the natural language of mankind, loose and unconfined by poetical measures, rhymes, &c. In which sense it stands opposed to verse.

There is, however, a species of prose which is measured, such as that in which epitaphs and other inscriptions are generally written; and indeed every man who has formed for himself a style writes in uniform periods regularly recurring. It has been much disputed whether a poem can be written in prose. We enter not into that dispute, as we have said enough on the subject elsewhere. See NOVEL.

The word prose comes from the Latin prosa, which some will have derived from the Hebrew poras, which signifies expendi: others deduce it from the Latin pro- sa, of profrus, "going forwards:" by way of opposition to versa, or "turning backwards," as is necessary in writing.