[page 57]
But then the Verse would have wanted much of its Harmony, because O'er mingles in Sound with A'er which On does not; and the same thing would have happen'd in the next Line, if it had stood thus—Some aged Oak uplifts his mighty Head.—Because uplifts and mighty have no Resemblance in Sound to each other, or to Aged and Head; but as the Line stands,
"Some aged Oak uprears his Reverend Head,
the Words all melt into one another, and the Musick dies along the Verse from the Beginning to the End. This is the greatest Delicacy of Poetry, neither are the other Graces wanting in this Verse. The Pause is properly varied, the first Line is entirely suspended. There is in it a double Alliteration, Aerial Alps, sublimely spread: And to conclude all, the Rhyme is as perfect as possible.
Octob. 11. 1736.
I am, Sir, &c.
P.S.
In looking over this Letter I observe a Passage in Milton, which merits a very particular Consideration, and which I ought to have taken notice of before, when I was speaking of the Collocation of Words; the Passage I mean is, For since I first, &c. The entire Passage runs thus,
[page 58]