NUMB. 86. SATURDAY, January 12, 1751. Ο Legitimumque fonum digitis callemus et aure. By fingers, or by ear, we numbers fcan. HoR. ELPHINSTON NE of the ancients has obferved, that the burthen of government is increased upon princes by the virtues of their immediate predeceffors. It is, indeed, always dangerous to be placed in a state of unavoidable comparison with excellence, and the danger is still greater when that excellence is confecrated by death; when envy and interest cease to act against it, and those paffions by which it was at first vilified and oppofed, now ftand in its defence, and 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 hindred from rifing to his natural height, by the interception of those beams which fhould 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. One of the old poets congratulates himself that he has the untrodden regions of Parnaffus before him, and that his garland will be gathered from plantations 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 un 3 touched touched by his predeceffor, the refufe 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 muft every man expect, whofe praise is that he imitates another. Yet, in the midst of these discouraging 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 who has fo long dictated to the commonwealth of learning, my attempt may not be wholly ufelefs. There are, in every age, new errors to be rectified, and new prejudices to be oppofed. Falfe tafte is always bufy to mislead those that are entering upon 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 refcue him from total darknefs, though with weak and borrowed luftre. Addifon, though he has confidered this poem under most of the general topicks of criticism, has barely touched upon the verfification; not probably because he thought the art of numbers unworthy of his notice, for he knew with how minute attention the ancient criticks confidered the difpofition of syllables, and had himself giyen hopes of fome metrical obfervations upon the great Roman poet; but being the first who undertook to display 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 Yet verfification, or the art of modulating his numbers, is indifpenfably neceffary to a poet. Every other power by which the understanding is. enlightened, or the imagination enchanted, may be exercised 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 mufick 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 melody, and who will not confess that they are more or lefs moved by the fame thoughts, as they are conveyed by different founds, and more affected by the fame words in one order than in 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 versification of Milton I am defirous to be generally understood, and fhall 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 becaufe the language already in ufe was infufficient. If therefore I fhall fometimes feem obfcure, it may be imputed to this voluntary interdiction, and to a defire of avoiding that offence which is always given by unusual words. The heroick measure of the English language may be properly confidered as pure or mixed. It is pure when when the accent rests upon every fecond fyllable through the whole line. Courage uncertain dangers may abate, But who can beár th' approach of cértain fáte. Here love his golden fhafts employs, here lights DRYDEN. MILTON. The accent may be obferved, in the fecond line of Dryden, and the second and fourth of Milton, to repose upon every second 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 kept in diftichs, and generally in the last line of a paragraph, that the ear may reft without any fense of imperfection. But, to preferve the series of founds untransposed in a long compofition, is not only very difficult but tiresome and disgufting; for we are soon wearied with the perpetual recurrence of the fame cadence. 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 itself, 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 in• numerable inftances, and Milton feldom has two pure lines together, as will appear if any of his paragraphs be read with attention merely to the mufick. Thus Thus at their fhady lodge arriv'd, both flood, The God that made both fky, air, earth, and heav'n, In this paffage it will be at firft observed, 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 the rest are more or lefs licentious with refpect 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 flood, Both turn'd, and under open sky ador'd The God that made both sky, air, earth, and heav'n. In others the accent is equally upon two fyllables, but upon both weak. a race To fill the earth who fhall with us extol |