How much of the Fire and Spirit of this Passage is lost, will be easily perceiv'd.
I was long of Opinion that Milton had invented this Art himself, for I knew he had it not from Virgil: The Latin Language is hardly capable of it. But by Accident I found Milton learn'd it from Homer, though it is plain what is Art in the former was Chance in the latter; which cannot be disputed when[page 47] it is considered that in so many thousand Lines that we have of Homer's, there is I believe but one single Instance of this Monosyllable Collocation; but in Milton there are many, both Substantives, Adjectives and Verbs. The single Instance in Homer is in Odysse 9. in the Story of Polyphemus.
[ Συν δὲ δύω μαρπσας, ὥς τε φύλακας ποτὶ γαίη
Κοπτ'.]
[ Συν δε δύω μαρπσας, ώς τε φύλακας ποτι γαίη
Κοπτ'. ]
Hom. Odyss. &c.
"Two of my hapless Friends with all his Pow'r,
Like Dogs, the Monster on the rocky Floor
DASH'D.———
Can any body be insensible of the Power of this Word, Dash'd, as it is here plac'd.