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this impression can be made by single words, much more by a plurality in an orderly fucceffion. The mufical impreffion made by a period confifting of long and fhort fyllables arranged in a certain order, is what the Greeks call rhythmus, the Latins numerus, and we modulation or reafure. Cicero justly obferves, that in one continued found there is no modulation: "Numerus in continuatione nullus eft." But in what follows he is wide of the truth, if by numerus he means modulation or mufical measure, Distinctio, et æqualium et fæpe "variorum intervallorum percuffio, numerum "conficit; quem in cadentibus guttis, quod inter"vallis diftinguuntur, notare poffumus," Falling drops, whether with equal or unequal intervals, are certainly not mufical. We begin then only to be fenfible of a mufical expreffion, when the notes are varied. And this alfo was probably the opinion of the author cited, though his expreffion be a little unguarded *.

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It will probably occur, that modulation, fo far as connected with long and fhort fyllables combined in a sentence, may be found in profe as well as in verfe; confidering efpecially, that in both, particular words are accented or pronounced in a higher tone than ordinary; and therefore that the difference betwixt them cannot confitt in modulation merely. The obfervation is juft; and it follows, that the distinction betwixt profe and verfe, fince

*From this paffage, however, we difcover the etymology of the latin term for musical expreflionEvery one being fenfible that there is no mufic in a continued found; the first inquiries were probably carried no farther, than that to produce a mufical expreffion, a number of founds is neceffary; and mufical expreflion obtained the name of numerus, before it was clearly afcertained, that variety is neceffary as well as number.

it depends not on modulation merely, must arise from the difference of the modulation. This is preeifely the cafe, though the difference cannot with any accuracy be explained in words. Verfe is more musical than profe; and of the former, the modulation is more perfect than of the latter. The difference betwixt verfe and profe, resembles the difference in mufic properly fo called betwixt the fong and the recitative. And the refemblance is not the lefs complete, that thefe differences, like the fhades. of colours, approximate sometimes fo nearly as fcarce to be difcernible. A recitative in its movement approaches fometimes to the livelinefs of a fong; which on the other hand degenerates fometimes toward a plain recitative. Nothing is more diftinguishable from profe, than the bulk of Virgil's hexameters. Many of thofe compofed by Horace, are very little removed from profe. Sapphic verse has a very fenfible modulation. That on the other hand of an Iambic, is extremely faint*.

This more perfect modulation of articulate founds, is what diftinguisheth verfe from profe. Verfe is fubjected to certain inflexible laws. The number and variety of the component fyllables are afcertained, and in fome measure the order of fucceffion. Such restraint makes it a matter of diffi culty to compofe in verfe; a difficulty that is not to be furmounted but by a fingular genius. Ufeful leffons of every fort convey'd to us in verfe, are agreeable by the union of mufic with inftruction. But are we for that reafon to reject knowledge of

*Mufic, properly fo called, is analyfed into melody and harmony. A fucceffion of founds fo as to be agreeable to the ear, conftitutes melody. Harmony is the pleafure that arifes from co-exifting founds. Verfe therefore can only reach melody, and not harmony.

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fered in a plainer drefs? This would be ridiculous; for knowledge may be acquired without mufic, and mufic is entertaining independent of knowledge. Many there are, not lefs willing than capable to inftruct us, who have no genius for verfe. Hence the use of prose, which, for the reason 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 neceffary more than genius. Nor are we rigid on this article. Provided the work answer its chief end of instruction, we are the lefs folicitous about its drefs..

Having afcertained the nature and limits of our fubject, I proceed to the laws by which it is regulated. Thefe would be endlefs, were verfe of all different kinds to be taken under confideration. I propose therefore to confine the inquiry, to Latin or Greek hexameter, and to French and English heroic verfe; 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 fpecimen; and these with proper variations may eafily be transferred to the compofition of other forts of verse.

Before I enter upon particulars, it must be premised in general, that to verfe of every kind, five things are of importance. 1ft, 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 thefe fyllables combined in words. 4th, The paufes or ftops 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

degree of modulation which diftinguisheth verfe from profe. To give a juft notion of the fourth, it must be obferved, that paufes 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 paufe of the firft kind is variable, being long or short, frequent or lefs frequent, as the fenfe requires. A paufe of the fecond kind, is in no degree arbitrary; its place being determined by the modulation. The last fort again is in a 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 paufe in the fenfe or in the melody; and for that reason this pause may be neglected. With refpect then to the pauses of fenfe 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 paufe neceffary for sense must 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 alfo 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 fense and sometimes the melody, a particular fyllable is founded in a higher tone; and this is termed accenting a fyllable, or gracing it with an accent. Opposed to the accent, is the cadence, which I have not mentioned as one of the requifites

., of verfe, 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 essential to verfe, that in correct reading the final fyllable of every line is accented, that fyllable only excepted which clofes the period, where the fenfe requires a cadence. The reader may be fatisfied of this by experiments; and for that purpose I 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 alfo 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 species of verfe, they are however governed by different rules, peculiar to each fpecies. Upon quantity only, one general obfervation may be premised, because it is. applicable to every fpecies of verse. Syllables, with refpect to the time taken in pronouncing, are diftinguished into long and fhort; two fhort fyllables, with refpect to time, being precifely equal to one long. These two lengths are effential to verfe of all kinds; and to no verfe, so far as I know, is a greater variety of time neceffary in pronouncing fyllables. The voice indeed is frequently made to reft longer than commonly, upon a word that bears an important fignification. But this is done to humour the fenfe, and is not neceflary for the modulation. A thing not more neceffary occurs with respect to accenting, fimilar to that now mentioned. A word fignifying any thing humble, low,

of

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