to mislead those that are entering upon the regions of learning; and the traveller, uncertain of his way, and forfaken by the fun, will be pleafed to fee a fainter orb arife on the horizon, that may refcue him from total darknefs, though with weak and borrowed luftre. Addifon, though he has confidered this Poem under most of the general topicks of criticifm, has barely touched upon the VERSIFICATION; not probably because he thought the art of numbers unworthy of his notice, for he knew with how minute attention the ancient criticks confidered the difpofition of fyllables, and had himself given hopes of fome metrical obfervations upon the great Roman poet; but being the firft who undertook to difplay the beauties, and point out the defects, of Milton, he had many objects at once before him, and paffed willingly over thofe which were moft barren of ideas, and required labour rather than genius. Yet verfification, or the art of modulating his numbers, is indifpenfably neceffary to a poet. Every other power by which the understanding is enlightened, or the imagination enchanted, may be exercifed in profe. But the poet has this peculiar fuperiority, that, to all the powers which the perfection of every other compofition can require, he adds the faculty of joining mufick with reafon, and of acting at once upon the fenfes and the paffions. I fuppofe there are few who do not feel themfelves touched by poetical melody, and who will not confefs that they are more or lefs moved by the fame thoughts, as they are conveyed by different founds; and more affected by the fame words in one order, than in another. The perception of harmony is indeed conferred upon men in degrees very unequal; but there are none who do not perceive it, or to whom a regular series of proportionate founds cannot give delight. In treating ON THE VERSIFICATION OF MILTON, I am defirous to be generally understood, and fhall therefore ftudioufly decline the dialect of grammarians; though, indeed, it is always difficult, and fometimes fcarcely poffible, to deliver the precepts of an art without the terms by which the peculiar ideas of that art are expreffed, and which had not been invented but becaufe the language, already in ufe, was infufficient. If therefore I fhall fometimes feem obfcure, may it be imputed to this voluntary interdiction, and to a defire of avoiding that offence which is always given by unusual words. The heroick measure of the English language may be properly confidered as pure or mixed. It is pure, when the accent refts upon every fecond fyllable through the whole line: "Courage uncertain dangers may abate, "But who can bear th' approach of cértain fáte." Dryden. "Here Love his golden fhafts employs, here lights "His cónftant lamp, and wáves his púrple wings, Reigns here and revels; not in the bought fimile "Of hárlots, lovelefs, jóylefs, únendeár'd." Milton. The accent may be obferved in the fecond line of Dryden, and in the fecond and fourth of Milton, to repose upon every fecond fyllable. The repetition of this found or percuffion at equal times, is the most complete harmony of which a fingle verfe is capable, and fhould therefore be exactly kept in diftichs, and generally in the last line of a paragraph, that the ear may reft without any fenfe of imperfection. But, to preferve the feries of founds untranfpofed in a long compofition, is not only very difficult, but tirefome and difgufting; for we are foon wearied with the perpetual recurrence of the fame cadence. Neceffity has therefore enforced the mixed measure, in which fome variation of the accents is allowed: This, though it always injures the harmony of the line confidered by itself, yet compenfates the lofs by relieving us from the continual tyranny of the fame found; and makes us more fenfible of the harmony of the pure measure. Of thefe mixed numbers every poet affords. us innumerable inftances; and Milton feldom has two pure lines together, as will appear if any of his paragraphs be read with attention merely to the mufick: "Thus, at their fhady lodge arriv'd, both stood, "Both turn'd, and under open fky ador'd "The God that made both fky, air, earth, and heaven, "Which they beheld, the moon's refplendent globe, "And ftarry pole: Thou also madft the night, "Maker Omnipotent, and thou the day, "Which we, in our appointed work employ'd, "Have finifh'd, happy in our mutual help In this paffage it will be at firft obferved, that all the lines are not equally harmonious; and upon a nearer examination it will be found that only the fifth and ninth lines are regular, and the rest are more or lefs licentious with respect to the accent. In fome the accent is equally upon two fyllables together, and in both ftrong. As "Thus at their fhady lodge arriv'd, both flood, "Both turn'd, and under open fky ador'd "The God that made both sky, air, earth, and heaven.” In others the accent is equally upon two fyllables, but upon both weak: "To fill the earth, who fhall with us extol 66 Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake, "And when we feck, as now, thy gift of fleep." In the first pair of fyllables the accent may deviate from the rigour of exactnefs, without any unpleafing diminution of harmony, as may be obferved in the lines already cited, and more remarkably in this; "Thou alfo mad'ft the night, "Maker Omnipotent, and thou the day." But, excepting in the first pair of fyllables, which may be confidered as arbitrary, a poet, who, not having the invention or knowledge of Milton, has more need to allure his audience by mufical cadences, fhould feldom fuffer more than one aberration from the rule in any fingle verfe. There are two lines in this paffage more remarkably unharmonious: "this delicious place "For us too large, where thy abundance wants « ↳ Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground." Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground.] Milton was fond of the ancient measures. See his prefaces to Par. Loft and Samf. Agoniftes; and indeed Dr. Johnfon's own remark, pp. 171, 2. Thefe lines exhibit choriumbicks in the third and fourth, and in the fourth and fifth places: "For us too large, where thỹ abundance wants Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground." So, in Par. Reg. B. iv. 412. in the fourth and fifth places Milton often introduces this meafure into his verfes. Thus in 66 Why are you cea'd Lady? why do you frown ?” Again, in Par. Reg. B. ii. 180. “ Cāst wăntön ejes on the daughters of men." Again, B. iv. 289. Light from above, from the fountain of light." In the fecond and third places, in Par. Loft, B. viii. 299. "To the garden of blifs, thy feat prepar'd." See alfo B. v. 750, B. xi. 79, Par. Reg. B. iv. 597, and Samf. Agon. v. 1533. And, laftly, in the third and fourth places, as well as in the first and fecond, in Lycidas: "Where were ye, Nymphs, when the remorfelefs deep." TODD. |