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Let the article be pronounced short, and it reduces the melody almost to nothing. Better fo however than a falfe quantity. In the following examples we perceive the same defect.

And old impertinence | expel by new.
With varying vanities || from ev'ry part.
Love in these labyrinths || his flaves detains.
New stratagems || the radiant lock to gain.
Her eyes half-languishing || half-drown'd in tears.
Roar'd for the handkerchief || that caus'd his pain.

Paffions like elements | though born to fight.

The great variety of modulation confpieuous in English verfe, will be found upon trial to arife chiefly from the pauses and accents; and therefore these circumstances are of greater importance than is commonly thought. There is a degree of intricacy in this branch of our subject, and it will require fome pains to give a distinct view of it. But we must not be discouraged by difficulties. The paufe, which paves way to the accent, offers itself first to our examination. From a very short trial, the fol

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admits but one capital paufe.

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2d, Int different lines, we find this pause after the fourth fyllable, after the fifth, after the fixth, and after the seventh. These particulars lay a folid foundation for dividing English heroic lines into four forts, diftinguished by the different places of the pause. Nor is this an idle diftinction. On the contrary, unless it be kept in view, we can-.. not have any just notion of the richness and variety of English verfification. Each fort or order hath a melody peculiar to itself, readily diftinguishable by a good ear; and, in the fequel, I am not without hopes to make the cause of this peculiarity fufficiently evident. It must be obferved, at the fame time, that the pause cannot be made indifferently at any of the places mentioned. It is the fenfe that regulates the pause, as will be feen more fully afterward; and confequently, it is the fenfe that determines of what order every line muft be. There can be but one capital mufical pause in a line; and this paufe ought to coincide, if poffible,

with

with a pause in the fenfe; in order that the found may accord with the sense. Patak What is faid must be illuftrated by examples of each fort or order. And first of the pause after the fourth fyllable:

Back through the paths | of pleasing sense I ran

Again,

Profufe of blifs and pregnant with delight

11

After the 5th:

0

So when an angel || by divine command,
With rising tempefts || fhakes a guilty land,

After the 6th:

Speed the foft intercourfe || from foul to foul

Again,

Then from his closing eyes || thy form shall part

After the 7th:

And taught the doubtful battle | where to rage

Again,

Again,

And in the fmooth defcription || murmur ftill

Befide the capital paufe now mentioned, other inferior or femipaufes will be discovered by a nice ear. Of these there are commonly two in each line; one before the capital paufe, and one after it. The former is invariably placed after the firft long fyllable, whether the line begin with a long fyllable or a fhort. The other in its variety imitates the capital paufe. In fome lines it follows the 6th fyllable, in fome the 7th, and in fome the 8th. Of these femipauses take the following examples.

Ift and 8th:

Led through a fad || variety | of wo.

ift and 7th:

1

Still on that breast | enamour'd | let me lie

2d and 8th:

From ftorms a fhelter || and from heat | a shade

i

2d and 6th:

Let wealth | let honour || wait | the wedded dame

2d and 7th :

Above all pain || all paffion | and all pride

Even from these few examples, it appears, that the place of the last femipause, like that of the full paufe, is directed in a good measure by the fenfe. Its proper

place with refpect to the melody is after the eighth fyllable, fo as to finish the line with an Iambus diftinctly pronounced, which, by a long syllable after a short, is a preparation for reft. If this hold, the placing this femipause after the 6th or after the 7th fyllable, must be directed by the sense, in order to avoid a paufe in the middle of a word, or betwixt two words intimately connected; and fo far melody is justly sacrificed to fenfe.

In difcourfing of the full pause in a Hexameter line, it is laid down as a rule, That it ought never to divide a word, Such licence deviates too far from the connection

that

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