his Criticks, when they give him no Quarter for his Diction, and attack him so inflexibly for ending his Lines with Monosyllables, as —si quis —si non, &c. and as I think he cannot be excus'd more advantagiously, than by affirming, that where he has done it once, Virgil has twenty times
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& cum |
G. I. |
There are a great many Endings of Lines in this manner, and more indeed than seems consistent with the Majesty of Heroick Verse. When Lines are design'd to be sermoni propiores, this Liberty may be allowable, but not so when the Subject requires more sonorous Numbers. Virgil seems to endeavour to keep up his Versification to an harmonious Dignity; and therefore, when fit Words do not offer with some Ease, he'll rather break off in an Hemistick, than that the Line shou'd be lazy and languid. He well knew, how essential it was in Poetry to flatter the Ear; and at the same time was sensible, that this Organ grows tir'd by a constant Attention to the same Harmony; and therefore he endea-
