OUR Anglo-Saxon poems consist of certain versicles, or, as we have hitherto termed them, sections, bound together in pairs by the laws of alliteration. In some few instances, of comparatively modern date, the bond of union is the final rhime; but generally speaking, this rhime is an addition to the alliteration, and not a substitute for it. In Icelandic poems we sometimes find a section occurring without its fellow; but I have never met with such a case in Anglo-Saxon verse, unless where there has evidently been a section missing. For the most part these sections contain two or three accents, but some are found containing four or even five. The greater number of these longer sections may be divided into two parts, which generally fulfil all the conditions of an alliterative couplet; and in some manuscripts are actually found so divided. Whether every section of more than three accents be compound, may perhaps be matter of doubt. There are certainly many sections of four accents, which can have no middle pause, unless it fall in the midst of a word; for example, Tha spræcse of ermod|a cyning: the ær was engla scynost. Then spake the haughty king, that erewhile was of angels shenest. Cadmon. and in the Icelandic verse of four accents, the middle pause is of rare occurrence. But this is not decisive as to their origin; for if a compound section were once admitted, we cannot expect it would still retain all the peculiarities of an alliterative couplet. As many of these sections are obviously compound, it would perhaps be safer to refer them all to an origin, which is sufficient for the purpose, than to multiply the sources of our rhythms, without satisfactory authority. Such verses and alliterative couplets, as contain a compound section, may well furnish matter for a distinct chapter. We shall, at present, consider those only, which are composed of simple sections. We have seen, that two accented syllables may come together, if they have a pause between them. This pause, which has been termed the sectional pause, was admitted into the elementary versicle. The verses, however, or alliterative couplets, which contain the sectional pause, are of a character so peculiar, that they may be considered apart from the others, not only without injury to the general arrangement, but with much advantage to the clear understanding of the subject. We shall, at present, then consider only such verses, as are formed of two simple sections, and do not contain any sectional pause. Thus restricted, the elementary versicle or section is formed according to the following rules. 1. Each couple of adjacent accents must be separated by one or two syllables which are unaccented, but not by more than two. 2. No section can have more than three, or less than two accents. These rules are directly at variance with those which Rask has given, According to him, all the syllables before that, which contains the alliteration, form merely "a complement," and take no accent. In the following section, to which Conybeare would have given five accents, En ne hæf de he swa | swith|ne geworht ne One had he so mighty wrought. no accent falls on the first six syllables, and the alliterative syllable swith is the first which is accented! What notion Rask attached to the word accent, I am at a loss to conjecture.* When the section begins with an accent, we shall represent it by the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, accordingly as each couple of adjacent accents are separated by one unaccented syllable, or as the first, the second, or both couples are separated by two unaccented syllables. When the section begins with one unaccented syllable, we shall, under like circumstances, designate it as 5, 6, 7,8; and by 9, 10, 11, 12, when it begins with two unaccented syllables. When the section ends with one or two unaccented syllables, we shall represent such ending by subjoining 1, or ll, to the figure indicating such section; thus, 1 1, 2 ll. The section of two accents is capable but of two forms, when it begins abruptly, to wit, 1 and 2; but as these may be lengthened, and doubly lengthened, they produce six varieties. It is capable of six other varieties, when it begins with one unaccented syllable, and of the like number when it begins with two. Hence the whole number of possible varieties is 18. The section of three accents may take all the twelve forms, and as these may be lengthened and doubly lengthened, its number of possible varieties is 36. Our verses of two and three accents consist merely of the simple sections; but the verse of four accents is the *The attempt, which the same critic has made, to trace the early Gothic rhythms, and the Latin hexameter to a common source, appears to me equally fanciful. They that would follow Greek and Latin prosody to the fountain-head, must attack the Sanscrit. representative of the short alliterative couplet, containing two sections, each of two accents. The number then of all the possible varieties is the product of eighteen multiplied into itself, or 324. In like manner, the verse of six accents is composed of two sections, each containing three; and the number of possible varieties is the product of thirty-six multiplied by itself, or 1296. The possible varieties of the verse with five accents is also 1296; to wit, 648 when the first section has two accents, and the like number when it has three. Of this vast number, by far the larger portion has never yet been applied to the purposes of verse. Probably the rhythms, that would result from some of the combinations, would be too vague, and others too abrupt and uneven in their flow, to yield that pleasure which is always expected from measured language. But there are doubtless many combinations, as yet untried, which would satisfy the ear; and it is matter of surprise, that at a time when novelty has been sought after with so much zeal, and often to the sacrifice of the highest principles, that a path so promising should have been adventured upon so seldom. When the accents of a section are separated by two unaccented syllables, the rhythm has been called the triple measure; and the common measure, when they are only separated by a single syllable. It was a favourite hypothesis of Mitford, that these two were the roots, from whence had sprung all the varied measures of our language; and that they were immediately connected with the common and triple times in music. Were the opinion as sound as it is ingenious, we should find these metres standing out in more distinct and bolder relief, the deeper we penetrated into the antiquity of our rhythms. But, on the contrary, we find all our older poems exhibiting a rhythm of a composite and intermediate character; and it is not till a period comparatively modern, that the common and triple measures disentangle themselves from the heap, and form, as it were, the two limits of our English rhythms. There can be no doubt-for we have contemporary evidence of the fact that Anglo-Saxon verse was sung to the harp; perhaps it may be granted, that the common and triple times in music were then well-known and familiar, but Mitford's error lay in assuming, that every syllable had its own peculiar note. The musical composer of the present day does not confine each syllable to a single note, and we have no reason for supposing that the Anglo-Saxon was more scrupulous. Had he been so, it would have been impossible to have recited Anglo-Saxon verse with a musical accompaniment, whether in the common, or in the triple time. ENGLISH RHYTHMS. THEIR CHARACTER. As there is always a tendency to dwell upon the accented syllable, cæteris paribus a verse will be pronounced the more rapidly, the smaller the number of its accents. Hence the triple metre is more suited to light themes, and the common metre to those of a more stately character. With the masters of the art, the rhythm ever accommodates itself to the subject. We find it changing, as far as its range will allow, from the triple to the common measure, or from the common to the triple, as the subject changes from the lively to the sad, from motion to repose, or the contrary. The White Lady's song will afford us an example of the first change, Merrily swim we, the moon | shines bright, Calm and silent, dark | and deep. W. Scott. and the song of " my delicate Ariel" of the second, Where the bee | sucks, there | suck I, In a cows lip's bell | I lie|; There I couch, when owls | do cry. On | the bat's | back I | do fly| |