any grand fubject. Voltaire was fenfible of this imperfection; and yet. Voltaire attempted an epic poem in that language. The chearing and enlivening power of rhyme, is ftill more remarkable in poems of fhort lines, where the rhymes return upon the ear in a quick fucceffion And for that reafon, rhyme is perfectly well adapted to gay, light, and airy fubjects. Witness the fol lowing. O the pleafing, pleafing anguifh, Wishes rifing, Thoughts furprifing, Charms tranfporting, Fancy viewing, Joys enfuing: the pleafing, pleasing anguish. Rofamond, act 1. fc. 21 For this reafon, fuch frequent rhymes are very improper for any fevere or ferious paffion: the diffo-nance betwixt the fubject and the modulation, is very fenfibly felt. Witnefs the following. Ardito ti renda, D'un regno L' amor. E' dolce ad un' almax Che afpetta Vendetta Il perder la calma: Era l'ire del cor. Metaftafio, Artaferse, act 3. fc. 3. Rhyme Rhyme is not lefs unfit for deep diftrefs, than for fubjects elevated and lofty; and for that reafon has been long difused in the English and Italian tragedy. In a work, where the fubject is ferious though not elevated, it has not a good effect; because the airinefs of the modulation agrees not with the gravity of the fubject. The Efay on Man, which treats a fubject great and important, would fhow much better in blank verfe. Sportive love, mirth, gaiety, humour and ridicule, are the province of rhyme. The boundaries affigned it by nature, were extended in barbarous and illiterate ages, and in its ufurpations it has long been protected by custom. But taste in the fine arts, as well as in morals, improves. daily; and makes a progrefs, flowly indeed, but uniformly, towards perfection; and there is no reafon to doubt, that rhyme in Britain will in time be forc'd to abandon its unjuft conquefts, and to. confine its within its natural limits. Having thrown out what occurred upon rhyme, I close the section with a general obfervation. The melody of articulate found fo powerfully inchantsthe mind, as to draw a veil over very grofs faults. and imperfections. Of this power aftronger example cannot be given, than the episode of Ariftæus, which clofes the fourth book of the Georgics. To renew a stock of bees when the former is loft, Virgil afferts, that they will be produced in the entrails of a bullock, flain and managed in a certain manner. This leads him to fay, how this ftrange receipt was invented; which is as follows. Ariftæus having loft his bees by disease and famine, never dreams of employing the ordinary means for obtaining a new ftock; but, like a froward child, complains heavily of his misfortune to his mother Cyrene, a waternymph. She advises him to confult Proteus, a fea-god, not how he was to obtain a new stock, but only by what fatality he loft his former stock; add ing, that violence was neceffary, becaufe Proteus would fay nothing voluntarily. Ariftæus, fatisfied with this advice, though it gave him no profpect of repairing his lofs, proceeds to execution. Proteus is catched fleeping, bound with cords, and compelled to fpeak. He declares, that Ariftæus was pu nifhed with the lofs of his bees, for attempting the chastity of Eurydice, the wife of Orpheus; fhe having got her death by the fting of a serpent in flying his embraces. Proteus, whofe fullennefs ought to have been converted into wrath by the rough treatment he met with, becomes on a fudden courteous and communicative. He gives the whole hiftory of Orpheus's expedition to hell in order to recover his fpoufe; a very entertaining story indeed, but without the leaft relation to the affair on hand. Ariftæus returning to his mother, is advised to deprecate by facrifices the wrath of Orpheus, who was now dead. A bullock is facrificed, and out of the intrails fpring miraculously a fwarm of bees. How fhould this have led any mortal to think, that, without a miracle, the fame might be obtained naturally, as is fuppofed in the receipt? A lift of the different FEET, and of their NAMES. 1. PYRRHICHIUS, confifts of two short fyllables. Examples: Deus, given, cannot, hillock, running. 2. SPONDEUS, confifts of two long.fyllables. Ex. omnes, poffefs, forewarn, mankind, fometime.. 3. IAMBUS, composed of a short and a long. Ex. pios, intent, degree, appear, confent, repent, demand, report, fufpect, affront, event. 4. TRO 4. TROCHA, or CHOREUS, a long and a short. Ex. fervat, whereby, after, legal, measure, burden, boly, lofty. 5. TRIBRACHYS, three fhort. Ex. melius, property. 6. Molossus, three long. Ex. delectant. 7. ANAPESTUS, two short and a long. Ex. animos, condefcend, apprebend, overbeard, acquiefce, immature, overcharge, ferenade, op portune. 8. DACTYLUS, a long and two fhort. Ex. carmina, evident, excellence, eftimate, wonder ful, altitude, burdened, minifter, tenement. 9. BACCHIUS, a fhort and two long. Ex. delo res. 10. HYPPOBACCHIUS, or ANTIBACCHIUS, two long and a fhort. Ex. pelluntur. 12. II. CRETICUS, or AMPHIMACER, a short syllable betwixt two long. Ex. infito, afternoon. AMPHIBRACHYS, a long fyllable betwixt two fhort. Ex. honore, confider, imprudent, procedure, attended, propofed, refprodent, concurrence, apprentice, refpective, revenue. 13. PROCELEUSMATICUS, four short fyllables. Ex. bominibus, neceffary. 14. DISPONDEUS, four long fyllables. Ex. infi nitis. 15. DIIAMBUS, compofed of two Iambi. feveritas. Ex. 16. DITROCHAUS, of two Trochæi. Ex. perma- nere, procurator.. 17. IONICUS, two short fyllables and two long. Ex. properabant. 18. Another foot paffes under the fame name, compofed of two long fyllables and two short.. Ex. calcaribus, poffeffory., 19. CHORIAMBUS, two fhort fyllables betwixt two long: Ex. Nobilitas. 20. ANTISPASTUS, two long fyllables betwixt two fhort. Ex. Alexander. 21. PEON Ift, one long fyllable and three fhort. Ex. temporibus, ordinary, inventory, temperament. 22. PEON 20, the fecond fyllable long and the other three short. Ex. potentia, rapidity, folemnity, minority, confidered, imprudently, extravagant, refpectfully, accordingly: 23. PEON 3d, the third fyllable long and the other three short. Ex. animatus, independent, condefcendence, facerdotal, reimbursement, ma nufacture. 24. PEON 4th, the laft fyllable long and the other three fhort. Ex. Celeritas. 25. EPITRITUS 1ft, the first fyllable fhort and the other three long. Ex. voluptates. 26. EPITRITUS 2d, the fecond fyllable fhort and the other three long. Ex. pœnitentes. 27. EPITRITUS 3d, the third fyllable fhort and the other three long. Ex. difcordias. 28. EPITRITUs 4th, the last fyllable fhort and the.. other three long. Ex. fortunatus. 29. A word of five fyllables compofed of a Pyrrhichius and Dactylus. Ex. minifterial. 30. A word of five fyllables composed of a Trochæus and Dactylus. Ex. fingularity. 31. A word of five fyllables compofed of a Dactylus and Trochæus. Ex. precipitation, exami nation. 32. A word of five fyllables, the fecond only long. Ex. neceffitated, fignificancy. 33. A word of fix fyllables compofed of two Dactyles. Ex. impetuofity. 34. A word of fix fyllables compofed of a Tribra-chys and Dactyle. Ex. pufillanimity. N. B. |