ftances I have mentioned, the fenfe of the paffage removes the ambiguity: But there is a paffage in Horace where that is not the cafe; it is where he says,

Dixeris egregie, notum fi calida verbum

Reddideris junctura novum.

+

where I really do not know whether a known word is to be rendered new, or a new word known, by a cunning junction.

The article, too, gives an emphafis, and a kind of dignity to proper names, by informing us that they are names well known; and it ferves alfo in place of a relative, letting us know that the thing or perfon was mentioned before *.

naculis artificibus, quia Hifter Tufco verbo Ludio vocabatur, nomen hiftrionibus inditum.

See what I have faid of the application of the ar ticle in Greek to proper names, Vol. 2. page 55. & feq. where I have fhown, that the article, when applied to a proper name (for it is not always fo), has a meaning, and is not, as it is fuppofed by fome, a word altogether infignificant, of which kind I believe there is no word in fo perfect a language as the Greek.

Of Compofition in Latin-not different in variety of arrangement from the Greek. In fome of the Latin poets greater variety of arrangement than in the Greek.-But in the prole authors a tedious fameness in the arrangement, by placing the verb laft So often in the fentence. The want of particles, fuch as the Greeks have, a great defect in the Latin compofition.

H

AVING confidered fingle words in Latin, both with refpect to their found, and as fignificant, I come now to fpeak of them in compofition, in which, as far as depends upon the arrangement, there cannot be much difference betwixt it and the Greek, or if there be any as to the

variety of arrangement, I think there is more of that at leaft in fome of the Latin authors than is to be found in Greek. Of this I fhall fay more in the next book, where I am to treat of Stile.

But, in their profe compofitions, there is a fameness and uniformity, which does not appear to me to arise from the nature of their language, but certainly predominates very much in their hiftories, and more or less in all their compofitions. What I mean is the terminating their sentences fo often with a verb, and generally the governing verb in the fentence. But of this likewise I shall fay more when I come to treat of Stile.

But, befides this defect in the Latin compofition, there are wanting in it those many connective particles, with which, as I have shown, the Greek abounds fo much ; and which, befides connecting the fenfe, give a flow to the compofition, not to be found in any other language. Several of these I have already mentioned, and will not here repeat.

And so much for the Latin language ; and, as I understand no other antient language, except the Greek and Latin, I will now speak of some modern languages, be ginning with the modern Greek.

The words of the modern Greek the fame for the greater part with thofe of the antient-different in the pronunciation and grammar.-Of the found of the modern Greek-little variety in it.-Five letters founded the fame way.-No diphthongs or afpirates-no melody or rhythm, but only accents, fuch as ours.-They retain Something of the grammatical art-form fome cafes and tenfes by flection-have genders and numbers in their nouns, and perfons and numbers in their verbs-but their grammar cannot be reduced to any rule.-The English pronunciation of the antient Greek very like to the pronunciation of the modern Greek—has all the faults that pronunciation can have-formerly it was ftill worse, as they neglected the quantity, and pronounced the accents