Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/75

 Dutch-Men, they would never, in all probability, have thought it worth their while to attempt the Writing of Heroick Poems; Virgil especially, {c} who began to write an Historical Poem of some great Actions of his Country-men; but was so gravelled with the Roughness of the Roman Names, that he laid it aside.

Now, as the Roman Poetry arrived to that Perfection which it had, because it was supported by a Language which, though in some Things inferiour to the Greek, had noble and charming Beauties, not now to be found in Modern Languages; so the Roman Oratory was owing to their Government: Which makes the Parallel much more perfect: And all those Reasons alledged already for the Growth of the Attick Eloquence, are equally applicable to the History of the Roman; so that there is no Necessity of Repeating them. To which we may add, That when the Romans once lost their Liberty, their Eloquence soon fell: And Tacitus (or Quinctilian) needed not have gone so far about to search for Reasons of the Decay of the Roman Eloquence. Tully left his Country and Profession, after his Defence of S. Roscius Amerinus; resolv-