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ing words that Hexameter admits, add greatly to its majefty. To compenfate thefe advantages, English rhyme poffeffes a greater number and greater variety both of paufes and of accents. These two forts of verse stand indeed pretty much in opposition in the Hexameter, great variety of arrangement, none in the pauses or accents: in the English rhyme, great variety in the paufes and accents, very little in the ar

rangement.

In blank verfe are united, in a good meafure, the feveral properties of Latin Hexameter and English rhyme; and it poffeffes befide many fignal properties of its own. It is not confined, like a Hexameter, by a full clofe at the end of every line; nor, like rhyme, by a full clofe at the end of every couplet. This form of construction, which admits the lines to run into each other, gives it a ftill greater majefty than arifes from the length of a Hexameter line, By the fame means, it admits inversion even beyond the Latin or Greek Haxameter, which fuffer fome confinement by the regular closes at the end of every line. In

its mufic it is illuftrious above all. The melody of Hexameter verfe, is circumfcribed to a line; and of English rhyme, to a couplet. The melody of blank verfe is under no confinement, but enjoys the utmoft privilege of which the melody of verfe is fufceptible, and that is to run hand in hand with the sense. In a word, blank verfe is fuperior to the Hexameter in many articles; and inferior to it in none, fave in the latitude of arrangement, and in the use of long words.

In the French heroic verfe, there are found, on the contrary, all the defects of the Latin Hexameter and English rhyme, without the beauties of either. Subjected to the bondage of rhyme, and to the full close at the end of each couplet, it is further peculiarly disgustful by the uniformity of its pauses and accents. The line inva riably is divided by the pause into two equal parts, and the accent is invariably placed before the paufe.

Jeune et vaillant herôs || dont la haute fageffe Ne'ft point la fruit tardîf || d'une lente vieilleffe.

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Here every circumstance contributes to a moft tedious uniformity. A conftant return of the fame pause and of the fame accent, as well as an equal divifion of every line; by which the latter part always anfwers to the former, and fatigues the ear without intermiffion or change. I cannot fet this matter in a better light, than by presenting to the reader a French tranflation of the following paffage of Milton.

Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall,
Godlike erect, with native honour clad
In naked majesty feem'd lords of all;
And worthy feem'd, for in their looks divine
The image of their glorious Maker shon,
Truth, wildom, fanctitude fevere and pure,
Severe, but in true filial freedom plac'd;
Whence true authority in men: though both
Not equal, as their fex not equal feem'd;
For contemplation he and valour form'd,
For foftness she and sweet attractive grace,
He for God only, fhe for God in him,

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Were the pauses of the fenfe and found in this paffage, but a little better afforted, nothing in verfe could be more melodious. In

general,

general, the great defect of Milton's verfification, in other refpects admirable, is the want of coincidence betwixt the pauses of the fenfe and found.

The tranflation is in the following words,

Ce lieu délicieux, ce paradis charmant,
Reçoit deux objets fon plus bel ornement;
Leur port majeftueux, et leur démarche altiere,
Semble leur meriter fur la nature entiere

Ce droit de commander que Dieu leur a donné,
Sur leur augufte front de gloire couronné,
Du fouverain du ciel drille la refemblance:
Dans leur fimples regards éclatte l'innocence,
L'adorable candeur, l'aimable vérité,
La raifon, la fageffe, et la sévérité
Qu'adoucit la prudence, et cet air de droiture
Du vifage des rois refpectable parure.

Ces deux objets divins n'ont pas les mêmes traits,
Ils paroiffent formés, quoique tous deux parfaits;
L'un pour la majefté, la force, et la nobleffe ;
L'autre pour la douceur, la grace, et la tendresse:
Celui-ci pour Dieu feul, l'autre pour l'homme

encor.

.

Here the fenfe is fairly tranflated, the words are of equal power, and yet how inferior the melody!

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I take the liberty to add here a fpeculation, which, though collateral only, arifes naturally from the subject, and shall be difcuffed in a few words... Many attempts have been made to introduce Hexameter verfe into the living languages, but without fuccefs. The English language, I am inclined to believe, is not fufceptible of this melody; and my reafons are these, First, the polyfyllables in Latin and Greek are finely diverfified by long and short fyllables, a circumftance that qualifies them for the melody of Hexameter verfe. Ours are extremely ill qualified for this fervice, because they fuperabound in fhort fyllables. Secondly, the bulk of our monofyllables are arbitrary with regard to length, which is an unlucky circumftance in Hexameter. Cuftom, as obferved above, may render familiar a long or fhort pronunciation of the fame word: but the mind wavering betwixt the two founds, cannot be fo much affected with either, as with a word that hath always the fame found; and for that reafon, arbitrary founds are ill fitted for a melody which is chiefly fupported

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