Letters Concerning Poetical Translations - And Virgil's and Milton's Arts of Verse, &c. by William Benson
page 16 of 91 (17%)
page 16 of 91 (17%)
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_Pit_'s 1st Æneid.
Where can a smoother Line than this be found in our Language? "_Lull'd_ in her Lap to Rest, the Queen of Love. And it may be observed that this Line is all Monosyllables. _Monosyllables_ are likewise of great consequence on another account. The Strength of the _English_ Language is greatly owing to them: For to them it is principally obliged for its Conciseness; and Conciseness is Strength. Now Conciseness is not only to express ourselves in as few Words as we can, but the Excellency of the Language shews itself, if those few Words are composed of few Syllables. And herein upon Examination, the Strength of the _English_ Tongue will be found to lye; and for this reason it may be said to be more concise than the _Latin_; which will appear if _Virgil_ is turned into _English_, I mean even _English_ Verse. For Example: "--_Ubi tot Simois correpta sub undas Scuta virum, Galeasq; & fortia Corpora volvit._ "Where _Simois_ Streams incumber'd with the slain, Roll'd Shields, and Helms, and Heroes to the Main. _Pit_'s 1st Æneid. To discover which of these two Passages is the most concise, it is not sufficient to shew, that there are two whole _English_ Lines, and but one Line and three Parts of another in the _Latin_. _Latin_ and _English_ Lines cannot be compared together, because in a _Latin_ Line |
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