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 thefe. First, the polyfyllables in Latin and Greek are finely diverfified by long and fhort 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 is arbitrary with regard to length, which is an unlucky circumstance in Hexameter. Cuftom, as abferved above, may render familiar a long or short 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 by quantity. In Latin and Greek Hexameter, invariable founds direct and afcertain the melody: English Hexameter would be deftitute of melody, unlefs by artful pronuncia tion; because of neceffity the bulk of its founds must be arbitrary. The pronunciation is cafy in a fimple movement of alternate fhort and long fylla bles; but would be perplexing and unpleafant in the diverfified movement of Hexameter verse. 3 Rhyme makes fo great a figure in modern poetry, as to deferve a folemn trial. I have for that reafon referved it to be examined with fome deliberation; in order to discover, if poffible, its peculiar beauties, and the degree of merit it is intitled to. The first view of this fubject leads naturally to the following reflection, "That rhyme having no relation to sentiment, nor any effect upon the ear other than a mere jingle, ought to be banished all compofiti one "ons of any dignity, as affording but a trifling and "childish pleafure." It will alfo be obferved, "That a jingle of words hath in fome measure a "ludicrous effect; witnefs the celebrated poem of "Hudibras, the double rhymes of which contri"bute no small share to its drollery; that this effect "would be equally remarkable in a ferious work, "were it not obfcured by the nature of the fubject; "that having however a conftant tendency to give a "ludicrous air to the compofition, it requires more than ordinary fire to fupport the dignity of "the fentiments against fuch an undermining an-, "tagonist *. These arguments are fpecious, and have undoubtedly fome weight. Yet, on the other hand, it ought to be confidered, that rhyme, in later times, has become univerfal among men as well as children; and that to give it a currency, it must have fome foundation in human nature. In fact, it has been fuccessfully employ'd by poets of genius, in their serious and grave compofitions, as well as in those which are more light and airy. Here, in weighing authority againft argument, the balance feems to hang pretty even; and therefore, to come at any thing decifive, we must pierce a little. deeper. Mufic has great power over the foul; and may be fuccefsfully employ'd to inflame or footh our paffions, if not actually to raise them. A fingle found, however fweet, is not mufic; but a fingle found repeated after proper intervals, may have an effect upon the mind, by roufing the attention and keeping the hearer awake. A variety of fimilar founds, fucceeding each other, after regular inter *Voffius, de poematum cantu, p. 26. says, "Nihil æque gravitati orationis officit, quam in fono ludere: fyllabarum." vals, must have a still stronger effect. This is ap plicable to rhyme, which confifts, in the connection that two verfe-lines have by clofing with two words fimilar in found. And confidering deliberate.. ly the effect that this may have; we find, that it roufes the attention, and produceth an emotion mo. derately gay without dignity or elevation. Like the murmurings of a brook gliding through pebbles, it calms the mind when perturbed, and gently raises it when funk. Thefe effects are fcarce perceived when the whole poem is in rhyme; but are extremely remarkable by contraft, in the couplets which clofe the feveral acts of our later tragedies. The tone of the mind is fenfibly varied by them, from anguish, diftrefs, or melancholy, to fome degree of eafe and alacrity. For the truth of this obfervation, I appeal to the fpeech of Jane Shore in the fourth act, when her doom was pronounced by Glo'fter; to the speech of Lady Jane Gray at the end of the first act; and to that of Califta, in the Fair Penitent, when the leaves the stage, about the middle of the third act. The fpeech of Alicia, at the close of the fourth act of Fane Shore, puts the matter beyond, doubt. In a fcene of deep diftrefs, the rhymes. which finish the act, produce a certain gaiety and chearfulness, far from according with the tone of the paffion. . Alicia. For ever? Oh! For ever! Oh! who can bear to be a wretch for ever! Like me to deferts and to darkness run, } Having deferibed, the best way I can, the impreffion that rhyme makes on the mind; I proceed to examine whether rhyme be proper for any fubject, and to what fubjects in particular it is beft fuited. Great and elevated fubjects, which have a powerful influence, claim juftly the precedence in this inquiry. In the chapter of grandeur and fubli mity, it is established, that a grand or fublime object, infpires a warm enthusiastic emotion difdaining ftrict regularity and order. This obfervation is applicable to the prefent point. The moderately-enlivening mufic of rhyme, gives a tone to the mind very different from that of grandeur and fublimity. Suppofing then an elevated fubject to be expreffed in rhyme, what union of the mut he the effect? The intimate union of the mufick with the fubject, produces an intimate union of their emotions; one infpired by the fubjest, which tends to elevate and expand the mind; and one infpired by the mufic, which, confining the mind within the narrow limits of regular cadency and fimilar found, tends to prevent all elevation above its own pitch. Emotions fo little concordant, cannot in union have a happy effect. But it is fcarce neceflary to reafon upon a cafe, that never did, and probably never will happen, viz. an important fubject clothed in rhyme, and yet fupported in its utmost elevation. A happy thought or warm expreffion, may at times give a fudden bound upward; but it requires a genius greater than has hitherto exifted, to fupport a Foem: poem of any length in a tone much more elevated than that of the melody. Taffo and Ariofto ought not to be made exceptions, and ftill lefs Voltaire. And after all, where the poet has the dead weight of rhyme conftantly to ftruggle with, how can we expect an uniform elevation in a high pitch; when fuch elevation, with all the fupport it can receive from language, requires the utmost effort of the human genius? But now, admitting rhyme to be an unfit drefs for grand and lofty images; it has one advantage however, which is, to raise a low fubject to its own degree of elevation. Addifon obferves, "That "rhyme, without any other affiftance, throws the "language off from profe, and very often makes an "indifferent phrafe pafs unregarded; but where "the verfe is not built upon rhymes, there, pomp ❝of found and energy of expreffion are indifpenfably "neceffary, to fupport the ftyle and keep it from "falling into the flatnefs of profe." This effect of rhyme is remarkable in the French verfe, which, being fimple and natural and in a good meafure unqualified for inverfion, readily finks down to profe where it is not artificially fupported. Rhyme, by roufing the mind, raifes it fomewhat above the tone of ordinary language: rhyme therefore is indifpen-. fable in the French tragedy; and may be proper: even for their comedy. Voltaire raffigns this very reafon for adhering to rhyme in thefe compofitions. He indeed candidly owns, that even with the fupport of rhyme, the tragedies of his country are little better than converfation-pieces. This fhows, that the French language is weak, and an improper drefs for *Spectator, No. 285. + Preface to his OEdipus, and in his difcourfe upon. tragedy, prefixed to the tragedy of Brutus, any |