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tlons, ingemiuates and multiplies them upon him. For my own part, 

 from what little knowledge I poffefs of the tongue, I am of opinion 

 that inftead of the Italian refifting the rhime, there is no European 

 language that courts it fo much, or one in which it would be more 

 difficult to avoid it. Rucellai therefore is entitled to praife for having 

 blanked one half of his admirable poem. 



Rucellai's fucccfsful attempt feems to have given birth to other eiforts 

 of the fort among the Italians : for not long after, we have the cele- 

 brated Annibal Caro tranflating the ^neis into blank-verfe, a work 

 in high efteem with his own countrymen, who are the befl 'judges of 

 its merit ; though feverely cenfured by Mr. Dryden and Doftor Trappe 

 in their prefaces to their refpeftive tranQations of the ^neis But 

 whatever Mr. Dryden had done, who was the friend of rhime, and 

 whom no man excelled in the graceful application of it. Dr. Trappe 

 fiiouldhave fpared his abufe ; knowing that himfelfhad tranfprofed the 

 fame author, and might be judged by thofe who were bed qualified 

 to pafs an impartial fentence. 



« Read the commandments, Trappe : tranflate no further— 

 "■ Is it not written. Thou (halt do no murther ?" 



Cotemporary with Caro was Alamanni, who, in the year 1 546, publifhed 

 " La Coltivazione," a Georgic, cajirated of its rhime. Moil, however, of 

 the Italian tragedies are corapofed in the -verfo fciolto, as if the buflcin had 

 afferted her exclufive claim to it: though fome of their epic, as of late 

 years, the tranflation of Milton by Rolli, have been manufaftured in 

 this metre. Indeed, as the Italian favours the Roman quantities beyond 

 other European tongues, fo it falls with lefs difficulty than any of them 

 into blank-verfe; for, although the Italian invites the rhime in a 

 fuperior degree, and notwithftanding its various mixtures of the Gothic, 

 the Greek, the Arabian, and afterwards of the Norman, yet being more 

 immediately founded on the Latin, and arifmg out of it, it retains a 



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