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.

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 Erythraeus 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,
Atridaeque, 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.—­

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.