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§ IV.

WHEN the accent is laid on the first syllable for several lines successively, it occafions an unpleafing monotony.

EXAMPLES.

That cháng'd thro' all, and yet in all the fame,
Great in the earth, as in th' ethereal frame;
Warms in the fun, refreshes in the breeze,
Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees,
Líves thro' all life, extends thro' all extent,
Spréads undivided, operates unspent,
Breathes in our foul, informs our mortal part,
As fúll and perfect in a hair, as heart.

Eff. on M. i. 269.

It has been usually supposed *, that the monotony of these lines is owing to the uniform division of every verse, except the first and the laft, at the fourth fyllable. This however is not the only cause of the monotony. It is chiefly produced by the constant repetition of the accent on the first syllable.

1

Webb's Remarks on Poetry, p. 8.

This will evidently appear by the following lines, in which the reader will perceive a fimilar monotony, though the poetical rest is varied:

Fáde ev'ry blossom-wither ev'ry tree;
Díe ev'ry flow'r and perish all but she.

Pope, Past. iii. 58.

Míx'd with the vulgar-shall thy fate be found,
Piérc'd in the back-a vile, dishonest wound?

Il. viii. 119.

Líves thro' all life-extends thro' all extent,
Spreads undivided-operates unspent.

Eff. on M.

Swift as a flood of fire-when storms arife,
Floats the wide field and blazes to the skies.

Il. ii. 948.

§ V.

THE accent is sometimes laid on the first,

third, fifth, and seventh fyllables.

EXAMPLES.

Fáirest piece of well-form'd earth,
U'rge not thús your haughty bírth.

Could we, which we never cán,
Stretch our lives beyond their spán;
Béauty like a shadow flíes,
A'nd our youth before us díes.

Waller.

This measure has been frequently called the trochaic verse; because, in Greek and Roman poets, the trochee was a foot, confifting of a long fyllable, succeeded by a short one, as armă. But this appellation is only applicable in a figurative sense.

Verses of this construction sometimes confift of eight syllables, and end with a double rhyme.

EXAMPLES.

Lóvely Tháis síts beside thee;
Take the good the gods provide thee.

Bácchus' bléssings áre a tréasure;
Drinking is the soldier's pleasure.

Dryd.

Id.

The

The following fong, by Mr. Pope, faid to have been written by a person of quality, belongs to this species of verfification.

Flútt ring spréad thy púrple pínions,
Gentle Cupid, o'er my heart;
I a flave in thy dominions;
Nature must give way to art.

Mild Arcadians, ever blooming,
Nightly nodding o'er your flocks,
See, my weary days confuming,
All beneath yon flow'ry rocks.

Thus the Cyprian goddess weeping,
Mourn'd Adonis, darling youth;
Him the boar in filence creeping,
Gor'd with unrelenting tooth.

Cynthia, tune harmonious numbers;
Fair Difcretion, firing the lyre;
Sooth my ever-waking slumbers;
Bright Apollo lend thy choir.

Gloomy Pluto, king of terrors,
Arm'd in adamantine chains,.
Lead me to the crystal mirrors,
Wat'ring foft Elysian plains..

Mournful cypress, verdant willow,
Gilding my Aurelia's brows;
Morpheus, hov'ring o'er my pillow
Hear me pay my dying vows.

Melancholy Melancholy, smooth Meander,

Swiftly purling in a round,
On thy margin lovers wander,
With thy flow'ry chaplets crown'd.

Thus, when Philomela drooping,
Softly seeks her filent mate,
See the bird of Juno stooping:
Melody resigns to fate.

I have given this fong at full length, because I would observe, that the author's design is grossly mistaken by many superficial readers, who think it a serious, as well as an elegant fonnet. It is a piece of exquisite humour, confifting of melodious nonsense, flowery expreffions, and incoherent sentiments, calculated to ridicule those frivolous compositions, which are faid to be written " by Persons of Quality."

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