[ ^7 ] 



ing an harmonious arrangement of words, and a rich and ealy 

 verfification, 2, The Greek language admitted a variety of 

 dialeds, which the poet might intermix, as fuited his conve- 

 nience ; this gave a greater choice- and variety of fynonimous 

 founds, and greatly facihtated the tafK of compofition. 3, The 

 Latin poet found the fame convenience in poetical licenfe ; but 

 the Greek language allowed it in a full liigher degree, more freely 

 indeed than any language I know, except the Italian. Now this 

 privilege is very fparingly, if at all, indulged to an Englifli 

 writer, whofe tafk in verfifying is therefore fo much the more 

 difficult. 4, Both the Greek and Latin lyric poets took the li- 

 berty of ending the line in the midft of a word, if the yerfifi- 

 cation happened to require it, as you may fee in every page of 

 Horace and Pindar ; indeed, there are in Virgil inftances of fuch 

 a licenfe, even in heroic verfe. A liberty of this fort would not 

 be endured in Englifh ; I queftion whether even the charms of 

 thejtrophe, atitijlrophe and ^/o^d' could reconcile it to thofe who 

 want the true antiquated claffic ear. 5, The antients went 

 ftill greater lengths -, there are inftances of a ftanza or Jirophe 

 ending in the middle of a word, and the remainder carried over 

 to the next ftanza ; as for example, in the fecond antijf raphe of 

 the third Olympic of Pindar, which ends in the middle of a 

 word, and the fecond epode, which begins with the remainirig 

 fyllable : 



OTi TO*? e; yaiac Tre^eusii' Bvfji©' 'u^fictl 

 >' J^iay tit. E>dz Aa7»(, &C. 



Having hazarded thefe curfory remarks on the critical opi- 

 nions contained in the note above-mentioned, permit me to add a 



[I 2] few 



