Latins sublatio and positio. This takes place in every foot, and makes it necessary that every foot should consist at least of two syllables, one for the seat of the agric, and another for that of the 95. Consequently the smallest foot is the dissyllable, consisting of two short times, called the pyrrich. This sublation and position answers to the beating of time in our music, and signifies the manner in which the bars are to be divided. We may now see how an iambus differs from a trochee, as in the first foot the sublation occupies one short syllable, and the position the remaining long syllable; whereas in the trochee the sublation and position are reversed, the first occupying there the long syllable, the latter the short one. When of two feet proposed, not only the rhythm, which affects the whole, but the sublation and position which affect their parts, are the same, and common to both; then, and then only, are such feet isochronous and interchangeable, where the metre allows of interchanges." XIII. We will now proceed to consider the different species of metre employed by Horace in his various productions. They are twenty in number, or, more loosely speaking, twenty-two. 1. DACTYLIC HEXAMETER.' Laudā|bünt ălîjî clā|rām Rhōdòn | aūt Mitÿ|lēnen, The structure of this species of verse is sufficiently well known; it consists of six feet, the fifth of which is a dactyl, and the sixth a spondee, while each of the other four feet may be either a dactyl or spondee. Sometimes, however, in a solemn, majestic, or mournful description, or in Temporum momenta sare lege certa dividunt, Seu duas pes quisque junget, sive plures syllabas. He mentions also that those who taught versification were in the habit of distinguishing the feet or measures by the thumb or foot: Quam pollicis sonore, rel plausu pedis Horace likewise alludes to the method of beating time by the aid of the thumb. Carm 4. 6. 35. (1) The origin of Hexameter verse forms no uninteresting subject of speculation, as it carries us back to the earliest period both of the Greek and Latin tongues. Herodotus states that he saw in the temple of the Ismenian Apollo at Thebes, in Boeotia, Cadmean letters engraved on certain tripods, for the most part like the Ionian characters, and that one of these inscriptions was as follows. Αμφιτρύων μ' ἀτέθηκε νέων από ψηλοβοίαν. expressing astonishment, consternation, vastness of size, &c. a spondee is admitted in the fifth foot, and the line is then denominated Spondaic. On a second tripod, two other hexameters were inscribed, and two likewise on a third. (Herod. 5. 59. seqq.) If this account be correct, these Cadmean letters may be of the same kind with those mentioned by Plutarch (De Socrat. Gen.) as having been discovered at Haliartus in the tomb of Alcmena, and which he describes as very ancient (raμárasa) and as resembling very closely the Ægyptian. It is more than probable, however, that Herodotus was imposed upon by the priests of the temple, and the word uoraggiar, which occurs in one of the inscriptions, stamps suspicion upon the genuineness of all. According to other authorities, (Diog. Laert. 1.40. Stat. Sylv. 2. 2. 39 Lucan. 5. 126. and Pausan. 10. 6.) Phemonoë, a priestess, and, according to some, daughter of Apollo, is said to have invented hexameters, and the following is supposed to have been the first one ever written : Συμφέρετε πτερά τ' οἰωνοί, κηρόν τε μέλισσαι. Some affirm that Phemonoë was the first that gave responses from the oracle at Delphi. This account seems entitled to rather more credit than that of Herodotus, although it is far from having a claim to full reliance. The Æolic dialect was spoken at Delphi: this of all the Grecian dialects adapted itself most easily to hexameter versification, by its drawing back the accent, and making it repose in preference on the antepenult or penult of words. (Compare Bullman, Ausfürhl. Griech. Sprachl. vol. 1. p. 55. anm. 9. Wagner, Lehre, von dem Accent.) The Eolic Pentameter (Herm. Elem. Doctr. Metr. p. 228. ed. Glasg.) affords a full proof of the attachment of this dialect to the dactylic verse, all the feet except the first be ing, according to Hephaestion, dactyls. Thus : Ὅπως, ἀνίκα τὰν γένυν ἀνδρείαν ἔχης. Τόκα δ ̓ οὐδὲ καλεῦντος ἐπ' αὐλείαις θύραις. Perhap after all, however, some of the oldest Greek hexameters that remain to us are those which occur in the narrative of Phoenix to Achilles (Hom Il. í. 525. seqq.) There is a very curious and interesting paper on this subject in the Museum Criticum (No. 6. p. 243. seqq.) in which it is shown very conclusively that Phoenix quotes the very words and measure of some ancient ballad, antehomeric of course. The metre is a peculiar one, and bears evident marks of being earlier than the more polished hexameters of the Iliad. The following specimen will convey some idea of it: Κουρητές τ' | ἐμάχοντο | καὶ Αἰτωλοὶ | μετέχαρμοι Κουρήτες δε | διαπραθέειν | μεμαώτες | Αρηί. The author of the paper in question stops, however, we are inclined to think, at the most interesting part of the inquiry. We have discovered what appears to us a remarkable analogy between this early ballad-measure and the old Saturnian measure of the Romans. Not indeed a strictly rhythmical resemblance, but so close an approximation to it as to induce the belief that the two measures originated from the same parent source. The following lines will exemplify this: Et Navijo poeta cum sæpe læderentur Dabunt mallum Metelli, | dabunt malum Metelli The hexameters of Horace, in his Satires and Epistles, are written in so negligent a manner as to lead to the opinion, that this style of composition was purposely adopted by him to suit the nature of his subject. Whether this opinion be correct or not must be considered elsewhere. It will only be requisite here to state, that the peculiar character of his hexameter versification will render it unnecessary for us to say any thing respecting the doctrine of the caesural pause in this species of verse, which is better explained with reference to the rhythm and cadence of Virgil." 2. DACTYLIC TETRAMETER a posteriore." The Tetrameter a posteriore, or Spondaic tetrameter, consists of the last four feet of an hexameter; as, Cērtus ĕnīm promisit Apōllō. Sometimes, as in the hexameter, a spondee occupies the last place but one, in which case the preceding foot ought to be a dactyl, or the line will be too heavy; as, The resemblance appears most striking in the last line. We have selected of course such verses, and have placed them in such an order, as seemed most favourable to our position: the change of order, however, to which we have resorted, occurs only in the case of the first two, which are here formed into two, though generally given as four, lines. Hermann has the following as the scheme of the Saturnian measure. (Elem. Doctr. Metr. p. 398.) A dactyl, however, is occasionally admitted in place of the first or second trochee, and a spondee is sometimes introduced indiscriminately. Now, if we compare this measure with those of the Sanscreet poetry that are given by Schlegel,'(Sprache und Weisheit der Indier, p. 227.) we cannot fail being struck by their great similarity. One of the measures alluded to is as follows: Schlegel states, at the same time, that this scheme admits of variations. These may probably bring it into full accordance with the Saturnian. All this, together with the Sanscreet derivation of the very name of Saturn (Satouraneuno), furnishes another link in that curious chain which connects the early Greeks and Romans with the primitive inhabitants of northern India. (1) Vid. Explanatory Notes on the Satires. (2) The doctrine of the Caesural pause in hexameter verse will be found explained in Anthon's Latin Prosody, p. 93. seqq. (3) The expression a posteriore refers to the verse being considered as taken from the latter part of an hexameter line (a posteriore parte versus hexametri), and is consequently opposed to the dactylic tetrameter a priore. This last is taken from the first part (a priore parte) of an hexameter, and must always have the last foot a dactyl. Mēnsō|rēm cõhì bēnt Är\chytā. 3. DACTYLIC TRIMETER CATALECTIC.' The Trimeter catalectic is a line consisting of the first five half-feet of an hexameter, or two feet and a half; as, Arboribusque comae. Horace uniformly observes this construction, viz. two dactyls and a semi-foot. Ausonius, however, sometimes makes the first foot a spondee, and twice uses a spondee in the second place; but the spondee injures the harmony of the versc. 4. ADONIC.2 The Adonic, or Dactylic Dimeter, consists of two feet, a dactyl and spondee; as, Risit Alpōllō. Sappho is said to have written entire poems in this measure, now lost.3 Boëthius has a piece of thirty-one Adonic lines (lib. 1. metr. 7.), of which the following are a specimen. Nubibus atris Condita nullum Turbidus auster Misceat aestum, &c. The measure, however, is too short to be pleasing, unless accompanied by one of a different kind. Hence an Adonic is used in concluding the Sapphic stanza. (No. 10.) In tragic chorusses, it is arbitrarily added to any number of Sapphics, without regard to uniformity. (Vid. Senec. Oedip. act 1. Troades. act 4. Herc. Fur. act 3. Thyest. act 3.) (1) Called also Archilochian, from the poet Archilochus, who frequently used it. (2) This verse derives its name from the circumstance of its being used by the Greeks in the music which accompanied the celebration of the festival of Adonis: that part probably which represented the restoration of Adonis to life. It is also called Dactylic Dimeter. (3) Terent. Maur, de Metr. 439 5. IAMBIC TRIMETER. Iambic verses take their name from the Iambus,' which, in pure Iambics, was the only foot admitted. They are scanned by measures of two feet; and it was usual, in reciting them, to make a short pause at the end of every second foot, with an emphasis (arsis) on its final syllable. The Iambic Trimeter (called likewise Senarius, from its containing six feet,) consists of three measures (metra). The feet which compose it, six in number, are properly all iambi; in which case, as above stated, the line is called a pure iambic. The caesural pause most commonly occurs at the penthemimeris; that is, after two feet and a half; as, අ Phăsēļlus ille quēm | vidē||tis hōs|pītēs. \¡ The metres here end respectively where the double lines are marked, and the caesural pause takes place at the middle of the third foot, after the word ille. The pure Iambic, however, was rarely used. This seems to have been owing partly to the very great difficulty of producing any considerable number of good verses, and partly to the wish of giving to the verse a greater degree of weight and dignity. In consequence of this, the spondee was allowed to take the place of the iambus in the first, third, and fifth feet. The admission of the spondee paved the way for other innovations. Thus, the double time of one long syllable was divided into two single times, or two short syllables. Hence, for the iambus, of three times, was substituted a tribrach, in every station except the sixth, because there the final syllable being lengthened by the longer pause at the termination of the line, a tribrach would, in fact, be equal to an anapaest, containing four times instead of three. For the spondee, of four times, was substituted a (1) The term Iambus ('IaμCos) is derived, according to some etymologists, from láTM “to injure,” or “attack," on account of its having been originally used in satirical composition. Lennep makes it the same with lacos, and deduces this last from ido; the same as io, "to throw at." (2) Hor. Ars. Poet. 7. 9. (3) The reason why the Iambus was retained in the even places, that is, the second, fourth, and sixth, appears to have been this: that by placing the spondee first, and making the iambus to follow, greater emphasis was given to the concluding syllable of each measure, on which the ictus and pause took place, than would have been the case had two long syllables stood together. Vid. Carey's Latin Prosody, p. 259, ed. 1819,-where other particulars will be found relative to the Trimeter Iambic measure as used by the Latin writers of Tragedy, Comedy, and Fable. |