19. is occasionally found in our ballads and old ro

mances.

The queyne duelt thus in Kildromey,

:

And the king and his company|
Wandryt emang the hey mountains.

The Bruce, 2. 763.

As the section 1. is rare in Anglo-Saxon verse, we have as yet met with few alliterative couplets; but many are found beginning with the lengthened section 17.

VERSES BEGINNING WITH SECTION 17.

17: 1. has for ages, been well-known to our poetry; when lengthened it forms one of the commonest couplets in our Anglo-Saxon poems.

And the milkmaid: sing|eth blithe
And the mower wets | his scythe.

L'Allegro.

The Anglo-Saxon couplets will be classed according to the alliteration, beginning with one that rhimes all the four syllables. The number, ranged under each head, will give the reader some notion of the comparative frequency of their occurrence in Anglo-Saxon verse;

Sweartle swoglan sæs | upstig on.

Cadmon.

17: 2. is found in Anglo-Saxon, but very rarely in

17:5. was a well-known couplet in Anglo-Saxon. It was very common in our old romances, and was still flourishing as late as Elizabeth's reign. It must now be considered as obsolete;

Oht | mid eng|lum and or|leg nith].

:

Cæd.

Cad.

Alf.

Alf.

Sceot ta leoda: and scip]-flotan].

nym | the heo | wæs: ahaf|en on'.

Storyss to rede are delitabill,

Brunanburgh War-song.

Supposs that thai be nocht but fabill.

Than suld storyss: that suth fast wer],
And thai war said in gud maner,
Haive doubill plesance in heryng;
The first plesaunce is the carpyng,
And the tothir: the suth fastnes
That schawys the thing right as it wes;
And such thing is that are | likand
Tyll mannys heryng are plesand.

Set me a new robe by an olde,

And coarse cop|par: by duck|ate gold,
An ape unto an elephante,
Bruck|le byr all by diamante,
Set | rich ruby to redd | emayle],
The raven's plume to peacoke's tayle,
There shall no less an oddes be seene
In myne, from everye other queene.
When I build castles in the air,
Void of sorrow and void of care.

Cæd.

The Bruce, 1. 1.

Putt. Parth. 15.

Welcome welcome ye dark | blue waves].

The lengthened verse is more rare;

Burton, Anat. of Mel.

Byron.

Seow and set te geond seflan mon❘na.

Ex. MSS.

Wille burn an on wor|uld thring|an.

Cæd.

Verses beginning with 1 l. are occasionally met with, but chiefly in the tumbling verse; for instance 1: 1.;

With him man fully for | to fight.

:

M. for M. Flodd. Fielde, 2.

With such holiness: can | you do | it.

H 6, 2. 1.

It would be useless to mark down every variety, which has been stumbled upon by the writers of such licentious metre as the tumbling verse. Those verses only, which

occur often enough to give a character to the rhythm, will be noticed.

Verses beginning with Section 2. 21. were always rare. The lengthened verse is found in Anglo-Saxon;

All the commownys went him fra,
That | for thair liff|: war | full fain|
To pass to the Inglis pes again.

He that keeps nor crust nor crumb,
Wearly of all shall | want some.

The Bruce, 2. 304.

Lear, 1. 4.

2. 2. is now seldom met with; the lengthened verse is

a common Anglo-Saxon couplet;

We did observe] : cousin Aumerle],

How far brought you high Her'ford on his way?

The verse from L'Allegro is, I believe, the only one written by Milton in this rhythm.

The verse 2: 5, has long been one of the standard

verses.

Where the great sun begins | his state].

Ere the first cock|: his mat in rings].

L'Allegro.

L'Allegro.

2: 6. was very common in the tumbling verse.
King without realme]: lo now | where I stand].
M. for M. King James, 3.

Now am I bond sometime | I was free].
1
Whom should I blame]: I found that I sought.

Same, 5.

Same, 7.

:

Pray we that God will grant | us his grace.

Flodden Field, 6.

Same.

Same.

Sone then the gunnes] : began | a new play].
And the vaunt-garde]: together are gone].
And the luce-head]: that day | was full bent.

Same.

This is one of those verses which belong to the triple measure; and though never used by Cowper, and those who have left us the happiest specimens of that rhythm, is far from uncommon in the works of our later poets. 2: 9. is only found in the tumbling verse;

In the vaunt-garde]: forward fast | did hye|.

M.for M. Flod. F. 6.

Give the Scots grace by King Jem yes fall.

Same, 25.