left us; and these, I presume, they judged most agreeable to the genius of our nation and lan— guage. Some freedom and ease of composition. is, and always was, observed to be productive of happier effects than an over rigid and starched nicety. Thus the Greeks are much less confined as to quantities than the Romans. And not to detract from Virgil's deserved praise, I think Homer may justly be allowed a preference to him, almost in such a measure and proportion as an original writer is to a translator. The Romans had several words, even in their own language, that by reason of their quantities, could not possibly be put into verse. Thus Horace was at a loss to name the town Equotuticum, and was fain to describe it by a round about sort of a paraphrase. And Martial was hard put to it to name the favourite boy, Earinus, Domitian's valet. But, on the contrary, every harsh word sounded smooth in a Greek's mouth. They might sound,
"Ares, Ares,"
with an air, though they made the same syllable in the same word to be first long, and then, with the same breath, short. This Martial wittily observes of them, and at the same time as wittily laments the over—rigid severity of his own country's Muses:—
"Nobis non licet esse tam disertis
Musas qui colimus severiores."
But with all their severity, if Martial had been acquainted with the obstinate, coy, and in-compliant temper of our British Awen, he would certainly have taken the Roman Muses for a bevy of city courtezans. Besides, our Muse, by
