ced with a cadence. He may also examine another period in the 5th canto, which runs from line 45% to line 52.

Though the five requifites above mentioned, enter the compofition of every fpecies of verfe, they are however governed by different rules, peculiar to each species. Upon quantity only, one general obfervation may be premised, because it is applicable to every fpecies of verfe, That fyllables, with refpect to the time taken in pronouncing, are long or fhort; two short fyllables, with refpect to time, being precifely equal to a long one. These two lengths are effential to verfe of all kinds; and to no verfe, as far as I know, is a greater variety of time neceffary in pronouncing fyllables. The voice indeed is frequently made to reft longer than commonly, upon a word that bears an important fignification; but this is done to humour the fenfe, and is not neceffary for melody. A thing not more neceffary for inelody occurs with refpect to accenting, fimilar to that now mentioned: a word fignifying any thing humble, low, or dejected, is naturally, in profe as well as in verfe, pronounced in a tone below the key-note.

We are now fufficiently prepared for entering upon particulars; and Latin or Greek Hexameter, which are the fame, coming firft in order, I fhall exhauft what I have to fay upon this fpecies of verse, under the four following heads; number, arrangeinent, paufe, and accent: for as to quan

tity, so far as concerns the present point, what is obferved above may fuffice.

Hexameter lines as to time, are all of the fame length; being equivalent to the time taken in pronouncing twelve long fyllables or twenty-four fhort. An Hexameter line may confift of feventeen fyllables: and when regular and not Spondaic, it never has fewer than thirteen: whence it follows, that where the fyllables are many, the plurality must be fhort; where few, the plurality must be long.

This line is fuceptible of much variety as to the order in which the long and fhort fyllables fucceed each other. It is however subjected to laws, that confine its variety within certain limits and for afcertaining thefe limits, grammarians have invented a rule by Dactyles and Spondees, which they denominate feet. One at first view is led to think, that these feet are alfo intended to regulate the pronunciation; which is far from being the cafe; for were one to pronounce according to thefe feet, the melody of a Hexameter line would be deftroy'd, or at best be much inferior to what it is when properly pronounced *. These feet then must be confined to their

fole

* After fome attention given to this fubject, and weighing deliberately every circumftance, I have been forc'd to rest upon the foregoing conclufion, That the Dactyle and Spondee are no other than artificial measures invented for trying the accuracy of com. pofition. Repeated experiments convince me, that though the

fenfe

fole province of regulating the arrangement, for they serve no other purpose. They are withal fo artificial and complex, that I am tempted to fub ftitute in their place, other rules more fimple and of more eafy application; for example, the following. 1ft, The line must always commence

with

fenfe fhould be neglected, an Hexameter line read by Dactyles and Spondees, will not be melodious. And the compofition of an Hexameter line demonftrates this to be true, without neceflity of an experiment; for, as will appear afterward, there muf always, in this line, be a capital paufe at the end of the fifth long fyllable, reckoning, as above, two short for one long; and when we measure this line by Dactyles and Spondees, the paufe now mentioned divides always a Dactyle or a Spondee, without ever being at the end of either of these feet. Hence it is evident, that if a line be pronounced, as it is fcanned, by Dactyles and Spondees, the pause muft utterly be neglected; which confequently deftroys the melody, because this pause is effential to the melody of an Hexameter verfe. If, on the other hand, the melody be preferved by ma king this pause, the pronouncing by Dactyles or Spondees must be abandoned.

What has led grammarians into the use of Dactyles and Spon dees, feems not beyond the reach of conjecture. To produce me. lody, the Dactyle and the Spondee, which clafe every Hexameter line, must be distinctly expreffed in the pronunciation. This difcovery, joined with another, that the foregoing part of the verse could be measured by the fame feet, probably led grammarians to adopt these artificial measures, and perhaps rafhly to conclude, that the pronunciation is directed by these feet as the compofition is: the Dactyle and the Spondee at the clofe, ferve indeed the double purpose of regulating the pronunciation as well as the compofition; but in the foregoing part of the line, they regulate the compofition only, not the pronunciation.

with a long fyllable, and clofe with two long preceded by two fhort. 2d, More than two short can never be found in any part of the line, nor fewer than two if any. And, 3d, Two long fyllables which have been preceded by two fhort, cannot alfo be followed by two fhort. These few rules fulfil all the conditions of a Hexameter line, with relation to order or arrangement. To thefe again a fingle rule may be fubstituted, for which I have a ftill greater relish, as it regulates more affirmatively the construction of every part. That I may put this rule into words with the greater facility, I take a hint from the twelve long fyllables that compofe an Hexameter line, to divide it into twelve equal parts or portions, be

If we must have feet in verfe to regulate the pronunciation, and confequently the melody, thefe feet must be determined by the pauses, The whole fyllables interjected between two paufes ought to be deemed one músical foot; because, to preserve the melody, they must all be pronounced together, without any ftop. And there fore, whatever number there are of pauses in a Hexameter line, the parts into which it is divided by thefe paufes, make just so many mufical feet.

Connection obliges me here to anticipate, by obferving, that the fame doctrine is applicable to English Heroic verfe. Confidering its compofition merely, it is of two kinds; one compofed of five lambi ; and one of a Trochæus followed by four Iambi: but these feet afford no rule for pronouncing; the musical feet being obviously those parts of the line that are interjected between two paufes. To bring out the melody, thefe feet must be expreffed in the pronunciation; or, which comes to the fame, the pronunciation must be directed by the paufes, without regard to the lambus or Trochæus.

ing each of them one long fyllable or two short. A portion being thus defined, I proceed to the rule. The ift, 3d, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 12th portions, must each of them be one long. fyllable; the 10th must always be two fhort fyllables; the 2d, 4th, 6th, and 8th, may indifferently be one long or two fhort. Or to exprefs. the thing still more curtly, The 2d, 4th, 6th, and 8th portions may be one long fyllable or two. fhort; the 10th must be two short fyllables; all. the rest must confift each of one long fyllable. This fulfils all the conditions of an Hexameter line, and comprehends all the combinations of Dactyles and Spondees that this line admits.

Next in order comes the paufe. At the end of every Hexameter line, no ear but must be fenfible of a complete clofe or full pause; an effect that proceeds from the very conftruction of this line; which will appear as follows. The two long fyllables preceded by two fhort, which always clofe an Hexameter line, are a fine preparation for a full clofe: for fyllables pronounced flow, resembling a flow and languid motion tending to reft, naturally incline the mind to reft, or, which is the fame, to a pause; and to this inclination the two preceding fhort fyllables contribute, which, by contrast, make the flow pronunciation of the final fyllables the more confpicuous. Befide this complete clofe or full pause at the end, others are also requifite for the fake of melody; of which I difco