Letters Concerning Poetical Translations | Page 7

is nothing in Nature that Virgil's Verse does not convey to the Ear, and the Eye; so that this Subject is inexhaustible, and must be left to every one's particular Observation.
The learned Morhophius has a Passage relating to this Matter which comes in too properly here to be omitted.
"Solent Carminibus su? esse a Numeris Veneres, & certa qu?dam Artificia, qu? mirifice ornant versum, quales apud Virgilium, mirum numeri Poetici Observatorem, frequenter occurrunt, e.g. cum versus terminantur Monosyllabis, ut: _procumbit humi bos: nascetur ridiculus mus. Vel cum Spond?i multi adhibentur, ut; media agmina circumspexit: Illi inter sese magna vi brachia tollunt_. Aut cum Dactyli & Spond?i ita miscentur, ut REI NATURAM EXPRIMANT, ut cum de turri ruente ait:
"--_Convellimus altis Sedibus; impulimusq;, ea lapsa repente_ ruinam Cum sonitu trahit.--
"Talia infinita apud Virgilium habentur qu? homo in iis non exercitatus contemnat, doctus vero & prudens admiretur. Polyhist.
There is also a Remark of the judicious Columna on a celebrated Line in Virgil, which is very much to the present Purpose.
Unus Homo Nobis Cunctando Restituit Rem.]
Virgilius de eodem loquens ?neid l. 6. integrum hoc carmen sumpsit, ita tamen, ut spondeorum tarditate Fabii moram referret,
--tu Maximus ille es, Unus, qui nobis cunctando restituis rem. Enn. Frag.
Sept. 21, 1736,
I am, SIR, &c.
* * * * *
P.S.
The Passage in the learned Muhlius, which I should have inserted at the beginning of this Letter, I send you in a Postscript. You have seen it before, but it is worth reading more than once. You know it belongs principally to the Article that treats of _the varying the Pause_.
"Neque potest unus idemque semper tenor in carmine usurpari, sed debet is pro vari�� periodorum Poeticarum ratione distingui. Et ut insurgat decore & intumescat aliquando, iterumque remittat, ubi opus est, consequimur c?sorum ac periodorum sola in?qualitate. Quod pulcerrime observat Virgilius, cujus alia mensura, alia pedum compositio est in narrationibus, descriptionibus, orationibus, & tanta periodorum numerorumque variatio, ut ad eam perfectionem nihil addi possit. Hujus rei quanta negligentia in Statio, Lucano, Claudiano, Silio Italico? Ubi admirabilis illa harmonia, suavitas, gravitas ipsorum pedum ?qualiter, in?qualiter temperatorum, per clausulas verborum fractorum, ac intra regiones suas aliter aliterq; interceptorum? Ut de junctura illa literarum nihil addam, cum vocales ac consonantes ips?que syllab? ita miscentur, ut rei naturam tam apte jucundeque exprimant, ut ea geri potius quam cani, spectari magis quam audiri videatur. Talia infinita sunt apud Virgilium, qu? captum imperitorum longe excedunt, doctiores vero & prudentiores impense admirantur; qu? nihil tritum, vulgare, hiuclum nihil elumbe ac contortum patiuntur, at nescio quid virile & stupendum plane, ac majus humana voce videntur sonare. Claudianus certe istud fastigium non attingit, & quod in Maroniana dictione, in illa periodorum ac numerorum varietate pr?clarum putamus, vix est, ut ejus vel levem umbram ostentet. Sic eadem semper oberrat chorda, quod ridiculum existimat magnus iste dicendi magister."

LETTER IV.
SIR,
[Sidenote: IV.]
The fourth thing to be consider'd is, Virgil's _mixing the Singular and Plural Numbers_. This has a wonderful Effect, and is very diligently attended to by Virgil; but I believe never once thought of by Ovid, or any other Roman Writer in the Days of Augustus.
"Quid faciat l?tas Segetes, quo sidere terram Vertere, M?cenas, ulmisque adjungere vites, _Conveniat: qu? cura boum, qui cultus habendo Sit pecori, apibus quanta experientia parcis_.
Here you have segetes and terram, and then vites, and after that pecori and apibus.
Again,
"--_Camposque, & flumina late Curva tenent: ut molle siler, lent?que_ genist?, Populus, & glauca canentia fronde Salicta. Pars autem posito surgunt de semine: ut alt? Castane?; nemorumq; Jovi qu? maxima frondet Esculus, atque habit? Graiis oracula quercus.
Here are Siler and Genist?, Populus and Salicta, Castane? and Esculus, and Quercus.
Again,
"Arma Virumque cano, Troj? qui primus ab oris Italiam, fato profugus, Lavinaque venit Litora. Multum ille & terris jactatus & alto, Vi Superum s?v? memorem Junonis _ob iram. Multa quoq; & bello passus, dum conderet_ urbem, Inferretque Deos Latio: genus _unde Latinum Albanique patres, atque alt? moenia Rom?_.
These two first Words of the ?neid are an Example of what I am taking notice of; and then we have in this Introduction Italiam and Litora Lavina, Terris and Alto, Superum and Junonis, Urbem and Deos, Genus and Patres.
But the most beautiful Passage of this Nature is in the Georgics. Here the thing to be done, and the Instrument with which it is to be done, are varied alternately.
"Quod nisi & assiduis terram insectabere rastris, Et sonitu terrebis aves, & ruris opaci Falce premes umbras, votisq; vocaveris imbrem.
Terram rastris, sonitu aves, falce umbras, votis imbrem.
Upon which La Cerda makes this Remark:
"Placet Virgilius _semper, sed cur placeat s?pe ignoratur. In rebus quatuor recensendis numquam pluralem cum plurali, neque singularem cum singulari, quod minus ad varietatem: sed semper cum singulari pluralem. Unica terra multis rastris insectanda est, unica pluvia multis votis petenda. Contra, mult? aves terrend? unico sonitu, mult? umbr? unica falce compescend?._"
Now in Ovid nothing of this