Letters Concerning Poetical Translations Part 6

2. _Of the intermediate plain Rhyme_, the following are Examples.

"Imposuit, _regemque_ dedit, _qui foedere certo_.

And,

"_Descendo, ac ducente_ Deo _flammam inter & hostes_.

In this Pa.s.sage _Virgil_ uses _Deus_ in speaking of a _G.o.ddess_, for no other Reason imaginable but to enrich his Verse with Rhyme.

3. Of the _scanning conclusive Rhyme_ the following are Instances.

"_Sylvestrem tenui musam medi--taris [=a]--ven[=a]_.

"_Nudus in ignota pali--nure j[=a]--cebis [=a]--ren[=a]_.

From whence it appears that _Virgil_'s Poetry is almost all Rhyme of one kind or other; and it is evident beyond Dispute that he generally concludes his strong, sounding, majestick Paragraphs with a full Rhyme, for which I refer to that fine Line already more than once mentioned, which sums up the Praises of _Italy_.

"_Totaque thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis._

And to the Conclusion of his finest work.

"_Hic vero subitum, ac dictu mirabile monstrum Aspiciunt: liquefacta boum per viscera toto Stridere apes utero, & ruptis effervere costis, Immensasque trahi nubes; jamque arbore summa Confluere, & lentis uvam demittere ramis._

And to this I will add the last Line of the Epilogue to the _Georgicks_.

"_Tytyre te patulae cecini sub tegmine f.a.gi._

Where the two several Hemisticks or Parts of the Verse Rhyme each to itself.

I would observe here that both _Ovid_ and _Lucan_, for want of Judgment, begin with a full Rhyme; the consequence of which is, that the Conclusion of the Paragraph is less sonorous than the Beginning, which must needs have a bad Effect.

"_In nova fert animus muta_tas _discere for_mas.

Ovid.

"_Bella per aemath_ios _plus quam Civilia Cam_pos.

Lucan.

But a modern Writer, and a much better Composer of _Latin_ Verses than either _Ovid_ or _Lucan_, has with great Judgment taken care to follow _Virgil_'s Example in this and many other Particulars. I mean _Vanerius_. There are a great Number of Lines in his _Praedium Rustic.u.m_ which are worthy of _Virgil_ himself: I shall entertain you with some of them.

In his Kitchen-Garden, the following Pa.s.sage is a Description of all the numerous Family of Colworts, or the Cabbage-kind.

"_Quid dicam quanta jactat se Bra.s.sica laude?

Sive volubilibus redit in se frondibus, Orbesque Orbibus agglomerans, capitis sub mole laborat; Tornato similes Ebori seu candida Flores Ediderit, seu Coniacas imitata Cupressus, Seque suas plicat in frondes, & ac.u.men in alb.u.m Desinit, & tenui venit haud ingloria Mensae.

Sive hieme in media c.u.m caetera frigore torpent Loeta viret, Boreamque trucem, Caurosque malignos Despiciens, vacuis ultro Dominatur in hortis._"

In his Description of the Farm-yard, he paints the following several Sorts of Fowls in this Manner:

"_Se pictae cervicis_ Anas _& Garulus_ Anser _Tarda mole movent: habitu_ Gallina _modesto Progreditur: Caudam_ Gallus _Cristasque rubentes Erigit, & motis sibi plaudit Laetior alis_."

And I cannot omit this most charming Verse which describes the Courtship of a Pigeon.

"_Saepe solum verrens Penna pendente rotatur._"

"Oft with his trailing Wing the wanton Dove Brushes the Ground, and wheels about his Love.

Such Verse as this must please in all Ages, and in all Countries, where the Readers have any Taste and Delicacy of Ear. All the Beauties of _Virgil_'s Poetry are in these Lines; and you may observe in the four last mentioned,

1. How curiously the _Pause_ is varied.

In the first Line it is upon the first Syllable of the fourth Foot.

In the second Line it is upon the first Syllable of the third Foot.

In the third Line it is upon the first Syllable of the second Foot.

In the fourth Line it is upon the last Syllable of the first Foot.

2. Observe the _initial Alliteration_ in the first, second and third Lines.

In the first, _Anas_ and _Anser_.

In the second, _Mole_, _Movent_, and _Modesto_.

In the third, _Caudam_, _Cristasque_.

The mixt Alliteration in the first Line where _Garrulus_ is placed betwixt _Anser_ and _Anas_, makes the Verse very sonorous; but the mixt Alliteration in the last Line where the Vowel _i_ is repeated eight times in seven Words, is a very masterly Stroke;

"_Er_i_g_i_t, & mot_i_s s_i_b_i _plaud_i_t loet_i_or al_i_s_."

--I_lle h_i_nc concentus_ i_n omn_i _Carm_i_ne D_i_v_i_n_i _vat_i_s_.--

Which _extempore_ Remark is itself an Instance of what I am taking notice of as imitated from _Virgil_.

3. You will perceive the _Allusio Verborum_ to have a very good Effect in the second Line.

"_Tarda m_o_le m_o_vent, habitu gallina m_o_dest_o."

4. The mixing the singular and plural Numbers in the third Line is very judicious.

"_Caudam_ Cristasque _rubentes_.

_Ovid_ would have said,