are Lines consisting of ten Syllables; but they are no more _English_ Verses, than they are _Greek_ ones. Many _irregular_ and _redundant_ Verses, and more of an ill Sound and Cadence, are to be met with in his Poem; sometimes a considerable Number of them together. Whether This was _Negligence_ in him, or _Choice_, I know not. Certain it is from the main Tenour of his Verification, than which nothing can be more heroically sonorous, that it was not Want of Ear, Genius, or Judgment. What is the true Cadence of an _English_ Verse, is sufficiently known to the Ears of every one who has a Taste of Poetry. Sometimes it is not only allowable, but beautiful, to run into harsh, and unequal Numbers. Mr. _Dryden_ himself does it; and we may be sure he knew when he did it, as well as we could tell him. In a Work intended for Pleasure, _Variety_ justifies the Breach of almost any Rule, provided it be done but _rarely_. Among the Ancient Poets, what are many of those _Figures_ (as we call them) both in Prosody, and Syntax, but so many Ways of making _false Quantity_, and _false Grammar_, for the sake of _Variety_? False, I mean, ordinarily speaking; for Variety, and That only, makes it elegant. _Milton_ however has too much irregular Metre: But if his overruling Genius, and Merit might in Him _authorize_ it, or at least _excuse_ it; yet _nobis non licet esse tam audacibus_: especially when I am translating _Virgil_, the most exact, and accurate Versificator in the World: A Character, however, which he would not deserve (for the Reason just mentioned) were he not in _some_ Verses irregular, and unaccurate. I am sure I have truly imitated him in _That_; I wish I may have done so in _any thing else_. Two Things remain to be taken notice of, equally relating to Rhime, and Blank Verse. It is a known Fault in our Language, that it is too much crouded with _Monosyllables_: Yet some Verses consisting wholly of them sound well enough: However, the fewer we have of them, the better it is. I believe there are as few of them in this Translation as in any _English_ Poem of an equal Length; which is all I shall say upon This Article.