Letters Concerning Poetical Translations And Virgil's and Milton's Arts of Verse, &c.

I. To begin with _The Varying of the Pause_, which is the Soul of all Versification in all Languages. Verse is Musick, and Musick is more or less pleasing as the Notes are more...

I Should now go upon the Comparison of _Virgil_'s and _Milton_'s Versification, in which you will meet with that Paradox, as you thought it at first, namely, that the principal...

The fourth thing to be consider'd is, _Virgil_'s _mixing the Singular and Plural Numbers_. This has a wonderful Effect, and is very diligently attended to by _Virgil_; but I bel...

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 mys...

I am now going to obey your Commands; but you must let me do it in my own way, that is, write as much, or as little at a time as I may have an Inclination to, and just as things...

By what I have shewn in the preceding Letters, it sufficiently appears that _Virgil_ and _Milton_ had good reason to begin with _Hinc canere incipiam_. _Nunc te Bacche canam._ _...

To reply to the Opinion that _Vossius_ has given in favour of _French_ Verse compared with _English_, I would observe in the first Place that what the _French_ call Heroick Vers...

I am now to proceed to the _Assonantia Syllabarum_ or _Rhyme_. I have shown under this Head how much _Virgil_ abounds in _Rhyme_; from whence I conclude, that it may be reasonab...

It has been said by several Persons, especially by Foreigners, that there is no such thing as Measure or Feet, or long and short Syllables in _English_ Words. This Mistake, I be...

"So all the hurry of the Ocean ceas'd, Soon as its God appear'd above the Waves: Who, managing his Steeds in Air serene, Flies swift with slacken'd Reins and loose Career.