The Spirit lowers and speaks—tremble ye Wild Woods!
Here it must be observed that “wild woods” is not meant for a double
rhyme. If scanned on the fingers (and we presume Mr. Mathews is in the
practice of scanning thus) the line is a legitimate Alexandrine.
Nevertheless, it cannot be _read_. It is like nothing under the sun;
except, perhaps, Sir Philip Sidney’s attempt at English Hexameter in his
“Arcadia.” Some one or two of his verses we remember. For example—
So to the | woods Love | runs as | well as | rides to the | palace;
Neither he | bears reve | rence to a | prince nor | pity to a |
beggar,
But like a | point in the | midst of a | circle is | still of a |
nearness.
With the aid of an additional spondee or dactyl Mr. Mathews’ _very_ odd
verse might be scanned in the same manner, and would, in fact, be a
legitimate Hexameter—