"Sedibus; impulimufq;, ea lapfa repente ruinam "Cum fonitu trahit. "Talia infinita apud Virgilium habentur quæ "homo in iis non exercitatus contemnat, doctus "vero & prudens admiretur. Polybift. There is alfo a Remark of the judicious Columna on a celebrated Line in Virgil, which is very much to the present Purpose. Unus Homo Nobis Cunetando Reftituit Rem.] Virgilius de eodem loquens neid 1. 6. integrum hoc carmen fumpfit, ita tamen, ut fpondeorum tar-` ditate Fabii moram referret, -tu Maximus ille es, Unus, qui nobis cunctando reftituis rem. Enn. Frag. Sept. 21. 1736. I am, SIR, &c. T P. S. HE Paffage in the learned Mublius, which I fhould have inferted at the beginning of this Letter, I fend you in a Poftfcript. You have feen it before, but it is worth reading more than once. You know it belongs principally to the Article that treats of the varying the Paufe. "Neque . 66 66 Neque poteft unus idemque femper tenor in carmine ufurpari, fed debet is pro varià periodo* rum Poeticarum ratione diftingui. Et ut infurgat decore & intumefcat aliquando, iterumque remittat, ubi opus eft, confequimur cæforum ac "periodorum fola inæqualitate. Quod pulcerrime obfervat Virgilius, cujus alia menfura, alia pedum compofitio eft in narrationibus, defcrip"tionibus, orationibus, & tanta periodorum numerorumque variatio, ut ad eam perfectionem " nihil addi poffit. Hujus rei quanta negligentia in Statio, Lucano, Claudiano, Silio Italico? Ubi "admirabilis illa harmonia, fuavitas, gravitas ip"forum pedum æqualiter, inæqualiter temperato"rum, per claufulas verborum fractorum, ac intra 66 66 regiones fuas aliter aliterq; interceptorum? Ut de junctura illa literarum nihil addam, cum vo"cales ac confonantes ipfæque fyllabæ ita mifcentur, ut rei naturam tam apte jucundeque expri"mant, ut ea geri potius quam cani, fpectari magis quam audiri videatur. Talia infinita funt "apud Virgilium, quæ captum imperitorum longe "excedunt, doctiores vero & prudentiores impenfe "admirantur; quæ nihil tritum, vulgare, hiuclum "nihil elumbe ac contortum patiuntur, at nefcio quid virile & ftupendum plane, ac majus humana "voce videntur fonare. Claudianus certe iftud "faftigium non attingit, & quod in Maroniana 66 dictione, in illa periodorum ac numerorum varietate præclarum putamus, vix eft, ut ejus vel "levem umbram oftentet. Sic eadem femper "oberrat chorda, quod ridiculum exiftimat magnus ifte dicendi magifter." LET LETTER IV. SIR, T IV. THE fourth thing to be confider'd is, Virgil's mixing the Singular and Plural Numbers. This has a wonderful Effect, and is very diligently attended to by Virgil; but I believe never once thought of by Ovid, or any other Roman Writer in the Days of Augustus. 66 Quid faciat lætas Segetes, quo fidere terram "Vertere, Mæcenas, ulmifque adjungere vites, "Conveniat: quæ cura boum, qui cultus habendo "Sit pecori, apibus quanta experientia parcis. Here you have fegetes and terram, and then vites, and after that pecori and apibus. Again, ·Campofque, & flumina late "Curva tenent: ut molle filer, lentæque geniftæ, Populus, & glauca canentia fronde Salicta. "Pars autem pofito furgunt de femine: ut alta "Caftanex; nemorumq; Jovi quæ maxima frondet "Efculus, atque habita Graiis oracula quercus. Here are Siler and Geniste, Populus and Salita, Caftanea and Efculus, and Quercus, Again, "Arma Virumque cano, Troje qui primus ab oris "Italiam, fato profugus, Lavinaque venit "Litora. Multum ille & terris jactatus & alto, "Vi Superum fævæ memorem Junonis ob iram. "Multa quoq; & bello paffus, dum conderet urbem, "Inferretque Deos Latio: genus unde Latinum Albanique patres, atque alta mania Roma. 66 These two first Words of the Eneid are an Example of what I am taking notice of; and then we have in this Introduction Italiam and Litora Lavina, Terris and Alto, Superum and Junonis, Urbem and Deos, Genus and Patres. But the most beautiful Paffage of this Nature is in the Georgics. Here the thing to be done, and the Inftrument with which it is to be done, are varied alternately. 66 Quod nifi & affiduis terram infectabere raftris, "Et fonitu terrebis aves, & ruris opaci "Falce premes umbras, votifq; vocaveris imbrem. Terram raftris, fonitu aves, falce umbras, votis imbrem. 66 Upon which La Cerda makes this Remark: "Placet Virgilius femper, fed cur placeat fæpe "ignoratur. In rebus quatuor recenfendis numquam pluralem cum plurali, neque fingularem cum fingulari, quod minus ad varietatem : fed femper cum fingulari pluralem. Unica terra multis raftris infeitanda eft, unica pluvia multis votis petenda. "Contra, multæ aves terrenda unico fonitu, multæ umbra unica falce compefcendæ," Now Now in Ovid nothing of this Art is to be found. "Ante mare & tellus, & (quod tegit omnia) cœlum, "Unus erat toto naturæ vultus in orbe, "Quem dixere chaos: rudis indigeftáque moles, "Nec quicquam nifi pondus iners. Here are Mare, Tellus, Cælum, Vultus, Chaos, Moles, and Pondus, without any one word of the Plural Number amongst them. V. The next Particular to be taken notice of, is Virgil's uncommon Use of the Particles Et and Que, "Multum ille et terris jactatus et alto; "Multa quoque et bello paffus "Et premere, et laxas fciret dare juffus habenas. And more frequently in his most finish'd Piece. Quid tibi odorato referam fudantia ligno. Quod nifi et affiduis terram infectabere raftris, Falce premes umbras, votifque vocaveris imbrem. This Manner of using these connecting Particles, gives Majefty and Strength to the Verfe. It gives Majefty, because it occafions Sufpenfe and raises the Attention. For Example: Si vero Viciamque feres Here the que hinders the Senfe from being concluded, till you have read the reft of the Line, Vilemque Fafelum. But |