Rhymes. "Rough repetition roars in rudest rhyme As clappers clinkle in one charming chime." THE most appropriate representative figure, for these universal and characteristic expressions of human nature, will be found in the many-tinted and variously shaped grasses every where abounding, from the short turf on the hill top, to the rich green vernal meadow-grass; the waving foxtail and stately oat-grass; the creeping dogs' tooth, to the pretty, fine bent grass, which, springing up spontaneously, exhibit the buoyancy and diversity of nature, and may be looked upon as typical of the varied measures to which Rhyme is adapted. The origin of Rhyme is, and ever will remain, an open question. It has been conjectured that it was known in Gaul 1800 years before the Christian era. Its source has been attributed to both Arabians and Scandinavians. It has been sought everywhere, and everywhere traced; and we may with equal truth assume it to have been coeval with its poetical representative-grass! With some poetical geniuses, Rhyme is the natural medium of expression, and is in consequence sometimes found closely allied with the grotesque and facetious. When quite a boy, Dr. Watts was rebuked by his father for his poetical propensities, when he characteristically replied to his angry parent by exclaiming 66 Pray father do some pity take, And I will no more verses make." Although this story is said to be based upon old Fuller's translation of a precatory verse of Ovid, its force still remains. It must be allowed that rhyme or metre greatly assists the memory, and a shrewd man has been heard to say that "the only four good lines of poetry are those well known ones which tell the number of days in each month." such an utilitarian assertion is open to check by the counter-remark that the only line of prose worth reading is "Pay to or Bearer." Although the greater number be termed simple, such for instance as those which are associated with childhood's days, called "Nursery Rhymes," still these are viewed with an eye of pleasure and grateful remembrance. Even those we meet with in later years, under the well-known form of doggerel (of which the world is too full) we are yet apt to be satisfied with, if we find, "one line for reason, and another for rhyme." Still further, though we may have cultivated acquaintance with them by attempting a "woful ballad to our mistress's eyebrows," or according to our humour "done a little in the comic vein," or, in lieu of that studied the classic, romantic, or historic theme, or it may be in the last stage of all, engaged their aid in epitaph writing, yet in all the various stages on the road of life, they have ever met us as pleasant companions; and who has not at times felt a passing glow of interest and delight in the grand epic, the fervid poem, or sentimental love song. These latter we leave ; our purpose is at present with the curious and fancifulthe odds and ends of Rhyme. These quaint specimens of poetical composition, however trifling they seem in themselves, still possess a certain interest, reflecting as they do the ingenious and peculiar phases of mind in their authors, and as being also partially illustrative of the times in which they were written, although as rare old Burton remarks, "We keep our madness still, we play the fool still; we are of the same humours and inclinations as our predecessors." Our illustrations will not be confined to the ancients, we shall give some of the more modern instances, by which a more ready comprehension will be obtained of the different shapes and styles our poetical licence and eccentricity assumes in different ages. Just to mention a few of the silly conceits which were practised by the writers of other days-one, supposed of Persian origin, termed by the Greeks Lypogrammatic Works, was that of penning stanzas in which a certain letter was withdrawn. A Persian poet read to the celebrated Jami a gazel of his own composition, which Jami did not like; but the writer replied, it was notwithstanding, a very curious sonnet, for the letter Aliff was not to be found in any one of the words! Jami sarcastically replied, "You can do a better thing yet; take away all the letters from every word you have written." Another, of making every word commence with the same letter, e.g., "Glance, glorious Geneve, gospel guiding gem! Great God, govern good Geneve's ghostly game!" Another was to make every line end with the same letter; a specimen of this is seen in one of our earliest printed works, "The moral Peonertes of Christine of Pisa," which was rendered into English by Earl Rivers. This curious work was printed by William Caxton, who added the following verses : "Go now thou little quire and recommend me, Puttenham in "The Art of Poesie," quotes other triflers who composed verses in shapes of all kinds, as hearts, wings, altars, lozenges, rhomboids, pillars, and even pairs of gloves, pot hooks, and spectacles, or as Ben Johnson says:-"A pair of scissors and a comb, in verse," probably imitated from Egyptian and Syrian hieroglyphic writing. To this writer and D'Israeli, I must refer my readers for any further illustrations of this portion of our subject, merely giving from the latter a translation of the observation of Martial upon these extreme triflers : ""Tis a folly to sweat o'er a difficult trifle And for silly devices invention to rifle." We give a few ingenious specimens of Alliteration, Acrostics, Macaronic, equivocal, and echo verses, also some Bout rimes, Inscriptive and Rustic Rhymes, etc., etc., trusting by "Such mighty nothings in so strange a style (To) Amaze th' unlearned and make the learned smile." N.B.-In addition to the books mentioned in our general introduction, we are also indebted in this divison of our work for much information and many illustrations, to "The East Anglian Notes and Queries;" "Halliwell's Nursery and Popular Rhymes," and Mr. Wheatly's excellent treatise on "Anagrams." Rhymes: LITERAL AND ALLITERATIVE. "Rhyme the rudder is of verses, By which they steer, as ships their courses." THE SIEGE OF BELGRADE. AN ALPHABETICAL ACCOUNT. An Austrian army, awfully arrayed, : For fame, for fortunes fighting; furious fray Kinsmen kill kindred, kindred kinsmen kill. Labour low levels loftiest, longest lines; Men march 'mid moles, 'mid mounds, 'mid murderous mines. Now noisy, noxious numbers notice nought Of outward obstacles opposing ought: Poor patriots, partly purchased, partly pressed, Quite quaking, quickly quarter quest. Reason returns, religious right redounds; Truce to thee, Turkey triumph to thy train; Vanish, vain victory, vanish victory vain! Why wish we warfare? wherefore welcome were Yield, yield ye youths, ye yeomen, yield your yell. Zeno's, Zopater's, Zoroaster's zeal, Attracting all, arts against arms appeal. These lines are supposed to have been written by the Rev. B. Poulter, Prebendary of Winchester, about the year 1828. During a voyage by the Europa steamer from Boston to Liverpool, almost every eve exhibited beautiful auroral displays, when the following lines were written by three gentlemen in imitation of the foregoing: AN ARTFUL AND AMUSING ATTEMPT AT ALPHABETICAL ALLITERATION, ADDRESSING AURORA. Awake Aurora, and across all airs Entranced each eve Europa's every eye Knavish Kamschatkans, knightly kurdsmen know, Pale Pyrric pyres prismatic purple pours, Strange, shooting streamers, streaking starry skies, Unseen, unhonoured, Ursa-underneath Vested, vailed, vanquished-vainly vying-vanisheth : Yet yielding, yesternight, Yules, yell yawns H. C. B. in "N. & Q." A SINGLE RHYMED ALPHABET. A was an Army to settle disputes; B was a Bull, not the mildest of brutes; F was a Funeral, followed by mutes; V Vicious motives, which malice imputes; Y is a Yawn; then, the last rhyme that suits, "N. & Q." |