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 foon become disgustful.

The other exception concerns the fecond line of a couplet, which is fometimes stretched 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 clofe 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 verfe are but two, the one double of the other; that every fyllable is reducible to one or other of these standards; and that a syllable of the larger quantity is termed long, and of the leffer quantity short. It belongs more to the present 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 syllables of that kind in words of three or more fyllables, the quantity for the moft 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

nor is the ear hurt by this liberty, cuftom rendering it familiar. This fhows, that the melody of English verse must depend less upon quantity, than upon other circumstances: in which it differs widely from Latin verfe, 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 raise a lively sense of melody. 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 it is with the melody of a line, the fyllables of which bear always the fame found. What I have further to fay upon quantity, will fall more properly under the following head, of arrangement.

And with respect to arrangement, which may be brought within a narrow compafs, the Englifh Heroic line is commonly Iambic, the first fyllable short, the second 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

Some in the fields of pureft æther play,

And bask and whiten in the blaze of day.

It is a great imperfection in English verfe, that it excludes the bulk of polyfyllables, though the moft 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 resemblance of the found and fenfe; and yet a negative is put upon it, as well as upon numberlefs words of the fame kind. Polyfyllables compofed of fyllables long and fhort alternately, make a good figure in verfe; for examample, 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 lefs than a provincial tone or idiom. The article the

is one of the few monofyllables that is invariably fhort: fee how harfh it makes a line where it must be pronounced long :

This nymph, to the destruction of mankind.

Again :

Th' advent'rous baron the bright lōcks admir'd.

Let it be pronounced fhort, and it reduces the melody almost to nothing: better fo however than falfe quantity. In the following examples we perceive the fame defect.

And old impertinence || 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 verse, arises chiefly from the pauses and accents; which are of greater importance than is commonly thought. There is a degree of intricacy in this branch of our subject, and it will be difficult to give a diftinct view of it; but it is

too

too late to think of difficulties after we are engaged. The paufe, which paves the way to the accent, offers itself first to our examination; and from a very short trial, the following facts will be verified. Ift, A line admits but one capital pause. 2d, In different lines, we find this pause after the fourth fyllable, after the fifth, after the fixth, and after the feventh. These four places of the pause lay a folid foundation for dividing English Heroic lines into four kinds; and I warn the reader beforehand, that unless he attend to this distinction, he cannot have any just notion of the richness and variety of English verfification, Each kind or order hath a melody peculiar to itfelf, readily distinguishable by a good ear; and I am not without hopes to make the caufe of this peculiarity fufficiently evident. It must be obferved, at the fame time, that the pause 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 fenfe that determines of what order every line must be there can be but one capital musical paufe in a line; and this pause ought to coincide, if poffible, with a pause in the fenfe, 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 pause after the fourth fyllable :

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