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Page 6
The Author of the _Proposal_, may think this but an ill Return, for
the soft things he has said of the Ladies, but I think it Gratitude
at least to make the Return, by doing Justice to the Gentlemen. I will
not contradict the Relation of the ingenious Experiment of his vocal
Ladies, tho' I could give him some Instances to the contrary, in my
Experience of those, whose Writings abound with Consonants; where
Vowels must generally be understood, and appear but very rarely.
Perhaps that Gentleman may be told that I have a _Northern_
Correspondence, and a _Northern_ Ear, probably not so fine as he
may think his own to be, yet a little musical.
And now for our _Monosyllables_. In the Controversy concerning which,
it must be examined, first whether the Charge which is exhibited
against the _Northern Languages_ is true, that they consist of nothing
but _Monosyllables_; and secondly, whether or no the Copiousness and
Variety of _Monosyllables_ may be always justly reputed a fault, and
may not sometimes as justly be thought, to be very useful and
ornamental.
And first I must assert, that the ancient _Northern Languages_, do not
wholly nor mostly consist of _Monosyllables_. I speak chiefly of the
_Gothick_, _Saxon_, and _Teutonick_. It must be confest that in the
_Saxon_, there are many _Primitive_ Words of one Syllable, and this
to those who know the Esteem that is due to Simplicity and Plainness,
in any Language, will rather be judged a Virtue than a Vice: That is,
that the first Notions of things should be exprest in the plainest
and simplest manner, and in the least compass: and the Qualities
and Relations, by suitable Additions, and Composition of _Primitive_
Words[D]; for which the _Saxon_ Language is very remarkable, as has
been before observed, and of which there are numerous Examples, in the
following Treatise of _Saxon Grammar_, and infinitely more might have
been added.
[Footnote D: Of this the _Greeks_ give as a fair Example, when
they express the Original and Author of all Things, their +Pat�r
andr�nte the�nte+, by their Monosyllable +Zeus+. As the _Hebrews_
do by ++yah++, the _Goths_ the Ancestors of our _Saxon_ Progenitors
by the Word ++GO�++, the _Saxons_, old _Germans_, _Teutons_,
_Francick_, and _English_, in the _Monosyllable_ *Go�*, the
_Germans_ #Gott#, and the _French_ _Dieu_.]
The second Enquiry is, whether or no the Copiousness and Variety
of _Monosyllables_ may be always justly reputed a fault, and may not
as justly be thought, to be very useful and ornamental? Were this a
fault, it might as justly be charged upon the learned Languages,
the _Latin_ and _Greek_: For the _Latin_ you have in _Lilly_'s Rules
concerning Nouns, several Verses, made up for the most part of
_Monosyllables_, I mention him not as a Classick, but because the
Words are Classical and _Monosyllables_; and in the _Greek_ there
are several as it were, idle _Monosyllables_, that have little
Significancy, except to make the Numbers in Verse compleat, or to
give a Fulness to their Periods, as the Verses of _Homer_ and other
_Greek Poets_ plainly evidence: An Instance or two may suffice;
+Ex hou d� ta pr�ta diast�t�n erisante.+
Here are four _Monosyllables_ in this Verse,
+T�n d' eg� ou lus�, prin min kai g�ras epeisen.+
Here are six _Monosyllables_, and one cutting off.
+All' ithi, m� m' erethize, sa�teros h�s ke ne�ai.
Hos �d� ta t' eonta, ta t' essomena, pro t' eonta.+
Hom. Il. I. l. 70.
Here are seven _Monosyllables_; yet so far is _Virgil_ from being angry
with his Master _Homer_ on this Account, that he in a manner transcribes
his very Words, imitating him as near as the _Latin_ wou'd permit;
Qu� sint, qu� fuerint, qu� mox ventura trahantur.
Here is the whole Sense of _Homer_ exprest, and five _Monosyllables_.
But Mr. _Dryden_, who has exprest the Sense of _Virgil_ with no less
Accuracy, gives you the whole Line in _Monosyllables;
He sees what is, and was, and is to come.
Mr. _Pope_ is equally happy in the Turn he has given to the Original,
who as he is an exact Master of Criticism, so has he all those
Accomplishments of an excellent Poet, that give us just Reason to hope
he will make the Father of the Poets speak to us in our own Language,
with all the Advantages he gave to his Works in that wherein they were
first written, and the modest Opinion he prescribes to his own, and other
Mens Poetical Performances, is no Discouragement to these Hopes;
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