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ing than capable to inftruct us, who have no genius for verse. Hence the use of profe, which, for the reafon now given, is not confined to precife rules. There belongs to it, a certain modulation of an inferior kind, which, being extremely ornamental, ought to be the aim of every writer. But to fucceed in it, practice is necessary more than genius. Nor are we rigid on this article. Provided the work answer its chief end of inftruction, we are the lefs folicitous about its dress.

Having ascertained the nature and limits of our fubject, I proceed to the laws by which it is regulated. These would be endless, were verfe of all different kinds to be taken under confideration. I propofe therefore to confine the inquiry, to Latin or Greek hexameter, and to French and English heroic verse; which perhaps will carry me farther than the reader may chufe to follow. The obfervations I fhall have occafion to make, will at any rate be fufficient for a specimen; and these with proper variations may eafily be transferred to the compofition of other forts of verfe.

Before I enter upon particulars, it must

be

be premised in general, that to verfe of eve ry kind, five things are of importance: ift, The number of fyllables that compofe a verfe. 2d, The different lengths of fyllables, i. e. the difference of time taken in pronouncing. 3d, The arrangement of these fyllables combined in words. 4th, The pauses or stops in pronouncing. 5th, Pronouncing fyllables in a high or low tone. The three firft mentioned are obviously effential to verfe. If any of them be wanting, there cannot be that higher degree of modulation which distinguisheth verse from profe. To give a just notion of the fourth, it must be observed, that pauses are neceffary for three different purposes. One is, to feparate periods and members of the fame period according to the fenfe: another is, to improve the modulation of verfe: and the laft is, to afford opportunity for drawing breath in reading. A pause of the first kind is variable, being long or short, frequent or lefs frequent, as the fenfe requires. A paufe of the second kind, is in no degree arbitrary; its place being determined by the modulation. The laft fort again is in a

measure

measure arbitrary, depending on the reader's command of breath. This fort ought always to coincide with the first or fecond; for one cannot read with grace, unless, for drawing breath, opportunity be taken of a pause in the sense or in the melody; and for that reason this paufe may be neglected. With refpect then to the pauses of sense and of melody, it may be affirmed without hefitation, that their coincidence in verfe is a capital beauty. But as it cannot be expected, in a long work especially, that every line fhould be fo perfect; we fhall afterward have occafion to fee, that the pause neceffary for fenfe muft often, in fome degree, be facrificed to the verfe-paufe; and the latter fometimes to the former.

The pronouncing fyllables in a high or low tone, contributes also to melody. In reading, whether verfe or profe, a certain tone is affumed, which may be called the key-note; and in this tone the bulk of the words are founded. Sometimes to humour the fenfe and fometimes the melody, a particular fyllable is founded in a higher tone; and this is termed accenting a fyllable, or gracing VOL. II. Z z

it

it with an accent. Opposed to the accent, is the cadence, which I have not mentioned as one of the requifites of verse, because it is entirely regulated by the fenfe, and hath no peculiar relation to verfe. The cadence is a falling of the voice below the key-note at the close 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 closes the period, where the fenfe requires a cadence. The reader may be fatisfied of this by experiments; and for that purpose 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 particular a 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 differ

ent

ent rules, peculiar to each fpecies. Upon quantity only, one general obfervation may be premised, because it is applicable to every species of verfe. Syllables, with refpect to the time taken in pronouncing, are diftinguifhed into long and fhort; two short fyllables, with refpect to time, being precisely equal to one long. These two lengths are effential to verfe of all kinds; and to no verse, so far as I know, is a greater variety of time neceffary in pronouncing fyllables. The voice indeed is frequently made to rest longer than commonly, upon a word that bears an important fignification. But this is done to humour the fenfe, and is not neceffary for the modulation. A thing not more neceffary occurs with refpect to accenting, fimilar to that now mentioned. A word fignifying any thing humble, low, or dejected, is naturally, in profe as well as in verse, pronounced in a tone below the key

note.

We are now fufficiently prepared for entering upon particulars; and Latin or Greek Hexameter, which are the fame, coming first in order, I fhall exhaust what I have to

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