ined one with another do they signify anything. And join and confound
together conjunctions, articles, and prepositions, supposing you would
make something of them; yet you will be taken to babble, and not to
speak sense. But when there is a verb in construction with a noun, the
result is speech and sense. Therefore some do with justice make only
these two parts of speech; and perhaps Homer is willing to declare
himself of this mind, when he says so often,

[Greek omitted]

For by [Greek omitted] he usually means a verb, as in these verses.

[Greek omitted],

and,

[Greek omitted] ("Odyssey," xxiii. 183; viii. 408.)

For neither conjunction, article, nor preposition could be said to be
[Greek omitted] (TERRIBLE) or [Greek omitted] (SOUL GRIEVING), but
only a verb signifying a base action or a foolish passion of the mind.
Therefore, when we would praise or dispraise poets or writers, we are
wont to say, such a man uses Attic nouns and good verbs, or else common
nouns and verbs; but none can say that Thucydides or Euripides used
Attic or common articles.

What then? May some say, do the rest of the parts conduce nothing to
speech? I answer, They conduce, as salt does to victuals; or water to
barley cakes. And Euenus calls fire the best sauce. Though sometimes
there is neither occasion for fire to boil, nor for salt to season our
food, which we have always occasion for. Nor has speech always occasion
for articles. I think I may say this of the Latin tongue, which is now
the universal language; for it has taken away all prepositions, saving
a few, nor does it use any articles, but its nouns are (as it were)
without skirts and borders. Nor is it any wonder, since Homer, who
in fineness of epic surpasses all men, has put articles only to a few
nouns, like handles to cans, or crests to helmets. Therefore these
verses are remarkable wherein the articles are suppressed.--

[Greek omitted] ("Iliad," xiv. 459.)

and,

[Greek omitted] (Ibid. xx. 147.)

and some few besides. But in a thousand others, the omission of the
articles hinders neither perspicuity nor elegance of phrase.

Now neither an animal nor an instrument nor arms nor anything else
is more fine, efficacious, or pleasanter, for the loss of a part. Yet
speech, by taking away conjunctions, often becomes more persuasive, as
here:--

One rear'd a dagger at a captive's breast;
One held a living foe, that freshly bled