ing than capable to instruct us, who have no genius for verse. 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 necessary more than genius. Nor are we rigid on this article. Provided the work anfwer its chief end of instruction, we are the less solicitous about its dress.

Having afcertained the nature and limits of our fubject, I proceed to the laws by which it is regulated. These would be endless, were verse 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 verse; which perhaps will carry me farther than the reader may chuse to follow. The observations I shall have occafion to make, will at any rate be sufficient for a specimen; and these with proper variations may easily be transferred to the compofition of other forts of verse.

Before I enter upon particulars, it must be be premised in general, that to verfe of eve ry kind, five things are of importance: Ist, The number of syllables that compose a verse. 2d, The different lengths of fyllables, i. e. the difference of time taken in pronouncing. 3d, The arrangement of these syllables combined in words. 4th, The pauses or stops in pronouncing. 5th, Pronouncing fyllables in a high or low tone. The three first mentioned are obviously efsential to verse. If any of them be wanting, there cannot be that higher degree of modulation which distinguisheth verse from profe. To give a just notion of the fourth, it must be observed, that pauses are neceffary for three different purposes. One is, to separate periods and members of the same period according to the sense: another is, to improve the modulation of verse: and the last is, to afford opportunity for drawing breath in reading. A pause of the first kind is variable, being long or short, frequent or less frequent, as the sense requires. A pause of the second kind, is in no degree arbitrary; its place being determined by the modulation. The last fort again is in a

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measure arbitrary, depending on the reader's command of breath. This fort ought always to coincide with the first or second; for one cannot read with grace, unless, for drawing breath, opportunity be taken of a pause in the sense or in the melody; and for that reason this pause may be neglected. With refpect then to the pauses of sense and of melody, it may be affirmed without hefitation, that their coincidence in verse is a capital beauty. But as it cannot be expected, in a long work especially, that every line should be so perfect; we shall afterward have occasion to fee, that the pause necessary for sense must often, in some degree, be sacrificed to the verse-pause; and the latter sometimes to the former.

The pronouncing syllables in a high or low tone, contributes also to melody. In reading, whether verse or prose, a certain tone is assumed, which may be called the key-note; and in this tone the bulk of the words are founded. Sometimes to humour the sense and sometimes the melody, a particular fyllable is founded in a higher tone; and this is termed accenting a fyllable, or gracing VOL. II. it

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it with an accent. Opposed to the accent, is the cadence, which I have not mentioned as one of the requisites of verse, because it is entirely regulated by the sense, and hath no peculiar relation to verse. The cadence is a falling of the voice below the key-note at the close of every period; and so little is it essential to verse, that in correct reading the final fyllable of every line is accented, that fyllable only excepted which closes the period, where the sense requires a cadence. The reader may be satisfied 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 consult in particular a period canto 2. beginning at line 47. and closed line 52. with the word gay, which only of the whole final fyllables is pronounced with a cadence. He may also examine another period in the 5th canto, which runs from line 45. to line 52.

Though the five requisites above mentioned, enter the composition of every species of verse, they are however governed by differ

ent

ent rules, peculiar to each species. Upon quantity only, one general observation may be premised, because it is applicable to every species of verse. Syllables, with refpect to the time taken in pronouncing, are diftinguished into long and short; two short fyllables, with respect to time, being precisely equal to one long. These two lengths are essential to verse of all kinds; and to no verse, so far as I know, is a greater variety of time necessary in pronouncing syllables. The voice indeed is frequently made to rest longer than commonly, upon a word that bears an important signification. But this is done to humour the sense, and is not necessary for the modulation. A thing not more necessary occurs with respect to accenting, fimilar to that now mentioned. A word fignifying any thing humble, low, or dejected, is naturally, in prose as well as in verse, pronounced in a tone below the key

note.

We are now sufficiently prepared for entering upon particulars; and Latin or Greek Hexameter, which are the same, coming first in order, I shall exhaust what I have to fay

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