the Word where fuch Accent happens to be, or at the End of the following Word.

Now in a Verse of 10 Syllables this Accent must be either on the 2d, 4th, or 6th; which produces 5 feveral Pauses, that is to fay, at the 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th Syllable of the Verfe: For,

When it happens to be on the 2d, the Paufe will be either at the 3d or 4th.

At the 3d, in Two Manners:

1. When the Syllable accented happens to be the last fave one of a Word; as,

As bufy as intentive Emmets are;

Or Cities whom unlook'd-for Sieges feare:

Dav.

a. Or when the Accent is on the laft of a Word, and the next a Monofyllable, whose Construction is govern'd by that on which the Accent is; as,

Defpife it, and more noble Thoughts purfue.

Dryd.

When the Accent falls on the 2d Syllable of the Verfe, and the laft fave Two of a Word, the Paufe will be at the 4th; as, He meditates-his abfent Enemy.

Dryd.

When the Accent is on the 4th of a Verfe, the Paufe will be either at the fame Syllable, or at the 5th or 6th..

At the fame, when the Syllable of the Accent happens to be the last of a Word; as,

Such huge Extreams-inhabit thy great Mind,

God-like, unmov'd, and yet,-like Woman, kind. Wall.

At the 5th in 2 Manners :

1. When it happens to be the laft fave one of a Word; as, Like bright Aurora-whofe refulgent Ray

Foretells the Fervour-of enfuing Day;

And warns the Shepherd with his Flocks, retreat

To leafy Shadows-from the threaten'd Heat.

govern'd by it; as,

2. Or the laft of the Word, if the next be a Monofyllable

So fresh the Wound is-and the Grief fo vast.

Wall.

Wall.

At the 6th, when the Syllable of the Accent happens to be the laft fave Two of a Word; as,

Wall.

Thofe Seeds of Luxury,-Debate, and Pride. Laftly, When the Accent is on the 6th Syllable of the Verfe, the Paufe will be either at the fame Syllable or at the 7th.

At the fame, when the Syllable of the Accent happens to be the laft of a Word; as,

She meditates Revenge-refolv'd to die.

Wall.
At

At the 7th in Two manners:

1. When it happens to be the laft fave one of a Word; as,

Nor when the War is over,

Mirrors are taught to flatter,

-is it Peace.

-but our Springs.

Dryd.
Wall.

2: Or the laft of a Word, if the following one be a Monofyllable whofe Conftruction depends on the preceding Word on which the Accent is; as,

And fince he could not fave her,with her dy'd. Dryd.

From all this it appears, that the Paufe is determin'd by the Seat of the Accent; but if the Accents happen to be equally ftrong on the 2d, 4th, and 6th Syllable of a Verfe, the Senfe and Conftruction of the Words muft then guide to the Obfervation of the Paufe. For Example; In one of the Verses I cited as an Inftance of it at the 7th Syllable,

Mirrors are taught to flatter, but our Springs.

The Accent is as ftrong on Taught, as the firft Syllable of Flatter; and if the Paufe were obferv'd at the 4th Syllable of the Verfe, it would have nothing disagreeable in its Sound; as,

Mirrors are taught to flatter, but our Springs Prefent th'impartial Images of things. Which tho' it be no Violence to the Ear, yet it is to the Senfe, and that ought always carefully to be avoided in reading or in repeating of Verfes.

For this Reafon it is, that the Conftruction or Senfe fhould never end at a Syllable where the Paufe ought not to be made; as at the 8th and 2d in the Two following Verfes :

Bright Helper twinkles from afar: Away My Kids! for you have had a Ferft to Day. Staff. Which Verfes have nothing difagreeable in their Structure but the Paufe, which in the firft of them must be obferv'd at the 8th Syllable, in the 2d at the 2d; and fo unequal a Divifion can produce no true Harmony. And for this Reafon too, the Paufes at the 3d and 7th Syllables, tho' not wholly to be condemn'd, ought to be but fparingly practis'd.

The foregoing Rules ought indifpenfibly to be follow'd in all our Verfes of 10 Syllables; and the Obfervation of them, like that of right Time in Mufick, will produce Harmony; the Neglect of them Harfhnefs and Difcord; as appears by the following Verfes;

None think Rewards render'd worthy their Worth.
And both Lovers, both thy Difciples were,

Dav.

In which, tho' the true Number of Syllables be obferv'd, yet neither of them have fo much as the Sound of a Verfe: Now

their Difagreeableness proceeds from the undue Seat of the Accent: For Example, The first of them is accented on the 5th and 7th Syllables; but if we change the Words, and remove the Accent to the 4th and 6th, the Verfe will become smooth and eafie; as,

None think Rewards are equal to their Worth.

The Harfhness of the laft of them proceeds from its being accented on the 3d Syllable, which may be mended thus, by tranfpofing only one Word;

And Lovers both, both thy Difciples were.

In like manner the following Verfes,
To be maffacred, not in Battle flain.
But forc'd, barfb, and uneafie unto all.
Against the Infults of the Wind and Tide.
A fecond Effay will the Pow'rs appeafe.

With Scythians expert in the Dart and Bow.

Blac.

Cowl.

Blac.

Blac.

Dryd.

are rough, because the foregoing Rules are not obferv'd in their Structure: For Example, The firft, where the Paufe is at the 5th Syllable, and the Accent on the 3d, is contrary to the Rule, which fays, that the Accent that determines the Pause must be on the 2d, 4th, or 6th Syllable of the Verfe; and to mend that Verfe we need only place the Accent on the 4th, and then the Paufe at the 5th will have nothing difagreeable; as,

Thus to be murthur'd, not in Battle flain.

The fecond Verfe is accented on the 3d Syllable, and the Paufe is there too; which makes it indeed the thing it expreffes, forc'd, harfh, and uneafie; it may be mended thus,

But forc'd and harsh, uneafie unto all.

The 3d, 4th, and 5th of thofe Verfes have like Faults; for the Paufes are at the 5th, and the Accent there too, which is likewife contrary to the foregoing Rules: Now they will be made fmooth and flowing, by taking the Accent from the 5th, and removing the Seat of the Paufe; as.

Again th' Infults both of the Wind and Tide.
A fecond Trial will the Pow'rs appeafe.

With Scythians skillful in the Dart and Bow.

From whence we conclude, that in all Verfes of 10 Syllables, the most prevailing Accents ought to be on the 2d, 4th, or 6th Syllables; for if they are on the 3d, 5th, or 7th, the Verfes will be rough and difagreeable, as has been prov'd by the preceding Inftances.

In fhort, the wrong placing of the Accent is as great a Fault in our Verfification, as falfe Quantity was in that of the Antients; and therefore we ought to take equal care to avoid it, and endeavour fo to difpofe the Words, that they may create a

certain

certain Melody in the Ear, without Labour to the Tongue, or Violence to the Senfe.

SECT. II.

Of the other forts of Verses that are us'd in our Poetry.

them.

quent, and we have many intire Poems compos'd in

In the Structure of thefe Verfes, as well as of thofe of 10 Syllables, we must take Care that the most prevailing Accents be neither on the 3d nor 5th Syllables of them.

They also require a Paufe to be obferv'd in pronouncing them, which is generally at the 4th or 5th Syllable; as,

I'll fing of Heroes,and of Kings,
In mighty Numbers-mighty things;
Begin my Mufe, but lo the Strings,
To my great Song-rebellious prove,

The Strings will found-of nought but Love.

}

Cowl.

The Verfes of 7 Syllables, which are call'd Anacreontick, are most beautiful when the ftrongest Accent is on the 3d, and the Paufe either there or at the 4th; as,

Fill the Bowl-with rofy Wine,
Round our Temples-Rofes twine;
Crown'd with Rofes-we contemn
Gyges wealthy-Diadem.

Cowl:

The Verfes of 9 and of 11 Syllables are of Two forts; one is those that are accented upon the last fave one, which are only the Verfes of double Rhyme that belong to thofe of 8 and 10 Syllables, of which Examples have already been given: The other is thofe that are accented on the laft Syllable, which are employ'd only in Compofitions for Mufick, and in the lowest fort of Burlesque Poetry; the Difagreeableness of their Measure having wholly excluded them from grave and ferious Subjects. They who defire to fee Examples of them, may find fome fcatter'd here and there in our Masks and Operas, and in our Burlesque Writers. I will give but Two.

Hilas, O Hilas, why fit we mute?
Now that each Bird faluteth the Spring.

Apart let me view then each Heavenly Fair,
For Three at a time there's no Mortal can bear,

A 4

Wall.

Congr.

The

The Verfes of 12 Syllables are truly heroick both in their Measure and Sound, tho' we have no entire Works compos'd in them; and they are fo far from being a Blemish to the Poems they are in, that on the contrary, when rightly employ'd, they conduce not a little to the Ornament of them; particularly in the following Rencounters.

1. When they conclude an Episode in an Heroick Poem : Thus Stafford ends his Tranflation of that of Camilla from the 11th Eneid with a Verse of 12 Syllables.

The ling'ring Soul th'unwelcome Doom receives,

And, murm'ring with Difdain, the beauteous Body leaves.

2. When they conclude a Triplet and full Senfe together; as, Millions of op'ning Mouths to Fame belong;

And every Mouth is furnish'd with a Tongue;

And round with lift'ning Ears the flying Plague is hung. Dryd.

And here we may obferve by the way, that whenever a Triplet is made ufe of in an Heroick Poem, it is a Fault not to clofe the Senfe at the End of the Triplet, but to continue it into the next Line; as Dryden has done in his Translation of the 11th Æneid in thefe Lines.

With Olives crown'd, the Prefents they shall bear,

Purple Robe, a Royal Iv'ry Chair,

And all the Marks of Sway that Latian Monarchs wear,
And Sums of Gold, &c.

And in the 7th Eneid he has committed the like Fault.
Then they, whofe Mothers, frantick with their Fear,

In Woods and Wilds the Flags of Bacchus bear,
And lead his Dances with dishevel'd Hair,

Increase the Clamour, &c.

ملة

But the Senfe is not confin'd to the Couplet, for the Close of it may fall into the Middle of the next Verfe, that is the Third, and fometimes farther off: Provided the laft Verfe of the Couplet exceed not the Number of Ten Syllables; for then the Senfe ought always to conclude with it. Examples of this are fo frequent, that 'tis needlefs to give any.

3. When they conclude the Stanzas of Lyrick or Pindarick Odes; Examples of which are often feen in Dryden, and others. In thefe Verfes the Paufe ought to be at the 6th Syllable, aş may be feen in the foregoing Examples.

We fometimes find it, tho' very rarely, at the 7th; as,
That fuch a curfed Creature-lives fo long a Space.

When it is at the 4th, the Verfe will be rough and hobbling; as,

And