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.
To find out this, I consulted the middling sort of Poets, or the first
Practicers in this Art: In this Enquiry I observ'd from _Hesiod_ and
_Ennius_ among the _Greek_ and _Latin_ Poets, and afterwards from
_Ovid_ with relation to the latter, and which I am now to speak of,
that the common Pause or Stop in all _Latin_ Heroick Verse (to say
nothing of the _Greek_, which agrees with it in this Respect) is upon
the 1st Syllable of the 3d Foot. For Example,
"_Ante mare & tellus | & quod tegit omnia, caelum,
Unus erat toto | Naturae vultus in orbe,
Quem dixere Chaos | rudis indigestaque moles;
Nec quicquam, nisi pondus, iners; | congestaque eodem
Non bene junctarum | discordia semina rerum.
Nullus adhuc mundo | praebebat lumina Titan;
Nec nova crescendo | reparabat cornua Phoebe,
Nec circumfuso | pendebat in aere tellus_--
Here we have eight Lines all paused in the same Place, except one,
(the 4th); and in this kind of Measure the _Metamorphosis_ is
generally written; from whence I collected the natural Pause in the
_Latin_ Language to be as abovementioned: I then consulted the best
Poem of the best _Latin_ Poet, which begins with these Lines.
"_Quid faciat laetas segetes, | quo Sydere Terram
Vertere, | Maecenas, | ulmisque adjungere Vites
Conveniat, | quae cura Boum, | qui cultus habendo
Sit Pecori, | Apibus quanta experientia parcis
Hinc canere incipiam |._--
Here I observed that this great Master had artfully avoided the common
Pause till he came to the fifth Line; and he takes care to do it as
much as po
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