THE RAMBLER. NUMBER XC. LONDON, Saturday, January 26. 1751. In tenui labor. VIRG. IT T is very difficult to write on the minuter parts of literature, without failing either to please or inftruct. Too much nicety difgufts the greateft part of readers; and to throw a multitude of particulars under general heads, and lay down rules of extenfive comprehenfion, is, for the most part, of little ufe. They who undertake thefe fubjects, are VOL. IV. M therefore therefore always in danger, as one or other inconvenience arifes to their imagination, of frighting us with rugged fcience, or amusing us with empty found. In criticifing the work of Milton, there is, indeed, always opportunity to interfperfe paffages that can hardly fail to relieve the languors of attention and fince, in examining the variety and choice of the paufes with which he has diverfified his numbers, it will be neceffary to exhibit the lines in which they are to be found; perhaps the remarks may be well compenfated by the examples, and the irksomeness of grammatical disquifitions fomewhat alleviated. Milton formed his fcheme of verfification by the poets of Greece and Rome, whom he proposed to himself for his models, fo far as the difference of his language from theirs would permit the imitation. There are indeed many inconveniencies infeparable from our heroic measure, if compared with that of Homer and Virgil; inconveniencies which it is no reproach to Milton not to have overcome, because they are in their own nature infuperable; but against which he has ftruggled with fo much art and diligence, that he may at least be faid to have deferved fuccefs. 2 The hexameter of the ancients may be confider ed as confifting of fifteen fyllables, fo melodiously. difpofed, that, as every one knows who has confidered the poetical authors, very pleafing and fonorous lyric measures are formed from the fragments of the heroic. It is indeed fcarce.poffible to break them in fuch a manner, but that invenias etiam dif fecti membra poeta; fome harmony will still remain, and the due proportions of found must always be difcovered. This measure therefore allowed great variety of paufes, and great liberties of connecting one verfe with another; becaufe where-ever the line was interrupted, either part fingly was mufical. But the ancients feem to have confined this privilege to hexameters; for in their other meafures, though frequently longer than the English heroic, thofe who wrote after the refinements of verfification, venture fo feldom to change their paufes, that every variation may be fuppofed rather a compliance with neceflity, than the choice of judgment. Milton therefore was conftrained within the narrow limits of a measure not very harmonious in the utmost perfection; therefore the fingle parts into which it was to be fometimes broken by pauses, were in danger of lofing the very form of verfe. This has, perhaps, notwithstanding all his care, fometimes happened. As harmony is the end of poetical measures, no part of a verfe ought to be fo feparated from the reft, as not to remain ftill more harmonious than profe, or to fhew, by the difpofition of the tones, that it is part of a verfe. This rule, in the old hexameter, might be eafily obferved; but in English it will very frequently be in danger of violation: for the order and regularity of accents cannot well be perceived in a fucceffion of fewer than three fyllables, which will confine the English poet to only five paufes; it being fuppofed, that, when he connects one line with another, he fhould never make a full paufe at lefs diftance than that of three fylJables from the beginning or end of a verfe. M 2 That That this rule fhould be univerfally and indif penfably established, perhaps, cannot be granted; fomething may be allowed to variety, and fomething to the adaptation of the numbers to the fubject: but it will be found generally neceffary, and the ear will feldom fail to fuffer by its neglect. Thus, when a fingle fyllable is cut off from the reft, it must either be united to the line with which the fenfe connects it, or be founded alone. If it be united to the other line, it corrupts its harmony; if disjoined, it muft, with regard to mufic, be fuperfluous; for there is no harmony in a fingle found, because it has no proportion to another. Hypocrites aufterely talk, Defaming as impure what God declares Pure; and commands to fome, leaves free to all. When two fyllables likewife are abfcinded from the reft, they evidently want fome affociate founds to make them harmonious. Eyes more wakeful than to drouze, He ended, and the fun gave fignal high His trumpet. |