contribute not lefs to the fenfe, by diftinguifhing important words from others. Thefe two effects can never be feparated, without impairing the concord that ought to fubfift between the thought and the melody: an accent, for example, placed on a low word, has the effect to burlesk it, by giving it an unnatural elevation; and the injury thus done to the fenfe does not reft there, for it seems alfo to injure the melody. Let us only reflect what a ridiculous figure a particle must make with an accent or emphafis put upon it, a particle that of itfelf has no meaning, and that serves only, like cement, to unite words fignificant. The other general obfervation is, That a word of whatever number of fyllables, is not accented upon more than one of them. The reafon is, that the object is fet in its beft light by a fingle accent, fo as to make more than one unneceffary for the fenfe: and if another be added, it must be for the found merely; which would be a tranfgreffion of the foregoing rule, by feparating a mufical accent from that which is requifite for the fenfe.

Keeping in view the foregoing obfervations, the doctrine of accenting English Heroic verfe, is extremely fimple. In the first place, accenting is confined to the long fyllables; for a fhort fyllable is not capable of an accent. In the next place, as the melody is enriched in proportion

An accent confidered with refpect to fenfe is termed emphasis.

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to the number of accents, every word that has a long fyllable may be accented; unless the fenfe interpofe, which rejects the accenting a word that makes no figure by its fignification. Accord❤ ing to this rule, a line may admit five accents; a cafe by no means rare.

But fuppofing every long fyllable to be accented, there is conftantly, in every line, one accent which makes a greater figure than the reft, being that which precedes the capital pause. It is diftinguished into two kinds; one that is immediately fucceeded by the pause, and one that is divided from the pause by a short fyllable. The former belongs to lines of the first and third order the latter to those of the fecond and fourth, Examples of the first kind:

:

Smooth flow the waves || the zephyrs gently play,
Belinda fmil'd and all the world was gay.

He rais'd his azure wând | and thus began.

Examples of the other kind:

There lay three gârters || half a pair of gloves
And all the trophies || of his former loves.

Our humble prôvince || is to tend the fair,
Not a lefs pleafing || though lefs glorious care

And hew triumphal arches || to the ground

Thefe

These accents make different impreffions on the mind, which will be the fubject of a following fpeculation. In the mean time, it may be fafely pronounced a capital defect in the compofition of verse, to put a low word, incapable of an accent, in the place where this accent fhould be: this bars the accent altogether; than which I know no fault more fubverfive of the melody, if it be not the barring a paufe altogether. I may add affirmatively, that no fingle circumftance contributes more to the energy of verfe, than to have the place where this accent fhould be, occupied by a word of an important fignification, fuch as merits a peculiar emphafis. To fhow the bad effect of excluding the capital accent, I refer the reader to fome inftances given above, p. 136. where particles are separated by a pause from the capital words that make them fignificant; and which particles ought, for the fake of the melody, to be accented, were they capable of an acAdd to these the following inftances from

cent.

the effay on Criticism.

Of leaving what is natural and fit

line 448.

Not yet purg'd off, || of fpleen and four difdain

For 'tis but half || a judge's task, to know

1. 562.

'Tis not enough, || taste, judgement, learning, join

When this fault is at the end of a line that clofes a couplet, it leaves not the least trace of melody.

But of this frame the bearings, and the ties,
The strong connections, nice dependencies

In a line expreffive of what is humble or dejected, it improves the refemblance between the found and fenfe, to exclude the capital accent. This, to my taste, is a beauty in the following lines.

In thêse deep sôlitudes || and aŵful cells

The poor inhabitant || beholds in vain

To conclude this article, the accents are not, like the fyllables, confined to a certain number: fome lines have no fewer than five, and there are

lines that admit not above one. This variety, as we have seen, depends entirely on the different powers of the component words: particles, even where they are long by position, cannot be accented; and polyfyllables, whatever space they оссиру, admit but one accent. Polyfyllables have another defect, that they generally exclude the full pause. It is fhown above, that few polyfyllables can find place in the conftruction of English verfe; and here are reasons for excluding them, could they find place.

I am now ready to fulfil a promife concerning the four forts of lines that enter into English Heroic verfe. That thefe have, each of them, a peculiar melody distinguishable by a good ear, I ventured to fuggeft, and promised to account for and though the fubject is extremely delicate, I am not without hopes of making good my engagement. But first, by way of precaution, I warn the candid reader not to expect this peculiarity of modulation in every inftance. The reafon why it is not always perceptible has been mentioned more than once, viz. that the thought and expreffion have a great influence upon the melody; fo great, as in many inftances to make the pooreft melody pafs for rich and fpirited. This confideration obliges me to infift upon a conceffion or two that will not be thought unreasonable: firft, That the experiment be tried upon lines of equal force, fo far as poffible, with relpect

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