ver two clearly, and perhaps there may be more. The longest and most remarkable, fucceeds the 5th portion: the other, which, being more faint, may be called the femipaufe, fucceeds the 8th portion. So ftriking is the pause first mentioned, as to be distinguished even by the rudest ear: the monkish rhymes are evidently built upon it; in which, by an invariable rule, the final word always chimes with that which immediately precedes the pause : De planetu cudo || mitrum cum carmine nudo The difference of time in the pause and semipaufe, occafions another difference not lefs remarkable; that it is lawful to divide a word by a femipause, but never by a paufe, the bad effect of which is fenfibly felt in the following examples: Effufus labor, atque inmitis rupta Tyranni Again: Obfervans nido implumes detraxit; at illa Again: Loricam quam Demoleo detraxerat ipse The dividing a word by a femipaufe has not the fame bad effect: Jamque pedem referens || cafus e|vaferat omnes. Again: Qualis populea morens Philo | mela fub umbra Again: Ludere quæ vellem calamo per mifit agrefti. Lines, however, where words are left entire, without being divided even by a femipause; run by that means much the more fweetly. Nec gemere aërea | ceffabit turtur ab ulmo. Again: Quadrupedante putrem || fonitu quatit | ungula campum. Again: Eurydicen toto referebant | flumine ripæ. The reafon of thefe obfervations will be evident upon the slightest reflection. Between things fo intimately connected in reading aloud, as are fense and found, every degree of discord is unpleafant to the ear: and for that reafon, it is a matter of importance, to make the musical pauses coincide as much as poffible with those of the fense; which is requifite, more especially, with respect to the pause, a deviation from the rule being lefs remarkable in a femipause. Confider ing the matter as to melody folely, it is indiffer ent whether the pauses be at the end of words or in the middle but when we carry the fense along, it is disagreeable to find a word split into two by a pause, as if there were really two words: and though the disagreeableness here be connected with the fenfe only, it is by an eafy transition of perceptions transferred to the found; by which means, we conceive a line to be harsh and grating to the ear, when in reality it is only fo to the understanding *. To the rule that fixes the paufe after the 5th portion, there is one exception, and no more: if the fyllable fucceeding the 5th portion be short, the pause is fometimes poftponed to it: Pupillis quos dura || premit cuftodia matrum In terras oppreffa || gravi fub religione Again: Et quorum pars magna || fui; quis talia fando This contributes to diverfify the melody; and where the words are finooth and liquid, is not ungraceful; as in the following examples: Formofam refonare || doces Amaryllida fylvas See chap. 2. part 1. fect. 4. 1 Again: Agricolas, quibus ipfa || procul difcordibus armis If this pause, placed as aforefaid after the fhort fyllable, happen also to divide a word, the melody by these circumftances is totally annihilated witness the following line of Ennius, which is plain profe: : Romæ monia terruit impiger | Hannibal armis Hitherto the arrangement of the long and short fyllables of an Hexameter line and its different pauses, have been confidered with respect to melody but to have a juft notion of Hexameter verfe, these particulars muft alfo be confidered with refpect to fenfe. There is not perhaps in any other fort of verse, such latitude in the long and fhort fyllables; a circumftance that contributes greatly to that richness of melody which is remarkable in Hexameter verse; and which makes Aristotle pronounce, that an epic poem in any other verfe would not fucceed*. One defect however must not be diffembled, that the fame means which contribute to the richness of the melody, render it lefs fit than feveral other forts for a narrative poem. With regard to the melody, as above obferved, there cannot be a more * Poet. cap. 25. VOL. II. H artful artful contrivance than to clofe an Hexameter line with two long fyllables preceded by two fhort but unhappily this conftruction proves a great imbarraffment to the fenfe; which will thus be evident. As in general there ought to be a ftrict concordance between the thought, and the words in which it is dreffed; fo in particular, every close in the fenfe, complete and incomplete, ought to be accompanied with a fimilar clofe in the found. In profe this law may be ftrictly observed; but in verfe the fame ftrictnefs would occafion infuperable difficulties: willing to facrifice to the melody of verfe, fome fhare of the concordance between thought and expreffion, we freely excufe the feparation of the musical paufe from that of the fenfe, during the course of a line; but the clofe of an Hexameter line is too confpicuous to admit this liberty for that reafon there ought always to be fome pause in the fense at the end of every Hexameter line, were it but fuch a paufe as is marked with a comma: and for the fame reafon, there ought never to be a full close in the fenfe but at the end of a line, because there the melody is clofed. An. Hexameter line, to preserve its melody, cannot well admit any greater relaxation; and yet in a narrative poem, it is extremely difficult to adhere strictly to the rule even with thefe indulgences. Virgil, the greatest poet for verfification that ever exifted, is forc'd often to end a line without any close in the fenfe, and as often to clofe the fenfe during the |
