Now,{96}ofversifyingtherearetwosorts,theoneancient,theothermodern;theancientmarkedthequantityofeachsyllable,andaccordingtothatframedhisverse;themodern,observingonlynumber,withsomeregardoftheaccent,thechieflifeofitstandethinthatlikesoundingofthewords,whichwecallrhyme.
Whetherofthesebethemoreexcellent,wouldbearmanyspeeches;
theancient,nodoubtmorefitformusic,bothwordsandtimeobservingquantity;andmorefitlivelytoexpressdiverspassions,bytheloworloftysoundofthewell-weighedsyllable.Thelatter,likewise,withhisrhymestrikethacertainmusictotheear;and,infine,sinceitdothdelight,thoughbyanotherway,itobtaineththesamepurpose;therebeingineither,sweetness,andwantinginneither,majesty.TrulytheEnglish,beforeanyvulgarlanguageI
know,isfitforbothsorts;for,fortheancient,theItalianissofullofvowels,thatitmusteverbecumberedwithelisions.TheDutchso,oftheotherside,withconsonants,thattheycannotyieldthesweetslidingfitforaverse.TheFrench,inhiswholelanguage,hathnotonewordthathathhisaccentinthelastsyllable,savingtwo,calledantepenultima;andlittlemore,haththeSpanish,andthereforeverygracelesslymaytheyusedactiles.
TheEnglishissubjecttononeofthesedefects.