The piece, you think, is incorrect? Why, take it; I'm all fubmiffion; what you'd have it, make it.

This licence is fufferable in a single couplet; but if frequent would give difguft.

The other exception concerns the fecond line of a couplet, which is fometimes ftretched out to twelve fyllables, termed an Alexandrine line:

A needlefs Alexandrine ends the fong,

That, like a wounded fnake, drags its flow length along. It doth extremely well when employ'd to close a period with a certain pomp and folemnity, where the fubject makes that tone proper.

With regard to quantity, it is unneceffary to mention a fecond time, that the quantities employ'd in verse are but two, the one double of the other; that every fyllable is reducible to one or other of these standards; and that a fyllable of the larger quantity is termed long, and of the leffer quantity hurt. It belongs more to the prefent article, to examine what peculiarities there may be in the English language, as to long and fhort fyllables. Every language has fyllables that may be pronounced long or short at pleasure; but the English above all abounds in fyllables of that kind; in words of three or more fyllables, the quantity for the most part is invariable: the exceptions are more frequent in diffyllables: but as to monofyllables, they may, without many exceptions, be pronounced either long or fhort; nor is the ear hurt by a liberty that is rendered familiar by cuftom. This shows, that the melody of English verfe muft depend lefs upon quantity, than upon other circunftances in which it differs widely from Latin verse, where every fyllable, having but one found, ftrikes the ear uniformly with its accustomed impreffion; and a reader must be delighted to find a number of fuch fyllables, difpofed fo artfully as to be highly melodious. Syllables variable in quantity cannot poffefs this power; for though custom may render familiar, both a long and a fhort pronunciation of the fame word; yet the mind wavering between the two founds, cannot be fo much affected as where every fyllable has one fixt found. What I have talk to fay upon quantity, will come

more

properly

properly under the following head, of arrangement. And with respect to arrangement, which may be brought within a narrow compafs, the English Heroic line is commonly Iambic, the firft fyllable fhort, the fecond long, and fo on alternately through the whole line. One exception there is, pretty frequent, of lines, commencing with a Trochæus, i. e. a long and a fhort fyllable but this affects not the order of the following fyllables, which go on alternately as ufual, one short and one long. The following couplet affords an example of each kind.

Some in the fields of pureft æther play,

And balk and whiten in the blaze of day. It is a great imperfection in English verfe, that it excludes the bulk of polyfyllables, which are the most founding words in our language; for very few of them have fuch alternation of long and fhort fyllables as to correfpond to either of the arrangements mentioned. English verfe accordingly is almost totally reduced to diffyllables and monofyllables: magnanimity is a founding word totally excluded: impetuofity is ftill a finer word, by the refemblance of the found and fenfe; and yet a negative is put upon it, as well as upon numberlefs words of the fame kind. Polyfyllables composed of fyllables long and short alternately, make a good fi gure in verfe; for example: obfervance, opponent, oftenfive, pindaric, productive, prolific, and fuch others of three fyllables. Imitation, imperfection, misdemeanor, mitigation, moderation, obfervator, ornamental, regulator, and others fimilar of four fyllables, beginning with two fhort fyllables, the third long, and the fourth fhort, may find a place in a line commencing with a Trochæus. I know not if there be any of five fyllables. One I know of fix, viz. mifinterpretation: but words fo compofed are not frequent in our language.

One would not imagine without trial, how uncouth falfe quantity appears in verfe ; not less than a provincial tone or idiom. The article the is one of the few monofyllables that is invariably short: fee how harsh is makes a line where it must be pronounced long:

This nymph, to thẽ děstruction ōf mankind,

Again:

Th' advent'rous bāron the bright lōcks admir'd. Let it be pronounced fhort, and it reduces the melody almoft to nothing: better fo however than false quantity. In the following examples we perceive the fame defect.

And old impertinence I expel by new.
With varying vanities | from ev'ry part.
Love in these labyrinths his flaves detains.
New ftratagems the radiant lock to gain.
Her eyes half-languishing || half drown'd in tears.
Roar'd for the handkerchief || that caus'd his pain.
Paffions like elements though born to fight..

The great variety of melody confpicuous in English verfe, arifes chiefly from the paufes and accents; which are of greater importance than is commonly thought. There is a degree of intricacy in this branch of our fubject, and it will be difficult to give a distinct view of it; but it is too late to think of difficulties after we are engaged The paufe, which paves the way to the accent, offers itself firft to our examination; and from a very fhort trial, the following facts will be verified. 1ft, A line admits but one capital paufe. 2d, In different lines, we find this paufe after the fourth fyllable, after the fifth, after the fixth, and after the feventh. These four places of the paufe lay a folid foundation for dividing English Heroic lines into four kinds; and 1 warn the reader beforehand, that unless he attend to this diftinction, he cannot have any juft notion of the richness and variety of English verfification. Each kind or order hath a melody peculiar to itself, readily distinguishable by a good ear; and I am not without hopes to make the caufe of this peculiarity tufficiently evident. It mutt be obferved, at the fame time, that the paufe cannot be made indifferently at any of the places mentioned: it is the fenfe that regulates the paufe, as will be feen more fully afterward; and confequently, it is the fense that determines of what order every line muft be: there can be but one capital mufical paufe in a line; and that paule ought to coincide, if poffible, with a paufe in the

fenfe,

fense, in order that the found may accord with the sense. What is faid fhall be illuftrated by examples of each fort or order. And firft of the paufe after the fourth fyllable:

Back through the paths of pleafing sense I ran Again,

Profufe of blifs and pregnant with delight After the 5th:

So when an angel | by divine command, With rifing tempefts fhakes a guilty land. After the 6th:

Speed the foft intercourfe from foul to foul Again,

Then from his clofing eyes thy form shall part After the 7th:

And taught the doubtful battle where to rage Again,

And in the fmooth defcription | murmur ftill

Befide the capital paufe now mentioned, inferior paufes will be difcovered by a nice ear. Of these there are commonly two in each line; one before the capital paufe, and one after it. The former comes invariably after the first long fyllable, whether the line begin with a long fyllable or a fhort. The other in its variety imitates the capital paufe: in fome lines it comes after the 6th fyllable, in fome after the 7th, and in fome after the 8th. Of these femipaufes take the following examples.

ift and 8th:

Led through a fad | variety of wo.

ift and 7th:

Still on that breaft || enamour'd | let me lie

2d and 8th:

From ftoris a fhelter || and from heat | a fhade 2d and 6th:

Let wealth | let honour wait | the wedded dame 2d and 7th:

Above all pain || all paffion | and all pride

D 4

Even

Even from thefe few examples it appears, that the place of the laft femipaufe, like that of the full paufe, is directed in a good measure by the fenfe. Its proper place with refpect to the melody is after the 8th fylla. ble, fo as to finish the line with an Iambus diftinctly pronounced, which, by a long syllable after a fhort, is a preparation for reft: but fometimes it comes after the 6th, and fometimes after the 7th fyllable, in order to avoid a paufe in the middle of a word, or between two words intimately connected; and fo far melody is just- . ly facrificed to fenfe..

In difcourfing of Hexameter verfe, it was laid down as a rule, That, a full pause ought never to divide a word: fuch licence deviates too far from the coincidence that ought to be between the paufes of fenfe and of melody. The fame rule muft obtain in an English line; and we fhall fupport reafon by experiments:

A noble fuperfluity it craves.

Abhor, a perpetuity fhould ftand.

Are thefe lines diftinguishable from profe? Scarcely, I

think.

The fame rule is not applicable to a femipause, which being thort and faint, is not fenfibly difagreeable when it divides a word.

Relentless walls | whofe darkfome round | contains. For her white virgins || hymelneals fing.

In thefe deep folitudes and awful cells.

It must however be acknowledged, that the melody here fuffers in fome degree: a word ought to be pronounced without any rett between its component fyllables: the femipaufe muft bend to this rule, and thereby fcarce remains fenfible.

With regard to the capital paufe, it is fo effential to the melody, that a poet cannot be too nice in the choice of its place, in order to have it clear and diftinct. It cannot be in better company than with a paufe in the fenfe; and if the fenfe require but a comma after the fourth, fifth, fixth, or feventh fyllable, it is fufficient for the mufical paufe. But to make fuch coincidence effential, would cramp verfification too much; and we

have