An Apology for the Study of Northern Antiquities | Page 7

So that
the worst that can be said on this occasion of our Forefathers is, that
they spoke at they fought, like Men.
The Author of the Proposal, may think this but an ill Return, for the
soft things he has said of the Ladies, but I think it Gratitude at least to
make the Return, by doing Justice to the Gentlemen. I will not
contradict the Relation of the ingenious Experiment of his vocal Ladies,
tho' I could give him some Instances to the contrary, in my Experience
of those, whose Writings abound with Consonants; where Vowels must

generally be understood, and appear but very rarely. Perhaps that
Gentleman may be told that I have a Northern Correspondence, and a
Northern Ear, probably not so fine as he may think his own to be, yet a
little musical.
And now for our Monosyllables. In the Controversy concerning which,
it must be examined, first whether the Charge which is exhibited
against the Northern Languages is true, that they consist of nothing but
_Monosyllables_; and secondly, whether or no the Copiousness and
Variety of Monosyllables may be always justly reputed a fault, and may
not sometimes as justly be thought, to be very useful and ornamental.
And first I must assert, that the ancient Northern Languages, do not
wholly nor mostly consist of Monosyllables. I speak chiefly of the
Gothick, Saxon, and Teutonick. It must be confest that in the Saxon,
there are many Primitive Words of one Syllable, and this to those who
know the Esteem that is due to Simplicity and Plainness, in any
Language, will rather be judged a Virtue than a Vice: That is, that the
first Notions of things should be exprest in the plainest and simplest
manner, and in the least compass: and the Qualities and Relations, by
suitable Additions, and Composition of Primitive Words[D]; for which
the Saxon Language is very remarkable, as has been before observed,
and of which there are numerous Examples, in the following Treatise of
Saxon Grammar, and infinitely more might have been added.
[Footnote D: Of this the Greeks give as a fair Example, when they
express the Original and Author of all Things, their +Patêr andrônte
theônte+, by their Monosyllable +Zeus+. As the Hebrews do by
++yah++, the Goths the Ancestors of our Saxon Progenitors by the
Word ++GOÞ++, the Saxons, old Germans, Teutons, Francick, and
English, in the Monosyllable *Goð*, the Germans #Gott#, and the
French Dieu.]
The second Enquiry is, whether or no the Copiousness and Variety of
Monosyllables may be always justly reputed a fault, and may not as
justly be thought, to be very useful and ornamental? Were this a fault, it
might as justly be charged upon the learned Languages, the Latin and
_Greek_: For the Latin you have in _Lilly_'s Rules concerning Nouns,
several Verses, made up for the most part of Monosyllables, I mention
him not as a Classick, but because the Words are Classical and
_Monosyllables_; and in the Greek there are several as it were, idle

Monosyllables, that have little Significancy, except to make the
Numbers in Verse compleat, or to give a Fulness to their Periods, as the
Verses of Homer and other Greek Poets plainly evidence: An Instance
or two may suffice;
+Ex hou dê ta prôta diastêtên erisante.+
Here are four Monosyllables in this Verse,
+Tên d' egô ou lusô, prin min kai gêras epeisen.+
Here are six Monosyllables, and one cutting off.
+All' ithi, mê m' erethize, saôteros hôs ke neêai. Hos êdê ta t' eonta, ta t'
essomena, pro t' eonta.+
Hom. Il. I. l. 70.
Here are seven _Monosyllables_; yet so far is Virgil from being angry
with his Master Homer on this Account, that he in a manner transcribes
his very Words, imitating him as near as the Latin wou'd permit;
Quæ sint, quæ fuerint, quæ mox ventura trahantur.
Here is the whole Sense of Homer exprest, and five Monosyllables. But
Mr. Dryden, who has exprest the Sense of Virgil with no less Accuracy,
gives you the whole Line in _Monosyllables;
He sees what is, and was, and is to come.
Mr. Pope is equally happy in the Turn he has given to the Original,
who as he is an exact Master of Criticism, so has he all those
Accomplishments of an excellent Poet, that give us just Reason to hope
he will make the Father of the Poets speak to us in our own Language,
with all the Advantages he gave to his Works in that wherein they were
first written, and the modest Opinion he prescribes to his own, and
other Mens Poetical Performances, is no Discouragement to these
Hopes;
Whoever thinks a faultless Piece to see, Thinks what ne'er was, nor is,
nor e'er shall be.
And Horace, while he is