There are, however, a few poems, in which they are admitted freely enough to give a peculiar character to the rhythm. One of these poems is the Elegy written by Brysket, (though generally ascribed to Spenser,) on the death of Sir Philip Sidney. It has very little poetical merit, but deserves attention, as having undoubtedly been in Milton's eye, when he wrote his Lycidas. From it Milton borrowed his irregular rhimes, and that strange mixture of Christianity and Heathenism, which shocked the feelings and roused the indignation of Johnson. It may be questioned, if the peculiarity in the metre can fairly be considered as a blemish. Like endings, recurring at uncertain distances, impart a wildness and an appearance of negligence to the verse, which suits well with the character of elegy. But to bring in St. Peter hand in (as Milion in hand with a pagan deity is merely ludicrous; it was has done.) the taste of the age, and that is all that can be urged in its excuse. Still, however, the beauties of this singular poem may well make us tolerant of even greater absurdity. No work of Milton has excited warmer admiration, or called forth more strongly the zeal of the partizan. The elegy on Sir Philip Sidney will afford us a specimen of rather a curious rhythm; and at the same time enable us to judge of Milton's skill in changing the baser metal into gold. It should be observed, that, in some editions, the sections are written in separate lines, as if they formed distinct verses. THE MOURNING MUSE OF THESTYLIS. Come forth, ye Nymphs! come forth, forsake your wat❜ry bowers, Help me to tune | my doleful notes to gurgling sound Of Liffie's tumbling streams, come let salt tears of ours, Mix with his waters fresh: O come, let one consent Joyn us to mourn | with wail|ful plaints: the deadly wound The drery day, in which they have from us yrent The noblest plant that might from east to west be found, Mourn, mourn great Philip's fall! mourn we his woeful end, The Sylvan Gods likewise came running far and near; O help, O help, ye Gods! they ghastly gan to cry. Spake | in this wise: Refrain, quoth he, your tears | and plaints|, Of Destiny or Death; such is his will that paints The earth with colours fresh, the darkest skyes with store With eyes lift up to Heav'n, and courage frank as steel, If justice to maintain, that valour I have spent Thy name, thy truth, then spare | me, Lord]: if thou think best Forbear these unripe years. But if thy will be bent, : If that prefixed time | be come which thou | hast set, A trembling chilly cold ran through their veins, which were VERSES OF SEVEN ACCENTS May be divided, like those of six, into two classes, accordingly as they begin or end with the compound section. Both these classes were known to the Anglo-Saxons; but under the influence of the psalm metres the latter gradually gave way, in the same manner as the corresponding rhythm in the metre of six accents. It was, however, very freely used by certain of our poets, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; more especially by Phaer and Chapman. We will first take the verses that begin with the compound section. Cædmon generally opened the first section with an accent, and the second with an unaccented syllable. 17:17. c: 2 ll. And moste ane tid: ute weorthan Wes an ane winter stun de: thon ne ic mid | this wer ode And bide one winter's space! then I with this host- Cæd. 1:6 l. c: 8. hæl eth helm on heaf od aset te: and thonje full heard e geband] Hero's-helm on head he set, and it full hard y-bound. Cad. 2:5. c: 5. Warliath inc | with thone wæstm]: ne wyrth | inc wil na gæd] both ware of that fruit, ne let it goad your lust. Cad. Be ye 21:21.c:57. Lag on the oth|re fynd | on tham fyre: the ær | swa fealla hæf don Lay the other fiends in fire, that erewhile had so fele Strife with their Ruler. Cad. 21:51. c: 5 l. Næron metode : Thagyta wid lond ne weglas nyt te ac stod | bewriglen fæste Nor had the Maker As yet wide land, nor pathways useful; but fast beset Cæd. 57:17. c: 5 l. Tha spræcse of er mod a cyning: the ær | wæs eng la scyn ost.. Se feond mid his | gefer um eal lum: feal lon tha u fon of heof num The last verse, approaches very nearly to the favourite rhythm of Chapman; of which we have no less than five examples in the first six lines of his Iliad. 5: 1. c. 5. Achilles bane ful wrath | resound]: O Goddess! that | imposed cavel : them farre] to that | invisible That no light comforts, and their lims: to dogs | and vultures gave. To all which Jove's will gave | effect from whom | strife first begunne Betwixt | Atridles, king of men and The|tis' god like sonne]. Iliad, 1. The same verse is also common in the translations of Phaer and Golding. Like Chapman also, these poets frequently begin the first section abruptly, and sometimes even the second; but they never allow themselves the liberty, which the latter so often takes, of opening a verse with the section 5: 2. c. 5:2. c: 5. This grace desir'd Vouchsafe to me! paines | for my teares let these | rude Greekes | repay Forc'd with thy arrowes. him pray. Thus he pray'd, and Phoebus heard : And vext | at heart | down | from the tops of steepe | heaven stoopt; his bow And quiver cover'd round his hands did on his shoulders throw And of the angrie deitye, the arrowes as he mov'd Ratl'd about him 5:2.c:2 Iliad, 1. Jove's and Latona's sonne, who fired against the king of men buy For presents of unvalu'd price his daughter's libertie, &c. 52 l. c: 1. Iliad, 1. Thus Xan thus spake ; ablest Achilles now at least | our care : Shall bring thee off; but not farre hence the fatal moments are Of thy grave ruine. Iliad. This kind of verse is sometimes used in Layamon, but more rarely than might have been expected. Robert of Gloucester has made it the great staple of his Chronicle. He uses a very loose rhythm, one of his sections approaching to the triple measure, while the other not unfrequently belongs to the strictest law of the common measure. 2:5. c: 8, Engelond ys a wel | god land: ich wenle of eche land best |