fions by which it was at first vilified and oppofed, now turn their vehemence against honest emulation. He that fucceeds a celebrated writer, has the fame difficulties to encounter. He ftands under the fhade of exalted merit, and is hindered from rising to his natural height, by the interception of those beams which should invigorate and quicken him. He applies to that attention which is already engaged, and unwilling to be drawn off from certain fatisfaction; or perhaps to an attention already wearied, and not to be recalled to the fame object. An old poet congratulates himself, that he has the untrodden regions of Parnaffus before him, and that his garland will be compofed of flowers which no writer had yet culled. But the imitator treads a beaten walk, and with all his diligence can only hope to find a few flowers or branches untouched by his predeceffor, the refuse of contempt, or the omiffions of negligence. The Macedonian conqueror, when he was once invited to hear a man that fung like a nightingale, replied with contempt, "that he had heard the nightingale herfelf." And the fame treatment must every man expect, whofe praise is, that he imitates another. Yet, in the midft of thefe difcouraging reflections, I am about to offer to my reader fome obfervations upon Paradife loft; and hope, that, however I may fall below the illuftrious writer that has fo long dictated to the commonwealth of learning, my attempt may not be wholly useless. There are in every age new errors to be rectified, and new prejudices to be oppofed. False tafte is always bufy to mislead thofe that are entering upon the the regions of learning; and the traveller, uncertain of his way, and forfaken by the fun, will be pleased to see a fainter orb arise on the horizon, that may rescue him from total darkness, though with weak and borrowed luftre. Addifon, though he has confidered this poem under moft of the general topics of criticifm, has barely touched upon the versification: not probably because he thought the art of numbers unworthy of his notice; for he knew with how minute attention the ancient critics confidered the difpofition of fyllables, and had himself given hopes of fome metrical obfervations upon the great Roman poet: but being the first who undertook to difplay the beauties and point out the defects of Milton, he had many objects at once before him, and paffed willingly over those which were most barren of ideas, and required labour rather than genius. Yet verfification, or the art of modulating his numbers, is indifpenfably neceffary to a poet. Every other power by which the attention is fixed, the understanding enlightened, or the imagination enchanted, may be exercifed in profe. But the poet has this peculiar fuperiority, that to all the powers which the perfection of every other compofition can require, he adds the faculty of joining mufic with reafon, and of acting at once upon the fenfes and the paffions. I fuppofe there are few who do not feel themfelves touched by poetical harmony, and who will not confefs that they are more or lefs moved by the fame thoughts, as they are conveyed by different founds; and mere affected by the fame words in one order, than in another. H 2 another. The perception of harmony is indeed conferred upon men in degrees very unequal; but there are none who do not perceive it, or to whom a regular feries of proportionate founds cannot give delight. In treating on the verfification of Milton, I am defirous to be generally understood; and shall therefore ftudiously decline the dialect of grammarians; though indeed it is always difficult, and fometimes fcarcely poffible, to deliver the precepts of an art without the terms by which the peculiar ideas of that art are expreffed, and which had not been invented but because the language already in ufe, was infufficient. If therefore I fhall feem fometimes obfcure, may it be imputed to this voluntary interdiction, and a defire of avoiding that offence which is always given by unusual words. The heroic measure of the English language may be properly confidered as pure or mixed. It is pure when the accent refts upon every second fyllable through the whole line. Courage uncertain dangers may abate, But who can bear th' approach of certain fáte. DRYDEN. Here Love his golden fhafts employs, here lights His cónftant lamp, and wáves his púrple wings, Reigns here, and revels; not in the bought Smile Of hárlots, loveless, jóyless, únendéar'd. MILTON. The The accent may be observed, in the fecond line of Dryden, and the fecond and fourth of Milton, to repose upon every fecond fyllable. The repetition of this found or percuffion at equal times is the most complete harmony of which a fingle verfe is capable; and fhould therefore be exactly preferved in diftichs, and generally in the laft line of a paragraph, that the ear may reft without any sense of imperfection. But, to preferve the fame feries of founds in a long compofition, is not only very difficult, but tirefome and difgufting; for we are foon wearied with the perpetual recurrence of the accent. Neceffity has therefore enforced the mixed measure, in which fome variation of the accents is allowed. This, though it always injures the harmony of the line confidered by itfelf, yet compenfates the lofs, by relieving us from the continual tyranny of the fame found, and makes us more fenfible of the harmony of the pure measure. Of these mixed numbers every poet affords us innumerable instances; and Milton feldom has two pure lines together; as will appear, if any of his paragraphs be read with attention to the mufic rather than the fenfe. Thus, at their fhady lodge arriv'd, both stood, Maker Maker omnipotent! and thou the day, Which we, in our appointed work employ'd, In this paffage it will be at firft obferved, that all the lines are not equally harmonious; and, upon a nearer examination, it will be found, that only the fifth and ninth lines are regular, and that the reft are more or lefs licentious with respect to the accent. In fome the accent is equally upon two fyllables together, and in both strong; as, Thus, at their fhady lodge arriv'd, both stood, In others the accent is equally upon two fyllables, both weak. but upon a race To fill the earth, who fhall with us extol |