ioo THE RAMBLER; N 121.

difficult and unpleafing ; tirefome to the ear by its uniformity, and to the attention by its length. It was at firft formed in imitation of the Italian poets, without due regard to the genius of our language. The Italians have little variety of termination, and were forced to contrive fuch a ftanza as might ad- mit the greateft number of fimilar rhymes ; but our words end with fo muchdiverfity, that it is feldom convenient for us to bring more than two of the fame found together. If it be juftly obferved by Milton, that rhyme obliges poets to exprefs their thoughts in improper terms, thefe improprieties muft always be multiplied, as the difficulty of rhyme is incieafcd by long concatenations. The imitators of Spctjfer are indeed not very rigid cenforsof themfelves,for they feem to conclude, that when they have disfigured their lines with a few ob- folcte fyllables, they have accomplished their defign, without confidering that they ought not only to ad- mit old words, but to avoid new. The laws of imi- tation are broken by every word introduced fince the time of Spenfer, as the character of Heclor is violated by quoting Arijloile in the play. It would indeed be difficult to exclude from a long poem all modern phrafes, though it is eafy to fprinkle it with gleanings of antiquity. Perhaps, however, the ftyle of Spenfer might by long labour be juftly copied ; but life is furely given us for higher purpofes than to gather what our anceftors have wifely thrown away, and to learn what is of no value, but be- caufe it has been forgotten.