LETTER IV.
SIR,
IV.
T
HE fourth thing to be consider'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.
"Quid faciat lætas Segetes, quo sidere terram
Vertere, Mæcenas, ulmisque adjungere vites,
Conveniat: quæ cura boum, qui cultus habendo
Sit pecori, apibus quanta experientia parcis.
Here you have segetes and terram, and then vites, and after that pecori and apibus.
Again,
"———Camposque, & flumina late
Curva tenent: ut molle siler, lentæque genistæ,
Populus, & glauca canentia fronde Salicta.
Pars autem posito surgunt de semine: ut altæ
Castaneæ; nemorumq; Jovi quæ maxima frondet
Esculus, atque habitæ Graiis oracula quercus.
Here are Siler and Genistæ, Populus and Salicta, Castaneæ and Esculus, and Quercus.
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Again,
"Arma Virumque cano, Trojæ qui primus ab oris
Italiam, fato profugus, Lavinaque venit
Litora. Multum ille & terris jactatus & alto,
Vi Superum sævæ memorem Junonis ob iram.
Multa quoq; & bello passus, dum conderet urbem,
Inferretque Deos Latio: genus unde Latinum
Albanique patres, atque altæ mœnia Romæ.
These two first Words of the Æneid 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 Passage of this Nature is in the Georgics. Here the thing to be done, and the Instrument with which it is to be done, are varied alternately.
"Quod nisi & assiduis terram insectabere rastris,
Et sonitu terrebis aves, & ruris opaci
Falce premes umbras, votisq; vocaveris imbrem.
Terram rastris, sonitu aves, falce umbras, votis imbrem.
Upon which La Cerda makes this Remark:
"Placet Virgilius semper, sed cur placeat sæpe ignoratur. In rebus quatuor recensendis numquam pluralem cum plurali, neque singularem cum singulari, quod minus ad varietatem: sed semper cum singulari pluralem. Unica terra multis rastris insectanda est, unica pluvia multis votis petenda. Contra, multæ aves terrendæ unico sonitu, multæ umbræ unica falce compescendæ."
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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 indigestáque moles,
Nec quicquam nisi pondus iners.
Here are Mare, Tellus, Cœlum, 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 passus———
Et premere, et laxas sciret dare jussus habenas.
And more frequently in his most finish'd Piece.
Quid tibi odorato referam sudantia ligno.
Balsamaque, et Baccas——————————
Quod nisi et assiduis terram insectabere rastris,
Et sonitu terrebis aves, et ruris opaci
Falce premes umbras, votisque vocaveris imbrem.
Si vero viciamque seres, vilemque Faselum.
This Manner of using these connecting Particles, gives Majesty and Strength to the Verse. It gives Majesty, because it occasions Suspense and raises the Attention. For Example:
Si vero Viciamque seres————
Here the que hinders the Sense from being concluded, till you have read the rest of the Line,
————Vilemque Faselum.
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But if the Poet had writ (supposing the Verse would have allowed it)
Si vero Viciam seres————
the Reader would have understood him without going any farther; and it is easily perceiv'd the Verse would have been very flat to what it is now. This double Use of the Particles gives Strength to the Verse; because, as the Excellent Erythræus observes, the copulative Conjunctions are in Language of the same Use as Nerves in the Body, they serve to connect the Parts together; so that these Sorts of Verses which we are speaking of may be very properly called, Nervous Lines.
This Art Virgil most certainly learnt from Homer: for there is nothing more remarkable in Homer's Versification, nothing to which the Majesty of it is more owing, than this very thing, and I wonder none of his Commentators (that I have seen) have taken notice of it. There are four in the 23 first Lines of the Iliad, of this Kind. I will put the Latin for the sake of the generality of Readers.
Atridesque, rex virorum, et nobilis Achilles.
Redempturusque filiam, ferensque infinitum pretium liberationis,
Atridæque, et alii bene ocreati Achivi,
Reverendumque esse sacerdotem, et splendidum accipiendum pretium.
Clarke's Translation.
VI. I come now to the Collocatio Verborum, of which there is no occasion to give any more than one Instance:
"Vox quoque per lucos vulgo exaudita silentes
Ingens.——————
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The Reader cannot but perceive that the Manner of placing Ingens has a wonderful Effect; it makes him hear the melancholy Voice groan through the Grove.
VII. The changing the common Pronunciation of Words, as thus:
"Fluviŏrum Rex Eridanus.————
And
"Stridĕre apes utero & ruptis effervĕre costis.
VIII. Lines contrary to the common Measure, or rather without any Measure at all, viz.
"Quod fieri ferro, liquidove potest electro,
Saxa per & scopulos & depressas convalles.
IX, X, XI. These are the three Articles formerly mentioned, namely, the Alliteratio, the Allusio Verborum, and the Assonantia Syllabarum.
1. As to the Alliteratio. This is of several Kinds, it is Initial, Single and Double; sometimes Treble, or more frequent. It is likewise Mix'd, that is, both in the first Letters of the Words, and in the following Syllables. It is sometimes so often repeated, that it may be term'd Assultus, or an Attack upon, or a storming of the Ear.
The following are Examples of the Single Alliteratio.
"Quid faciat lætas segetes, quo sidere terram
Vertere, Mæcenas, ulmisque adjungere vites,
Conveniat: quæ cura boum, qui cultus habendo.
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Again,
"————————Sed viva volare
Sideris in numerum.————
And,
"————————Asia longe
Pulia palus.————————
Of the Double initial Alliteratio, this is an Example:
"Totaque thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis.
Of the Treble and more frequent initial Alliteratio, this is an Instance:
"Et sola in siccâ secum spatiatur arena.
The Mix'd Alliteratio, and the Assultus are to be found in these two Lines:
"Illas ducit amor trans Gargara, transque sonantem
Ascanium: superant montes, & flumina tranant.
In these two Lines the Vowel a is repeated fourteen times, and what an Effect this has upon the Ear, the Reader cannot but perceive.
2. Of the Allusio Verborum, the following are Examples:
"Nec nocturna quidem carpentes pensa puellæ.
Again,
"Hoc metuens; molemque & montes insuper altos.
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Again,
"Stat sonipes, ac frena ferox spumantia mandit.
Again,
"Vitavisse vices Danaum.
3. Of the Assonantia Syllabarum or Rhyme, there are in Virgil the several following Sorts.
1. The plain direct Rhyme, which is of two Kinds, Single or Double.
2. The intermediate or casual plain Rhyme.
3. The scanning conclusive Rhyme. So called, because it would hardly be perceived by the Generality of Readers, unless they first scann'd the Verse; but when they have done that in three or four Lines, the Ear will afterwards make the necessary Distinction without any farther trouble.
I will explain and give Examples of all these several sorts of Rhyme in their Order.
1. To treat of the plain Single direct Rhyme. The following Verses are Examples of this sort of Rhyme: But to make them more like our own, I will divide the Verse into two Parts.
"Poculaque inventis
Acheloia miscuit uvis.
"Totaque Thuriferis
Panchaia pinguis arenis.
"Et premere, & laxas
Sciret dare, jussus habenas.
"Atque rotis summas
Levibus pellabitur undas.
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"O nimium cœlo
Et pelago confise sereno.
Many more of these Lines might be produced, but these are sufficient.
Of the plain direct Double Rhyme (which is the Sort of Rhyme the Spectator speaks of N° 60, and which the Monks were in Love with) the following are Instances.
"Hic labor extremus, longarum hæc meta viarum.
Again,
"I nunc & verbis
Virtutem illude superbis.
Again,
"Cornua veletarum
Obvertimus Antennarum.
2. Of the intermediate plain Rhyme, the following are Examples.
"Imposuit, regemque dedit, qui fœdere certo.
And,
"Descendo, ac ducente Deo flammam inter & hostes.
In this Passage Virgil uses Deus in speaking of a Goddess, for no other Reason imaginable but to enrich his Verse with Rhyme.
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3. Of the scanning conclusive Rhyme the following are Instances.
"Sylvestrem tenui musam medi—taris ā—venā.
"Nudus in ignota pali—nure jā—cebis ā—renā.
From whence it appears that Virgil's Poetry is almost all Rhyme of one kind or other; and it is evident beyond Dispute that he generally concludes his strong, sounding, majestick Paragraphs with a full Rhyme, for which I refer to that fine Line already more than once mentioned, which sums up the Praises of Italy.
"Totaque thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis.
And to the Conclusion of his finest work.
"Hic vero subitum, ac dictu mirabile monstrum
Aspiciunt: liquefacta boum per viscera toto
Stridere apes utero, & ruptis effervere costis,
Immensasque trahi nubes; jamque arbore summa
Confluere, & lentis uvam demittere ramis.
And to this I will add the last Line of the Epilogue to the Georgicks.
"Tytyre te patulæ cecini sub tegmine fagi.
Where the two several Hemisticks or Parts of the Verse Rhyme each to itself.
I would observe here that both Ovid and Lucan, for want of Judgment, begin with a full Rhyme; the consequence of which is, that the Conclusion of the Paragraph is less sonorous than the Beginning, which must needs have a bad Effect.
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"In nova fert animus mutatas discere formas.
Ovid.
"Bella per Æmathios plus quam Civilia Campos.
Lucan.
But a modern Writer, and a much better Composer 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 Rusticum which are worthy of Virgil himself: I shall entertain you with some of them.
In his Kitchen-Garden, the following Passage is a Description of all the numerous Family of Colworts, or the Cabbage-kind.
"Quid dicam quanta jactat se Brassica laude?
Sive volubilibus redit in se frondibus, Orbesque
Orbibus agglomerans, capitis sub mole laborat;
Tornato similes Ebori seu candida Flores
Ediderit, seu Coniacas imitata Cupressus,
Seque suas plicat in frondes, & acumen in album
Desinit, & tenui venit haud ingloria Mensæ.
Sive hieme in media cum cætera frigore torpent
Lœta viret, Boreamque trucem, Caurosque malignos
Despiciens, vacuis ultro Dominatur in hortis."
In his Description of the Farm-yard, he paints the following several Sorts of Fowls in this Manner:
"Se pictæ cervicis Anas | & Garulus Anser
Tarda mole movent: | habitu Gallina modesto
Progreditur: | Caudam Gallus Cristasque rubentes
Erigit, | & motis sibi plaudit Lætior alis."
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And I cannot omit this most charming Verse which describes the Courtship of a Pigeon.
"Sæpe solum verrens Pennâ pendente rotator."
"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 these Lines; and you may observe in the four last mentioned,
1. How curiously the Pause is varied.
In the first Line it is upon the first Syllable of the fourth Foot.
In the second Line it is upon the first Syllable of the third Foot.
In the third Line it is upon the first Syllable of the second Foot.
In the fourth Line it is upon the last Syllable of the first Foot.
2. Observe the initial Alliteration in the first, second and third Lines.
In the first, Anas and Anser.
In the second, Mole, Movent, and Modesto.
In the third, Caudam, Cristasque.
The mixt Alliteration in the first Line where Garrulus is placed betwixt Anser and Anas, makes the Verse very sonorous; 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 sibi plaudit lœtior alis.
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————Ille hinc concentus in omni
Carmine Divini vatis.————————
Which extempore Remark is itself an Instance of what I am taking notice of as imitated from Virgil.
3. You will perceive the Allusio Verborum to have a very good Effect in the second Line.
"Tarda mole movent, habitu gallina modesto."
4. The mixing the singular and plural Numbers in the third Line is very judicious.
"Caudam Cristasque rubentes.
Ovid would have said,
"Caudam Cristamque————
Lastly, The full Rhyme in the fourth Line makes the whole Paragraph very harmonious. It is not improper to produce here the Conclusion of the Description of Æolus's Cave, which is one of the finest Passages in the Æneid.
"Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris
Hoc metuens, molemque & montis insuper altos
Imposuit, regemque dedit, qui fœdere certo
Et premere, & laxas sciret dare jussus habenas.
Would not any body think that Vanerius intended to vie with Virgil in this Place?
October 2. 1736.
I am, Sir, &c.
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P.S.
The Examples I have given in this Letter of plain direct Rhyme are only in long or heroic Verse, but I might have instanc'd in Lyric Lines. Horace abounds in Rhyme. In the first Ode we find
Metaque fervidis
Evitata rotis
Palmaque nobilis
Illum si proprio
Condidit horreo
and several others.
In two of his finest Odes the following Lines are as full Rhymes as can possibly be made,
Nec venenatis
Gravida sagittis
Pone me Pigris
Ubi nulla campis
Arbor æstiva
Recreatur Aura
Aut in umbrosis
Heliconis Oris
Aut super Pindo
Gelidove in Hæmo.
The two last are doubly rhym'd.
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