mentioned, and that is now found, by the Experience of so many Ages,
to be the most majestick and most harmonious kind of Verse. Just the
same Obligation the _Romans_ had to _Ennius_: He first introduc'd the
Hexameter Line, and therefore is properly called the Father of their
Poetry; and it is judiciously said, that if they had never had
_Ennius_, perhaps they had never had _Virgil_. If the _French_ had
taken _Ronsard_'s Advice instead of following _Malherbe_, perhaps they
might, and indeed they certainly would have arriv'd at a better Art of
Versification than we see now amongst them: But they have miss'd their
Way; tho' had it happen'd otherwise, they could never have equall'd
the _English_ in Poetry, because their Language is not capable of it,
for two Reasons which I shall mention, and many others that I could
add to them.

_1st_, Their Words do not sound so fully as ours, of which these Nouns
are Examples, _God_, _Dieu_. _Man_, _L'Homme_. In both the _English_
Words every Letter is perceiv'd by the Ear. In the _French_ the first
Word is of a very confused Sound, and the latter dies away in the _e_
mute. So _Angels_, _Ange_. _Head_, _Tete_. And innumerable others. And
in Verbs, _to love_, _to hate_, _Aimer_, _Hayir_. In the _English_ the
Sound is clear and strong. In _French_ the last Letter is dropp'd, and
the Words don't dwell upon the Ear like the _English_.

_2d_, They have too many Particles: To shew how much more their Verse
is incumber'd by them than the _English_, I will give you an Example
from a Passage in _Milton_.

"So spoke, so wish'd much humbled _Eve_, but Fate
Subscrib'd not; Nature first gave Signs, imprest
On Bird, Beast, Air; Air suddenly eclips'd