1. When it happens to be the last save one of a Word; as, Like bright Aurora--whofe refulgent Ray And warns the Shepherd--with his Flocks, retreat Wall. 2. Or the laft of the Word, if the next be a Monofyllable govern'd by it; as, So fresh the Wound is--and the Grief so vaft. Wall. At the 6th, when the Syllable of the Accent happens to be the last fave two of a Word; as, Thofe Seeds of Luxury--Debate, and Pride. Wall. Laftly, When the Accent is on the 6th Syllable of the Verse, the Paufe will be either at the fame Syllable or at the 7th. At the fame, when the Syllable of the Accent happens to be the laft of a Word; as, She meditates Revenge--refolv'd to die. At the 7th in two Manners : Wall. 1. When it happens to be the last save one of aWord; as, Nor when the War is over,--is it Peace. Dryd. Mirrors are taught to flatter,--but our Springs. Wall. 2. Or the laft of a Word, if the following one be a Monofyllable whofe Conftruction depends on the preceding Word on which the Accent is; as, And fince he could not fave her--with her dy'd. Dryd. From all this it appears, that the Pause is determin'd by the Seat of the Accent; but if the Accents happen to be e qually strong on the 2d, 4th, and 6th Syllable of aVerfe, the Senfe and Conftruction of the Words must then guide to the Obfervation of the Paufe. For Example: In one of the Verfes I have cited as an Inftance of it at the 7th Syllable, Mirrors are taught to flatter, but our Springs. The Accent is as ftrong on Taught, as on the firft Syllable of Flatter; and if the Paufe were observ'd at the 4th Syllable of the Verse, it would have nothing disagreeable in its Sound as, Mirrors are taught--to flatter, but our Springs Which tho' it be no Violence to the Ear, yet it is, to the Senfe, and that ought always carefully to be avoided in reading or in repeating of Verses. For this Reafon it is, that the Conftruction or Senfe fhould never end at a Syllable where the Paufe ought not to be made; as at the 8th and 2d in the two following Verses: Bright Hefper twinkles from afar :-- Away My Kids!--for you have had a Feaft to Day. Staff. Which Verfes have nothing difagreeable in their Structure but the Pause, which in the first of them must be observ'd at the 8th Syllable, in the 2d at the 2d; and fo unequal a Divifion can produce no true Harmony. And for this Reafon too, the Pauses at the 3d and 7th Syllables, tho' not wholly to be condemn'd, ought to be but fparingly practis'd. The foregoing Rules ought indifpenfibly to be follow'd in all our Verfes of 10 Syllables; and the Obfervation of them, like that of right Time in Mufick, will produce Harmony; the Neglect of them Harshness and Difcord; as appears by the following Verses: None think Rewards render'd worthy their Worth. Dav. In which, tho' the true Number of Syllables be obferv'd, yet neither of them have fo much as the Sound of aVerfe: Now their Difagreeableness proceeds from the undue Seat of the Accent: For Example, The first of them is accented on the 5th and 7th Syllables; but if we change the Words, and remove the Accent to the 4th and 6th, the Verse will become fmooth and easy; as, None think Rewards are equal to their Worth. The Harshness of the laft of them proceeds from its being accented on the 3d Syllable, which may be mended thus, by tranfpofing only one Word; And Lovers both, both thy Difciples were. In like manner, the following Verses; To To be massacred, not in Battle flain. Blac. Cowl. Blac. Blac. Dryd. are rough, because the foregoing Rules are not obferv'd in their Structure; For Example, The first where the Pause is at the 5th Syllable, and the Accent on the 3d, is contrary to the Rule, which fays, that the Accent that determines the Pause must be on the 2d, 4th, or 6th Syllable of the Verse; and to mend that Verfe we need only place the Accent on the 4th, and then the Pause at the 5th will have nothing difagreeable; as, Thus to be murder'd, not in Battle flain. The second Verfe is accented on the 3d Syllable, and the Pause is there too; which makes it indeed the thing it expreffes, forc'd, harfh, and uneafy; it may be mended thus, But forc'd and harsh, uneasy unto all. The 3d, 4th, and 5th of thofe Verfes have like Faults; for the Paufes are at the 5th, and the Accent there too; which is likewise contrary to the foregoing Rules: Now they will be made fmooth and flowing, by taking the Accent from the 5th, and removing the Seat of the Paufe; as, Against th' Infults both of the Wind and Tide. From whence we conclude, that in all Verses of 10 Syllables, the most prevailing Accents ought to be on the 2d, 4th, or 6th Syllables; for if they are on the 3d, 5th, or 7th, the Verfes will be rough and difagreeable, as has been prov'd by the preceding Inftances. In fhort, the wrong placing of the Accent is as great a Fault in our Verfification, as false Quantity was in that of the Ancients; and therefore we ought to take equal care to avoid it, and endeavour fo to difpofe the Words, that they may create a certain Melody in the Ear, without Labour to the Tongue, or Violence to the Senfe. SECT. Of the other Sorts of Verfes that are us'd in our A Poetry. FTER the Verfes of 10 Syllables, thofe of 8 are most frequent, and we have many entire Poems compos'd in them. In the Structure of these Verfes, as well as of thofe of io Syllables, we must take care that the most prevailing Accents be neither on the 3d nor 5th Syllables of them. They also require a Paufe to be obferv'd in pronouncing them, which is generally at the 4th or 5th Syllable; as, I'll fing of Heroes,--and of Kings, In mighty Numbers,--mighty Things; Begin, my Mufe,--but lo the Strings, To my great Song--rebellious prove, The Strings will found--of nought but Love. Cowl. The Verfes of 7 Syllables, which are called Anacreontick, are most beautiful when the ftrongest Accent is on the 3d, and the Paufe either there or at the 4th; as, Fill the Bowl--with rofy Wine, Cowl. The Verfes of 9 and of 11 Syllables, are of two Sorts; one is those that are accented upon the last fave one, which are only the Verfes of double Rhyme that belong to those of 8 and 10 Syllables, of which Examples have already been given: The other of those that are accented on the laft Syllable, which are employ'd only in Compofitions for Mufick, and in the loweft Sort of burlefque Poetry; the Difagreeablenefs of their Meafure having wholly excluded them from grave and serious Subjects. They who defire to fee Examples of them, may find fome fcatter'd here and there in our Masks and Operas, and in our burlesque Writers. I will give but two. Hylas, O Hylas, why fit we mute? Apart let me view then each Heavenly Fair, Wall. Congr. The |