius the fophift, whom he vifited in his fchool at Rhodes. Greece was to Rome, what Egypt had been in more remote times to Greece, the fruitful parent of her literature and arts. The Latin yields the fuperiority to the Greek language, not only with regard to melody of found but compass of expreffion. It has no dual num Græcis adjuvari fentiebat, ut interdum negaret, poetas eos qui fe totos ad Græcorum imitationem contuliffent, nominatim Propertium et Horatium, Græce imperitis valde placere poffe." Prolegom, ad Etymologicum Lennep. p. 6. ber, L ber, and has only one tenfe to denote the past perfect; but the Greek can exprefs this equally by the preterperfect, and the aorift. The Latin has not a paft participle active: whereas in Greek there are two, namely, the participle of the aorift, and the preterperfect. It wants likewife a prefent participle paffive, which reduces writers to great inconvenience, and occafions much awkwardnefs and uncertainty of expreffion. It is deficient in a middle voice, and an optative mood, marked by a peculiar termination, to diftinguish it from the fubjunctive. The Romans did not, in imitation of the Greeks, introduce the article into their language. This is one of its striking defects. The importance of the article in fixing the meaning of a word to a precife idea will appear from the following, or any fimilar inftance. Suppofe in Latin the words Filius Regis to occur in any author: Do they mean a fon of a King, the fon of a King, or the fon of the King? each of which expreffions conveys a very different idea. The exact fenfe of Filius Regis muft intirely depend upon the context; as the expreffion is in its felf vague and indefinite. The modern languages of Europe have the advantage over the Latin in this part of fpeech, however inferior they may be in other refpects. In the different inflections and terminations of words, as well as in the delicate and pleafing denominations of objects by diminutives, Greek and Latin bear a strong refemblance to each other. The Latin poffeffes compound words, but in a degree that will hardly admit of comparison with the Greek. It is equally happy in denoting by particular verbs the frequent repetition or commencement of actions; and it is more accurate in its power of expreffing certain modifications of time by gerunds and fupines. With refpect to compofition, the productions of the Latin claffics are ranked next in order of excellence to those of the Greek. The polished writers of Rome, difdaining to follow the plain and inartificial manner of their older authors, imitated the varied paufes and harmonious flow of Grecian periods. In one kind of arrangement, the Romans were inferior to their great mafters, as they frequently clofed their fentences with verbs. This practice fometimes runs through feveral fentences together, with no finall degree of tiresome uniformity; as is evident from many paffages in the hiftory of Livy, the Orations of Cicero, and the Commentaries of Cæfar. In defence however of this cuftom it may be remarked, that as the action expreffed by the verb is frequently the moft emphatic idea, it might be thought most confiftent with the genius of their compofition, to place it at the clofe of the period, for the purpofe of more effectually keeping up the attention of the hearer or reader. From confidering the beauties of compofition fo confpicuous in the works of the claffics, we must be 6 fenfible fenfible of the unfavourable light in which they appear when viewed through the medium of Tranflations. They are expofed to the vanity, the negligence, or the ignorance of the tranflator: and are liable to be injured by his faftidiousness, or his want of tafte. The fenfe of an original work may be debafed by fervile fidelity of verfion, or enervated by unreftrained freedom of expression; it may be compreffed into an abridgment, or dilated into a commentary. The Tranflation of Virgil by Dryden is in fome inftances negligent, yet Dryden fhows the careleffnefs of a Man who entered fully into the spirit of his original, and could convey it in the moft expreffive language, whenever he chofe. Virgil defcribes the toilfome march of a Roman army, their encampment and rapid formation of their order of battle; Non fecus ac patriis acer Romanus in armis Ante expectatum pofitis ftat in agmine caftris. Which Dryden has thus rendered- Thus, under heavy arms, the youth of Rome Georg. 3. 1. 346. To judge how well this is executed, compare it with a recent tranflation. Not otherwife in arms untaught to yield And fix, e'er fame's fwift voice prevents their way, In the former paffage, the defcription is clear and complete, in the latter it is paraphrastic and obfcure; and the most important circumftance of all is omitted-pofitis caftris, which conveys an astonishing idea of the quick operations of the Roman legions. Dryden has fometimes taken the liberty of fubftituting his own ideas for thofe of Virgil, but with fingular propriety and effect. Take for inftance the beautiful apoftrophe to Nifus and Euryalus; O happy friends! for if my verse can give And Spread where'er the Roman Eagle flies. But after all, may we not apply to Translations, the remark made by Philip of Macedon to a perfon who prided himself upon imitating the notes of the Nightingale? I prefer the Nightingale herself. ↑ "Fortunati ambo, fi quid mea carmina poffint! The |