All the common Editions read perlabitur; which is horrid to the ear. But to go on with the Matter in hand. The principal Excellencies of Virgil's Versification consist of the several following Particulars.
- 1st, The continual varying of the Pause.
- 2d, The Inversion of the Phrase.
- 3d, The adapting of the Sound to the Sense.
- 4th, The mixing of the singular and plural Numbers.[page 19]
- 5th, The giving Majesty and Strength to his Verse with the connecting Particles Que and Et.
- 6th, The Collocatio Verborum, or artful way of placing Words.
- 7th, The changing the common Pronunciation of Words.
- 8th, Verses contrary to the common Measure.
- 9th, 10th, and 11th, His Alliteratio, Allusio Verborum, and Assonantia Syllabarum.
As these three last Articles arise from Observations perfectly new at the time they were written by Erythræus, namely, about 200 Years ago; and as new at this time, having been almost quite lost by I know not what Accident to the World; I must follow my Master, and use his Terms for his Discoveries, except where I differ a little from him.
1st, To begin with the first Article mentioned in this Letter, The Varying of the Pause. This Subject I have met with in several Books, but not fully explained in any one of them to my Capacity; for I must confess I should never have thoroughly apprehended the Varying of the Pause in any Language, if I had not thought of an Expedient to discover what is the common Pause in a Verse that each Language naturally stops at, of which I have any Knowledge.
To find out this, I consulted the middling sort of Poets, or the first Practicers in this Art: In this Enquiry I observ'd from Hesiod and Ennius among the Greek and Latin Poets, and afterwards from Ovid with relation to the latter, and which I am now to speak of, that the common Pause or Stop in all Latin Heroick Verse (to say nothing of the Greek, which agrees with it in this Respect) is upon the 1st Syllable of the 3d Foot. For[page 20] Example,
"Ante mare & tellus | & quod tegit omnia, cælum,
Unus erat toto | Naturæ vultus in orbe,
Quem dixêre Chaos | rudis indigestaque moles;
Nec quicquam, nisi pondus, iners; | congestaque eodem
Non bene junctarum | discordia semina rerum.