lified for clofing a period in the completeft

manner.

But these are not all the diftinguishing characters of the different orders. Each order alfo, by means of its final accent and pause, makes a peculiar impreffion; fo peculiar as to produce a melody clearly dif tinguishable from that of the others. This peculiarity is occafioned by the divifion which the capital pause makes in a line. By an unequal divifion in the first order, the mind has an impreffion of afcending; and is left at the clofe in the highest elevation, which is difplay'd on the concluding fyllable. By this means, a ftrong emphasis is naturally laid upon the concluding fyllable, whether by raifing the voice to a sharper tone, or by expreffing the word in a fuller tone. This order accordingly is of all the leaft proper for concluding a period, where a cadence is proper, and not an accent. In the second order, the final accent makes not so capital a figure. There is nothing fingular in its being marked by a pause, for this is common to all the orders; and this order, being deftitute of the impreffion

3

H 2

preffion of afcent, cannot rival the first order in the elevation of its accent, nor confequently in the dignity of its pause; for thefe always have a mutual influence This order, however, with refpect to its close, maintains a fuperiority over the third and fourth orders. In these the close is more humble, being brought down by the impreffion of defcent, and by the remitted effort in pronouncing; confiderably in the third order, and ftill more confiderably in the laft. According to this description, the concluding accents and paufes of the four orders being reduced to a fcale, will form a defcending feries probably in an arithmetical progreffion.

After what is faid, will it be thought refining too much to fuggeft, that the different orders are qualified for different purposes, and that a poet of genius will be naturally led to make a choice accordingly? I cannot think this altogether chimerical. It appears to me, that the first order is proper for a fentiment that is bold, lively, or impetuous; that the third order is proper for fubjects grave, folemn, or lofty; the fecond for

what

what is tender, delicate, or melancholy, and in general for all the sympathetic emotions; and the last for subjects of the fame kind, when tempered with any degree of folemnity. I do not contend, that any one order is fitted for no other task, than that affigned it. At that rate, no fort of modulation would be left for accompanying ordinary thoughts, that have nothing peculiar in them. I only venture to fuggeft, and I do it with diffidence, that one order is peculiarly adapted to certain fubjects, and better qualified than the others for expreffing fuch fubjects. The best way to judge is by experiment; and to avoid the imputation of a partial fearch, I fhall confine my inftances to a fingle poem, beginning with the first order.

On her white breaft, a fparkling cross fhe wore,
Which Jews might kifs, and Infidels adore.
Her lively looks, a fprightly mind disclose,
Quick as her eyes, and as unfix'd as thofe :
Favours to none, to all fhe fmiles extends ;
Oft fhe rejects, but never once offends.
Bright as the fun, her eyes the gazers ftrike,
And, like the fun, they fhine on all alike.

Yet

Yet graceful ease, and sweetness void of pride, Might hide her faults, if belles had faults to hide : If to her share some female errors fall,

Look on her face, and you'll forget 'em all.

Rape of the Lock.

In accounting for the remarkable liveliness of this paflage, it will be acknowledged by every one who has an ear, that the modulation must come in for a fhare. The lines, all of them, are of the first order; a very unusual circumftance in the author of this poem, fo eminent for variety in his verfification. Who can doubt, that, in this paffage, he has been led by delicacy of taste to employ the first order preferably to the others?

Second order.

Our humbler province is to tend the fair,
Not a lefs pleafing, though lefs glorious care;
To fave the powder from too rude a gale,
Nor let th' imprifon'd effences exhale;

To draw fresh colours from the vernal flow'rs;

To steal from rainbows ere they drop their fhow'rs,

Again,

Oh, thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate,
Too foon dejected, and too foon elate.
Sudden, these honours shall be fnatch'd away,
And curs'd for ever this victorious day.

Third order.

To fifty chosen fylphs, of special note,
We trust th'important charge, the petticoat.
Again,

Oh fay what stranger caufe, yet unexplor'd,
Could make a gentle belle reject a lord?

A plurality of lines of the fourth order, would not have a good effect in fucceffion ; because, by a remarkable tendency to rest, its proper office is to close a period. The reader, therefore, must be fatisfied with inftances where this order is mixed with others.

Not louder shrieks to pitying Heav'n are cast, When husbands, or when lapdogs, breathe their

laft.

Again,