no peculiar relation to verfe. The cadence is a falling of the voice below the key-note at the clofe of every period; and fo little is it effential to verfe, that in correct reading the final fyllable of every line is accented, that fyllable only excepted which clofes the period, where the fenfe requires a cadence. The reader may be fatisfied of this by experiments; and for that purpose I recommend to him the Rape of the Lock, which, in point of verfification, is the most complete performance in the English language. Let him confult in a particular period canto 2. beginning at line 47. and clofed line 52. with the word gay, which only of the whole final fyllables is pronounced 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 short; fhort fyllables, with refpect to time, being precisely 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 ufual 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 melody occurs with refpect to accenting, fimilar to that now mentioned: A word fignifying anything humble, low, or dejected is naturally, in profe, as well as in verfe, pronounced in a tone below the key-note. We We are now fufficiently prepared for particulars; beginning with Latin or Greek Hexameter, which are the fame. What I have to obferve upon this fpecies of verfe, will come under the four following heads; number, arrangement, pause, and accent: For as to quantity, 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 Spondiac, it never has fewer than thirteen: whence it follows, that were the fyllables are many, the plurality must be fhort; where few, the plurality must be long. This line is fufceptible of much variety as to the fucceffion of long and short fyllables. It is however fubjected 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. Óne at firft view is led to think, that thefe feet are alfo intended to regulate the pronunciation: which is far from being the cafe; for were one to pronounce according to these feet, the melody of a Hexameter line would be deftroyed, or at beft be much inferior to what it is when properly pronounced.* Thefe feet muft be confined to regulate the arrangement, for they ferve no After giving fome attention to this fubject, and weighing deliberately every circumflance, I was neceffarily led to the foregoing conclufion, That the Dactyle and Spondee are no other than artificial meafures, invented for trying the accuracy of compofition. Repeated experiments have convinced me, that though the fenfe fhould be neglected, an Hexameter line read by Dactyles and Spondees will not be melodius. And the compofition of an Hexameter line demonftrates this to be true, with no other purpose. They are withal fo artificial and complex, that I am tempted to fubtitute in their ftead, other rules more fimple and of more eafy application; for example, the following. ift, The line must always commence with a long fyllable, and clofe with two long preceded by two fhort. 2d, More than two fhort can never be found together, nor fewer than two. And 3d, Two long fyllables which have out necellity of an experiment; for, as will appear afterward, there muft always in this line, be a capital paufe at the end of the fifth long fyllable, reckoning, as above, two fhort for one long; and when we meafure this line by Dactyles and Spondees, the pause now mentioned divides always a Dactyle, or a Spondee, without once falling in after either of thefe feet. Hence it is evident, that if a line be pronounced as it is fcanned by Dactyles and Spondees, the paufe muft utterly be neglected; which deflroys the melody, because this paufe is effential to the melody of an Hexameter verfe. If, on the other hand, the melody be preferved by making that paufe, the pronouncing by Dactyles or Spondees maft be abandoned. What has led grammarians into the use of Dactyles and Spondees, feems not bevond the reach of conje&tare. To produce melody, the Dactyle and the Sondee, which clofe every Hexameter line, muft be diflinctly expreffed in the pronunciation. This difcovery joined with another, that the foregoing part of the verfe could be measured by the fame feet, probably led grammarians to adopt these artificial measures, and perhaus rafhly to conclude, that the pronunciation is directed by thefe feet as the composition is: the Dactyle and the Spondee at the clofe, ferve indeed to regulate the pronunciation as well as the compof. tion; but in the foregoing part of the line, they regulate the composition only, not the pronunciation. If we mult have feet in verfe to regulate the pronunciation and confequently the melody, thefe feet must be determined by the paufes. All the fyllables interjected between two paufes ought to be deemed one mufical foot; because to preferve the melody, they must all be pronounced together, without any flop. And therefore, whatever number there are of paufes in a Hexameter line, the parts into which it is divided by thefe paufes, make just so many musical feet. Connection obliges me here to anticipate, and to observe, that the fame doctrine is applicable to English heroic verfe. Confidering its compolition merely, it is of two kinds; one compofed of five Iambi; and one of a Trochæus, followed by four Iambi: but these feet afford no rule for pronouncing; the musical feet being obviously thofe parts of the line that are interjected between two paules. To bring out the melody, thefe feer must be expreffed in the pronunciation; or, which comes to the fame, the pronunciation must be directed by the paules, without regard to the lambus or Tiochæus. have been preceded by two fhort, cannot alfo be followed by two fhort. Thefe few rules fulfil all the conditions of a Hexameter line, with relation to order or arrangement. To thefe again a fingle rule may be fubftituted, for which I have a ftill greater relish, as it regulates more affirmatively the conftruction of every part. That I may put this rule into words with perfpicuity, I take a hint from the twelve long fyllables that compofe an Hexameter line, to divide it into twelve equal parts or portions, being each of them one long fyllable or two fhort. A portion being thus defined, I proceed to the rule. The 1ft, 3d, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 12th portions, muft each of them be one long fyllable; the roth, muft always be two fhort fyllables: the 2d, 4th 6th and 8th, may either be one long or two fhort. Or to exprefs the thing ftill more curtly, The 2d, 4th, 6th, and 8th portions may be one long fyllable or two fhort; the 10th must be two fhort 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, every one must be fenfible of a complete close or full paufe; the caufe of which follows. The two long fyllables preceded by two fhort, which always clofe an Hexameter line, are a fine preparation for a paufe: for long fyllables, or fyllables pronounced flow, refembling a flow and languid motion, tending to rest, naturally incline the. mind to reft, or to paufe; and to this inclination the two preceding fhort fyllables contribute, which by contraft make the flow pronunciation of the final fyllables the more confpicuous. Beide this com plete plete clofe or full paufe at the end, others are alfo requifite for the fake of melody of which I difcover two clearly, and perhaps there may be more. The longest and most remarkable, fucceeds the 5th portion the other, which, being fhorter and more faint, may be called the femipaufe, fucceeds the 8th portion. So ftriking is the pause first mentioned, as to be diftinguifhed even by the rudeft ear: the monkifh rhynies are evidently built upon it; in which by an invariable rule, the final word always chimes with that which immediately precedes the faid pause: De planétu cudo | metrum cum carmine nudo The difference of time in the pause and femipause, occafions another difference no lefs remarkable; that it is lawful to divide a word by a femipaufe, but never by a pause, the bad effect of which is fenfibly felt in the following examples; Effufus labor, atque inmitis rupta Tyranni Again: Obfervans nido im plumes detraxit; at illa Again : Loricam quam De moleo detraxerat ipfe The dividing a word by a femipause has not the fame bad effect: Jamque pedem referens cafus elvaferat pmnes. Again: |