Obf. 1. In measures of this laft fort, we fometimes find the last line of a couplet or triplet ftretched out to twelve fyllables, or fix feet, which is termed an Alexandrine verse; thus,

A needlefs Alexandrine ends the fong,

Which, like a wounded snake, drags its flow length along. Pope.
Waller was smooth; but Dryden taught to join
The varying verfe, the full refounding line,
The long majestic march, and energy divine.

Pope.

We also find the laft verfe of a triplet ftretched out to. fourteen fyllables, or feven feet, but then it has commonly an Alexandrine verfe before it; thus,

For thee the land in fragrant flow'rs is drest;

For thee the ocean fmiles, and fmooths her wavy breast, And heaven itself with more ferene and purer light is bleft. Dryd

Sometimes alfo when there is no Alexandrine before it; thus,

At length by fate to power divine restor'd,

His thunder taught the world to know its lord, The god grew terrible again, and was again ador'd.

Rowt.

Obf. 2. The more ftrictly iambic these verses are, the more harmonious. In feveral of them, however, particularly in those of ten fyllables, we often meet with a trochee, and likewise a spondee, instead of an iambus. Verfes of heroic measure fometimes also admit a dactyle, or an anapeftus, in place of the iambus; in which cafe a verfe of five feet may comprehend eleven, twelve, thirteen, and even fourteen fyllables; thus,

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
And many an humorous, many an amorous lay
I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Was fung by many a Bard on many a day.

This manner of writing every fyllable fully is now generally used by the best poets, and feems much more proper than the ancient custom of cutting off vowels by

an apoftrophe. Our language abounds too much in confonants of itself: the elifion of vowels therefore fhould be avoided as much as poffible, and ought only to be admitted where it is abfolutely neceffary; as, o'er, for over; e'er, for ever, &c. The fame obfervation may be applied to every kind of measure.

These are the meafures which are most commonly uf ed in English poetry, especially thofe of feven, eight, and ten fyllables.

We have another measure very quick and lively, and therefore much used in fongs, which may be called Anapeftic measure, i. e. a verfe confifting of feet of three fyllables, two short, and one long, in which the accent refts upon every third fyllable. Verfes of anapeftic measure confift of two, three, or four feet; that is, of fix, nine, or twelve fyllables; thus,

From the plains, from the woodlands, and groves,
How the nightingales wárble their loves!

Shenflone.

May I govern my páffions with ábfolute sway,
And grow wifer and better, as life wears away,

In this measure, a fyllable is often retrenched from the first foot; as,

I vów'd to the múses my time and my cáre,
Since néither could win me the smíles of the fáir.

Sbenfione

These measures are variously combined together in Stanzas, particularly in fhort poems; for generally in longer works the fame measure is always obferved.

Stanzas are compofed of more or fewer verfes, and thefe varioufly diverfified, according to the nature of the fubject, and the tafte of the poet. But when they are Atretched out to a great length, and confift of verses of many different measures, they are feldom agreeable.

Such poems as confist of stanzas, which are not confined to a certain number of verses, nor the verses to a certain number of fyllables, nor the rhymes to a certain distance, are called Irregular, or Pindaric odes. Of this kind are feveral of the poems of Cowley. But in the odes of later authors, the numbers are exact, and the Arophes regular.

Stanzas of four lines are the moft frequent, in which the first verfe answers to the third, and the third to the fourth. There is a ftanza of this kind, confifting of verfes of eight and of fix fyllables alternately, which is very often ufed, particularly in facred poetry. Here for the moft part the fecond and fourth lines only thyme togeth

er; as,

When all thy mercies, O my God,

My rifing foul furveys ;
Tranfported with the view, I'm loft

In wonder, love, and praife.

Addison

Sometimes also the first and third lines answer to one

another; as,

Keep filence, all created things,

And wait your Maker's nod:

The muse stands trembling while the fings

The honours of her God.

Watts.

This stanza is used in place of what anciently was comprehended in two verfes, each confifting of fourteen fyllables, having a pause after the eighth fyllable.

Several of these measures are often varied by double endings, that is, by putting an additional fhort fyllable at the end of the verfe; as,

1. In heroic measure, or verfes of ten fyllables, both in blank verfe and rhyme.

In Blank Verfe.

"Tis heaven itself that points out an hereafter. Addison.

In Rhyme, where it is called Double Rhyme.

The piece, you think, is incorrect? Why take it,
I'm all fubmiffion; what you'd have it, make it. Pope.

2. In verfes of eight fyllables.

They neither added nor confounded,
They neither wanted nor abounded.

Ah! friend, 'tis but idle to make fuch a pother,
Fate, fate has ordain'd us to plague one another. Shenflent.

Double Rhyme is used chiefly in poems of wit and humour, or in burlefque compofitions.

Verfes with double endings, in blank verfe, most frequently occur in tragic poetry, where they often have a fine effect; thus,

I here devote thee for my prince and country;
Let them be safe, and let me nobly perish.

The dropping dews fell cold upon my head,

Tbompfon.

Darkness inclos'd, and the winds whistled round me. Otway.