observe in profe, and in verse, as much as poffible, the fame as in profe.

For it is the choice and arrangement of words only which form a line or verse, and serve to distinguish poetry in the first instance from profe, in fo much, that every poet is bound to pay a great, though perhaps not an implicit obedience to the usual` or common pronunciation, otherwife he will embarrass his reader, and disgust the ear, notwithstanding the verfe may contain its proper number of fyllables or feet.

Certain fyllables of a certain quantity conftitute feet, fo called, because measured in nature by the tread of the foot in walking, limping, dancing, trotting, galloping -and in art by the beat of the foot or hand up and down equally or unequally, called by the Greeks aplis and becs; which feet vary, as the fyllables and quantity vary.

The art of poetry in different languages, and in different ages hath invented various kinds of feet; but thofe of general ufe are the Spondee, Iambick, Trochee, Dactyle, and Anapæft.

A Spondee is a foot of two fyllables equal, and both long, anfwering to common time, either in one word or two, as in thousand, vaft weight, both flood.

An Iambick is alfo a foot of two fyllables, but unequal, anfwering to triple time, the first short and the laft long; as, běhōld, to throw, felicity; and fo is a Trochee, the reverfe, firft long and last short, as, wander, vary, let mě.

A Dactyle confifts of three fyllables, equal in time to a Spondee, the first long and the two laft fhort; as, wandering, vārioŭs, tīme, ŏ yě: and an Anapæft the reverse, the two first short and the laft long, as, unăwāres, o ye Mufes, to ăvõid, by the nymphs.

To these may be added two other feet fometimes ufed, a Pyrrichius, two fyllables both fhort, the reverfe of a Spondee, as many; and the Tribrachus,three fhort fyllables, as general, to mănỹ.

The feet of moft ufe with us, because most prevailing, or, if I may fo fay, connate with, the English language, are the Iambick and Trochee, with a mixture of

other

other feet, as the Spondee and Dactyle feem moft natural to the Greek and Latin.

Our Iambick measure conprifeth verfes of equal fyllables, four, fix, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, fixteen; and our Trochaick of unequal, three, five, feven. If the line or verfe confiit of exact iambicks, then the measure is faid to be pare; but mixed, if other feet are introduced.

Iambicks of general ufe are thofe of fix, eight, ten, fyllables; and trochees, thofe of feven.

Pure iambicks of four fyllables, or two Iambicks, which read without a break in one line, would make fixteen fyllables.

For thou alone doft keep

Me fafe, where e're I lie.

MILTON.

Of eight fyllables, or four iambicks.

Descend, ye nine, defcend and fing;
The breathing inftruments inspire:

This is called Minftrel-metre.

POPE.

Of ten fyllables, or five iambicks.
By mufick minds an equal temper know;
But when our country's cause provokes to arms,
How martial mufick every bofom warms!

POPE.

This laft is the measure moftly used by ancient and modern poets, particularly in paftoral, heroick and dramatick poetry.

Of twelve fyllables, or fix doubled.

He ceafed; and leaving with refpect he duely bowed; And with his hand at once the fatal ftatue fhewed.

This is called an Alexandrine, used conftantly by the French, but feldom by us fingly, and that only in heroick poetry; it unvariably requires a paufe in the middle, at the fixth fyllable.

Of

Of fourteen fyllables.

When all fhall praife, and every lay devote a wreath to thee,

That day, for come it will, that day fhall I lament to fee.

This verfe, being inconvenient to pronounce and write, by reafon of its length, is broken into an agreeable measure, called Lyrick, of four lines, called ftanza, staff or ftave, confifting alternately of eight fyllables and fix, thus,

When all shall praife, and every lay
Devote a wreath to thee;

That day, for come it will, that day
Shall I lament to fee.

Obferve, though the fyllables of pure iambicks be equal, yet the time is unequal or triple, one to two, beat by beginning each line, and each foot with an up hand or foot, counting one while the hand is up, and two down; moving flow, moderate, or quick, juft as the fentiment is ferious, grave, or lively, and the fyllables are long, fhort, or very fhort.

The time is triple alfo in trochaick meafure, only beat the reverfe, two to one,