Page:Homer's Battle of the Frogs and Mice - Parnell (1717).djvu/95

 ther, they strangely contributed to his Fame, by making several Cities who observ'd something of their own in his mix'd Language, contend for his being one of their Natives. Now since I have here practis'd a License in Imitation of his, by short'ning the Word Borbocætes a whole Syllable, it seems a good Opportunity to speak for him where I defend myself. Remember then, that any great Genius who introduces Poetry into a Language, has a Power to polish it, and of all the Manners of speaking then in use, to settle that for Poetical which he judges most adapted to the Art. Take Notice too, that has not only done this for Necessity but for Ornament, since he uses various Dialects to humour his Sense with Sounds which are expressive of it. Thus much in Behalf of my Author to answer : As for myself, who deal with his Followers, I must argue from Necessity, that the Word was stubborn and wou'd not ply to the Quantities of an English Verse, and therefore I alter'd it by the Dialect we call Poetical, which makes my Line so much smoother, that I am ready to cry with their Brother Lipsius, when he turn'd an O into an I, Vel ego me amo, vel me amavit Phæbus quando hoc correxi. To this let me add a Recrimination upon some of them: As first, such as choose Words written after the Manner of those who preceded the purest Age of a Language, without the Necessity I have pleaded, as regundi for regendi, perduit for perdidit, which Restoration of obsolete Words deserves to be call'd a Critical License or Dialect. 2dly, Those who pretending