made only to that Vowel or Dipthong. To the Vowel, as, So wing'd with Praise we penetrate the Sky, Teach Clouds and Stars to praise him as we fly. To the Dipthong, as, So hungry Wolves, tho' greedy of their Prey Wall, Wall. The other fort of fingle Rhyme is of the Words that have their Accent on the laft Syllable fave two. And these rhyme to the other in the fame Manner as the Former; that is to fay, if they end in any of the Vowels except mute E, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel; as; So feems to speak the youthful Deity; Wall. But if they end in a Confonant or mute E, the Rhyme must begin at the Vowel that precedes that Confonant, and continue to the End of the Word. As has been fhewn by the former Examples. But we must take Notice, that all the Words that are accented on the last fave two, will rhyme not only to one another, but alfo to all the Words whofe Terminations have the fame Sound, tho' they are accented on the laft Syllable. Thus Tenderness rhymes not only to Poetefs, Wretchedness, and the like, that are accented on the laft fave two, but also to Confess, Excess, &s, that are accented on the laft; as, Thou art my Father now, thefe Words confefs SECT. II. Of Double and Treble Rhyme, Dryd. LL Words that are aceented on the laft fave one, require the Rhyme to begin at the Vowel of that Syllable, and to continue to the End of the Word; and this is what we call Double Rhyme; as, Then all for Women, Painting, Rhyming, Drinking, Dryd, But it is convenient to take Notice, that the ancient Poets did not always obferve this Rule, and took Care only that the last Syllables of the Words fhould be alike in Sound, with out any Regard to the Seat of the Accent. Thus Nation and Affection, Tenderness and Haplefs, Villany and Gentry, Follow and B 2 Willow Willow, and the like, were allow'd as Rhymes to each other in the Days of Chaucer, Spencer, and the reft of the Antients ; but this is now become a Fault in our Verfification; and these Two Verfes of Cowley rhyme not at all. A clear and lively Brown was Merab's Dye; Nor thefe of Dryden. Thus Air was void of Light, and Earth unftable, Because we may not place an Accent on the laft Syllable of Envy, nor on the laft fave one of unnavigable; which nevertheless we must be oblig'd to do, if we make the firft of them rhyme to Dye, the last to Unftable. But we may obferve that in Burlefque Poetry, it is permitted to place an Accent upon a Syllable that naturally has none; as, VVhen Pulpit, Drum, Ecclefiaftick, VVas beat with Fist inftead of a Stick. Where unless we pronounce the Particle A with a strong Accent upon it, and make it found like the Vowel a in the laft Syllable but one of Ecclefiaftick, the Verfe will lofe all its Beauty and Rhyme. But this is allowable in Burlesque Poetry only. Óbferve that these double Rhymes may be compos'd of Two feveral Words, provided the Accent be on the laft Syllable of the first of them; as in these Verses of Cowley, speaking of Gold; A Curfe on him who did refine it, A Curfe on him who first did coin it. Or fone of the Verfes may end in an entire Word, and the Rhyme to it be compos'd of feveral; as, Tho' for'd with Deletery Medicines, Hud. The Treble Rhyme is, when in Words accented on the laft fave Two we begin the Rhyme at the Vowel of that SylJable, and continue it to the End of the Word: Thus Charity and Parity, Tenderness and Slenderness, &c. are treble Rhymes. And these too, as well as the double, may be compos'd of several Words; as, There was an ancient fage Philofopher, Hud. The Treble Rhyme is very feldom us'd, and ought wholly to be exploded from ferious Subjects; for it has a certain Flat nefs nefs unworthy the Gravity requir'd in Heroick Verfe. In which Dryden was of Opinion that even the double_Rhymes ought very cautioufly to find place; and in all his Tranflations of Virgil, he has made ufe of none except only in fuch Words as admit of a Contraction, and therefore cannot properly be faid to be double Rhymes; as Giv'n, Driv'n, Tow'r, Pew'r, and the like. And indeed, confidering their Measure is different from that of an Heroick Verfe, which confifts but of 10 Syllables, they ought not to be too frequently us'd in Heroick Poems, but they are very graceful in the Lyrick, to which, as well as to the Burlesque, thofe Rhymes more properly belong. T SECT. III. Further Inftructions concerning Rhyme. . HE Confonants, that precede the Vowels where the Rhyme begins, must be different in Sound, and not the fame ; for then the Rhyme will be too perfect; as Light, Delight; Vice, Advice, and the like; for tho' fuch Rhymes were allowable in the Days of Spencer and the other old Poets, they are not fo now; nor can there be any Mufick in one fingle Note. Comley himself owns, that they ought not to be employ'd except in Pindarick Odes, which is a fort of free Poetry, and there too very fparingly, and not without a Third Rhyme to answer to both; as, In barren Age wild and inglorious, lye, And boast of paft Fertility, The poor Relief of prefent Poverty. Cowl.. Where the Words Fertility and Poverty rhyme very well to the laft Word of the firft Verfe, Lye; but cannot rhyme to each other, because the Confonants that precede the laft Vowels are the fame, both in Writing and Sound. But this is yet lefs allowable if the Accent be on the last Syllable of the Rhyme; as, Her Language melts Omnipotence, arrefts His Hand, and thence the vengeful Lightning wrests Blac. From hence it follows that a Word cannot rhyme to its felf, tho' the Signification be different; as He leaves to the Leaves, &c. Nor the Words that differ both in Writing and Senfe, if they have the fame Sound, as Maid and made, Prey and pray, to bow and a Bough; as, B 3 How Nor a Compound to its Simple; as Move to Remove, Taught to Untaught, &c. Nor the Compounds of the fame Words to one another, as Difprove to Approve, and the like. All which proceeds from what I faid before, viż. That the Confonants that precede the Vowel where the Rhyme begins, must not be the fame in Sound, but different. In all which we vary from our Neighbours; for neither the French, Italians nor Spaniards will allow that a Rhyme can be too perfect: And we meet with frequent Examples in their Poetry, where not only the Compounds rhyme to their Simples, and to themselves; but even where Words written and pronounc'd exactly alike, provided they have a different Signification, are made ufe of as Rhymes to one another: But this is not permitted in our Poetry. We must take care not to place a Word at the Middle of a Verfe that rhymes to the laft Word of it; as, So young in fhow, as if he ftill fhould grow. But this Fault is ftill more inexcufable, if the Second Verfe rhyme to the Middle and End of the First; as, Knowledge he only fought, and fo foon caught, As if for him Knowledge had rather fought. Cowl. Wall. Or both the Middle and End of the Second to the laft Word of the Firft; as, Farewell, fhe cry'd, my Sifter, thou dear Part, Dryd. Where the Tendernefs of Expreffion will not attore for the Jingle.. CHAP. CHA P. III. Of the feveral forts of Poems, or Compofitions in A Verfe. LL our Poems may be divided into two forts; the first of thofe that are compos'd in Couplets; the second are thofe that are compos'd in Stanzas confifting of feveral Verses. IN SECT. I. Of the Poems compos'd in Couplets. N the Poems compos'd in Couplets, the Rhymes follow one another, and end at each Couplet; that is to fay, the 2d Verfe rhymes to the 1ft, the 4th to the 3d, the 6th to the 5th, and in like manner to the End of the Poem. The Verfes employ'd in this fort of Poems, are either Verfes of 10 Syllables; as, Oh! could I flow like thee, and make thy Stream My great Example, as it is my Theme; Tho' deep, yet clear; tho' gentle, yet not dull; Denh. Where your lov'd Mother flept with Jove; And yet excufe the faultlefs Dame, Thy matchless Form will Credit bring, Caught with her Spouse's Shape and Name: To all the Wonders I fall fing. Or of 7; as, Phillis, why fhould we delay Wall. |
