to assert that it ought to be reckon'd two Syllables; yet in my Opinion,
those Verses seem to have a Syllable more than their due Measure, and
would run better if we took one from them; as,
_Where griesly Schism, raging Strife appear.
I Rhumatisms send to rack the Joynts._
Yet this Opinion being contrary to the constant practice of our Poets, I
shall not presume to advance it as a Rule for others to follow; but
leave it to be decided by such as are better Judges of Poetical Numbers.
The like may be said of the Terminations ASM and OSM.
SECT. V.
_Of the Elisions that are allow'd in our Versification._
Our Verses consisting only of a certain Number of Syllables, nothing can
be of more ease, or greater use to our Poets, than the retaining or
cutting off a Syllable from a Verse, according as the measure of it
requires; and therefore it is requisite to treat of the Elisions that
are allowable in our Poetry, some of which have been already taken
notice of in the preceding Section.
By Elision, I mean the cutting off one or more Letters from a Word,
whereby two Syllables come to be contracted into one; or the taking away
an intire Syllable. Now when in a Word of more than two Syllables, which
is accented on the last save two, the Liquid R, happens to be between
two Vowels, that which precedes the Liquid admits of an Elision, Of this
nature are many Words in ANCE, ENCE, ENT, ER, OUS, and RY; as
_Temperance_, _Preference_, _Different_, _Flatterer_, _Amorous_,
_Victory_: Which are Words of three Syllables, and often us'd as such in
Verse; but they may also be contracted into two, by cutting off the
Vowel that precedes the Liquid; as _Temp'rance_, _Pref'rence_,
_Diff'rent_, _Flatt'rer_, _Am'rous_, _Vict'ry_. The like Elision is
sometimes us'd, when any of the other Liquids L, M, or N, happen to be
between two Vowels, in Words accented like the former, as _Fabulous_,
_Enemy_, _Mariner_, which may be contracted _Fab'lous_, _En'my_,
_Mar'ner_. But this is not so frequent.
Observe, that I said accented on the last save two; for if the Word be
accented on the last save one, that is to say, on the Vowel that
precedes the Liquid, that Vowel may not be cut off. And therefore it is
a fault to make, for Example, _Sonorous_ of two Syllables, as in this
Verse;
_With Son'rous Metals wak'd the drowsie Day._ Blac.
Which always ought to be of three; as in this,
_Sonorous Metals blowing martial Sounds._ Milt.
In like manner; whenever the Letter S happens to be between two Vowels
in Words of three Syllables, accented on the first, one of the Vowels
may be cut off; as _Pris'ner_, _Bus'ness_, &c.
Or the Letter C when 'tis sounded like S; that is to say, whenever it
preceds the Vowels E or I; as _Med'cine_, for _Medicine_.
Or V Consonant; as _Cov'nant_ for _Covenant_.
To these may be added the Gerunds of all Verbs whose Infinitives end in
any of the Liquids, preceded by a Vowel or Diphthong, and that are
accented on the last save one: for the Gerunds being form'd by adding
the Syllable ING to the Infinitive, the Liquid that was their final
Letter, comes thereby to be between two Vowels; and the Accent that was
on the last save one of the Infinitive, comes to be on the last save two
of the Gerund: And therefore the Vowel or Diphthong, that precedes the
Liquid, may be cut off; by means whereof the Gerund of three Syllables
comes to be but of two, as from _Travel_, _Travelling_, or _Trav'ling_;
from _Endeavour_, _Endeavouring_, or _Endeav'ring_, &c.
But if the Accent be on the last Syllable of such a Verb, its Gerund
will not suffer such an Elision: Thus the Gerund of _Devour_ must always
be three Syllables, _Devouring_, not _Dev'ring_; because all Derivatives
still retain the Accent of their Primitives, that is, on the same
Syllable: and the Accent always obliges the Syllable on which it is, to
remain entire.
The Gerunds of the Verbs in OW, accented on the last save two, suffer an
Elision of the O that precedes the W; as _Foll'wing_, _Wall'wing_.
The Particle _It_ admits of an Elision of its Vowel before _Is_, _Was_,
_Were_, _Will_, _Would_; as _'Tis_, _'Twas_, _'Twere_, _'Twill_,
_'Twould_, for _It is_, _It was_, &c.
_It_ likewise sometimes suffers the like Elision, when plac'd after a
Word that ends in a Vowel; as _By't_ for _By it_, _Do't_ for _Do it_: Or
that ends in a Consonant after which the Letter T can be pronounc'd; as
_Was't_ for _Was it_, _In't_ for _In it_, and the like: But this is not
so frequent in Heroick Verse.
The Particle _Is_ may lose its _I_ after any Word that ends in a Vowel,
or in any of the Consonants after which the Letter S may be sounded; as
_she's_ for _she is_: The _Air's_ for the _Air is_, &c.
_To_ (sign of the Infinitive Mood) may lose its O before any Verb that
begins by a Vowel; as _T' amaze_, _t' undo_, &c.
_To_ (Sign of the Dative Case) may likewise lose its O before any Noun
that begins with a Vowel; as _t' Air_, _t' every_, _&c._ But this
Elision is not so allowable as the former.
_Are_ may lose its _A_ after the Pronouns Personal, _We_, _You_, _They_;
as _We're_, _You're_, _They're_: And thus it is that this Elision ought
to be made, and not as some do, by cutting off the final Vowels of the
Pronouns Personal; _W'are_, _Y'are_, _Th'are_.
_Will_ and _Would_ may lose all their first Letters, and retain only
their final one, after any of the Pronouns Personal; as _I'll_ for _I
will_; _He'd_ for _He would_; or after _Who_, as _who'll_ for _who
will_; _who'd_ for _who would_.
_Have_, may lose its two first Letters after _I_, _You_, _We_, _They_;
as _I've_, _You've_, _We've_, _They've_.
_Not_, its two first Letters after can; as _Can't_ for _Can not_.
_Am_, its _A_ after _I_: _I'm_ for _I am_.
_Us_, its _U_ after _Let_: _Let's_ for _Let us_.
_Taken_, its _K_, as _Ta'en_: for so it ought to be written, not
_ta'ne_.
_Heaven_, _Seven_; _Even_, _Eleven_, and the Participles _Driven_,
_Given_, _Thriven_, and their Compounds, may lose their last Vowel, as
_Heav'n_, _Forgiv'n_, &c. _See the foregoing Section, p. 13._
To these may be added _Bow'r_, _Pow'r_, _Flow'r_, _Tow'r_, _Show'r_, for
_Bower_, _Power_, &c.
_Never_, _Ever_, _Over_, may lose their _V_; and are contracted thus,
_Ne'er_, _E'er_, _O'er_.
Some Words admit of an Elision of their first Syllable; as _'Tween_,
_'Twixt_, _'Mong_, _'Mongst_, _'Gainst_, _'Bove_, _'Cause_, _'Fore_, for
_Between_, _Betwixt_, _Among_, _Amongst_, _Against_, _Above_, _Because_,
_Before_. And some others that may be observ'd in reading our Poets.
I have already, in the 3d Section of this Chapter, spoken of the Elision
of the _e_ of the Particle _The_ before Vowels: But it is requisite
likewise to take notice, that it sometimes loses its Vowel before a Word
that begins by a Consonant, and then its two remaining Letters are
joyn'd to the preceding Word; as _To th' Wall_, for _To the Wall_; _By
th' Wall_, for _By the Wall_, &c. But this is scarce allowable in
Heroick Poetry.
The Particles _In_, _Of_, and _On_, sometimes lose their Consonants, and
are joyn'd to the Particle _The_ in like manner; as _i'th'_, _o'th'_,
for _in the_, _of the_.
In some of our Poets we find the Pronoun _His_ lose its two first
Letters after any Word that ends in a Vowel; as _to's_, _by's_, &c. for
_to his_, _by his_, &c. Or after many Words that end in a Consonant,
after which the Letter S can be pronounc'd; as _In's_, _for's_, for _In
his_, _for his_, &c. This is frequent in _Cowley_, who often takes too
great a Liberty in his Contractions; as _t' your_ for _to your_, _t'
which_ for _to which_, and many others; in which we must be cautious of
following his Example: But the contracting of the Pronoun _His_ in the
manner I mention'd, is not wholly to be condemn'd.
We sometimes find the Word _Who_, contracted before Words that begin by
a Vowel; as,
_Wh' expose to Scorn and Hate both them and it._ Cowl.
And the Preposition _By_ in like manner; as,
_B' unequal Fate, and Providence's Crime._ Dryd.
_Well did he know how Palms b' Oppression speed._ Cowl.
And the Pronouns personal, _He_, _She_, _They_, _We_; as,
_Timely h' obeys her wife Advice, and strait
To unjust Force sh' opposes just Deceit._ Cowl.
_Themselves at first against themselves th' excite._ Cowl.
_Shame and Woe to us, if w' our Wealth obey._ Cowl.
But these and the like Contractions are very rare in our most correct
Poets, and ought indeed wholly to be avoided: For 'tis a general Rule,
that no Vowel can be cut off before another, when it cannot be sunk in
the pronunciation of it: And therefore we ought to take care never to
place a Word that begins by a Vowel, after a Word that ends in one (mute
E only excepted) unless the final Vowel of the former can be lost in its
Pronunciation: For, to leave two Vowels opening on each other, causes a
very disagreeable _Hiatus_. Whenever therefore a Vowel ends a Word, the
next ought to begin with a Consonant, or what is Equivalent to it; as
our W, and H aspirate, plainly are.
For which reason 'tis a Fault in some of our Poets to cut off the _e_ of
the Particle _The_, for Example, before a Word that begins by an H
aspirate; as
_And th' hasty Troops march'd loud and chearful down._ Cowl.
But if the H aspirate be follow'd by another E, that of the Particle
_The_ may be cut off; As,
_Th' Heroick Prince's Courage or his Love._ Wall.
_Th'_ Hesperian _Fruit, and made the Dragon sleep._ Wall.
CHAP. II.
_Of Rhyme._
SECT. I.
_What Rhyme is, and the several Sorts of it._
Rhyme is a Likeness or Uniformity of Sound in the terminations of two
Words, I say, of Sound, not of Letters; for the Office of Rhyme being to
content and please the Ear, and not the Eye, the Sound only is to be
regarded, not the Writing: Thus _Maid_ and _Perswade_, _Laugh_ and
_Quaff_, tho' they differ in Writing, rhyme very well: But _Plough_ and
_Cough_, tho' written alike, rhyme not at all.
In our Versification we may observe 3 several sorts of Rhyme; Single,
Double, and Treble.
The single Rhyme is of two sorts: One of the Words that are accented on
the last Syllable: Another, of those that have their Accent on the last
save two.
The Words accented on the last Syllable, if they end in a Consonant, or
mute E, oblige the Rhyme to begin at the vowel that precedes their last
Consonant, and to continue to the end of the Word: In a Consonant; as,
_Here might be seen that Beauty, Wealth, and Wit,
And Prowess, to the Pow'r of Love submit._ Dryd.
In mute E; as,
_A Spark of Virtue by the deepest Shade
Of sad Adversity, is fairer made._ Wall.
But if a Diphthong precede the last Consonant, the Rhyme must begin at
that Vowel of it whose Sound most prevails; as,
_Next to the Pow'r of waking Tempests cease,
Was in that Storm to have so calm a Peace._ Wall.
If the Words accented on the last Syllable end in any of the Vowels
except mute E, or in a Diphthong, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel
or Diphthong. To the Vowel; as
_So wing'd with Praise we penetrate the Sky,
Teach Clouds and Stars to praise him as we fly._ Wall.
To the Diphthong; as,
_So hungry Wolves, tho' greedy of their Prey,
Stop when they find a Lion in the way._ Wall.
The other sort of single Rhyme is of the Words that have their Accent on
the last Syllable save two. And these rhyme to the other in the same
manner as the former; that is to say, if they end in any of the Vowels,
except mute E, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel; as,
_So seems to speak the youthful Deity;
Voice, Colour, Hair, and all like_ Mercury. Wall.
But if they end in a Consonant or mute E, the Rhyme must begin at the
Vowel that precedes that Consonant, and continue to the end of the Word.
As has been shewn by the former Examples.
But we must take notice, that all the Words that are accented on the
last save two, will rhyme, not only to one another, but also to all the
Words whose Terminations have the same Sound, tho' they are accented on
the last Syllable. Thus _Tenderness_ rhymes not only to _Poetess_,
_Wretchedness_, and the like, that are accented on the last save two,
but also to _Confess_, _Excess_, &c. that are accented on the last; as,
_Thou art my Father now, these Words confess,
That Same, and that indulgent Tenderness._ Dryd.
SECT. II.
_Of Double and Treble Rhyme._
All Words that are accented on the last save one, require the Rhyme to
begin at the Vowel of that Syllable, and to continue to the end of the
Word; and this is what we call Double Rhyme; as,
_Then all for Women, Painting, Rhyming, Drinking,
Besides ten Thousand Freaks that dy'd in Thinking._ Dryd.
But it is convenient to take notice, that the ancient Poets did not
always observe this Rule, and took care only that the last Syllables of
the Words should be alike in Sound, without any regard to the Seat of
the Accent. Thus _Nation_ and _Affection_, _Tenderness_ and _Hapless_,
_Villany_ and _Gentry_, _Follow_ and _Willow_, and the like, were
allow'd as Rhymes to each other in the Days of _Chaucer_, _Spencer_, and
the rest of the Antients; but this is now become a fault in our
Versification; and these two Verses of _Cowley_ rhyme not at all.
_A clear and lively brown was_ Merab's _Dye;
Such as the proudest Colours might envy._
Nor these of _Dryden_.
_Thus Air was void of Light, and Earth unstable,
And Waters dark Abyss unnavigable._
Because we may not place an Accent on the last Syllable of _Envy_, nor
on the last save one of _unnavigable_; which nevertheless we must be
oblig'd to do, if we make the first of them rhyme to _Dye_, the last to
_Unstable_.
But we may that observe in Burlesque Poetry, it is permitted to place an
Accent upon a Syllable that naturally has none; as,
_When Pulpit, Drum Ecclesiastick,
Was beat with Fist instead of a Stick._
Where unless we pronounce the Particle A with a strong Accent upon it,
and make it sound like the Vowel _a_ in the last Syllable but one of
_Ecclesiastick_, the Verse will lose all its Beauty and Rhyme. But this
is allowable in Burlesque Poetry only.
Observe that these double Rhymes may be compos'd of two several Words;
provided the Accent be on the last Syllable of the first of them; as in
these Verses of _Cowley_, speaking of Gold;
_A Curse on him who did refine it,
A Curse on him who first did coin it._
Or some of the Verses may end in an entire word, and the Rhyme to it be
compos'd of several; as,
_Tho' stor'd with Deletery Med'cines,
Which whosoever took is dead since._ Hud.
The Treble Rhyme is, when in words accented on the last save two we
begin the Rhyme at the Vowel of that Syllable, and continue it to the
end of the word: Thus _Charity_ and _Parity_, _Tenderness_ and
_Slenderness_, &c., are treble Rhymes. And these too, as well as the
double, may be compos'd of several words; as,
_There was an ancient sage Philosopher,
That had read_ Alexander Ross _over._ Hud.
The Treble Rhyme is very seldom us'd, and ought wholly to be excluded
from serious Subjects; for it has a certain flatness, unworthy the
Gravity requir'd in Heroick Verse. In which _Dryden_ was of Opinion that
even the double Rhymes ought very cautiously to find place; and in all
his Translation of _Virgil_, he has made use of none except only in such
words as admit of a Contraction, and therefore cannot properly be said
to be double Rhymes; as _Giv'n_, _Driv'n_, _Tow'r_, _Pow'r_, and the
like. And indeed, considering their Measure is different from that of an
Heroick Verse, which consists but of 10 Syllables, they ought not to be
too frequently us'd in Heroick Poems; but they are very graceful in the
Lyrick, to which, as well as to the Burlesque, those Rhymes more
properly belong.
SECT. III.
_Further Instructions concerning Rhyme._
The Consonants, that precede the Vowels where the Rhyme begins, must be
different in Sound, and not the same; for then the Rhyme will be too
perfect; as _Light_, _Delight_; _Vice_, _Advice_, and the like; for tho'
such Rhymes were allowable in the Days of _Spencer_ and the other old
Poets, they are not so now; nor can there be any Musick in one single
Note. _Cowley_ himself owns, that they ought not to be employed except
in Pindarick Odes, which is a sort of free Poetry, and there too very
sparingly, and not without a third Rhyme to answer to both; as,
_In barren Age wild and inglorious lye,
And boast of past Fertility, }
The poor Relief of present Poverty._ Cowl.}
Where the words _Fertility_ and _Poverty_ rhyme very well to the last
word of the first Verse, _Lye_; but cannot rhyme to each other, because
the Consonants that precede the last Vowels are the same, both in
Writing and Sound.
But this is yet less allowable if the Accent be on the Syllable of the
Rhyme; as,
_Her Language melts Omnipotence, arrests
His Hand, and thence the vengeful Lightning wrests._ Blac.
From hence it follows that a word cannot rhyme to it self, tho' the
signification be different; as _He Leaves_ to _the Leaves_, &c.
Nor the words that differ both in Writing and Sense, if they have the
same Sound, as _Maid_ and _Made_, _Prey_ and _Pray_, _to Bow_ and _a
Bough_: as,
_How gawdy Fate may be in Presents_ sent,
_And creep insensibly by Touch or_ Scent. Oldh.
Nor a Compound to its Simple; as _Move_ to _Remove_, _Taught_ to
_Untaught_, &c.
Nor the Compounds of the same Words to one another, as _Disprove_ to
_Approve_, and the like. All which proceeds from what I said before,
_viz._ That the Consonants that precede the Vowel where the Rhyme
begins, must not be the same in Sound, but different. In all which we
vary from our Neighbours; for neither the _French_, _Italians_ not
_Spaniards_ will allow that a Rhyme can be too perfect: And we meet with
frequent Examples in their Poetry, where not only the Compounds rhyme to
their Simples, and to themselves; but even where words written and
pronounc'd exactly alike, provided they have a different Signification,
are made use of as Rhymes to one another: But this is not permitted in
our Poetry; and therefore, tho' in the two former Editions of this Book
I said that _Rhyme is only a Sameness of Sound at the End of Words_, I
have in this given it a Definition which I take to be more agreeable to
our Practice, and call'd it _a Likeness or Uniformity of Sound in the
Terminations of two Words_.
We must take care not to place a Word at the middle of a Verse that
rhymes to the last Word of it; as,
_So young in show, as if he still should grow._
But this fault is still more inexcusable, if the second Verse rhyme to
the middle and end of the first; as,
_Knowledge he only sought, and so soon caught,
As if for him Knowledge had rather sought._ Cowl.
_Here Passion sways; but there the Muse shall raise
Eternal Monuments of louder Praise._ Wall.
Or both the middle and end of the second to the last Word of the first;
as,
_Farewell, she cry'd, my Sister, thou dear Part,
Thou sweetest part of my divided Heart._ Dryd.
Where the tenderness of Expression will not attone for the Jingle.
CHAP. III.
_Of the several sorts of Poems, or Compositions in Verse._
All our Poems may be divided into two sorts; the first of those that are
compos'd in Couplets; the second are those that are compos'd in Stanzas
consisting of several Verses.
SECT. I.
_Of the Poems compos'd in Couplets._
In the Poems compos'd in Couplets, the Rhymes follow one another, and
end at each Couplet; that is to say, the 2d Verse rhymes to the 1st, the
4th to the 3d, the 6th to the 5th, and in like manner to the end of the
Poem.
The Verses employ'd in this sort of Poems, are either Verses of 10
Syllables; as,
_Oh! could I flow like thee, and make thy Stream
My great Example, as it is my Theme;
The deep, yet clear tho' gentle, yet net dull;
Strong, without Rage; without o'erflowing, full._ Denh.
Or of 8; as,
_O fairest Piece of well-form'd Earth,
Why urge you thus your haughty Birth;
The Pow'r, which you have o'er us, lies
Not in your Race, but in your Eyes.
Smile but on me, and you shall scorn
Henceforth to be of Princes born;
I can describe the shady Grove,
Where your lov'd Mother slept with_ Jove;
_And yet excuse the faultless Dame,
Caught with her Spouse's Shape and Name;
Thy matchless Form will Credit bring,
To all the Wonders I shall sing._ Wall.
Or of 7; as,
Phillis, _why should we delay
Pleasures shorter than the Day?
Could we, which we never can,
Stretch our lives beyond their Span.
Beauty like a Shadow flies,
and our Youth before us dies,_
_Or would Youth and Beauty stay,
Love has Wings, and will away.
Love has swifter Wings than Time._ Wall.
But the second Verse of the Couplet does not always contain a like
number of Syllables with the first; as,
_What shall I do to be for ever known,
And make the Age to come my own?
I shall like Beasts and common People dye,
Unless you write my Elegy._ Cowl.
SECT. II.
_Of the Poems compos'd in Stanzas: And first, of the Stanzas consisting
of three, and of four Verses._
In the Poems composed in Stanzas, each Stanza contains a certain number
of Verses consisting for the most part of a different number of
Syllables: And a Poem that consists of several Stanzas, we generally
call an Ode; and this is Lyrick Poetry.
But we must not forget to observe that our Antient Poets frequently made
use of intermixed Rhyme in their Heroick Poems, which they dispos'd into
Stanzas and Cantos. Thus the _Troilus_ and _Cressida_ of _Chaucer_ is
compos'd in Stanzas consisting of 7 Verses; the _Fairy Queen_ of
_Spencer_ in Stanzas of 9, _&c._ And this they took from _Italians_,
whose Heroick Poems generally consist in Stanzas of 8. But this is now
wholly laid aside, and _Davenant_, who compos'd his _Gondibert_ in
Stanzas of Verses in alternate Rhyme, was the last that followed their
Example of intermingling Rhymes in Heroick Poems.
The Stanzas employ'd in our Poetry, cannot consist of less than three,
and are seldom of more than 12 Verses, except in Pindarick Odes, where
the Stanzas are different from one another in number of Verses, as shall
be shewn.
But to treat of all the different Stanzas that are employ'd or may be
admitted in our Poetry, would be a labour no less tedious than useless;
it being easie to demonstrate, that they may be vary'd almost to an
Infinity, that would be different from one another, either in the Number
of the Verses of each Stanza, or in the Number of the Syllables of each
Verse; or lastly, in the various intermingling of the Rhyme. I shall
therefore confine my self to mention only such as are most frequently
us'd by the best of our modern Poets. And first of the Stanzas
consisting of three Verses.
In the Stanzas of three Verses, or Triplets, the Verses of each Stanza
rhyme to one another; and are either Heroick; as,
_Nothing, thou Elder Brother e'en to shade! }
Thou hadst a Being e'er the World was made. }
And, (well-fix'd) art alone of ending not afraid._ Roch.}
Or else they consist of 8 Syllables; as these of _Waller_, _Of a fair
Lady playing with a Snake_.
_Strange that such Horrour and such Grace }
Should dwell together in one Place, }
A Fury's Arm, an Angel's Face,_ }
Nor do the Verses of these Stanzas always contain a like number of
Syllables; for the first and third may have ten, the second but eight;
as,
_Men without Love have oft so cunning grown, }
That something like it they have shewn, }
But none who had it, ev'r seem'd to have none. }
Love's of a strangely open, simple kind, }
Can no Arts or Disguises find, }
But thinks none sees it, 'cause it self is blind._ Cowl.}
In the Stanzas of 4 Verses, the Rhyme may be intermix'd in two different
manners; for either the 1st and 3d Verse may rhyme to each other, and by
consequence the 2d and 4th, and this is call'd Alternate Rhyme; or the
1st and 4th may rhyme, and by consequence the 2d and 3d.
But there are some Poems in Stanzas of four Verses, where the Rhymes
follow one another, and the Verses differ in number of syllables only;
as in _Cowley's_ Hymn to the Light, which begins thus,
_First born of_ Chaos! _who so fair didst come
From the old Negro's darksom Womb:
Which, when it saw the lovely Child,
The melancholy Mass put on kind Looks and smil'd._
But these Stanzas are generally in Alternate Rhyme, and the Verses
consist either of 10 Syllables; as,
_She ne'er saw Courts, but Courts could have undone
With untaught Looks and an unpractis'd Heart:
Her Nets the most prepar'd could never shun;
For Nature spread them in the scorn of Art._ Dav.
Or of 8; as,
_Had_ Echo _with so sweet a Grace,_
Narcissus _loud Complaints return'd:
Not for Reflexion of his Face,
But of his Voice the Boy had burn'd._ Wall.
Or of 10 and 8. that is to say, the 1st and 3d of 10; the 2d and 4th of
8; as,