Stock
of its own, and being for the most part Monosyllables, no Speech is
capable of expressing Thought in Sounds so few as the _English_ does:
This is easily observed by the Translations of the _English_ into
Foreign Languages.

"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.