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fuch is the Force of the Word kneeld in that Situation, that we actually fee Adam upon his Knees before the offended Deity; and by the Conclufion of this Paragraph, Bending his Ear, Infinite Goodness is vifibly as it were represented to our Eyes as inclining to hearken to the Prayers of his penitent Creature.

LET

XI.

LETTER VI.

SIR,

I

AM now to proceed to the Affonantia Syllabarum or Rhyme. I have shown under this Head how much Virgil abounds in Rhyme; from whence I conclude, that it may be reasonably fuppofed Rhyme had its Original from a nobler Beginning than the Barbarity of Druids and Monks. It is very probable that Chaucer, Dante, and Petrarch learnt it from Virgil, and that other Nations follow'd the Example they had fet them.

To fay the Bards rhym'd in the Times of groffeft Ignorance, merely by their own Invention, on

proves that Rhyme is naturally harmonious. We are told by the Learned that the Hebrew Poetry is in Rhyme, and that where-ever any Footsteps of this Art are to be trac'd, Rhyme is always found, whether in Lapland or in China.

If it fhould be objected that the Greek Tongue is an Exception to this general Rule; that Matter perhaps may be difputed, or a particular Answer might be given. But that the Latin Language is a Friend to Rhyme is clear beyond all doubt; and the fame is as true of all the living Tongues that are diftinguished in the learned World.

It is no wonder that Verse without Rhyme has fo many Advocates amongst the Dealers in Poetry, because of its Facility. Rhym'd Verfe, with all its

Orna

Ornaments, especially the artful Way of varying the Paufe, is exceeding difficult; and fo are all the curious Productions of Art. Fine Painting, fine Mufick or Sculpture, are all very hard to perform ; it is the Difficulty that makes thofe Performances fo deferving of Applaufe when they attain the highest Perfection. As to the Matter before us; Rhyme (as Mr. Dryden justly obferves) never was Milton's Talent: This appears from his juvenile Poems. And when he fate down to write the Paradife lost, his Imagination was too vigorous, too lofty to be fhackled by Rhyme. It must be own'd that a thousand Beauties would have been loft, which now fhine with amazing Splendor in that Poem, if Milton had writ in the moft exquifite Rhyme. 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 prefent. Of this Opinion was the learned Foreigner mentioned in a former Letter, a judicious Critick both in the ancient and modern Languages.

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Quicquid tamen ejus fit, oftendunt Miltoni fcripta virum vel in ipsâ juventute: quæ "enim ille adolefcens fcripfit carmina Latina, unà "cum Anglicis edita, ætatem illam longè fuperant, quâ ille vir fcripfit poëmata Anglica, fed fine

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rythmis, quos, ut peftes carminum vernaculorum, "abeffe volebat, quale illud decem libris conftans, "The Paradife Loft, plena ingenii & acuminis "funt, fed infuavia tamen videntur ob rythmi de"fectum; quem ego abeffe à tali carminum genere

non poffe exiftimo, quicquid etiam illi, & Italis "nonnullis, & nuper Ifaaco Voffio in libro de "Poematum cantu, videatur."

Polybift.

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However, we must take Paradife Loft as 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 muft not be pleaded in favour of fuch other Works as have hardly any thing worthy of Observation in them. Placing Milton with his blank Verse by himself (as indeed he ought to be in many other refpects, for he certainly has no Companion) this Difpute about the Excellency of blank Verfe, and even the Preference of it to rhym'd Verfe, may be determined by comparing two Writers of Note, who have undertaken the fame Subject; that is, Virgil's Æneid.

Now I will take all the Paffages of that Poem mentioned in my Letters to you, and compare them in these two Tranflations: And if it fhall appear by the Comparison that the rhym'd Verfes have not only more Harmony and Conciseness, but likewife that they exprefs Virgil's Sense more fully and more perfpicuously than the blank Verse, will it not be easy to determine which of these two Sorts ought to be preferr❜d?

Octob. 22. 1736.

I am, SIR, &c.

P. S.

WHEN I was taking notice of Virgil's Arts of

Verfification, I fhould not have omitted his fudden varying the Tenfe of the Verb from the Preterperfect to the Prefent.

"Non tua te nobis, Genitrix pulcherrima talem
"Promifit, Graiifque ideo bis vindicat armis.

This

This is very agreeable both as to the Verfe and the Sense; for it makes the thing defcribed more immediately prefent than it would be otherwife. I cannot juft now recollect an Example in Milton of this nature, but I remember one in Fairfax, in a Couplet already cited.

"Their jolly Notes they chanted loud and clear, "And horrid Helms high on their Heads they bear.

This is much more lively and peinturesque than if he had writ bore, and you will eafily perceive it. It may be faid, perhaps, that Fairfax ufed bear here for the fake of the Verfe; let that be allow'd, but then it must be likewife granted, that Virgil ufes vindicat instead of vindicavit, for the fake of his Verfe, which he would not have done, if it had not been more beautiful than the common Profe way of writing: And as it is an Excellency in Virgil, fo it is in Fairfax.

LET

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