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The cheering and enlivening power of rhyme, is ftill more remarkable in poems of fhort lines, where the rhymes return upon the ear in a quick fucceffion; for which reafon rhyme is perfectly well adapted to gay, light, and airy fubjects. Witnefs the following:

O the pleafing, pleasing anguish,

When we love and when we languish?
Wishes rifing,

Thoughts furprising,
Pleasure courting,

Charms tranfporting,

Fancy viewing,

Joys enfuing,

O the pleasing, pleasing anguish !

Rofamond, act 1. Sc. 2.

For that reafon, fuch frequent rhymes are very improper for any fevere or ferious paffion: the diffonance between the fubject and the melody is very fenfibly felt. Witnefs the following:

Again:

Ardito ti renda,
T'accenda
Di fdegno
D'un figlio
Il periglio:

D'un regno
L'amor.

E'dolce ad un'alma

Che afpetta
Vendetta

Il perder la calma

Fra l'ire del cor.

Metaftafio. Artaferfe, act 3. Sc. 3.

Now under hanging mountains,

Belide the fall of fountains,

Or

Or where Hebrus wanders,
Rolling in meanders,
All alone,

Unheard, unknown,
He makes his moan,
And calls her ghost,
For ever, ever, ever loft;
Now with furies furrounded,
Defpairing, confounded,
He trembles, he glows,
Amidst Rhodope's fnows.

Pope, Ode on Music, I. 97.

Rhyme is not lefs unfit for anguifh or deep diftrefs, than for fubjects elevated and lofty; and for that reafon has been long difufed in the English and Italian tragedy. In a work where the fubject is ferious though not elevated, rhyme has not a good effect; because the airinefs of the melody agrees not with the gravity of the fubject: the Effay on Man, which treats a fubject great and important, would make a better figure in blank verfe. Sportive love, mirth, gaiety, humour, and ridicule, are the province of rhyme. The boundaries affigned it by nature, were extended in barbarous and illiterate ages; and in its ufurpations it has long been protected by cuftom: but taste in the fine arts, as well as in morals, improves daily; and makes a progress toward perfection, flow indeed but uniform; and there is no reafon to doubt, that rhyme, in Britain, will in time be forc'd to abandon its unjuft conquefts, and to confine itfelf within its natural limits.

Having faid what occurred upon rhyme, I close the fection with a general obfervation, That the melody of verfe fo powerfully enchants the mind, as to draw a veil over very grofs faults and imperfections. Of this power a stronger example cannot be given than

the

the episode of Ariftæus, which clofes the fourth book of the Georgics. To renew a ftock of bees when the former is loft, Virgil afferts, that they may be produced in the entrails of a bullock, flain and managed in a certain manner. This leads him to fay how this ftrange receit was invented; which is as follows. Ariftæus having loft his bees by disease and famine, never dreams of employing the ordinary means for obtaining a new stock: but, like a froward child, complains heavily to his mother Cyrene, a water-nymph. She advises him to confult Proteus, a fea-god, not how he was to obtain a new stock, but only by what fatality he had loft his former ftock: adding, that violence was neceffary, because Proteus would fay nothing voluntarily. Ariftæus, fatisfied with this advice, though. it gave him no profpect of repairing his lofs, proceeds to execution. Proteus is caught fleeping, bound with cords, and compelled to speak. He declares, that Ariftæus was punished with the lofs of his bees, for attempting the chastity of Euridice the wife of Orpheus; the having been ftung to death by a ferpent in flying his embraces. Proteus, whofe fullennefs ought to have been converted into wrath by the rough treatment he met with, becomes on a fudden courteous and communicative. He gives the whole hiftory of the expedition to hell which Orpheus undertook in order to recover his fpoufe: a very entertaining ftory, but without the leaft relation to what was in view. Ariftæus, returning to his mother, is advised to deprecate by facrifices the wrath of Orpheus, who was now dead. A bullock is facrificed, and out of the entrails fpring' miraculoufly a fwarm of bees. Does it follow, that the fame may be obtained without a miracle, as is fuppofed in the receit ?

A LIST OF THE DIFFERENT FEET, AND OF THEIR

NAMES.

1. PYRRHICHIUS, confifts of two short fyllables. Examples: Deus, given, cannot, hillock, running.

2. SPONDEUS Confifts of two long fyllables: omnes, poffefs, forewarn, mankind, fometime.

3. IAMBUS, compofed of a short and a long: pios, intent, degree, appear, consent, repent demand, report, fufpect, affront, event.

4. TROCHAEUS, or CHOREUS, a long and fhort : fervat, whereby, after, legal, measure, burden, holy, lofty.

5. TRIBRACHYS, three fhort: melius, property. 6. MOLOSSUS, three long: delectant.

7. ANAPAESTUs, two fhort and a long: animos, condefcend, apprehend, overheard, acquiefce, immature, overcharge, ferenade, opportune.

8. DACTYLUS, a long and two fhort: carmina, evident, excellence, estimate, wonderful, altitude, burdened, minifter, tenement.

9. BACCHIUS, a fhort and two long: dolores.

10. HYPPOBACCHIUS OF ANTIBACCHIUS, two long and a fhort pelluntur.

11. CRETICUS, or AMPHIMACER, a fhort fyllable between two long: infito, afternoon.

12. AMPHIBRACHYS, a long fyllable between two fhort: honore, confider, imprudent, procedure, at

tended,

1

.

tended, propofed, refpondent, concurrence, apprentice, refpective, revenue.

13. PROCELEUSMATICUS, four fhort fyllables: bom inibus, neceffary.

14. DISPONDEUS, four long fyllables: infinitis.

15. DIIAMBUS, compofed of two Iambi: feveritas.

16. DITROCHAEUS, of two Trochæi: permanere, procurator.

17. IONICUS, two fhort fyllables and two long: properabant.

18. Another foot paffes under the fame name, compofed of two long fyllables and two fhort: calcaribus, poffeffory.

19. CHORIAMBUS, two fhort fyllables between two long: nobilitas.

20. ANTISPASTUS, two long fyllables between two fhort: Alexander.

21. PAEON Ift, one long fyllable and three short: temporibus, ordinary, inventory, temperament.

22. PAEON 2d, the fecond fyllable long, and the other three fhort: rapidity, folemnity, minority, confidered, imprudently, extravagant, respectfully, accordingly.

23. PAEON 3d, the third fyllable long and the other three fhort animatus, independent, condefcendence, facerdotal, reimbursement, manufacture.

PAEON

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