says, "There is naturally a Pause at the fourth, fifth, or sixth syllable. It is upon this the ear rests, and upon the judicious change and management of which depends the variety of versification." Of this he gives the following examples:

At the fifth.

Where'er thy navy spreads her canvas wings,

At the fourth.

Homage to thee, and peace to all she brings. At the sixth.

Like tracts of leverets, in morning snow.

"In this place Mr. Pope takes no notice of the second pause, which always rests on the last word of each line, and is strongly marked by the rhyme. But, it is on the balance between the two pauses, that the monotony of the verse depends. Now this balance is governed by the equal division of the line in point of time. Thus, if you repeat the two first examples given, you will find no difference as to the time, whether the pause falls on the fourth or fifth syllable; and this, I think, will extend even to the last example; or, if there should be any difference, it is so trifling, that it will generally escape the ear. But this is not so in blank for the lines being made often to run one into the other, the second pause is sunk; the balance, from the equal division of each line, is removed, and by changing the pauses at pleasure, an open is given into an unlimited variety.

verse;

"Observe the effects in the first lines of Paradise Lost.

Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit

Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste

Brought death into the world, and all our woe,

With loss of Eden, till one greater Man,

Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,

Sing, heavenly muse.

"In these, and the lines that immediately follow, the pauses are shifted through all the ten syllables.

"But this variety is not inseparable from the nature of blank In Addison's Cato, there is, I think, the very same monotony which we have condemned in Mr. Pope: Thus,

verse.

The dawn is overcast, the morning low'rs,
And heavily in clouds brings on the day;

The great, th' important day

Big with the fate of Cato and of Rome.

Again,

Who knows not this, but what can Cato do
Against a world, a base degenerate world,

That courts the yoke, and bows the neck to Cæsar?
Pent up in Utica he vainly forms

A poor epitome of Roman greatness.

This is the very echo of the couplet measure."

Remarks on the Beauties of Poetry, p. 40.

To these rules on the niceties of Versification may perhaps be added a caution of abstaining as much as possible from the too frequent use, and too near assemblage of the hissing consonant S. Our most melodious poet has not always so abstained; witness the well known line;

Soon he sooth'd his soul to pleasure;

Dionysius of Halicarnassus says the Greeks used their letter sigma very sparingly; and Athenæus relates that Pindar wrote a whole Ode without once introducing a letter that so much wounded their delicate ears.

87

LETTERS

TO AND FROM

H. CROMWELL, ESQ.

From the Year 1708 to 1711.

LETTER I.

March 18, 1708.

I BELIEVE it was with me when I left the Town, as it is with a great many men when they leave the world, whose loss itself they do not so much regret, as that of their friends whom they leave behind in it. For I do not know one thing for which I can envy London, but for your continuing there. Yet I guess you will expect me to recant this expression, when I tell you that Sappho (by which heathenish name you have christened a very orthodox Lady) did not accompany me into the Country. Well, you have your Lady in the Town still, and I have my Heart in the Country still, which being wholly unemployed as yet, has the more room in it for my friends, and does not want a corner at your service. You have extremely obliged me by your frankness and kindness; and if I have abused it by too much freedom on my part, I hope you will attribute it to

the natural openness of my temper, which hardly knows how to shew Respect, where it feels Affection. I would love my Friend, as my Mistress, without ceremony and hope a little rough usage sometimes may not be more displeasing to the one, than it is to the other.

If you have any curiosity to know in what manner I live, or rather lose a life, Martial will inform you in one line:

Prandeo, poto, cano, ludo, lego, cœno, quiesco.

Every day with me is literally another yesterday, for it is exactly the same: It has the same business, which is Poetry, and the same pleasure, which is idleness. A man might indeed pass his time much better, but I question if any man could pass it much easier. If you will visit our shades this spring, which I very much desire, you may perhaps instruct me to manage my game more wisely; but at present I am satisfied to trifle away my time any way, rather than let it stick by me; as shop-keepers are glad to be rid of those goods at any rate, which would otherwise always be lying upon their hands.

Sir, if you will favour me 5 sometimes with your letters, it will be a great satisfaction to me on several accounts; and on this in particular, that it will shew me (to my comfort) that even a wise man is sometimes very idle; for so you must needs be when can find leisure to write to

you

Your, etc.

All that we can learn of this correspondent of our Author is, that he used to go a hunting in a tie-wig, in the manner of the old courtiers of the age of Louis XIV. in France.