Letters Concerning Poetical Translations | Page 5

concise than the latter, there being nothing left out in the English, but the whole Thought is rather more fully expressed: And this we see is owing to Monosyllables both Verbs and Nouns, Streams, Slain, Shields, Roll'd, Helms, Main. In short the whole Passage is equal to the Original in Majesty and Harmony, and superior in Conciseness.
To give another Example or two of the same nature.
"_Urbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere Coloni, Carthago, Italiam contra, Tyberinaque longe Ostia, dives opum, studiisque Asperrima Belli._
"Against the Italian Coast, of ancient Fame A City rose, and Carthage was the Name; A Tyrian Colony, from Tyber far, Rich, rough, and brave, and exercis'd in war. Mr. Pit's ?neid.
"--_Facti de Nomine Byrsam, Sed vos, qui tandem, quibus aut venistis ab oris, Quove tenetis iter?_--
"Hence Byrsa nam'd.--But now ye Strangers, say, Who, whence you are, and whither lies your Way?
I have chosen here three Passages of three very different kinds, and in all of them the English appears to be much more concise than the Latin; neither is there any thing wanting in the Fulness of the Sense, or in Majesty, or in Harmony of Numbers, any more in the two last Passages than in the former. Another Instance of this kind might be produced out of Virgil's most perfect Work, the Georgick, although it wants the Advantage of being translated by such a Hand as Mr. Pit's.
"_Si vero Viciamq; seres vitemq; Faselum, Nec Pelusiacoe curam aspernabere lentis._
"But if the Vetch you sow, or meaner Tare, Nor shall disdain th' ?gyptian Lentil's Care.
In the Latin there are thirty Syllables in the two Lines, in the English but twenty one. So that the English is almost one third more concise than the Latin; and at the same time Virgil's Sense fully expressed.
I will conclude this Letter with the Opinion of a Foreigner concerning our Monosyllables: A Person not at all prepossessed in favour of our Language.
"The English Language, besides the most significant Words borrowed from the Latin, Greek, &c. and often shortned, hath a vast 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." R?ner's Preface to his Melope?a 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 Erythr?us, 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.
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 Erythr?us, 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