"

A

to the pause. A deviation from the rule is lefs remarkable in a femipaufe, which makes but a flight impreffion. Confidering the matter as to modulation folely, it is indifferent whether the pauses be at the end of words or in the middle. But when we carry the sense along, nothing is more disagreeable than to find a word split into two parts, neither of which separately have any meaning. This bad effect, though it regard the sense only, is by an easy transition of ideas transferred to the found, with which the sense is intimately connected; and by this means, we conceive a line to be harsh and grating to the ear, which in reality is only so to the understanding

To the rule which places the pause after the 5th portion, there is one exception, and no more. If the fyllable fucceeding the 5th portion be short, the pause is sometimes poftponed to it:

Pupillis quos dura | premit cuftodia matrum

See chap. 2. part 1. fect 4

Again, mol má

In terris oppreffa | gravi fub religione

Again,

Et quorum pars magna || fui; quis talia fando

This contributes to diverfify the melody; and where the words are smooth and liquid, is not ungraceful; as in the following examples.

Formofam refonare doces Amaryllida fylvas,

Again,

Agricolas, quibus ipfa | procul difcordibus armis

If this pause, poftponed as aforesaid to the fhort fyllable, happen alfo to divide a word, the melody by these circumstances is totally annihilated: witnefs the following line of Ennius, which is plain profe.

Romæ monia terrullit impiger | Hannibal armis

Hitherto the arrangement of the long and short fyllables of an Hexameter line and

its

its different pauses, have been confidered with refpect to melody. But to have a just notion of Hexameter verse, these particulars must also be confidered with refpect to fenfe. There is not perhaps in any other fort of verse, such a latitude in the long and short fyllables. This circumftance contributes greatly to that richness of modulation which is remarkable in Hexameter verfe; and which makes Ariftotle pronounce, that an epic poem in any other fort would not

fucceed. One defect however must not be diffembled. The fame means that contribute to the richness of the melody, render it lefs fit than feveral other forts for a narrative poem. With regard to the melody, as above obferved, there cannot be a more artful contrivance than to close an Hexameter line with two long fyllables preceded by two short. But unhappily this conftruction proves a great imbarraffment to the fenfe; as will be evident from what follows. As in general there ought to be a strict concordance betwixt every thought

Poet. cap. 25.

and

and the words in which it is dreffed, fo in particular, every clofe in the fenfe, complete and incomplete, ought to be accompanied with a fimilar close in the found. In the compofition of profe, there is fufficient latitude for applying this rule in the ftrictest manner. But the fame ftrictness in verfe, would occafion infuperable difficulties. Some share of the concordance betwixt thought and expreffion, may be justly facrificed to the melody of verfe; and therefore during the course of a line, we freely excufe the want of coincidence of the musical pause with that of the fenfe. But the close of an Hexameter line is too confpicuous to admit a total neglect of this coincidence. And hence it follows, that there ought to be always fome pause in the fense at the end of every Hexameter line, were it but fuch a paufe as is marked with a comma. It follows also, for the fame reafon, that there ought never to be a full clofe in the fenfe but at the end of a line, because there the modulation is closed. An Hexameter line, to preferve its melody, cannot well permit any greater relaxation;

and

and yet in a narrative poem, it is extremely difficult to keep up to the rule even with these indulgences. Virgil, the greatest poet for verfification that ever existed, is forc'd often to end a line without any clofe in the sense, and as often to close the sense during the running of a line: though a close in the melody during the movement of the thought, or a close in the thought during the movement of the melody, cannot fail to be difagreeable.

The accent, to which we proceed, is not lefs effential than the other circumftances above handled. By a good ear it will be difcerned, that in every line there is one fyllable diftinguishable from the rest by a strong accent. This fyllable making the 7th portion, is invariably long; and in point of time occupies a place nearly at an equal distance from the pause which fucceeds the 5th portion, and the femipause, which fucceeds the 8th:

Nec bene promeritis || capitûr nec | tangitur ira