“The Strength and Conciseness that Monosyllables (especially in Verbs) produce, are of wonderful Use in Lyrick Poetry, because they Enter into any Foot or Measure of Verses, by different Transpositions; so that I dare venture to assert, there is no Italian or Foreign Song, which English Words will not suit; the Variety of Feet and Metres producing equal Variety of Mode and Movements in Composition.  The want of this is what makes the French vocal Musick so confined and uniform; for I cannot recollect above two of their Verbs in use in the infinitive Mood, that are Monosyllables, and not one exact Dactile in all their Polysyllables.”
                          Roener’s Preface to his Melopeia Sacra.

Sept. 13. 1736.

I am, SIR, _&c._

LETTER III.

SIR,

In comparing Virgil’s and Milton’s Versification, I shall begin with Virgil; and shew some of the principal Beauties of his Poetry in this respect:  And here I must own myself not a little indebted to La-Cerda, Pontanus and Pierius, but above all to the most excellent Erythraeus, who has not only considered every Paragraph, every Line, every Foot, every Word, and every Syllable, but even every Letter in Virgil; and it is not easy to conceive how much may depend on a single Letter, very often the whole Harmony of a Line; and on this Account we have vast Obligations to Pierius; to him we owe this fine Verse, and many others.

  “Atq; rotis summas levibus pellabitur undas.—­

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.

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 Erythraeus, 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.