,the ,augustan ,reprint ,society ,,edward ,,bysshe ,the ,art of ,english ,poetry 7#agjh7 ,with an ,introduction by ,a4 ,dwight ,culler ,publication ,number #dj ,los ,angeles ,william ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library ,university of ,california #aiec ,,general ,,editors ,h4 ,richard ,archer1 ,clark ,memorial ,library ,richard ,c4 ,boys1 ,university of ,michigan ,ralph ,cohen1 ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,vinton ,a4 ,dearing1 ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,,assistant ,,editor ,w4 ,earl ,britton1 ,university of ,michigan ,,advisory ,,editors ,emmett ,l4 ,avery1 ,state ,college of ,washington ,benjamin ,boyce1 ,duke ,university ,louis ,bredvold1 ,university of ,michigan ,john ,butt1 ,king's ,college1 ,university of ,durham ,james ,l4 ,clifford1 ,columbia ,university ,arthur ,friedman1 ,university of ,chicago ,edward ,niles ,hooker1 ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,louis ,a4 ,landa1 ,princeton ,university ,samuel ,h4 ,monk1 ,university of ,minnesota ,earnest ,mossner1 ,university of ,texas ,james ,sutherland1 ,university ,college1 ,london ,h4 ,t4 ,swedenberg1 ,jr41 ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,,corresponding ,,secretary ,edna ,c4 ,davis1 ,clark ,memorial ,library ,,introduction ,the ,art of ,english ,poetry 7#agjb7 may be roughly described as an ,english version of the ,gradus ad ,parnassum4 ,at least that is the tradition to which it belongs4 ,its immediate predecessor was the pleasant ,english ,parnassus3 ,or1 a ,helpe to ,english ,poesie 7#afeg7 compiled by a ,middlesex schoolmaster named ,joshua ,poole1 and this work was avowedly modeled on ,ravisius ,textor's ,epitheta and the ,thesaurus ,poeticus of ,joannes ,buchler4 ,but whereas the ,english ,parnassus was designed for the schoolroom1 the ,art of ,english ,poetry was designed for the world of polite letters1 and so may be called the first example in ,english of the handbook for the serious poet4 ,in its original form the work was an octavo of nearly four hundred pages divided into three parts3 ,rules ,for making ,english ,verse1 a rhyming dictionary1 and a poetical commonplace book containing all the ,most ,natural1 ,agreeable1 and ,noble ,thoughts of the ,english poets digested alphabetically by their subject4 ,only the first part is reproduced here1 but it seems desirable to say something about the book as a whole4#a ,it is one of those works which is scorned by all1 and used by all who scorn it4 ,in the sixty years after its publication it went through nine editions1 and though ,charles ,gildon thought it a book too scandalously mean to name1 he was constrained to admit that it had spread1 by many editions1 thro' all ,england and had carried off so many ,impressions1 as have made it with the ignorant1 the ,standard of ,writing4#b ,not only with the ignorant4 ,pope knew and used the work1 and likewise ,richardson1 ,fielding1 ,isaac ,watts1 ,johnson1 ,goldsmith1 ,walpole1 ,blake1 ,sir ,walter ,scott1 ,bulwer-,lytton1 and many others4 ,indeed1 it would be safe to say that there was hardly a literary man in the eighteenth century who was not familiar with it4 ,if he used a rhyming dictionary1 he used that in ,bysshe1 at least until #agge1 when it was superseded by ,john ,walker's ,dictionary of the ,english ,language4 ,and if he used a poetical commonplace book1 he used either ,bysshe or one of the five other works which were produced in imitation of ,bysshe4 ,quoi qu'ils en disent1 said the ,abbe du ,bos of a similar work in ,french1 ils ont tous ce livre dans leur arriere cabinet4 ,the ,art of ,english ,poetry is dominated in every part by the concept of the heroic poem4 ,the rhyming dictionary1 which was enlarged and improved from that in ,poole1 contains only those words which both for their ,sense and ,sound are judg'd most proper for the ,rhymes of ,heroick ,poetry2#c and the quotations in the commonplace book are drawn chiefly from the heroic poem and the heroic drama4 ,in the last revised edition 7#agah7 the most frequently quoted authors were ,lee 7#ajd passages71 ,rowe 7#aaf71 ,milton 7#aag71 ,shakespeare 7#aah71 ,blackmore 7#abe71 ,otway 7#abg71 ,butler 7#adj71 ,cowley 7#adc71 ,pope 7#aee71 and ,dryden 7#a1bja74 ,dryden1 therefore1 was the great exemplar of the heroic poet1 and his ,aeneid1 which was cited #dic times1 was the great exemplar of the heroic poem4 ,its meter1 the heroic couplet1 was for ,bysshe the only serious poetic instrument1 all longer lines being used merely to vary and decorate it and the shorter ones being fit only for masks and operas and ,pindaric odes4 ,as for stanzas1 the rhyme royal was not follow'd anymore1 ,spenser's choice was unlucky1 and in general1 as ,cowley had said1 no kind of ,staff is proper for a ,heroic ,poem2 as being all too lirical4444#d ,the ,rules ,for making ,english ,verse1 which is the most important part of ,bysshe's work1 is the first attempt to treat ,english prosody in a systematic and comprehensive way4 ,as the title indicates1 it is prescriptive in tone1 and it is strictly syllabic in what it prescribes4 ,the ,english verse line1 according to ,bysshe1 consists of a specified number of syllables1 usually ten1 but permissably from four to twelve with double rhyme adding an uncounted syllable4 ,a verse with an extra or a missing syllable 7as compared with the pattern established by the rest of the poem7 is either a faulty verse or1 more properly1 just a verse of a different kind4 ,there are no feet in ,english poetry4 ,nevertheless1 accent1 which ,bysshe apparently considered a variation in pitch rather than in duration or loudness1 is recognized1 and its role is clearly prescribed4 ,it falls on the even syllables in verses whose total number is even and on the odd syllables in verses whose odd number is not due to double rhyme4 ,this1 of course1 means duple time only1 and ,bysshe recognizes no other4 ,when he quotes ,congreve's verse1 ,apart let me view then each ,heavenly fair1 he feels that the measure is somehow disagreeable1 but he does not notice that the accents fall other than he had prescribed1 and he apparently thinks that the line is distinguished from heroic verse only in having eleven syllables instead of ten4 ,this is highly important because it shows that although the nomina basis of his prosody is both accentual and syllabic1 the latter element is really its defining principle4 ,in a syllabic prosody it is clearly necessary to determine the number of syllables in a word whenever that is doubtful and also1 if convenient1 to provide ways of regulating that number by syncope and elision4 ,a large part of ,bysshe's treatise1 therefore1 is concerned with this task1 and in order to understand this part it is necessary to realize that the shortened forms which he recommends 7am'rous1 ta'en1 and the like7 were not originally poetic in character4 ,by his day some very few had become slightly archaic and hence were usually restricted to poetry2 others existed side by side1 in both prose and poetic speech1 with the longer forms which at last superseded them2 but the great majority represent the regular colloquial idiom of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century4 ,bysshe wanted them used in poetry because he wanted the language of poetry to conform to that of cultivated conversation and prose and because he did not want the heroic line weakened by allowing for syllables that were not there1 or were there only to the eye4 ,bysshe says that he extracted his rules from the practice of the best poets1 but this is not true4 ,he extracted them almost entirely from the ,quatre ,traitez de ,poesies1 ,latine1 ,francoise1 ,italienne1 et ,espagnole 7#affc7 by ,claude ,lancelot1 one of the ,port ,royal educators4 ,from the ,italian1 ,spanish1 and possibly the ,latin sections of this work ,bysshe took his rules on the position of the caesura and a few other hints2 but from the ,french section1 the ,breve ,instruction sur les ,regles de la ,poesie ,francoise1 he took almost his entire prosodical system4 ,indeed1 his ,rules are simply a translation and adaptation of the ,breve ,instruction with ,english examples replacing the ,french4 ,the opening sentence1 for example1 which contains the very heart of his doctrine1 reads3 ,the ,structure of our ,verses1 whether ,blank1 or in ,rhyme1 consists in a certain ,number of ,syllables2 not in ,feet compos'd of long and short ,syllables1 as the ,verses of the ,greeks and ,romans4 ,and the source3 ,la structure ne consiste qu'en vn certain nombre de syllabes1 non pas en pieds composez de syllabes longues breves1 comme les vers des ,grecs des ,romains4#e ,needless to say1 this description is accurate when applied to ,french verse1 but it is not accurate when applied to ,english4 ,the rhythm of ,english verse consists in the regular recurrence of a unit whose exact nature is variously conceived but which is easily identified by the accent which signalizes it4 ,in ,french1 however1 stress in connected speech is too weak and uncertain to be made the basis of a satisfactory rhythm and is replaced in this function by the verse unit itself4 ,these units are made equal by their having an equal number of syllables1 and their recurrence is signalized by the final pause1 by rhyme1 and by the accentuation of the rhymed syllable4 ,in each language there are1 of course1 other subsidiary rhythms1 but the basic rhythm is founded upon the verse unit in ,french and upon a unit within the verse in ,english4 ,clearly1 a prosody which applied to one system could not apply to the other1 and to suppose that it did was ,bysshe's sole but disastrous mistake4 ,he was not the first to make it4 ,what prosody there had been before him had hesitated uncertainly among three systems1 the quantitative1 the accentual1 and the syllabic1 but ,bysshe1 by formulating for the first time a complete and explicit prosodia1 confirmed it in the one it was already favoring1 the syllabic system of the ,french4 ,through him the mistake became irreparable for over a hundred years1 and thus his ,rules have an importance which is far beyond their merit4 ,critically1 they are nothing2 but historically1 they dominated the popular prosodic thought of the eighteenth century4 ,their supremacy was finally ended in #ahaf by the preface to ,christabel4 ,there ,coleridge wrote that the meter of the poem was not1 properly speaking1 irregular1 though it might seem so from its being founded on a new principle3 namely1 that of counting in each line the accents1 not the syllables4#f ,scholars have wondered what was new about this1 and the answer is that it was not new in ,english poetry1 but in ,english prosodical criticism it was new1 for it was a departure from ,bysshe4 ,a4 ,dwight ,culler ,yale ,university ,a ,,note ,,on ,,the ,,text ,the nine editions of the ,art of ,english ,poetry were as follows3 #agjb1 #agje1 #agjh1 #agaj1 #agad1 #agah1 #agbd1 #agcg1 and #agfb4 ,four of these--#agje1 #agjh1 #agaj1 and #agah--represent a revision of the preceding edition1 that of #agah only in the matter of adding new passages to the commonplace book4 ,the last revised text of the ,rules1 therefore1 is that of the fourth edition 7#agaj71 but since this differs from the third only by the omission of one passage1 which is of some interest1 it seemed best to reproduce the text of the third edition 7#agjh74 ,the omitted passage is the last five lines1 beginning and therefore 4441 of the second paragraph on page #bb4 ,,notes ,,to ,,the ,,introduction #a ,for a fuller discussion see my ,edward ,bysshe and the ,poet's ,handbook1 ,,pmla ,,lxiii 7,september1 #aidh71 #heh-hhe1 from which the material for this introduction is largely taken4 ,i am indebted to the ,editor for permission to use it again4 #b ,charles ,gildon1 ,the ,laws of ,poetry 7,london1 #agba71 p4 #gb1 and ,the ,complete ,art of ,poetry 7,london1 #agah71 ,i1 #ic4 #c ,edward ,bysshe1 ,the ,art of ,english ,poetry 7,london1 #agjh71 p4 ii of the rhyming dictionary 7the three parts are paginated separately74 #d ,ibid41 ,rules1 pp4 #cb-cc2 ,cowley is quoted in ,dryden1 tr41 ,the ,works of ,virgil 7,london1 #afig71 sig4 flv4 #e ,ibid41 ,rules1 p4 #a2 ,quatre ,traitez1 p4 #ea4 ,lancelot adds that ,italian and ,spanish verse1 like that of all other vernacular languages1 are syllabic 7ibid41 p4 #ic74 #f ,coleridge1 ,complete ,poetical ,works1 ed4 ,e4 ,h4 ,coleridge 7,oxford1 #aiab71 ,i1 #bae4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,english ,,poetry ,,containing ,i4 ,rules for making ,,verses4 ,,ii4 ,a ,collection of the most ,natural1 ,agreeable1 and ,sublime ,,thoughts1 viz4 ,allusions1 ,similes1 ,descriptions and ,characters1 of ,persons and ,things2 that are to be found in the best ,,english ,,poets4 ,,iii4 ,a ,dictionary of ,,rhymes4 ,by ,edw4 ,bysshe4 ,gent4 ,the ,third ,edition1 with large ,improvements4 ,,london ,printed for ,sam4 ,buckley1 at the ,dolphin in ,little ,britain4 ,,mdccviii4 ,the ,,preface4 ,so many are the ,qualifications1 as well natural as acquir'd1 that are essentially requisite to the making of a good ,poet1 that 'tis in vain for any ,man to aim at a great ,reputation on account of his ,poetical ,performances1 by barely following the ,rules of others1 and reducing their ,speculations into ,practice4 ,it may not be impossible indeed for ,men1 even of indifferent ,parts1 by making ,examples to the ,rules hereafter given1 to compose ,verses smooth1 and well-sounding to the ,ear2 yet if such ,verses want strong ,sense1 ,propriety and ,elevation of ,thought1 or ,purity of ,diction1 they will be at best but what ,horace calls them1 ,versus inopes rerum1 nugaeque canorae1 and the ,writers of them not ,poets1 but versifying ,scriblers4 ,i pretend not therefore by the following ,sheets to teach a ,man to be a ,poet in spight of ,fate and ,nature1 but only to be of ,help to the few who are born to be so1 and whom audit vocatus ,apollo4 ,to this ,end ,i give in the first ,place ,rules for making ,english ,verse3 ,and these ,rules ,i have1 according to the best of my ,judgment1 endeavour'd to extract from the ,practice1 and to frame after the ,examples of the ,poets that are most celebrated for a fluent and numerous ,turn of ,verse4 ,another ,part of this ,treatise1 is a ,dictionary of ,rhymes3 ,to which having prefix'd a large ,preface shewing the ,method and ,usefulness of it1 ,i shall trouble the ,reader in this place no farther than to acquaint him1 that if it be as useful and acceptable to the ,publick1 as the composing it was tedious and painful to me1 ,i shall never repent me of the ,labour4 ,what ,i shall chiefly speak of here1 is the largest ,part of this ,treatise1 which ,i call a ,collection of the most natural and sublime ,thoughts that are in the best ,english ,poets4 ,and to be ingenuous in the ,discovery1 this was the ,part of it that principally induc'd me to undertake the ,whole3 ,the ,task was indeed laborious1 but pleasing2 and the sole ,praise ,i expected from it1 was1 that ,i made a judicious ,choice and proper ,disposition of the ,passages ,i extracted4 ,a ,mixture of so many different ,subjects1 and such a ,variety of ,thoughts upon them1 may possibly not satisfy the ,reader so well1 as a ,composition perfect in its ,kind on one intire ,subject2 but certainly it will divert and amuse him better2 for here is no ,thread of ,story1 nor ,connexion of one ,part with another1 to keep his ,mind intent1 and constrain him to any ,length of ,reading4 ,i detain him therefore only to acquaint him1 why it is made a ,part of this ,book1 and how ,serviceable it may be to the main ,design of it4 ,having drawn up ,rules for making ,verses1 and a ,dictionary of ,rhymes1 which are the ,mechanick ,tools of a ,poet2 ,i came in the next ,place to consider1 what other human ,aid could be offer'd him2 a ,genius and ,judgment not being mine to give4 ,now ,i imagin'd that a ,man might have both these1 and yet sometimes1 for the sake of a ,syllable or two more or less1 to give a ,verse its true ,measure1 be at a stand for ,epithets and ,synonymes1 with which ,i have seen ,books of this ,nature in several ,languages plentifully furnish'd4 ,now1 tho' ,i have differ'd from them in ,method1 yet ,i am of ,opinion this ,collection may serve to the same ,end1 with equal ,profit and greater ,pleasure to the ,reader4 ,for1 what are ,epithets1 but ,adjectives that denote and express the ,qualities of the ,substantives to which they are join'd8 as ,purple1 ,rosie1 ,smiling1 ,dewy1 ,morning3 ,dim1 ,gloomy1 ,silent1 ,night4 ,what ,synonymes1 but ,words of a like ,signification8 as ,fear1 ,dread1 ,terrour1 ,consternation1 ,affright1 ,dismay1 c4 ,are they not then naturally to be sought for in the ,descriptions of ,persons and ,things8 ,and can we not better judge by a ,piece of ,painting1 how ,beautifully ,colours may be dispos'd2 than by seeing the same several ,colours scatter'd without ,design on a ,table8 ,when you are at a ,loss therefore for proper ,epithets or ,synonymes1 look in this ,alphabetical ,collection for any ,word under which the ,subject of your ,thought may most probably be rang'd2 and you will find what have been imploy'd by our best ,writers1 and in what ,manner4 ,it would have been as easie a ,task for me as it has been to others before me1 to have threaded tedious ,bead-rolls of ,synonymes and ,epithets together1 and put them by themselves3 ,but when they stand alone1 they appear bald1 insipid1 uncouth1 and offensive both to the ,eye and ,ear4 ,in that ,disposition they may indeed help the ,memory1 but cannot direct the ,judgment in the ,choice4 ,but besides1 to confess a ,secret1 ,i am very unwilling it should be laid to my ,charge1 that ,i have furnish'd ,tools1 and given a ,temptation of ,versifying1 to such as in spight of ,art and ,nature undertake to be ,poets2 and who mistake their ,fondness to ,rhyme1 or ,necessity of ,writing1 for a true ,genius of ,poetry1 and lawful ,call from ,apollo4 ,such ,debasers of ,rhyme and ,dablers in ,poetry would do well to consider1 that a ,man would justly deserve a higher ,esteem in the ,world by being a good ,mason or ,shoo-maker1 or by excelling in any other ,art that his ,talent inclines him to1 and that is useful to ,mankind1 than by being an indifferent or second-,rate ,poet4 ,such have no ,claim to that ,divine ,appellation3 ,neque enim concludere ,versum ,dixeris esse satis3 ,neque1 si quis scribat1 uti nos1 ,sermoni propiora1 putes hunc esse ,poetam4 ,ingenium cui sit1 cui ,mens divinior1 atque ,os ,magna sonaturum1 des ,nominis hujus ,honorem4 ,horat4 ,i resolv'd therefore to place these1 the principal ,materials1 under the awful ,guard of the immortal ,shakespear1 ,milton1 ,dryden1 c4 ,procul o procul este ,profani6 ,virg4 ,but let ,men of better ,minds be excited to a generous ,emulation4 ,i have inserted not only ,similes1 ,allusions1 ,characters1 and ,descriptions2 but also the most ,natural and ,sublime ,thoughts of our ,modern ,poets on all ,subjects whatever4 ,i say1 of our ,modern2 for tho' some of the ,antient1 as ,chaucer1 ,spencer1 and others1 have not been excell'd1 perhaps not equall'd1 by any that have succeeded them1 either in ,justness of ,description1 or in ,propriety and ,greatness of ,thought2 yet their ,language is now become so antiquated and obsolete1 that most ,readers of our ,age have no ,ear for them3 ,and this is the ,reason that the good ,shakespear himself is not so frequently cited in this ,collection1 as he would otherwise deserve to be4 ,i have endeavour'd to give the ,passages as naked and stript of ,superfluities and foreign ,matter1 as possibly ,i could3 but often found my self oblig'd for the sake of the ,connexion of the ,sense1 which else would have been interrupted1 and consequently obscure1 to insert some of them under ,heads1 to which every ,part or ,line of them may be thought not properly to belong3 ,nay1 ,i sometimes even found it difficult to chuse under what ,head to place several of the best ,thoughts2 but the ,reader may be assur'd1 that if he find them not where he expects1 he will not wholly lose his ,labour2 for ,the ,search it self rewards his ,pains2 ,and if like ,chymists his great ,end he miss1 ,yet things well worth his ,toil he gains2 ,and does his ,charge and ,labour pay ,with good unsought ,experiments by the way4 ,cowley4 ,that the ,reader may judge of every ,passage with due ,deference for each ,author1 he will find their ,names at the ,end of the last ,line2 and as the late ,versions of the ,greek and ,roman ,poets have not a little contributed to this ,collection1 ,homer1 ,anacreon1 ,lucretius1 ,catullus1 ,virgil1 ,horace1 ,ovid1 ,juvenal1 c4 are cited with their ,translators3 ,and after each ,author's ,name are quoted their ,plays and other ,poems1 from whence the ,passages are extracted4 ,the ,reader will likewise observe1 that ,i have sometimes ascrib'd to several ,authors the ,quotations taken from one and the same ,play4 ,thus to those from the first and third ,act of ,oedipus1 ,i have put ,dryden2 to those from the three other1 ,lee3 ,because the first and third ,act of that ,play were written by ,dryden1 the three other by ,lee4 ,to those from ,troilus and ,cressida ,i have sometimes put ,shakespear1 sometimes ,dryden2 because he having alter'd that ,play1 whatever ,i found not in the ,edition of ,shakespear1 ought to be ascrib'd to him4 ,and in like manner of several other ,plays4 ,as no ,thought can be justly said to be fine1 unless it be true1 ,i have all along had a great regard for ,truth2 except only in ,passages that are purely ,satirical1 where some ,allowance must be given3 ,for ,satire may be fine and true ,satire1 tho' it be not directly and according to the ,letter1 true3 'tis enough that it carry with it a ,probability or ,semblance of ,truth4 ,let it not here be objected1 that ,i have from the ,translators of the ,greek and ,roman ,poets1 taken some ,descriptions meerly fabulous3 for the well-invented ,fables of the ,antients were design'd only to inculcate the ,truth with more ,delight1 and to make it shine with greater ,splendour4 ,rien n'est beau que le ,vrai4 ,le ,vrai seul est ,aimable3 ,il doit regner par tout2 meme dans la ,fable3 ,de toute ,fiction l'adroite ,faussete ,ne tend qu' a faire aux yeux briller la ,verite4 ,boileau4 ,i have upon every ,subject given both ,pro and ,con whenever ,i met with them1 or that ,i judg'd them worth giving3 and if both are not always found1 let none imagine that ,i wilfully suppress'd either2 or that what is here uncontradicted must be unanswerable4 ,if any take ,offence at the ,loosness of some of the ,thoughts1 as particularly upon ,love1 where ,i have given the different ,sentiments which ,mankind1 according to their several ,temperaments1 ever had1 and ever will have of it2 such may observe1 that ,i have strictly avoided all manner of ,obscenity throughout the whole ,collection3 ,and tho' here and there a ,thought may perhaps have a ,cast of ,wantonness1 yet the cleanly ,metaphors palliate the ,broadness of the ,meaning1 and the ,chastness of the ,words qualifies the ,lasciviousness of the ,images they represent4 ,and let them farther know1 that ,i have not always chosen what ,i most approv'd1 but what carries with it the best ,stroaks for ,imitation3 ,for1 upon the whole matter1 it was not my ,business to judge any farther1 than of the ,vigour and ,force of ,thought1 of the ,purity of ,language1 of the ,aptness and ,propriety of ,expression2 and above all1 of the ,beauty of ,colouring1 in which the ,poet's ,art chiefly consists4 ,nor1 in short1 would ,i take upon me to determine what things should have been said2 but have shewn only what are said1 and in what manner4 ,,rules ,for making ,,english ,,verse4 ,in the ,english ,versification there are two ,things chiefly to be consider'd2 #a4 ,the ,verses4 #b4 ,the several ,sorts of ,poems1 or ,compositions in ,verse4 ,but because in the ,verses there are also two ,things to be observ'd2 ,the ,structure of the ,verse2 and the ,rhyme2 this ,treatise shall be divided into three ,chapters4 ,i4 ,of the ,structure of ,english ,verses4 ,,ii4 ,of ,rhyme4 ,,iii4 ,of the several ,sorts of ,poems1 or ,compositions in ,verse4 ,,chap4 ,i4 ,of the ,structure of ,english ,verses4 ,the ,structure of our ,verses1 whether ,blank1 or in ,rhyme1 consists in a certain ,number of ,syllables2 not in ,feet compos'd of long and short ,syllables1 as the ,verses of the ,greeks and ,romans4 ,and though some ingenious ,persons formerly puzzled themselves in prescribing ,rules for the ,quantity of ,english ,syllables1 and1 in ,imitation of the ,latins1 compos'd ,verses by the measure of ,spondees1 ,dactyls1 c41 yet the ,success of their ,undertaking has fully evinc'd the ,vainness of their ,attempt1 and given ground to suspect they had not throughly weigh'd what the ,genius of our ,language would bear2 nor reflected that each ,tongue has its peculiar ,beauties1 and that what is agreeable and natural to one1 is very often disagreeable1 nay1 inconsistent with another4 ,but that ,design being now wholly exploded1 it is sufficient to have mention'd it4 ,our ,verses then consist in a certain ,number of ,syllables2 but the ,verses of double ,rhyme require a ,syllable more than those of single ,rhyme4 ,thus in a ,poem whose ,verses consist of ten ,syllables1 those of the same ,poem that are accented on the last save one1 which we call ,verses of double ,rhyme1 must have eleven2 as may be seen by these ,verses4 ,a ,man so various that he seem'd to be ,not one1 but all ,mankind's ,epitome3 ,stiff in ,opinion1 always in the ,wrong1 ,was ev'ry thing by starts1 and nothing long3 ,but1 in the ,course of one revolving ,moon1 ,was ,fidler1 ,chymist1 ,statesman1 and ,buffoon3 ,then all for ,women1 ,painting1 ,rhyming1 ,drinking2 ,besides ten thousand ,freaks that dy'd in ,thinking4 ,praising and ,railing were his usual ,themes2 ,and both1 to shew his ,judgment1 in ,extreams4 ,so over-violent1 or over-civil1 ,that every ,man with him was ,god or ,devil4 ,dryd4 ,where the #d ,verses that are accented on the last save one1 have #aa ,syllables2 the others1 accented on the last1 but #aj4 ,in a ,poem whose ,verses consist of #h1 the double ,rhymes require #i1 as1 ,when hard ,words1 ,jealousies and ,fears1 ,set ,folks together by the ,ears2 ,and made 'em fight1 like mad1 or drunk1 ,for ,dame ,religion1 as for ,punk2 ,whose ,honesty they all durst swear for1 ,tho' not a ,man of 'em know wherefore3 ,then did ,sir ,knight abandon ,dwelling1 ,and out he rode a ,collonelling4 ,hud4 ,in a ,poem whose ,verses consist of #g1 the double ,rhymes require #h1 as1 ,all thy ,verse is softer far ,than the downy ,feathers are ,of my ,wings1 or of my ,arrows2 ,of my ,mother's ,doves or ,sparrows4 ,cowl4 ,this must also be observ'd in ,blank ,verse2 as1 ,welcom1 thou worthy ,partner of my ,lawrels6 ,thou ,brother of my ,choice6 a ,band more sacred ,than ,nature's brittle ,tye4 ,by holy ,friendship6 ,glory and ,fame stood still for thy ,arrival1 ,my ,soul seem'd wanting of its better ,half1 ,and languish'd for thy ,absence1 like a ,prophet1 ,who waits the ,inspiration of his ,god4 ,rowe4 ,and this ,verse of ,milton1 ,void of all ,succour and needful ,comfort1 wants a ,syllable2 for1 being accented on the last save one1 it ought to have #aa1 as all the ,verses1 but two1 of the preceeding ,example have3 ,but if we transpose the ,words thus1 ,of ,succour and all needful ,comfort void1 it then wants nothing of its due ,measure1 because it is accented on the last ,syllable4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of the several ,sorts of ,verses2 and first of those of ten ,syllables4 ,of the due ,observation of the ,accent2 and of the ,pause4 ,our ,poetry admits for the most part but of three sorts of ,verses2 that is to say1 of ,verses of #aj1 #h1 or #g ,syllables3 ,those of #d1 #f1 #i1 #aa1 #ab1 and #ad1 are generally imploy'd in ,masks and ,operas1 and in the ,stanzas of ,lyrick and ,pindarick ,odes1 and we have few intire ,poems compos'd in any of those sorts of ,verses4 ,those of #ab1 and of #ad ,syllables1 are frequently inserted in our ,poems in ,heroick ,verse1 and when rightly made use of1 carry a peculiar ,grace with them4 ,see the next ,section towards the end4 ,the ,verses of #aj ,syllables1 which are our ,heroick1 are us'd in ,heroick ,poems1 in ,tragedies1 ,comedies1 ,pastorals1 ,elegies2 and sometimes in ,burlesque4 ,in these ,verses two things are chiefly to be consider'd4 #a4 ,the ,seat of the ,accent4 #b4 ,the ,pause4 ,for1 'tis not enough that ,verses have their just ,number of ,syllables3 the true ,harmony of them depends on a due ,observation of the ,accent and ,pause4 ,the ,accent is an ,elevation1 or a ,falling of the ,voice1 on a certain ,syllable of a ,word4 ,the ,pause is a ,rest or ,stop that is made in pronouncing the ,verse1 and that divides it1 as it were1 into two parts2 each of which is call'd an ,hemistich1 or ,half-,verse4 ,but this ,division is not always equal1 that is to say1 one of the ,half-verses does not always contain the same ,number of ,syllables as the other3 and this ,inequality proceeds from the ,seat of the ,accent that is strongest1 and prevails most in the first ,half-verse4 ,for1 the ,pause must be observ'd at the end of the ,word where such ,accent happens to be1 or at the end of the following ,word4 ,now in a ,verse of #aj ,syllables1 this ,accent must be either on the #b;d1 #dth1 or #fth2 which produces #e several ,pauses1 that is to say1 at the #c;d1 #dth1 #eth1 #fth1 or #gth ,syllable of the ,verse2 ,for1 ,when it happens to be on the #b;d1 the ,pause will be either at the #c;d1 or #dth4 ,at the #c;d1 in two manners3 #a4 ,when the ,syllable accented happens to be the last save one of a ,word2 as1 ,as busy--as intentive ,emmets are2 ,or ,cities--whom unlook'd-for ,sieges scare4 ,dav4 #b4 ,or1 when the ,accent is on the last of a ,word1 and the next a ,monosyllable1 whose ,construction is govern'd by that on which the ,accent is2 as1 ,despise it1--and more noble ,thoughts pursue4 ,dryd4 ,when the ,accent falls on the #b;d ,syllable of the ,verse1 and the last save two of a ,word1 the ,pause will be at the #dth2 as1 ,he meditates--his absent ,enemy4 ,dryd4 ,when the ,accent is on the #dth of a ,verse1 the ,pause will be either at the same ,syllable1 or at the #eth1 or #fth4 ,at the same1 when the ,syllable of the ,accent happens to be the last of a ,word2 as1 ,such huge ,extreams--inhabit thy great ,mind1 ,god-like1 unmov'd1--and yet1 like ,woman1 kind4 ,wall4 ,at the #eth in #b manners3 #a4 ,when it happens to be the last save one of a ,word2 as1 ,like bright ,aurora--whose refulgent ,ray ,foretells the ,fervour--of ensuing ,day2 ,and warns the ,shepherd--with his ,flocks1 retreat ,to leafy ,shadows--from the threaten'd ,heat4 ,wall4 #b4 ,or the last of the ,word1 if the next be a ,monosyllable govern'd by it2 as1 ,so fresh the ,wound is--and the ,grief so vast4 ,wall4 ,at the #fth1 when the ,syllable of the ,accent happens to be the last save two of a ,word2 as1 ,those ,seeds of ,luxury1--,debate1 and ,pride4 ,wall4 ,lastly1 ,when the ,accent is on the #fth ,syllable of the ,verse1 the ,pause will be either at the same ,syllable1 or at the #gth4 ,at the same1 when the ,syllable of the ,accent happens to be the last of a ,word2 as1 ,she meditates ,revenge--resolv'd to die4 ,wall4 ,at the #gth in two manners3 #a4 ,when it happens to be the last save one of a ,word2 as1 ,nor when the ,war is over1--is it ,peace4 ,dryd4 ,mirrors are taught to flatter1--but our ,springs4 ,wall4 #b4 ,or the last of a ,word1 if the following one be a ,monosyllable whose ,construction depends on the preceeding ,word on which the ,accent is2 as1 ,and since he could not save her1--with her dy'd4 ,dryd4 ,from all this it appears1 that the ,pause is determin'd by the ,seat of the ,accent2 but if the ,accents happen to be equally strong1 on the #b;d1 #dth1 and #fth ,syllable of a ,verse1 the ,sense and ,construction of the ,words must then guide to the ,observation of the ,pause3 ,for ,example2 ,in one of the ,verses ,i cited as an ,instance of it at the #gth ,syllable1 ,mirrors are taught to flatter1 but our ,springs4 ,the ,accent is as strong on ,taught1 as on the first ,syllable of ,flatter1 and if the ,pause were observ'd at the #dth ,syllable of the ,verse1 it would have nothing disagreeable in its ,sound3 as1 ,mirrors are taught--to flatter1 but our ,springs ,present th' impartial ,images of things4 ,which tho' it be no ,violence to the ,ear1 yet it is to the ,sense1 and that ought always carefully to be avoided in reading or in repeating of ,verses4 ,for this ,reason it is1 that the ,construction or ,sense should never end at a ,syllable where the ,pause ought not to be made2 as at the #hth and #b;d in the two following ,verses3 ,bright ,hesper twinkles from afar3--,away ,my ,kids6--for you have had a ,feast to day4 ,staff4 ,which ,verses have nothing disagreeable in their ,structure but the ,pause2 which in the first of them must be observ'd at the #hth ,syllable1 in the #b;d at the #b;d2 and so unequal a ,division can produce no true ,harmony4 ,and for this ,reason too1 the ,pauses at the #c;d and #gth ,syllables1 tho' not wholly to be condemn'd1 ought to be but sparingly practis'd4 ,the foregoing ,rules ought indispensibly to be follow'd in all our ,verses of #aj ,syllables2 and the observation of them1 like that of right ,time in ,musick1 will produce ,harmony2 the neglect of them1 ,harshness and ,discord2 as appears by the following ,verses4 ,none think ,rewards render'd worthy their ,worth4 ,and both ,lovers1 both thy ,disciples were1 ,dav4 ,in which tho' the true ,number of ,syllables be observ'd1 yet neither of them have so much as the ,sound of a ,verse3 ,now their ,disagreeableness proceeds from the undue ,seat of the ,accent3 ,for ,example1 the first of them is accented on the #eth and #gth ,syllables2 but if we change the ,words1 and remove the ,accent to the #dth and #fth1 the ,verse will become smooth and easie2 as1 ,none think ,rewards are equal to their ,worth4 ,the harshness of the last of them proceeds from its being accented on the #c;d ,syllable1 which may be mended thus1 by transposing only one ,word2 ,and ,lovers both1 both thy ,disciples were4 ,in like manner the following ,verses1 ,to be massacred1 not in ,battle slain4 ,blac4 ,but forc'd1 harsh1 and uneasie unto all4 ,cowl4 ,against the ,insults of the ,wind and ,tide4 ,blac4 ,a second ,essay will the ,pow'rs appease4 ,blac4 ,with ,scythians expert in the ,dart and ,bow4 ,dryd4 are rough1 because the foregoing ,rules are not observ'd in their ,structure3 ,for ,example1 the first1 where the ,pause is at the #eth ,syllable1 and the ,accent on the #c;d1 is contrary to the ,rule which says1 that the ,accent that determines the ,pause must be on the #b;d1 #dth1 or #fth ,syllable of the ,verse2 and to mend that ,verse we need only place the ,accent on the #dth1 and then the ,pause at the #eth will have nothing disagreeable1 as1 ,thus to be murther'd1 not in ,battle slain4 ,the second ,verse is ,accented on the #c;d ,syllable1 and the ,pause is there too2 which makes it indeed the thing it expresses1 forc'd1 harsh1 and uneasie2 it may be mended thus1 ,but forc'd and harsh1 uneasie unto all4 ,the #c;d1 #dth1 and #eth of those ,verses1 have like faults2 for the ,pauses are at the #eth1 and the ,accent there too1 which is likewise contrary to the foregoing ,rules3 ,now they will be made smooth and flowing1 by taking the ,accent from the #eth1 and removing the ,seat of the ,pause2 as1 ,against th' ,insults both of the ,wind and ,tide4 ,a second ,trial will the ,pow'rs appease4 ,with ,scythians skilfull in the ,dart and ,bow4 ,from whence we conclude1 that in all ,verses of #aj ,syllables1 the most prevailing ,accents ought to be on the #b;d1 #dth1 or #fth ,syllables2 for if they are on the #c;d1 #eth1 or #gth1 the ,verses will be rough and disagreeable1 as has been prov'd by the preceeding ,instances4 ,in short1 the wrong placing of the ,accent is as great a fault in our ,versification1 as false ,quantity was in that of the ,antients2 and therefore we ought to take equal care to avoid it1 and endeavour so to dispose the ,words1 that they may create a certain ,melody in the ,ear1 without ,labour to the ,tongue1 or ,violence to the ,sense4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of the other ,sorts of ,verses that are us'd in our ,poetry4 ,after the ,verses of #aj ,syllables1 those of #h are most frequent1 and we have many intire ,poems compos'd in them4 ,in the ,structure of these ,verses1 as well as of those of #aj ,syllables1 we must take care that the most prevailing ,accents be neither on the #c;d nor #eth ,syllables of them4 ,they also require a ,pause to be observ'd in pronouncing them1 which is generally at the #dth1 or #eth ,syllable2 as1 ,i'll sing of ,heroes1--and of ,kings1 ,in mighty ,numbers--mighty things2 ,begin1 my ,muse1--but lo the ,strings1 ,to my great ,song--rebellious prove1 ,the ,strings will sound--of nought but ,love4 ,cowl4 ,the ,verses of #g ,syllables1 which are call'd ,anacreontick1 are most beautiful when the strongest ,accent is on the #c;d1 and the ,pause either there1 or at the #dth1 as1 ,fill the ,bowl--with rosy ,wine1 ,round our ,temples--,roses twine2 ,crown'd with ,roses--we contemn ,gyges wealthy--,diadem4 ,cowl4 ,the ,verses of #i1 and of #aa ,syllables1 are of two sorts1 one is those that are accented upon the last save one1 which are only the ,verses of double ,rhyme that belong to those of #h and #aj ,syllables1 of which ,examples have already been given4 ,the other is those that are accented on the last ,syllable1 which are employ'd only in ,compositions for ,musick1 and in the lowest sort of ,burlesque ,poetry2 the disagreeableness of their ,measure having wholly excluded them from grave and serious ,subjects4 ,they who desire to see ,examples of them1 may find some scatter'd here and there in our ,masks1 and ,operas1 and in our ,burlesque ,writers4 ,i will give but two4 ,hilas1 ,o ,hilas1 why sit we mute8 ,now that each ,bird saluteth the ,spring4 ,wall4 ,apart let me view then each ,heavenly ,fair1 ,for three at a time there's no ,mortal can bear4 ,congr4 ,the ,verses of #ab ,syllables are truly ,heroick1 both in their ,measure and ,sound2 tho' we have no intire ,works compos'd in them2 and they are so far from being a ,blemish to the ,poems they are in1 that on the contrary1 when rightly employed1 they conduce not a little to the ,ornament of them2 particularly in the following ,rencounters4 #a4 ,when they conclude an ,episode in an ,heroick ,poem3 ,thus ,stafford ends his ,translation of that of ,camilla from the #aath ,a,eneid1 with a ,verse of #ab ,syllables4 ,the ling'ring ,soul th' unwelcom ,doom receives1 ,and1 murm'ring with ,disdain1 the beauteous ,body leaves4 #b4 ,when they conclude a ,triplet and full ,sense together2 as1 ,millions of op'ning ,mouths to ,fame belong2 ,and every ,mouth is furnish'd with a ,tongue2 ,and round with list'ning ,ears the flying ,plague is hung4 ,dryd4 ,and here we may observe by the way1 that whenever a ,triplet is made use of in an ,heroick ,poem1 it is a fault not to close the ,sense at the end of the ,triplet1 but to continue it into the next ,line2 as ,dryden has done in his ,translation of the #aath ,a,eneid in those ,lines4 ,with ,olives crown'd1 the ,presents they shall bear1 ,a ,purple ,robe1 a ,royal ,iv'ry ,chair1 ,and all the ,marks of ,sway that ,latian ,monarchs wear1 ,and ,sums of ,gold1 c4 ,and in the #gth ,a,eneid he has committed the like fault4 ,then they1 whose ,mothers1 frantick with their ,fear1 ,in ,woods and ,wilds the ,flags of ,bacchus bear1 ,and lead his ,dances with dishevel'd ,hair1 ,increase the ,clamour1 c4 ,but the ,sense is not confin'd to the ,couplet1 for the ,close of it may fall into the middle of the next ,verse1 that is the ,third1 and sometimes farther off3 ,provided the last ,verse of the ,couplet exceed not the ,number of ten ,syllables2 for then the ,sense ought always to conclude with it4 ,examples of this are so frequent1 that 'tis needless to give any4 #c4 ,when they conclude the ,stanzas of ,lyrick or ,pindarick ,odes2 ,examples of which are often seen in ,dryden1 and others4 ,in these ,verses the ,pause ought to be at the #fth ,syllable1 as may be seen in the foregoing ,examples4 ,we sometimes find it1 tho' very rarely1 at the #gth2 as1 ,that such a cursed ,creature--lives so long a space4 ,when it is at the #dth1 the ,verse will be rough and hobbling3 as1 ,and ,midwife ,time--the ripen'd ,plot to ,murther brought4 ,dryd4 ,the ,prince pursu'd--and march'd along with equal ,pace4 ,dryd4 ,in the last of which it is very apparent1 that if the ,sense and ,construction would allow us to make the ,pause at the #fth ,syllable1 ,the ,prince pursu'd1 and march'd--along with equal ,pace4 the ,verse would be much more flowing and easie4 ,the ,verses of #ad ,syllables are less frequent than those of #ab2 they are likewise inserted in ,heroick ,poems1 c4 and are agreeable enough when they conclude a ,triplet and ,sense1 and follow a ,verse of #ab2 as1 ,for thee the ,land in fragrant ,flowers is drest2 ,for thee the ,ocean smiles1 and smooths her wavy ,breast1 ,dryd4 ,and ,heav'n it self with more serene and purer ,light is blest4 ,but if they follow one of #aj ,syllables1 the ,inequality of the ,measure renders them less agreeable2 as1 ,while all thy ,province1 ,nature1 ,i survey1 7,dryd4 ,and sing to ,memmius an ,immortal ,lay ,of ,heav'n and ,earth2 and every where thy wondrous ,pow'r display ,especially if it be the last of a ,couplet only2 as1 ,with ,court-,informers haunts1 and ,royal ,spies1 ,things done relates1 not done she feigns1 and mingles ,truth with ,lies4 7,dryd4 ,but this is only in ,heroicks2 for in ,pindaricks and ,lyricks1 ,verses of #ab or #ad ,syllables are frequently and gracefully plac'd1 not only after those of #ab or #aj1 but of any other number of ,syllables whatsoever4 ,the ,verses of #d and #f ,syllables have nothing worth observing1 and therefore ,i shall content my self with having made mention of them4 ,they are1 as ,i said before1 us'd only in ,operas1 and ,masks1 and in ,lyrick and ,pindarick ,odes4 ,take one ,example of them4 ,to rule by ,love1 ,to shed no ,blood1 ,may be extoll'd above2 ,but here below1 ,let ,princes know1 ',tis fatal to be good4 ,dryd4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,several ,rules conducing to the ,beauty of our ,versification4 ,our ,poetry being very much polish'd and refin'd since the ,days of ,chaucer1 ,spencer and the other antient ,poets1 some ,rules which they neglected1 and that conduce very much to the ,ornament of it1 have been practis'd by the best of the ,moderns4 ,the first is1 to avoid as much as possible the ,concourse of ,vowels1 which occasions a certain ill-sounding ,gaping1 call'd by the ,latins ,hiatus2 and which they thought so disagreeable to the ,ear1 that1 to avoid it1 whenever a ,word ended in a ,vowel1 and the next began with one1 they never1 even in ,prose1 sounded the ,vowel of the first ,word1 but lost it in the ,pronunciation2 and it is a fault in our ,poets not to do the like1 whenever our ,language will admit of it4 ,for this ,reason1 the e of the ,particle ,the ought always to be cut off before the ,words that begin by a ,vowel2 as1 ,with weeping ,eyes she heard th' unwelcome ,news4 ,dryd4 ,and it is a fault to make ,the and the first ,syllable of the following word two distinct ,syllables1 as in this1 ,refrain'd a while by the unwelcome ,night4 ,wall4 ,a second sort of ,hiatus1 and that ought no less to be avoided is1 when a ,word that ends in a ,vowel that cannot be cut off1 is plac'd before one that begins by the same ,vowel1 or one that has the like ,sound2 as1 ,should thy ,iambicks swell into a ,book4 ,wall4 ,the second ,rule is1 to contract the two last ,syllables of the ,preterperfect ,tenses of all the ,verbs that will admit of it2 which are all the ,regular ,verbs whatsoever1 except only those ending in ,d or ,t1 and ,,de or ,,te4 ,and it is a fault to make ,amazed of three ,syllables1 and ,loved of two2 instead of ,amaz'd of two1 and ,lov'd of one4 ,and the second ,person of the ,present and ,preterperfect ,tenses of all ,verbs ought to be contracted in like manner2 as thou lov'st1 for thou lovest1 c4 ,the third ,rule is1 not to make use of several ,words in a ,verse that begin by the same ,letter2 as1 ,the ,court he knew to steer in ,storms of ,state4 ,he in these ,miracles ,design discern'd4 ,dav4 ,yet we find an ,instance of such a ,verse in ,dryden's ,translation of the first ,pastoral of ,virgil2 ,till then a helpless1 hopeless1 homely ,swain4 ,which ,i am perswaded he left not thus through ,negligence or ,inadvertency1 but with design to paint in the ,number and ,sound of the ,words the thing he describ'd1 a ,shepherd in whom ,nec spes libertatis erat1 nec cura peculi4 ,now how far the ,sound of the ,h aspirate1 with which three ,feet of that ,verse begin1 expresses the ,despair of the ,swain1 let the ,judicious judge3 ,i have taken notice of it only to say1 that 'tis a great ,beauty in ,poetry1 when the ,words and ,numbers are so dispos'd1 as by their ,order and ,sound to represent the things describ'd4 ,the fourth is1 to avoid ending a ,verse by an ,adjective whose ,substantive begins the following2 as1 ,some lost their quiet ,rivals1 some their kind ,parents1 c4 ,dav4 ,or1 by a ,preposition when the ,case it governs begins the ,verse that follows2 as1 ,the daily less'ning of our ,life1 shews by ,a little dying1 how outright to dye4 ,wall4 ,the fifth is1 to avoid the frequent ,use of ,words of many ,syllables1 which are proper enough in ,prose1 but come not into ,verse without a certain ,violence altogether disagreeable2 particularly those whose ,accent is on the fourth ,syllable from the last2 as ,undutifulness4 ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,doubts concerning the ,number of ,syllables of certain ,words4 ,there is no ,language whatsoever1 that so often joyns several ,vowels together to make ,diphthongs of them1 as ours2 this appears in our having several compos'd of three different ,vowels3 as ,,eau1 and ,,eou in ,beauteous3 ,,iou in ,glorious1 ,,uai in ,acquaint1 c4 ,now from hence may arise some ,difficulties concerning the true ,pronunciation of those ,vowels3 ,whether they ought to be sounded separately in two ,syllables1 or joyntly in one4 ,the antient ,poets made them sometimes of two ,syllables1 sometimes but of one1 as the ,measure of their ,verse requir'd2 but they are now become to be but of one1 and it is a fault to make them of two3 ,from whence we may draw this general ,rule2 ,that whenever one ,syllable of a ,word ends in a ,vowel1 and the next begins by one1 provided the first of those ,syllables be not that on which the ,word is accented1 those two ,syllables ought in ,verse to be contracted and made but one4 ,thus ,beauteous is but two ,syllables1 ,victorious but three1 and it is a fault in ,dryden1 to make it four1 as he has done in this ,verse3 ,your ,arms are on the ,rhine victorious4 ,to prove that this ,verse wants a ,syllable of its due ,measure1 we need but add one to it2 as1 ,your ,arms are on the ,rhine victorious now4 ,where tho' the ,syllable now be added to the ,verse1 it has no more than its due number of ,syllables1 which plainly proves it wanted it4 ,but if the ,accent be upon the first of these ,syllables1 they cannot be contracted to make a ,diphthong1 but must be computed as two distinct ,syllables3 ,thus ,poet1 ,lion1 ,quiet1 and the like1 must always be us'd as two ,syllables3 ,poetry and the like1 as three4 ,and it is a fault to make ,riot1 for ,example1 one ,syllable1 as ,milton has done in this ,verse4 ,their ,riot ascends above their lofty ,tow'rs4 ,the same ,poet has in another place made use of a like ,word twice in one ,verse1 and made it two ,syllables each time4 ,with ,ruin upon ,ruin1 ,rout on ,rout4 ,and any ,ear may discover that this last ,verse has its true ,measure1 the other not4 ,but there are some ,words that may be excepted2 as ,diamond1 ,violet1 ,violent1 ,diadem1 ,hyacinth1 and perhaps some others1 which1 though they are accented upon the first ,vowel1 are sometimes us'd but as two ,syllables2 as in the following ,verses1 ,from ,diamond ,quarries hewn1 and ,rocks of ,gold4 ,milt4 ,with ,poppies1 ,daffadils1 and ,violets joyn'd4 ,tate4 ,with vain1 but violent ,force their ,darts they flung4 ,cowl4 ,his ,ephod1 ,mitre1 well-cut ,diadem on4 ,cowl4 ,my blushing ,hyacinths1 and my ,bays ,i keep4 ,dryd4 ,sometimes as three2 as ,a ,mount of rocky ,diamond did rise4 ,blac4 ,hence the blue ,violet and blushing ,rose4 ,blac4 ,and set soft ,hyacinths of ,iron ,blue4 ,dryd4 ,when they are us'd but as two ,syllables they suffer an ,elision of one of their ,vowels1 and are generally written thus1 ,di'mond1 ,vi'let1 c4 ,this ,contraction is not always made of ,syllables of the same ,word only2 for the ,particle ,a being plac'd after a ,word that ends in a ,vowel1 will sometimes admit of the like ,contraction3 ,for ,example1 after the ,word many2 as1 ,tho' many a ,victim from my ,folds was bought1 ,and many a ,cheese to ,country-,markets brought4 ,dryd4 ,they many a ,trophy gain'd with many a ,wound4 ,dav4 ,after ,to2 as1 ,can he to a ,friend1 to a ,son so bloody grow4 ,cowl4 ,after ,they2 as1 ,from thee1 their long-known ,king1 they a ,king desire4 ,cowl4 ,after ,by2 as1 ,when we by a foolish ,figure say4 ,cowl4 ,and perhaps after some others4 ,there are also other ,words whose ,syllables are sometimes contracted1 sometimes not3 as1 ,bower1 ,heaven1 ,prayer1 ,nigher1 ,towards1 and many more of the like ,nature3 ,but they generally ought to be us'd but as one ,syllable2 and then they suffer an ,elision of the ,vowel that precedes their final ,consonant1 and ought to be written thus3 ,pow'r1 ,heav'n1 ,pray'r1 ,nigh'r1 tow'rds4 ,the ,termination ,,ism is always us'd but as one ,syllable2 as ,where griesly ,schism and raging ,strife appear4 ,cowl4 ,and ,rhumatisms ,i send to rack the ,joynts4 ,dryd4 ,and1 indeed1 considering that it has but one ,vowel1 it may seem absurd to assert that it ought to be reckon'd two ,syllables2 yet in my ,opinion1 those ,verses seem to have a ,syllable more than their due ,measure1 and would run better if we took one from them2 as1 ,where griesly ,schism1 raging ,strife appear4 ,i ,rhumatisms send to rack the ,joynts4 ,yet this ,opinion being contrary to the constant practice of our ,poets1 ,i shall not presume to advance it as a ,rule for others to follow2 but leave it to be decided by such as are better ,judges of ,poetical ,numbers4 ,the like may be said of the ,terminations ,,asm and ,,osm4 ,,sect4 ,v4 ,of the ,elisions that are allow'd in our ,versification4 ,our ,verses consisting only of a certain ,number of ,syllables1 nothing can be of more ease1 or greater use to our ,poets1 than the retaining or cutting off a ,syllable from a ,verse1 according as the measure of it requires2 and therefore it is requisite to treat of the ,elisions that are allowable in our ,poetry1 some of which have been already taken notice of in the preceding ,section4 ,by ,elision1 ,i mean the cutting off one or more ,letters from a ,word1 whereby two ,syllables come to be contracted into one2 or the taking away an intire ,syllable4 ,now when in a ,word of more than two ,syllables1 which is accented on the last save two1 the ,liquid ,r1 happens to be between two ,vowels1 that which precedes the ,liquid admits of an ,elision1 ,of this nature are many ,words in ,,ance1 ,,ence1 ,,ent1 ,,er1 ,,ous1 and ,,ry2 as ,temperance1 ,preference1 ,different1 ,flatterer1 ,amorous1 ,victory3 ,which are ,words of three ,syllables1 and often us'd as such in ,verse2 but they may also be contracted into two1 by cutting off the ,vowel that precedes the ,liquid2 as ,temp'rance1 ,pref'rence1 ,diff'rent1 ,flatt'rer1 ,am'rous1 ,vict'ry4 ,the like ,elision is sometimes us'd1 when any of the other ,liquids ,l1 ,m1 or ,n1 happen to be between two ,vowels1 in ,words accented like the former1 as ,fabulous1 ,enemy1 ,mariner1 which may be contracted ,fab'lous1 ,en'my1 ,mar'ner4 ,but this is not so frequent4 ,observe1 that ,i said accented on the last save two2 for if the ,word be accented on the last save one1 that is to say1 on the ,vowel that precedes the ,liquid1 that ,vowel may not be cut off4 ,and therefore it is a fault to make1 for ,example1 ,sonorous of two ,syllables1 as in this ,verse2 ,with ,son'rous ,metals wak'd the drowsie ,day4 ,blac4 ,which always ought to be of three2 as in this1 ,sonorous ,metals blowing martial ,sounds4 ,milt4 ,in like manner2 whenever the ,letter ,s happens to be between two ,vowels in ,words of three ,syllables1 accented on the first1 one of the ,vowels may be cut off2 as ,pris'ner1 ,bus'ness1 c4 ,or the ,letter ,c when 'tis sounded like ,s2 that is to say1 whenever it preceds the ,vowels ,e or ,i2 as ,med'cine1 for ,medicine4 ,or ,v ,consonant2 as ,cov'nant for ,covenant4 ,to these may be added the ,gerunds of all ,verbs whose ,infinitives end in any of the ,liquids1 preceded by a ,vowel or ,diphthong1 and that are accented on the last save one3 for the ,gerunds being form'd by adding the ,syllable ,,ing to the ,infinitive1 the ,liquid that was their final ,letter1 comes thereby to be between two ,vowels2 and the ,accent that was on the last save one of the ,infinitive1 comes to be on the last save two of the ,gerund3 ,and therefore the ,vowel or ,diphthong1 that precedes the ,liquid1 may be cut off2 by means whereof the ,gerund of three ,syllables comes to be but of two1 as from ,travel1 ,travelling1 or ,trav'ling2 from ,endeavour1 ,endeavouring1 or ,endeav'ring1 c4 ,but if the ,accent be on the last ,syllable of such a ,verb1 its ,gerund will not suffer such an ,elision3 ,thus the ,gerund of ,devour must always be three ,syllables1 ,devouring1 not ,dev'ring2 because all ,derivatives still retain the ,accent of their ,primitives1 that is1 on the same ,syllable3 and the ,accent always obliges the ,syllable on which it is1 to remain entire4 ,the ,gerunds of the ,verbs in ,,ow1 accented on the last save two1 suffer an ,elision of the ,o that precedes the ,w2 as ,foll'wing1 ,wall'wing4 ,the ,particle ,it admits of an ,elision of its ,vowel before ,is1 ,was1 ,were1 ,will1 ,would2 as ',tis1 ',twas1 ',twere1 ',twill1 ',twould1 for ,it is1 ,it was1 c4 ,it likewise sometimes suffers the like ,elision1 when plac'd after a ,word that ends in a ,vowel2 as ,by't for ,by it1 ,do't for ,do it3 ,or that ends in a ,consonant after which the ,letter ,t can be pronounc'd2 as ,was't for ,was it1 ,in't for ,in it1 and the like3 ,but this is not so frequent in ,heroick ,verse4 ,the ,particle ,is may lose its ,i after any ,word that ends in a ,vowel1 or in any of the ,consonants after which the ,letter ,s may be sounded2 as she's for she is3 ,the ,air's for the ,air is1 c4 ,to 7sign of the ,infinitive ,mood7 may lose its ,o before any ,verb that begins by a ,vowel2 as ,t' amaze1 t' undo1 c4 ,to 7,sign of the ,dative ,case7 may likewise lose its ,o before any ,noun that begins with a ,vowel2 as t' ,air1 t' every1 c4 ,but this ,elision is not so allowable as the former4 ,are may lose its ,a after the ,pronouns ,personal1 ,we1 ,you1 ,they2 as ,we're1 ,you're1 ,they're3 ,and thus it is that this ,elision ought to be made1 and not as some do1 by cutting off the final ,vowels of the ,pronouns ,personal2 ,w'are1 ,y'are1 ,th'are4 ,will and ,would may lose all their first ,letters1 and retain only their final one1 after any of the ,pronouns ,personal2 as ,i'll for ,i will2 ,he'd for ,he would2 or after ,who1 as who'll for who will2 who'd for who would4 ,have1 may lose its two first ,letters after ,i1 ,you1 ,we1 ,they2 as ,i've1 ,you've1 ,we've1 ,they've4 ,not1 its two first ,letters after can2 as ,can't for ,can not4 ,am1 its ,a after ,i3 ,i'm for ,i am4 ,us1 its ,u after ,let3 ,let's for ,let us4 ,taken1 its ,k1 as ,ta'en3 for so it ought to be written1 not ta'ne4 ,heaven1 ,seven2 ,even1 ,eleven1 and the ,participles ,driven1 ,given1 ,thriven1 and their ,compounds1 may lose their last ,vowel1 as ,heav'n1 ,forgiv'n1 c4 ,see the foregoing ,section1 p4 #ac4 ,to these may be added ,bow'r1 ,pow'r1 ,flow'r1 ,tow'r1 ,show'r1 for ,bower1 ,power1 c4 ,never1 ,ever1 ,over1 may lose their ,v2 and are contracted thus1 ,ne'er1 ,e'er1 ,o'er4 ,some ,words admit of an ,elision of their first ,syllable2 as ',tween1 ',twixt1 ',mong1 ',mongst1 ',gainst1 ',bove1 ',cause1 ',fore1 for ,between1 ,betwixt1 ,among1 ,amongst1 ,against1 ,above1 ,because1 ,before4 ,and some others that may be observ'd in reading our ,poets4 ,i have already1 in the #c;d ,section of this ,chapter1 spoken of the ,elision of the e of the ,particle ,the before ,vowels3 ,but it is requisite likewise to take notice1 that it sometimes loses its ,vowel before a ,word that begins by a ,consonant1 and then its two remaining ,letters are joyn'd to the preceding ,word2 as ,to th' ,wall1 for ,to the ,wall2 ,by th' ,wall1 for ,by the ,wall1 c4 ,but this is scarce allowable in ,heroick ,poetry4 ,the ,particles ,in1 ,of1 and ,on1 sometimes lose their ,consonants1 and are joyn'd to the ,particle ,the in like manner2 as i'th'1 o'th'1 for in the1 of the4 ,in some of our ,poets we find the ,pronoun ,his lose its two first ,letters after any ,word that ends in a ,vowel2 as to's1 by's1 c4 for to his1 by his1 c4 ,or after many ,words that end in a ,consonant1 after which the ,letter ,s can be pronounc'd2 as ,in's1 for's1 for ,in his1 for his1 c4 ,this is frequent in ,cowley1 who often takes too great a ,liberty in his ,contractions2 as t' your for to your1 t' which for to which1 and many others2 in which we must be cautious of following his ,example3 ,but the contracting of the ,pronoun ,his in the manner ,i mention'd1 is not wholly to be condemn'd4 ,we sometimes find the ,word ,who1 contracted before ,words that begin by a ,vowel2 as1 ,wh' expose to ,scorn and ,hate both them and it4 ,cowl4 ,and the ,preposition ,by in like manner2 as1 ,b' unequal ,fate1 and ,providence's ,crime4 ,dryd4 ,well did he know how ,palms b' ,oppression speed4 ,cowl4 ,and the ,pronouns personal1 ,he1 ,she1 ,they1 ,we2 as1 ,timely h' obeys her wife ,advice1 and strait ,to unjust ,force sh' opposes just ,deceit4 ,cowl4 ,themselves at first against themselves th' excite4 ,cowl4 ,shame and ,woe to us1 if w' our ,wealth obey4 ,cowl4 ,but these and the like ,contractions are very rare in our most correct ,poets1 and ought indeed wholly to be avoided3 ,for 'tis a general ,rule1 that no ,vowel can be cut off before another1 when it cannot be sunk in the pronunciation of it3 ,and therefore we ought to take care never to place a ,word that begins by a ,vowel1 after a ,word that ends in one 7mute ,e only excepted7 unless the final ,vowel of the former can be lost in its ,pronunciation3 ,for1 to leave two ,vowels opening on each other1 causes a very disagreeable ,hiatus4 ,whenever therefore a ,vowel ends a ,word1 the next ought to begin with a ,consonant1 or what is ,equivalent to it2 as our ,w1 and ,h aspirate1 plainly are4 ,for which reason 'tis a ,fault in some of our ,poets to cut off the e of the ,particle ,the1 for ,example1 before a ,word that begins by an ,h aspirate2 as ,and th' hasty ,troops march'd loud and chearful down4 ,cowl4 ,but if the ,h aspirate be follow'd by another ,e1 that of the ,particle ,the may be cut off2 ,as1 ,th' ,heroick ,prince's ,courage or his ,love4 ,wall4 ,th' ,hesperian ,fruit1 and made the ,dragon sleep4 ,wall4 ,,chap4 ,,ii4 ,of ,rhyme4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,what ,rhyme is1 and the several ,sorts of it4 ,rhyme is a ,likeness or ,uniformity of ,sound in the terminations of two ,words1 ,i say1 of ,sound1 not of ,letters2 for the ,office of ,rhyme being to content and please the ,ear1 and not the ,eye1 the ,sound only is to be regarded1 not the ,writing3 ,thus ,maid and ,perswade1 ,laugh and ,quaff1 tho' they differ in ,writing1 rhyme very well3 ,but ,plough and ,cough1 tho' written alike1 rhyme not at all4 ,in our ,versification we may observe #c several sorts of ,rhyme2 ,single1 ,double1 and ,treble4 ,the single ,rhyme is of two sorts3 ,one of the ,words that are accented on the last ,syllable3 ,another1 of those that have their ,accent on the last save two4 ,the ,words accented on the last ,syllable1 if they end in a ,consonant1 or mute ,e1 oblige the ,rhyme to begin at the vowel that precedes their last ,consonant1 and to continue to the end of the ,word3 ,in a ,consonant2 as1 ,here might be seen that ,beauty1 ,wealth1 and ,wit1 ,and ,prowess1 to the ,pow'r of ,love submit4 ,dryd4 ,in mute ,e2 as1 ,a ,spark of ,virtue by the deepest ,shade ,of sad ,adversity1 is fairer made4 ,wall4 ,but if a ,diphthong precede the last ,consonant1 the ,rhyme must begin at that ,vowel of it whose ,sound most prevails2 as1 ,next to the ,pow'r of waking ,tempests cease1 ,was in that ,storm to have so calm a ,peace4 ,wall4 ,if the ,words accented on the last ,syllable end in any of the ,vowels except mute ,e1 or in a ,diphthong1 the ,rhyme is made only to that ,vowel or ,diphthong4 ,to the ,vowel2 as ,so wing'd with ,praise we penetrate the ,sky1 ,teach ,clouds and ,stars to praise him as we fly4 ,wall4 ,to the ,diphthong2 as1 ,so hungry ,wolves1 tho' greedy of their ,prey1 ,stop when they find a ,lion in the way4 ,wall4 ,the other sort of single ,rhyme is of the ,words that have their ,accent on the last ,syllable save two4 ,and these rhyme to the other in the same manner as the former2 that is to say1 if they end in any of the ,vowels1 except mute ,e1 the ,rhyme is made only to that ,vowel2 as1 ,so seems to speak the youthful ,deity2 ,voice1 ,colour1 ,hair1 and all like ,mercury4 ,wall4 ,but if they end in a ,consonant or mute ,e1 the ,rhyme must begin at the ,vowel that precedes that ,consonant1 and continue to the end of the ,word4 ,as has been shewn by the former ,examples4 ,but we must take notice1 that all the ,words that are accented on the last save two1 will rhyme1 not only to one another1 but also to all the ,words whose ,terminations have the same ,sound1 tho' they are accented on the last ,syllable4 ,thus ,tenderness rhymes not only to ,poetess1 ,wretchedness1 and the like1 that are accented on the last save two1 but also to ,confess1 ,excess1 c4 that are accented on the last2 as1 ,thou art my ,father now1 these ,words confess1 ,that ,same1 and that indulgent ,tenderness4 ,dryd4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of ,double and ,treble ,rhyme4 ,all ,words that are accented on the last save one1 require the ,rhyme to begin at the ,vowel of that ,syllable1 and to continue to the end of the ,word2 and this is what we call ,double ,rhyme2 as1 ,then all for ,women1 ,painting1 ,rhyming1 ,drinking1 ,besides ten ,thousand ,freaks that dy'd in ,thinking4 ,dryd4 ,but it is convenient to take notice1 that the ancient ,poets did not always observe this ,rule1 and took care only that the last ,syllables of the ,words should be alike in ,sound1 without any regard to the ,seat of the ,accent4 ,thus ,nation and ,affection1 ,tenderness and ,hapless1 ,villany and ,gentry1 ,follow and ,willow1 and the like1 were allow'd as ,rhymes to each other in the ,days of ,chaucer1 ,spencer1 and the rest of the ,antients2 but this is now become a fault in our ,versification2 and these two ,verses of ,cowley rhyme not at all4 ,a clear and lively brown was ,merab's ,dye2 ,such as the proudest ,colours might envy4 ,nor these of ,dryden4 ,thus ,air was void of ,light1 and ,earth unstable1 ,and ,waters dark ,abyss unnavigable4 ,because we may not place an ,accent on the last ,syllable of ,envy1 nor on the last save one of unnavigable2 which nevertheless we must be oblig'd to do1 if we make the first of them rhyme to ,dye1 the last to ,unstable4 ,but we may that observe in ,burlesque ,poetry1 it is permitted to place an ,accent upon a ,syllable that naturally has none2 as1 ,when ,pulpit1 ,drum ,ecclesiastick1 ,was beat with ,fist instead of a ,stick4 ,where unless we pronounce the ,particle ,a with a strong ,accent upon it1 and make it sound like the ,vowel a in the last ,syllable but one of ,ecclesiastick1 the ,verse will lose all its ,beauty and ,rhyme4 ,but this is allowable in ,burlesque ,poetry only4 ,observe that these double ,rhymes may be compos'd of two several ,words2 provided the ,accent be on the last ,syllable of the first of them2 as in these ,verses of ,cowley1 speaking of ,gold2 ,a ,curse on him who did refine it1 ,a ,curse on him who first did coin it4 ,or some of the ,verses may end in an entire word1 and the ,rhyme to it be compos'd of several2 as1 ,tho' stor'd with ,deletery ,med'cines1 ,which whosoever took is dead since4 ,hud4 ,the ,treble ,rhyme is1 when in words accented on the last save two we begin the ,rhyme at the ,vowel of that ,syllable1 and continue it to the end of the word3 ,thus ,charity and ,parity1 ,tenderness and ,slenderness1 c41 are treble ,rhymes4 ,and these too1 as well as the double1 may be compos'd of several words2 as1 ,there was an ancient sage ,philosopher1 ,that had read ,alexander ,ross over4 ,hud4 ,the ,treble ,rhyme is very seldom us'd1 and ought wholly to be excluded from serious ,subjects2 for it has a certain flatness1 unworthy the ,gravity requir'd in ,heroick ,verse4 ,in which ,dryden was of ,opinion that even the double ,rhymes ought very cautiously to find place2 and in all his ,translation of ,virgil1 he has made use of none except only in such words as admit of a ,contraction1 and therefore cannot properly be said to be double ,rhymes2 as ,giv'n1 ,driv'n1 ,tow'r1 ,pow'r1 and the like4 ,and indeed1 considering their ,measure is different from that of an ,heroick ,verse1 which consists but of #aj ,syllables1 they ought not to be too frequently us'd in ,heroick ,poems2 but they are very graceful in the ,lyrick1 to which1 as well as to the ,burlesque1 those ,rhymes more properly belong4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,further ,instructions concerning ,rhyme4 ,the ,consonants1 that precede the ,vowels where the ,rhyme begins1 must be different in ,sound1 and not the same2 for then the ,rhyme will be too perfect2 as ,light1 ,delight2 ,vice1 ,advice1 and the like2 for tho' such ,rhymes were allowable in the ,days of ,spencer and the other old ,poets1 they are not so now2 nor can there be any ,musick in one single ,note4 ,cowley himself owns1 that they ought not to be employed except in ,pindarick ,odes1 which is a sort of free ,poetry1 and there too very sparingly1 and not without a third ,rhyme to answer to both2 as1 ,in barren ,age wild and inglorious lye1 ,and boast of past ,fertility1 ,the poor ,relief of present ,poverty4 ,cowl4 ,where the words ,fertility and ,poverty rhyme very well to the last word of the first ,verse1 ,lye2 but cannot rhyme to each other1 because the ,consonants that precede the last ,vowels are the same1 both in ,writing and ,sound4 ,but this is yet less allowable if the ,accent be on the ,syllable of the ,rhyme2 as1 ,her ,language melts ,omnipotence1 arrests ,his ,hand1 and thence the vengeful ,lightning wrests4 ,blac4 ,from hence it follows that a word cannot rhyme to it self1 tho' the signification be different2 as ,he ,leaves to the ,leaves1 c4 ,nor the words that differ both in ,writing and ,sense1 if they have the same ,sound1 as ,maid and ,made1 ,prey and ,pray1 to ,bow and a ,bough3 as1 ,how gawdy ,fate may be in ,presents sent1 ,and creep insensibly by ,touch or ,scent4 ,oldh4 ,nor a ,compound to its ,simple2 as ,move to ,remove1 ,taught to ,untaught1 c4 ,nor the ,compounds of the same ,words to one another1 as ,disprove to ,approve1 and the like4 ,all which proceeds from what ,i said before1 viz4 ,that the ,consonants that precede the ,vowel where the ,rhyme begins1 must not be the same in ,sound1 but different4 ,in all which we vary from our ,neighbours2 for neither the ,french1 ,italians not ,spaniards will allow that a ,rhyme can be too perfect3 ,and we meet with frequent ,examples in their ,poetry1 where not only the ,compounds rhyme to their ,simples1 and to themselves2 but even where words written and pronounc'd exactly alike1 provided they have a different ,signification1 are made use of as ,rhymes to one another3 ,but this is not permitted in our ,poetry2 and therefore1 tho' in the two former ,editions of this ,book ,i said that ,rhyme is only a ,sameness of ,sound at the ,end of ,words1 ,i have in this given it a ,definition which ,i take to be more agreeable to our ,practice1 and call'd it a ,likeness or ,uniformity of ,sound in the ,terminations of two ,words4 ,we must take care not to place a ,word at the middle of a ,verse that rhymes to the last ,word of it2 as1 ,so young in show1 as if he still should grow4 ,but this fault is still more inexcusable1 if the second ,verse rhyme to the middle and end of the first2 as1 ,knowledge he only sought1 and so soon caught1 ,as if for him ,knowledge had rather sought4 ,cowl4 ,here ,passion sways2 but there the ,muse shall raise ,eternal ,monuments of louder ,praise4 ,wall4 ,or both the middle and end of the second to the last ,word of the first2 as1 ,farewell1 she cry'd1 my ,sister1 thou dear ,part1 ,thou sweetest part of my divided ,heart4 ,dryd4 ,where the tenderness of ,expression will not attone for the ,jingle4 ,,chap4 ,,iii4 ,of the several sorts of ,poems1 or ,compositions in ,verse4 ,all our ,poems may be divided into two sorts2 the first of those that are compos'd in ,couplets2 the second are those that are compos'd in ,stanzas consisting of several ,verses4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of the ,poems compos'd in ,couplets4 ,in the ,poems compos'd in ,couplets1 the ,rhymes follow one another1 and end at each ,couplet2 that is to say1 the #b;d ,verse rhymes to the #ast1 the #dth to the #c;d1 the #fth to the #eth1 and in like manner to the end of the ,poem4 ,the ,verses employ'd in this sort of ,poems1 are either ,verses of #aj ,syllables2 as1 ,oh6 could ,i flow like thee1 and make thy ,stream ,my great ,example1 as it is my ,theme2 ,the deep1 yet clear tho' gentle1 yet net dull2 ,strong1 without ,rage2 without o'erflowing1 full4 ,denh4 ,or of #h2 as1 ,o fairest ,piece of well-form'd ,earth1 ,why urge you thus your haughty ,birth2 ,the ,pow'r1 which you have o'er us1 lies ,not in your ,race1 but in your ,eyes4 ,smile but on me1 and you shall scorn ,henceforth to be of ,princes born2 ,i can describe the shady ,grove1 ,where your lov'd ,mother slept with ,jove2 ,and yet excuse the faultless ,dame1 ,caught with her ,spouse's ,shape and ,name2 ,thy matchless ,form will ,credit bring1 ,to all the ,wonders ,i shall sing4 ,wall4 ,or of #g2 as1 ,phillis1 why should we delay ,pleasures shorter than the ,day8 ,could we1 which we never can1 ,stretch our lives beyond their ,span4 ,beauty like a ,shadow flies1 and our ,youth before us dies1 ,or would ,youth and ,beauty stay1 ,love has ,wings1 and will away4 ,love has swifter ,wings than ,time4 ,wall4 ,but the second ,verse of the ,couplet does not always contain a like number of ,syllables with the first2 as1 ,what shall ,i do to be for ever known1 ,and make the ,age to come my own8 ,i shall like ,beasts and common ,people dye1 ,unless you write my ,elegy4 ,cowl4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,poems compos'd in ,stanzas3 ,and first1 of the ,stanzas consisting of three1 and of four ,verses4 ,in the ,poems composed in ,stanzas1 each ,stanza contains a certain number of ,verses consisting for the most part of a different number of ,syllables3 ,and a ,poem that consists of several ,stanzas1 we generally call an ,ode2 and this is ,lyrick ,poetry4 ,but we must not forget to observe that our ,antient ,poets frequently made use of intermixed ,rhyme in their ,heroick ,poems1 which they dispos'd into ,stanzas and ,cantos4 ,thus the ,troilus and ,cressida of ,chaucer is compos'd in ,stanzas consisting of #g ,verses2 the ,fairy ,queen of ,spencer in ,stanzas of #i1 c4 ,and this they took from ,italians1 whose ,heroick ,poems generally consist in ,stanzas of #h4 ,but this is now wholly laid aside1 and ,davenant1 who compos'd his ,gondibert in ,stanzas of ,verses in alternate ,rhyme1 was the last that followed their ,example of intermingling ,rhymes in ,heroick ,poems4 ,the ,stanzas employ'd in our ,poetry1 cannot consist of less than three1 and are seldom of more than #ab ,verses1 except in ,pindarick ,odes1 where the ,stanzas are different from one another in number of ,verses1 as shall be shewn4 ,but to treat of all the different ,stanzas that are employ'd or may be admitted in our ,poetry1 would be a labour no less tedious than useless2 it being easie to demonstrate1 that they may be vary'd almost to an ,infinity1 that would be different from one another1 either in the ,number of the ,verses of each ,stanza1 or in the ,number of the ,syllables of each ,verse2 or lastly1 in the various intermingling of the ,rhyme4 ,i shall therefore confine my self to mention only such as are most frequently us'd by the best of our modern ,poets4 ,and first of the ,stanzas consisting of three ,verses4 ,in the ,stanzas of three ,verses1 or ,triplets1 the ,verses of each ,stanza rhyme to one another2 and are either ,heroick2 as1 ,nothing1 thou ,elder ,brother e'en to shade6 ,thou hadst a ,being e'er the ,world was made4 ,and1 7well-fix'd7 art alone of ending not afraid4 ,roch4 ,or else they consist of #h ,syllables2 as these of ,waller1 ,of a fair ,lady playing with a ,snake4 ,strange that such ,horrour and such ,grace ,should dwell together in one ,place1 ,a ,fury's ,arm1 an ,angel's ,face1 ,nor do the ,verses of these ,stanzas always contain a like number of ,syllables2 for the first and third may have ten1 the second but eight2 as1 ,men without ,love have oft so cunning grown1 ,that something like it they have shewn1 ,but none who had it1 ev'r seem'd to have none4 ,love's of a strangely open1 simple kind1 ,can no ,arts or ,disguises find1 ,but thinks none sees it1 'cause it self is blind4 ,cowl4 ,in the ,stanzas of #d ,verses1 the ,rhyme may be intermix'd in two different manners2 for either the #ast and #c;d ,verse may rhyme to each other1 and by consequence the #b;d and #dth1 and this is call'd ,alternate ,rhyme2 or the #ast and #dth may rhyme1 and by consequence the #b;d and #c;d4 ,but there are some ,poems in ,stanzas of four ,verses1 where the ,rhymes follow one another1 and the ,verses differ in number of syllables only2 as in ,cowley's ,hymn to the ,light1 which begins thus1 ,first born of ,chaos6 who so fair didst come ,from the old ,negro's darksom ,womb3 ,which1 when it saw the lovely ,child1 ,the melancholy ,mass put on kind ,looks and smil'd4 ,but these ,stanzas are generally in ,alternate ,rhyme1 and the ,verses consist either of #aj ,syllables2 as1 ,she ne'er saw ,courts1 but ,courts could have undone ,with untaught ,looks and an unpractis'd ,heart3 ,her ,nets the most prepar'd could never shun2 ,for ,nature spread them in the scorn of ,art4 ,dav4 ,or of #h2 as1 ,had ,echo with so sweet a ,grace1 ,narcissus loud ,complaints return'd3 ,not for ,reflexion of his ,face1 ,but of his ,voice the ,boy had burn'd4 ,wall4 ,or of #aj and #h4 that is to say1 the #ast and #c;d of #aj2 the #b;d and #dth of #h2 as1 ,love from ,time's ,wings has stol'n the ,feathers sure1 ,he has1 and put them to his own2 ,for ,hours of late as long as ,days endure4 ,and very ,minutes ,hours are grown4 ,cowl4 ,or of #h and #f in the like manner2 as1 ,then ask not ,bodies doom'd to dye1 ,to what ,abode they go2 ,since ,knowledge is but ,sorrow's ,spy1 ',tis better not to know4 ,dav4 ,or of #g2 as1 ,not the silver ,doves that fly1 ,yoak'd in ,cytherea's ,car2 ,nor the ,wings that lift so high1 ,and convey her ,son so far2 ,are so lovely sweet and fair1 ,or do more ennoble ,love2 ,are so choicely match'd a ,pair1 ,or with more consent do move4 ,wall4 ,note1 ,that it is absolutely necessary that both the ,construction and ,sense should end with the ,stanza1 and not fall into the beginning of the following one1 as it does in the last ,example1 which is a fault wholly to be avoided4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,of the ,stanzas of ,six ,verses4 ,the ,stanzas of #f ,verses1 are generally only one of the before-mention'd ,quadrans or ,stanzas of #d ,verses1 with two ,verses at the end that rhyme to one another2 as1 ,a ,rural ,judge dispos'd of ,beautie's ,prize1 ,a simple ,shepherd was prefer'd to ,jove2 ,down to the ,mountains from the partial ,skies ,came ,juno1 ,pallas1 and the ,queen of ,love1 ,to plead for that which was so justly giv'n ,to the bright ,carlisle of the ,courts of ,heav'n4 ,wall4 ,where the #d first ,verses are only a ,quadran1 and consist of #aj ,syllables each in ,alternate ,rhyme4 ,the following ,stanza in like manner is compos'd of a ,quadran1 whose ,verses consist of #h ,syllables2 and to which #b ,verses that rhyme to one another are added at the end2 as1 ,hope waits upon the flowry ,prime1 ,and ,summer1 tho' it be less gay1 ,yet is not look'd on as a time ,of ,declination and ,decay1 ,for with a full ,hand that does bring ,all that was promised by the ,spring4 ,wall4 ,sometimes the ,quadran ends the ,stanza2 and the two ,lines of the same ,rhyme begin it2 as1 ,here's to thee1 ,dick1 this whining ,love despise3 ,pledge me1 my ,friend1 and drink till thou be'st wise4 ,it sparkles brighter far than she2 ',tis pure and right without ,deceit2 ,and such no ,woman e'er can be2 ,no1 they are all ,sophisticate4 ,cowl4 ,or as in these1 where the first and last ,verses of the ,stanza consist of #aj ,syllables2 ,when ,chance or cruel ,bus'ness parts us two1 ,what do our ,souls1 ,i wonder1 do8 ,while ,sleep does our dull ,bodies tie1 ,methinks at home they should not stay ,content with ,dreams1 but boldly fly ,abroad1 and meet each other half the way4 ,cowl4 ,or as in the following ,stanza1 where the #dth and #eth ,verses rhyme to each other1 and the #c;d and #fth2 ,while what ,i write ,i do not see1 ,i dare thus ev'n to you write ,poetry1 ,ah foolish ,muse6 that dost so high aspire1 ,and know'st her ,judgment well1 ,how much it does thy ,pow'r excell2 ,yet dar'st be read by thy just ,doom the ,fire4 ,cowl4 7,written in ,juice of ,lemon4 ,but in some of these ,stanzas1 the ,rhymes follow one another2 as1 ,take heed1 take heed1 thou lovely ,maid1 ,nor be by glitt'ring ,ills betray'd3 ,thy self for ,money6 ,oh6 let no ,man know ,the ,price of ,beauty fall'n so low3 ,what dangers oughtst thou not to dread ,when ,love that's blind1 is by blind ,fortune led8 ,cowl4 ,lastly1 some of these ,stanzas are compos'd of #b ,triplets2 as1 ,the ,lightning1 which tall ,oaks oppose in vain1 ,to strike sometimes does net disdain ,the humble ,furzes of the ,plain4 ,she being so high1 and ,i so low1 ,her ,pow'r by this does greater show1 ,who at such ,distance gives so sure a ,blow4 ,cowl4 ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,of the ,stanzas of #h ,verses4 ,i have already said1 that the ,italians compose their ,heroick ,poems in ,stanzas of #h ,verses1 where the ,rhyme is dispos'd as follows2 the #ast1 #b;d1 and #eth ,verses rhyme to one another1 and the #b;d1 #dth1 and #fth1 the two last always rhyme to each other4 ,now our ,translators of their ,heroick ,poems have observ'd the same ,stanza and ,disposition of ,rhyme2 of which take the following ,example from ,fairfax's ,translation of ,tasso's ,goffredo1 ,cant4 #a4 ,stan4 #c;d4 ,thither thou know'st the ,world is best inclin'd1 ,where luring ,parnass most his ,beams imparts2 ,and ,truth convey'd in ,verse of gentlest kind1 ,to read sometimes1 will move the dullest ,hearts2 ,so we1 if ,children young diseas'd we find1 ,anoint with ,sweets the ,vessel's foremost parts1 ,to make them taste the ,potions sharp we give2 ,they drink deceiv'd1 and so deceiv'd they live4 ,but our ,poets seldom imploy this ,stanza in ,compositions of their own2 where the following ,stanzas of #h ,verses are most frequent4 ,some others may with safety tell ,the mod'rate ,flames which in them dwell2 ,and either find some ,med'cine there1 ,or cure themselves ev'n by ,despair3 ,my ,love's so great1 that it might prove ,dang'rous to tell her that ,i love4 ,so tender is my ,wound1 it cannot bear ,any ,salute1 tho' of the kindest ,air4 ,cowl4 ,where the ,rhymes follow one another1 and the six first ,verses consist of #h ,syllables each1 the two last of #aj4 ,we have another sort of ,stanza of #h ,verses1 where the #dth rhymes to the #ast1 the #c;d to the ad1 and the four last are two ,couplets2 and where the #ast1 #dth1 #fth and #hth1 are of #aj ,syllables each1 the #d others but of #h2 as1 ,i've often wish'd to love3 ,what shall ,i do8 ,me still the cruel ,boy does spare2 ,and ,i a double ,task must bear1 ,first to wooe him1 and then a ,mistress too4 ,come at last1 and strike for shame1 ,if thou art any thing besides a ,name2 ,i'll think thee else no ,god to be1 ,but ,poets1 rather1 ,gods1 who first created thee4 ,cowl4 ,another1 when the #b first and #b last ,verses consist of #aj ,syllables each1 and rhyme to one another1 the #d other but of #h in alternate ,rhyme4 ,tho' you be absent hence1 ,i needs must say1 ,the ,trees as beauteous are1 and ,flowers as gay1 ,as ever they were wont so be3 ,nay the ,birds rural ,musick too ,is as melodious and free1 ,as if they sung to pleasure you4 ,i saw a ,rose-bud ope this ,morn2 ,i'll swear ,the blushing ,morning open'd not more fair4 ,cowl4 ,another where the #d first ,verses are two ,couplets1 the #d last in alternate ,rhyme2 as in ,cowley's ,ode1 ,of a ,lady that made ,posies for ,rings4 ,i little thought the time would ever be1 ,that ,i should ,wit in dwarfish ,posies see4 ,as all ,words in few ,letters live1 ,thou to few ,words all ,sense dost give4 ',twas ,nature taught you this rare ,art1 ,in such a ,little ,much to shew2 ,who all the ,good she did impart ,to ,womankind1 epitomis'd in you4 ,,sect4 ,v4 ,of the ,stanzas of #aj and of #ab ,verses4 ,the ,stanzas of #aj and #ab ,verses are seldom employed in our ,poetry1 it being very difficult to confine our selves to a certain ,disposition of ,rhyme1 and measure of ,verse1 for so many ,lines together2 for which ,reason those of #d1 #f1 and #h ,verses are the most frequent4 ,however we sometimes find some of #aj and #ab2 as in ,cowley's ,ode which he calls ,verses left upon a ,wager1 where the ,rhymes follow one another1 but the ,verses differ in ,number of ,syllables4 ,as seen hereafter will ,i ,wagers lay ',gainst what an ,oracle shall say3 ,fool that ,i was to venture to deny ,a ,tongue so us'd to ,victory4 ,a ,tongue so blest by ,nature and by ,art1 ,that never yet it spoke1 but gain'd a ,heart4 ,tho' what you said had not been true1 ,if spoke by any else but you2 ,your ,speech will govern ,destiny1 ,and ,fate will change1 rather than you shall lye4 ,cowl4 ,the same ,poet furnishes us with an ,example of a ,stanza of #ab ,verses in the ,ode he calls the ,the ,prophet1 where the ,rhymes are observ'd in the same manner as in the former ,example4 ,teach me to ,love6 ,go teach thy self more ,wit3 ,i chief ,professor am of it4 ,teach ,craft to ,scots1 and ,thrift to ,jews1 ,teach ,boldness to the ,stews4 ,in tyrants ,courts teach supple ,flattery1 ,teach ,jesuits that have travell'd far1 to lye4 ,tenth ,fire to burn1 and ,winds to blow1 ,teach restless ,fountains how to flow1 ,teach the dull ,earth fixt to abide1 ,teach ,womankind ,inconstancy and ,pride4 ,see if your ,diligence there will useful prove2 ,but1 prithee teach not me to ,love4 ,,sect4 ,,vi4 ,of the ,stanzas that consist of an odd ,number of ,verses4 ,we have also ,stanzas that consist of odd numbers of ,verses1 as of #e1 #g1 #i1 and #aa2 in all which it of necessity follows1 that three ,verses of the ,stanza rhyme to one another1 or that one of them be a blank ,verse4 ,in the ,stanzas of #e ,verses1 the #ast and #c;d may rhyme1 and the #b;d and two last2 as1 ,sees not my ,love how ,time resumes ,the ,beauty which he lent these ,flow'rs3 ,tho' none should taste of their ,perfumes1 ,yet they must live but some few ,hours3 ,time what we forbear1 devours4 ,wall4 ,which is only a ,stanza of #d ,verses in alternate ,rhyme1 to which a #eth ,verse is added that rhymes to the #b;d and #dth4 ,see also an ,instance of a ,stanza of #e ,verses where the ,rhymes are intermix'd in the same manner as the former1 but the #ast and #c;d ,verses are composed but of #d ,syllables each4 ,go lovely ,rose1 ,tell her that wastes her ,time and me1 ,that now she knows1 ,when ,i resemble her to thee1 ,how sweet and fair she seems to be4 ,wall4 ,in the following ,example the two first ,verses rhyme1 and the three last4 ',tis well1 'tis well with them1 said ,i1 ,whose short-liv'd ,passions with themselves can dye4 ,for none can be unhappy1 who ',midst all his ,ills a ,time does know1 ,the ne'er so long1 when he shall not be so4 ,cowl4 ,in this ,stanza1 the #b first and the last1 and the #c;d and #dth rhyme to one another4 ,it is enough1 enough of time and pain ,hast thou consum'd in vain3 ,leave1 wretched ,cowley1 leave1 ,thy self with ,shadows to deceive4 ,think that already lost which than must never gain4 ,cowl4 ,the ,stanzas of #g ,verses are frequent enough in our ,poetry1 especially among the ,ancients1 who compos'd many of their ,poems in this sort of ,stanza3 ,see an ,example of one of them taken from ,spencer in ,the ,ruines of ,time1 where the #ast and #c;d ,verses rhyme to one another1 the #b;d1 #dth and #eth1 and the two last4 ,but ,fame with ,golden ,wings aloft doth fly ,above the reach of ruinous ,decay1 ,and with brave ,plumes does beat the ,azure ,sky1 ,admir'd of base-born ,men from far away3 ,then whoso will with virtuous ,deeds essay ,to mount to ,heaven1 on ,pegasus must ride1 ,and in sweet ,poets ,verse be glorify'd4 ,i have rather chosen to take notice of this ,stanza1 because that ,poet and ,chaucer have made use of it in many of their ,poems1 tho' they have not been follow'd in it by any of the ,moderns3 whose ,stanza's of #g ,verses are generally compos'd as follows4 ,either the four first ,verses are a ,quadran in ,alternate ,rhyme1 and the three last rhyme to one another2 as1 ,now by my ,love1 the greatest ,oath that is1 ,none loves you half so well as ,i2 ,i do not ask your ,love for this1 ,but for ,heaven's sake believe me1 or ,i dye4 ,no ,servant sure but did deserve ,his ,master should believe that he did serve2 ,and ,i'll ask no more ,wages tho' ,i starve4 ,cowl4 ,or the four first are two ,couplets1 and the three last a ,triplet2 as1 ,indeed ,i must confess ,when ,souls mix 'tis a ,happiness1 ,but not compleat till ,bodies too combine1 ,and closely as our ,minds together joyn4 ,but ,half of ,heav'n the ,souls in ,glory taste1 ',till by ,love in ,heav'n at last1 ,their ,bodies too are plac'd4 ,cowl4 ,or1 on the contrary1 the three first may rhyme1 and the four last be in ,rhymes that follow one another2 as1 ,from ,hate1 ,fear1 ,hope1 ,anger1 and ,envy free1 ,and all the ,passions else that be1 ,in vain ,i boast of ,liberty3 ,in vain this ,state a ,freedom call1 ,since ,i have ,love2 and ,love is all4 ,sot that ,i am6 who think it fit to brag ,that ,i have no ,disease besides the ,plague4 ,cowl4 ,or the #ast may rhyme to the two last1 the #b;d to the #eth1 and the #c;d and #dth to one another2 as1 ,in vain thou drowsie ,god ,i thee invoke1 ,for thou who dost from ,fumes arise1 ,then who ,man's ,soul do'st overshade ,with a ,thick ,cloud by ,vapours made1 ,canst have no ,pow'r to shut his ,eyes1 ,or passage of his ,spirits to choak1 ,whose ,flame's so pure1 that it sends up no smoke4 ,cowl4 ,or lastly1 the four first and two last may be in following ,rhyme1 and the #eth a ,blank ,verse2 as1 ,thou robb'st my ,days of ,bus'ness and ,delights1 ,of ,sleep thou robb'st my ,nights3 ,ah lovely ,thief6 what wilt thou do8 ,what1 rob me of ,heav'n too6 ,thou ev'n my ,prayers dost from me steal1 ,and ,i with wild ,idolatry ,begin to ,god1 and end them all to thee4 ,cowl4 ,the ,stanzas of #i and of #aa ,syllables are not so frequent as those of #e and of #g4 ,spencer has composed his ,fairy ,queen in ,stanzas of #i ,verses1 where the #ast rhymes to the #c;d1 the #b;d to the #dth #eth and #gth2 and the #fth to the two last4 ,but this ,stanza is very difficult to maintain1 and the unlucky choice of it reduc'd him often to the necessity of making use of many exploded ,words2 nor has he1 ,i think1 been follow'd in it by any of the ,moderns2 whose #f first ,verses of the ,stanzas that consist of #i1 are generally in ,rhymes that follow one another1 and the three last a ,triplet2 as1 ,beauty1 ,love's ,scene and ,masquerade1 ,so well by well-plac'd ,lights1 and ,distance made2 ,false ,coin6 with which th' ,impostor cheats us still1 ,the ,stamp and ,colour good1 but ,metal ill3 ,which light or base we find1 when we ,weigh by ,enjoyment1 and examine thee4 ,for tho' thy ,being be but ,show1 ',tis chiefly ,night which ,men to thee allow1 ,and chuse t' enjoy thee1 when thou least art thou4 ,cowl4 ,in the following ,example the like ,rhyme is observ'd1 but the ,verses differ in ,measure from the former4 ,beneath this gloomy ,shade1 ,by ,nature only for my ,sorrows made1 ,i'll spend this ,voice in ,cries2 ,in ,tears ,i'll waste these ,eyes1 ,by ,love so vainly fed3 ,so ,lust of old1 the ,deluge punished4 ,ah wretched ,youth6 said ,i2 ,ah wretched ,youth6 twice did ,i sadly cry2 ,ah wretched ,youth6 the ,fields and ,floods reply4 ,cowl4 ,the ,stanzas consisting of #aa ,verses are yet less frequent than those of #i1 and have nothing particular to be observ'd in them4 ,take an ,example of one of them1 where the #f first are #c ,couplets1 the three next a ,triplet1 the two last a ,couplet2 and where the #dth1 the #gth1 and the last ,verses are of #aj ,syllables each1 the others of #h4 ,no1 to what purpose should ,i speak8 ,no1 wretched ,heart1 swell till you break2 ,she cannot love me if she would2 ,and1 to say ,truth1 'twere pity that she should4 ,no1 to the ,grave thy ,sorrows bear1 ,as silent as they will be there3 ,since that lov'd ,hand this mortal ,wound does give1 ,so handsomely the thing contrive1 ,that she may guiltless of it live3 ,so perish1 that her killing thee ,may a ,chance-medley1 and no ,murther be4 ,cowl4 ,,sect4 ,,vii4 ,of ,pindarick ,odes1 and ,poems in ,blank ,verse4 ,the ,stanzas of ,pindarick ,odes are neither confin'd to a certain number of ,verses1 nor the ,verses to a certain number of ,syllables1 nor the ,rhyme to a certain ,distance4 ,some ,stanzas contain #ej ,verses or more1 others not above #aj1 and sometimes not so many3 ,some ,verses #ad1 nay1 #af ,syllables1 others not above #d3 ,sometimes the ,rhymes follow one another for several ,couplets together1 sometimes they are remov'd #f ,verses from each other2 and all this in the same ,stanza4 ,cowley was the first who introduc'd this sort of ,poetry into our ,language3 ,nor can the nature of it be better describ'd than as he himself has done it1 in one of the ,stanzas of his ,ode upon ,liberty1 which ,i will transcribe1 not as an ,example1 for none can properly be given where no ,rule can be prescrib'd1 but to give an ,idea of the ,nature of this sort of ,poetry4 ,if ,life should a well-order'd ,poem be1 ,in which he only hits the ,white1 ,who joyns true ,profit with the best ,delight2 ,the more ,heroick ,strain let others take1 ,mine the ,pindarick way ,i'll make3 ,the ,matter shall be grave1 the ,numbers loose and free1 ,it shall not keep one settled pace of ,time1 ,in the same ,tune it shall not always ,chime1 ,nor shall each day just to his ,neighbour rhyme4 ,a thousand ,liberties it shall dispence1 ,and yet shall manage all without offence1 ,or to the sweetness of the ,sound1 or ,greatness of the ,sense4 ,nor shall it never from one ,subject start1 ,nor seek ,transitions to depart2 ,nor its set way o'er ,stiles and ,bridges make1 ,nor thro' ,lanes a ,compass take1 ,as if it fear'd some ,trespass to commit1 ,when the wide ,air's a ,road for it4 ,so the ,imperial ,eagle does not stay ,till the whole ,carcass he devour1 ,that's fall'n into his ,pow'r1 ,as if his gen'rous ,hunger understood1 ,that he can never want plenty of ,food2 ,he only sucks the tastful ,blood1 ,and to fresh ,game flies chearfully away1 ,to ,kites and meaner ,birds he leaves the mangled ,prey4 ,this sort of ,poetry is employed in all manner of ,subjects2 in ,pleasant1 in ,grave1 in ,amorous1 in ,heroick1 in ,philosophical1 in ,moral1 and in ,divine4 ,blank ,verse is where the ,measure is exactly kept without ,rhyme2 ,shakespear1 to avoid the troublesome ,constraint of ,rhyme1 was the first who invented it2 our ,poets since him have made use of it in many of their ,tragedies and ,comedies3 but the most celebrated ,poem in this kind of ,verse is ,milton's ,paradise ,lost2 from the #eth ,book of which ,i have taken the following ,lines for an ,example of ,blank ,verse4 ,these are thy glorious ,works1 ,parent of ,good6 ,almighty6 thine this universal ,frame1 ,thus wondrous fair6 thy self how wondrous then6 ,speak you1 who best can tell1 ye ,sons of ,light1 ,angels6 for you behold him1 and with ,songs1 ,and ,choral ,symphonies1 ,day without ,night ,circle his ,throne rejoycing1 you in ,heaven4 ,on ,earth6 joyn all ye ,creatures1 to extol ,him first1 him last1 him midst1 and without end4 ,fairest of ,stars6 last in the ,train of ,night1 ,is better thou belong not to the ,dawn1 ,sure ,pledge of ,day1 that crown'st the smiling ,morn1 ,with thy bright ,circlet1 praise him in thy ,sphere1 ,while ,day arises1 that sweet ,hour of ,prime6 ,thou ,sun6 of this great ,world1 both ,eye and ,soul1 ,acknowledge him thy ,greater1 sound his ,praise ,in thy ,eternal ,course1 both when thou climb'st ,and when high ,noon hast gain'd1 and when thou fall'st4 ,moon6 that now meet'st the ,orient ,sun1 now fly'st ,with the fix'd ,stars1 fix'd in their ,orb that flies1 ,and ye five other wandring ,fires6 that move ,in ,mystick ,dance1 not without ,song1 resound ,his ,praise1 who out of ,darkness call'd up ,light4 ,air6 and ye ,elements6 the eldest ,birth ,of ,nature's ,womb1 that in ,quaternion run ,perpetual ,circle multiform1 and mix ,and nourish all things2 let your ceaseless ,change ,vary to our great ,maker still new ,praise4 ,to ,mists and ,exhalations6 that now rise ,from ,hill or steaming ,lake1 dusky or grey1 ,till the sun paint your fleecy ,skirts with ,gold1 ,in ,honour to the ,world's great ,author rise2 ,whether to deck with ,clouds th' uncolour'd ,sky1 ,or wet the thirsty ,earth with falling ,showr's1 ,rising or falling1 still advance his ,praise4 ,his ,praise1 ye ,winds6 that from four ,quarters blow1 ,breathe soft or loud2 and wave your ,tops1 ye ,pines6 ,with ev'ry ,plant1 in sign of ,worship1 wave4 ,fountains6 and ye that warble as you flow ,melodious ,murmurs1 warbling tune his ,praise4 ,join ,voices all ye living ,souls1 ye ,birds6 ,that singing1 up to ,heav'n's high ,gate ascend1 ,bear on your ,wings1 and in your ,notes his ,praise4 ,ye that in ,waters glide6 and ye that walk ,the ,earth6 and stately tread1 or lowly creep2 ,witness if ,i be silent1 ,ev'n or ,morn1 ,to ,hill or ,valley1 ,fountain or fresh ,shade1 ,made vocal by my ,song1 and taught his ,praise4 ,thus ,i have given a short ,account of all the sorts of ,poems1 that are most us'd in our ,language4 ,the ,acrosticks1 ,anagrams1 c4 deserve not to be mention'd1 and we may say of them what an ,ancient ,poet said long ago4 ,stultum est difficiles habere ,nugas1 ,et stultus ,labor est ineptiarum4 ,,finis4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,publications ,,of ,,the ,,augustan ,,reprint ,,society ,first ,year 7#aidf-dg7 ,numbers #a-f out of print4 ,second ,year 7#aidg-aidh7 #g4 ,john ,gay's ,the ,present ,state of ,wit 7#agaa72 and a section on ,wit from ,the ,english ,theophrastus 7#agjb74 #h4 ,rapin's ,de ,carmine ,pastorali1 translated by ,creech 7#afhd74 #i4 ,t4 ,hanmer's 787 ,some ,remarks on the ,tragedy of ,hamlet 7#agcf74 #aj4 ,corbyn ,morris' ,essay towards ,fixing the ,true ,standards of ,wit1 etc4 7#agdd74 #aa4 ,thomas ,purney's ,discourse on the ,pastoral 7#agag74 #ab4 ,essays on the ,stage1 selected1 with an ,introduction by ,joseph ,wood ,krutch4 ,third ,year 7#aidh-aidi7 #ac4 ,sir ,john ,falstaff 7pseud471 ,the ,theatre 7#agbj74 #ad4 ,edward ,moore's ,the ,gamester 7#agec74 #ae4 ,john ,oldmixon's ,reflections on ,dr4 ,swift's ,letter to ,harley 7#agab72 and ,arthur ,mainwaring's ,the ,british ,academy 7#agab74 #af4 ,nevil ,payne's ,fatal ,jealousy 7#afgc74 #ag4 ,nicholas ,rowe's ,some ,account of the ,life of ,mr4 ,william ,shakespeare 7#agji74 #ah4 ,of ,genius1 in ,the ,occasional ,paper1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 ,no4 #aj 7#agai72 and ,aaron ,hill's ,preface to ,the ,creation 7#agbj74 ,fourth ,year 7#aidi-aiej7 #ai4 ,susanna ,centlivre's ,the ,busie ,body 7#agji74 #bj4 ,lewis ,theobold's ,preface to ,the ,works of ,shakespeare 7#agcd74 #ba4 ,critical ,remarks on ,sir ,charles ,grandison1 ,clarissa1 and ,pamela 7#aged74 #bb4 ,samuel ,johnson's ,the ,vanity of ,human ,wishes 7#agdi7 and ,two ,rambler papers 7#agej74 #bc4 ,john ,dryden's ,his ,majesties ,declaration ,defended 7#afha74 #bd4 ,pierre ,nicole's ,an ,essay on ,true and ,apparent ,beauty in ,which from ,settled ,principles is ,rendered the ,grounds for ,choosing and ,rejecting ,epigrams1 translated by ,j4 ,v4 ,cunningham4 ,fifth ,year 7#aiej-ea7 #be4 ,thomas ,baker's ,the ,fine ,lady's ,airs 7#agji74 #bf4 ,charles ,macklin's ,the ,man of the ,world 7#agib74 #bg4 ,frances ,reynolds' ,an ,enquiry ,concerning the ,principles of ,taste1 and of the ,origin of ,our ,ideas of ,beauty1 etc4 7#aghe74 #bh4 ,john ,evelyn's ,an ,apologie for the ,royal ,party 7#afei72 and ,a ,panegyric to ,charles the ,second 7#affa74 #bi4 ,daniel ,defoe's ,a ,vindication of the ,press 7#agah74 #cj4 ,essays on ,taste from ,john ,gilbert ,cooper's ,letters ,concerning ,taste1 #crd edition 7#ageg71 ,john ,armstrong's ,miscellanies 7#aggj74 ,sixth ,year 7#aiea-aieb7 #ca4 ,thomas ,gray's ,an ,elegy ,wrote in a ,country ,church ,yard 7#agea72 and ,the ,eton ,college ,manuscript4 #cb4 ,prefaces to ,fiction2 ,georges de ,scudery's ,preface to ,ibrahim 7#afgd71 etc4 #cc4 ,henry ,gally's ,a ,critical ,essay on ,characteristic-,writings 7#agbe74 #cd4 ,thomas ,tyers' ,a ,biographical ,sketch of ,dr4 ,samuel ,johnson 7#aghe74 #ce4 ,james ,boswell1 ,andrew ,erskine1 and ,george ,dempster4 ,critical ,strictures on the ,new ,tragedy of ,elvira1 ,written by ,mr4 ,david ,malloch 7#agfc74 #cf4 ,joseph ,harris's ,the ,city ,bride 7#afif74 #cg4 ,thomas ,morrison's ,a ,pindarick ,ode on ,painting 7#agfg74 #ch4 ,john ,phillips' ,a ,satyr ,against ,hypocrites4 #ci4 ,thomas ,warton's ,a ,history of ,english ,poetry4 ,william ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library3 ,university of ,california ,,the ,,augustan ,,reprint ,,society ,general ,editors ,h4 ,richard ,archer ,wm4 ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library ,r4 ,c4 ,boys ,university of ,michigan ,ralph ,cohen ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,vinton ,a4 ,dearing ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,corresponding ,secretary3 ,mrs4 ,edna ,c4 ,davis1 ,wm4 ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library ,the ,society exists to make available inexpensive reprints 7usually facsimile reproductions7 of rare seventeenth and eighteenth century works4 ,the editorial policy of the ,society remains unchanged4 ,as in the past1 the editors welcome suggestions concerning publications4 ,all income of the ,society is devoted to defraying cost of publication and mailing4 ,all correspondence concerning subscriptions in the ,united ,states and ,canada should be addressed to the ,william ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library1 #bbje ,west ,adams ,boulevard1 ,los ,angeles #ah1 ,california4 ,correspondence concerning editorial matters may be addressed to any of the general editors4 ,the membership fee is #c4jj a year for subscribers in the ,united ,states and ,canada and #ae_/- for subscribers in ,great ,britain and ,europe4 ,british and ,european subscribers should address ,b4 ,h4 ,blackwell1 ,broad ,street1 ,oxford1 ,england4 99 99 99 99 99 ,publications for the seventh year #aieb-aiec 7,at least six items1 most of them from the following list1 will be reprinted47 ,selections from the ,tatler1 the ,spectator1 the ,guardian4 ,introduction by ,donald ,f4 ,bond4 ,bernard ,mandeville3 ,a ,letter to ,dion 7#agcb74 ,introduction by ,jacob ,viner4 ,m4 ,c4 ,sarbiewski3 ,the ,odes of ,casimire 7#afdf74 ,introduction by ,maren-,sofie ,roestvig4 ,an ,essay on the ,new ,species of ,writing ,founded by ,mr4 ,fielding 7#agea74 ,introduction by ,james ,a4 ,work4 ,thomas ,morrison3 ,a ,pindarick ,ode on ,painting 7#agfg74 ,introduction by ,frederick ,w4 ,hilles4 ,john ,phillips3 ,satyr ,against ,hypocrits 7#afee74 ,introduction by ,leon ,howard4 ,prefaces to ,fiction4 ,second series4 ,selected with an introduction by ,charles ,davies4 ,thomas ,warton3 ,a ,history of ,english ,poetry3 ,an ,unpublished ,continuation4 ,introduction by ,rodney ,m4 ,baine4 ,publications for the first six years 7with the exception of ,,nos4 #a-f1 which are out of print7 are available at the rate of #c4jj a year4 ,prices for individual numbers may be obtained by writing to the ,society4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,augustan ,,reprint ,,society ,,william ,,andrews ,,clark ,,memorial ,,library #bbje ,west ,adams ,boulevard1 ,los ,angeles #ah1 ,california ,make check or money order payable to ,the ,regents of the ,university of ,california4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes ,the main text dates from the #ahth ,century1 when ,english spelling had not yet been normalised4 ,only the following obvious typos have been amended3 ,on title page of the main text1 ,,thouhgts amended to ,,thoughts4 ,p4 #a1 c1 yet the amended to c41 yet the4 ,p4 #e1 #b ,or the last 444 amended to #b4 ,or the last 444 ,also on ,p4 #e1 ,dry'd amended to ,dryd41 and a missing period added after ,staff4 ,p4 #f1 ,after ,in like manner the following ,verses the period has been amended to a comma4 ,p4 #af1 comma added after ,w'are4 ,p4 #bj1 cc1 amended to c41 in c41 are treble ,rhymes4 ,p4 #bc1 after ,or of #h2 as1 a comma has been added4 ,p4 #cc1 last amended to last4 in to the two last4 ,p4 #cd1 descib'd amended to describ'd in be better describ'd4 ,p4 #cf1 onr amended to our in most us'd in our ,language4 ,in the ,preface1 the ,french phrase consiste qu'en vn typo for un8 certain nombre de syllabes1 non pas en pieds composez composes de syllabes has been left unchanged4 ,also in the ,preface1 in the quote from ,boileau1 missing accents have not been supplied in ,il doit regner par tout2 meme dans la ,fable4 ,on ,p4 #ac1 ,bower should match ,pow'r a few lines further on4 ,not amended as it is not clear whether ,bower and ,bow'r or ,power and ,pow'r was intended4 ,the one example of oe1 ,maren-,sofie ,roestvig on the final page1 has been changed to oe4