the soul at the injunction of the ears, possesses a
natural way of measuring sounds, by this judges some longer, some
shorter, and ever anticipates the completion of a measure. It
feels hurt when a rhythm is maimed or curtailed as if it had been
defrauded of due payment. It dislikes even more whatever is
prolonged and runs on beyond the proper bounds, since too much is
more offensive than too little. Not that everyone knows the
metrical feet, or understands anything about rhythm, or is aware
of what offends him, or where, or why; it is rather that nature
has set in our ears a power of judging the length and brevity of
sound, as also the acute and grave accent of words.[3]

_Pleasantness of sound is justly exacted of poets. The harshness of
many poets, particularly the German. Some are too melodious._

Hence it is that anyone who wishes to conform to nature must
necessarily strive for pleasantness of sound. This is the more justly
exacted of poets since poetry itself is nothing other than measured
language, bound into fixed numbers and feet, for the purpose of
charming the ear. Consequently, those poets are justly censured who
rest content with rounding off their words in six feet and altogether
neglect to accommodate the ear. A good many epigrammatists are
constant offenders in this kind, especially those who have rendered
the Greek Anthology in Latin and the German poets.

For example, who can tolerate this German epigram?

He who made all that nothing was of nothing,
Who'll make that nothing that now something is,
Made you who nothing were what you now are
From nothing, will make nothing what you are--
Yes, or if something, being but sin from sin,
From sin must form something for heaven fit.

Again, what is harsher than this epigram?

You from your soul could not but know mine that
That gave up in your ghost but just now his:
As soul is known from soul so is your ghost
Known to the Muses by my muse that's yours.

Or than this distich?

Forward, nor turn from the old path one bit:
This that you are I while I live shall be.[4]

But just as it is a considerable fault in diction wholly to neglect
the pleasure of the ear, since verse, as we said, was devised to
flatter it, so on the other hand those writers make a grievous mistake
who have an immoderate regard for the ear, and pay no attention to the
thought so