such is the structure of our language, that we cannot treat on this subject, and scan our verse, with any great degree of precision, without introducing some such terms.

26.

"I go where the lov'd, who have left | you, dwell,

And the flowers | ǎre not Death's: | fare ye well, | farewell."

The first line of this couplet is of regular construction, containing two iambics and two anapasts. The other line is somewhat anomalous, and not in regular correspondence with the former, having an initial short syllable, which is redundant in making a regular correspondence, admitting the word flowers to be, in this case, a monosyllable, which, in common cases, is not admissible, and may involve a question in this.

27.

“I thought of | the green banks, | thăt circled | ărōund,

With wild-flowers, | ănd sweet-briĕr, Į ănd eglăn | tine crown'd."

The first line of this couplet is of regular construction, containing two amphibrachs, a bacchy, and an iambus. The other line contains two bacchies, an amphibrach and iambus, admitting the two dissyllable words, in the first and second feet, to be monosyllables; but, in this case, as in that of example 26, they are not properly admissible.

28.

"Yes: thine is | the magic | of Friend | ship's bowěr
That hōli | ěst templě | of all | bělōw:

Thou hast accents of bliss | for the cālm | ěst hour,
But ǎ heaven | lĩĕr nōte | for the sea | son of wōe.”

This stanza is one of irregular order of construction. In the last words of the first and third lines is a regular correspondence, although one is a dissyllable, and the other a monosyllable; but the last line contains a redundant short syllable, by which the harmony of the verse is marred; but with the following amendment the harmony may be improved.

"But a heavenly note | for the sea | son of woe."

The following lines from Ossian, which are verse and not prose, are subject to scansion.

29.

"Morning ǎrōse în | the east; | the blue wat | ĕrs rōll'd | în light! Fingal bade his | sails to rise, | ănd the winds | căme whistling | from the hills.

Inistore rose to sight, | ănd Carric | thûră's | mōssy towers.

But the sign of distress | was on their tops: | the green flame

edg'd with smōke.

The king of Mōr | věn strūck | his breast: | hě ǎssum'd | ǎt önce |

his spear.

His dark | ĕn'd brow | bends för | ward to | the coast: | he looks back to the lag | ging winds.

ļ His hair is | disōrdèr'd | ōn his back: | the silence | ŏf thě | king is | terrible."

In the scansion of these lines, a different division of the verse into feet might have been made by striking the bars differently; but that would not have changed the flow of the numbers, which, in this, as in Ossian's verse generally, flow inharmoniously.

In point of harmony, this kind of verse is inferior to all others, and is the nearest like prose, which consists in nothing else but poetic feet, (or the sounds which compose them) disorderly thrown together. But this kind of verse has other qualities, by which it is distinguished from prose, and from most other kinds of verse; it being inferior to no other in any thing else but in order and harmony. Order and harmony are necessarily connected, and, in this kind of verse, as the former is wanting, so is the latter, and also in due proportion. In some detached phrases, we see the iambic movement; in some, the anapastic or amphibrachic; but being without regular order, and with sudden transitions from one kind of movement to another, the verse is wanting in harmony, as also in order.

30.

"Glide on in your beauty, | yě youth | ful spheres,

To weave the dânce | thăt measures | the years."

This couplet is a species of the irregular composite order; and has not a regular correspondence between line and line: the first line contains an antibacchy, an amphibrach, and two iambics; and the other contains an amphibrach and three iambics.

31.

"Sing on, sweet bird, | för my dream | is o'er;

When your voice | is heard, | who could slum | běr more."

This couplet, cited from a poem not intended to be composed in regular order, has a regular correspondence, in time and quantity; the first line having one more pause, and the last, one more short syllable.

32.

"The wind whistles rúdely, | the shadows | ǎre closing, That wrap his broad path in | the mantlě | of night."

These lines are amphibrachic in their order of movement; but the verse is diversified: each line containing different kinds of feet; the first a bacchy, and the last, an antibacchy and an iambus.

33.

"But the white | fōam of waves | shall thy wind | ing sheet be, Ånd winds, in the midnight | of winter, | thy dirge!"

Or thus:

Ånd winds, | in the mid | night of win | těr, thy dirge!"

These lines, from a poem of the anapastic order, are somewhat diversified in their numbers; the first line containing an amphimac and bacchy, and the last, a bacchy or an amphimac. The second line also, being one syllable shorter, brings it to be of the species which is of doubtful scansion; as, it may be called an anapæstic line, beginning with an iambic; or, an amphibrachic line, ending with an iambic in either case the numbers of the verse are unaffected, and the movement is alike in either case. I have given an example of each mode of scansion, and, perhaps, in this case, (the poem from which these lines were cited being generally of the anapastic kind) the latter mode of scansion may be considered preferable. In example 32, the last line being of the same species with this, may, in like manner, admit of each mode of scansion; and, in such cases, it is not very material concerning which mode is adopted; but judgment may be used, in such cases, according to the circumstances attending.

34.

Gloom, silence, | ănd sõli | tŭde, rest on | thě spōt."

This line from a poem of the composite order, and somewhat irregular, is seen to contain (by this mode of scansion) an antibacchy, two amphibrachs, and an iambic; but this, in like manner with the foregoing, will admit of another mode of scansion, and also the following.

35.

"Ŏne moment, | ănd nought but | thě būglě | wăs heard,

And nought but | the war-whoop | given."

36.

"The breaking waves | dash'd high

On ǎ stern | ǎnd rock- | bound coast;
And the woods | ǎgainst | ǎ storm | y sky,

Their giǎnt branches tōst."

This stanza is a species of verse, of the composite or diversified order; it being mainly iambic, but diversified with anapæsts, spondees, &c. The following is another species of verse, which is similar in its order of construction.

37.

"The mists, that wrapp'd | the pil | grim's sleep,

Still brood | upōn | the tide;

And his rocks | yet keep | their watch | by the deep,
To stay its waves of pride.

But the snow- | white sail, | thăt he gave | to thě gāle,
When the heavens look'd dārk, | is gōne;

As ăn an | gel's wing, | through ăn ōp' | ning cloud,
Is seen | ănd then | withdrawn.”

38.

"Sün or mōon Ï | could not see;

Bŭt lōve | méasŭr'd | time för mē.”

This couplet is a species of trochaic verse; the first line of which is correct in its order; the last is not, the first foot being iambic, which is inadmissible in trochaic verse, being discordant.

39.

"Hark! Hear ye | the sounds that | the winds on | their pinions, Exultingly roll | from the shōre | to thẽ sẽa,

With | ǎ võice that | resounds through | her boundless | dominions? 'Tis Columbiă calls | on her sons | to be free!"

This stanza, intended for amphibrachic verse and anapæstic, arranged alternately, is not correct in the number of syllables: the second line lacks an initial syllable; and this is a very common and inconsiderable deficiency, we admit; but the third has one which is less common and more anomalous, an initial syllable which is redundant. In the following stanza, we have an instance of the

same kind.

40.

"See truth, love, | ănd mercy, in triumph | descending,

Ånd nature | all glowing | in Eden's | first bloom!

Ŏn the cold cheek | of death smiles | ǎnd roses | ǎre blending, And beauty | immōrtăl | ǎwakes from | the tōmb."

In this stanza also, the third line has one redundant syllable; and, if we call the verse amphibrachic, we must say that it contains four amphibrachs and an initial short syllable; if we call it anapæstic, we must say that it contains four anapæsts and a final short syllable; and so in all cases similar, according as the case may be.

This last cited stanza is somewhat diversified in its numbers: the first foot of the first line I have marked as a bacchy, which, by the common mode of recitation, it would be; but if some degree of emphasis be attached to the first word see, which, some may think, should be, it would make the foot, instead of a bacchy, a moloss.

41.

"Time! thou art | flying | rāpīdlỵ, | but whith | ĕr art | thòu flying? To the grave, | which yours will be ; | I wait | not för | the dying."

These lines are irregular in their order of construction, and each of six feet metre by this mode of scansion; but the first line will admit of being divided into seven feet. The numbers are unlike in

their movements, and without a regular correspondence between line and line; but this anomaly may be amended by adding an initial long syllable to the latter line, which will bring the lines to a more regular correspondence, and more nearly to the iambic movement; thus:

"Time! thou | ǎrt fly | ing rapidly, | but whith | ĕr ārt | thou fly. ing?

Unto the grave | which yours | will be; | I wait | not för | the dying."

We find, by reading the poems of some of our elder bards, Shakespeare, Denham, and others, — that, in the course of two centuries, some small changes have been made in our pronunciation, by removing the accent from one syllable to another, in some few words; as, in the following examples:

42.

"And drew, with joy, | the vast | hori | zon in."

"That sweet | ǎspéct | of prin | cès ănd | his ruin.”

In each of these lines we find a word, in which the accent is placed on the first syllable, by our present mode of accentuation; but, in the days of the poet, it appears by his mode of arrangement, it was placed on the second syllables in each of these words rizon and aspect.

ho

In cases of this kind it is proper that the mode of accentuation, which was adopted by the poet, should be followed in reading and scansion; otherwise the harmony of the verse would be marred.

43.

Thoughts, like | ōld vůltŭres, | préy ŭp | ōn their | heart-strings." This line is English sapphic, and contains three trochees, an antibacchy, and a spondee.

Remarks.

The foregoing examples may be sufficient to illustrate the rules. of scansion, which are founded on the same principles with the rules of versification; hence, it may be seen, each casts a reciprocal light on the other. I will now close with a few brief remarks.

In addition to the foregoing rules, precepts, and examples, we may observe, there are two things pertaining to scansion, in which judgment must occasionally be used.

1. Judgment must sometimes be used in placing the marks for the long and short quantity, because our sounds are so various in their quantities, and with many dubious and half-way sounds; and also, as some syllables and monosyllable words may sometimes pertain to long quantity, and sometimes to short; (this is owing to the circumstance of its being more or less emphatical) and sometimes to its relative situation in the verse.