Letters Concerning Poetical Translations Part 5

_"Fluvi[)o]rum Rex Erida.n.u.s._--

And

_"Strid[)e]re apes utero & ruptis efferv[)e]re costis._

VIII. _Lines contrary to the common Measure_, or rather without any Measure at all, _viz._

"_Quod fieri ferro, liquidove potest electro, Saxa per & scopulos & depressas convalles._

IX, X, XI. These are the three Articles formerly mentioned, namely, the _Alliteratio_, the _Allusio Verborum_, and the _a.s.sonantia Syllabarum_.

1. As to the _Alliteratio_. This is of several Kinds, it is _Initial_, _Single_ and _Double_; sometimes _Treble_, or more frequent. It is likewise _Mix'd_, that is, both in the first Letters of the Words, and in the following Syllables. It is sometimes so often repeated, that it may be term'd _a.s.sultus_, or an Attack upon, or a storming of the Ear.

The following are Examples of the _Single Alliteratio_.

"_Quid faciat laetas_ segetes, _quo_ sidere _terram_ Vertere, _Maecenas_, _ulmisque adjungere_ vites, Conveniat: _quae_ cura _boum_, _qui_ cultus _habendo_.

Again,

"--_Sed_ viva volare _Sideris in numerum_.--

And,

"--_Asia longe_ Pulia palus.--

Of the _Double_ initial _Alliteratio_, this is an Example:

"_Totaque thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis._

Of the _Treble_ and more frequent initial _Alliteratio_, this is an Instance:

"_Et sola in sicca sec.u.m spatiatur arena._

The _Mix'd Alliteratio_, and the _a.s.sultus_ are to be found in these two Lines:

"Illas _ducit_ amor trans Gargara, transque sonantem Ascanium: superant _montes_, & flumina tranant.

In these two Lines the Vowel _a_ is repeated fourteen times, and what an Effect this has upon the Ear, the Reader cannot but perceive.

2. Of the _Allusio Verborum_, the following are Examples:

"_Nec nocturna quidem carpentes pensa puellae._

Again,

"_Hoc metuens; molemque & montes insuper altos._

Again,

"_Stat sonipes, ac frena ferox spumantia mandit._

Again,

"_Vitavisse vices Danaum._

3. Of the _a.s.sonantia Syllabarum_ or _Rhyme_, there are in _Virgil_ the several following Sorts.

1. _The plain direct Rhyme_, which is of two Kinds, _Single_ or _Double_.

2. _The intermediate_ or _casual plain Rhyme_.

3. _The scanning conclusive Rhyme_. So called, because it would hardly be perceived by the Generality of Readers, unless they first scann'd the Verse; but when they have done that in three or four Lines, the Ear will afterwards make the necessary Distinction without any farther trouble.

I will explain and give Examples of all these several sorts of _Rhyme_ in their Order.

1. To treat of the plain _Single_ direct _Rhyme_. The following Verses are Examples of this sort of Rhyme: But to make them more like our own, I will divide the Verse into two Parts.

"_Poculaque inventis Acheloia miscuit uvis._

"_Totaque Thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis._

"_Et premere, & laxas Sciret dare, jussus habenas._

"_Atque rotis summas Levibus pellabitur undas._

"_O nimium coelo Et pelago confise sereno._

Many more of these Lines might be produced, but these are sufficient.

Of the plain direct _Double_ Rhyme (which is the Sort of Rhyme the _Spectator_ speaks of No. 60, and which the Monks were in Love with) the following are Instances.

"_Hic labor extremus, lon_garum _haec meta vi_arum.

Again,

"_I nunc & verbis Virtutem illude superbis._

Again,

"_Cornua veletarum Obvertimus Antennarum._