"
The pheasant presumes not so on his charms,
Though he has a glory in his plumes too.
The pheasant presumes not so on his charms,
Though he has a glory in his plumes too.
Carey - Practice English Prosody Exercises
.
.
.
Tis thus Omnipotence lultils his law;
And, what Justice wills, Vengeance executes.
303
Without her heav'nlv guide, Philosophy
Logician, Mathematician, so we outfit to form Putctician from
the French Praticien--re-instating, of course, the c or k ol the
original Greek, Practicot, which is omitted in the French, only
for the sake of a softer sound. --With respect to Parishioner,
improperly formed from the French Parotsnen in I lie oame irre-
gular manner as Practitioner and Musitwner above, it wtre
fruitiest to attempt the extirpation of an error now inveterate
in the language, and too deeply rooted to allow any hope of
success.
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? 124 Versifkution.
May nourish pride, and blow up self-conceit,
But, while the reas'ning part is her province,
Has still on her heart a veil of midnight.
304. -- The Christian.
With unmanly fears he holds no parley:
He confidently steers, where duty bids;
At her call, faces a thousand dangers,
And surmounts them all, trusting in his God.
305
When life is new, our joys are not num'rous;
And some of the few are falling yearly.
306
Seek not thou, with vain endeavour, to find
The secret counsels of almighty mind.
The great decree lies involved in darkness;
Nor can the depths of fate by thee be pierc'd.
307
Oh ! wipe the falling dew from Sorrow's cheek :
The sons of want renew to you their plaint.
Impart the balm of kind relief again,
And glad the aching heart with timely aid.
308
The morsel valour gains, is sweet to me:
The homely cup which freedom drains, is sweet :
The ji>ys which independence knows, are sweet;
And revenge, wreak'd on insulting foes, sweet.
309
A naked new-born child, on parent's knees
Thou sat'st weeping, while all smil'd around thee,
So live, that, sinking in thy last long sleep,
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? Versification. 12. 5
Thou may'st smile calm, when all weep around thee.
310
Pleasures are few ; and we enjoy fewer:
Pleasure is bright and coy, like quicksilver:
With our utmost skill we strive to grasp it:
It eludes us still, and it still glitters.
311
" Can this be true ? " cries an arch observer. --
" True ! yes, 'tis true : with these eyes I saw it. "--
" On that ground alone, sir, I believe it:
Had I seen it with my own, I could riot. "
312
A tale should be succinct, clear, judicious;
The incidents well link'd, the language plain.
Tell not what ev'ry body knows, as new;
And, new or old, hasten still to a close.
313
Though array'd in Vulcanian panoply,
Patroclus* bet ray'd his native weakness,
* Patroclus. --Thi<< name must here take the accent on the
first syllable, and have the second short; which, in Tact, is the
genuine classic pronunciation, though Mr. Pope, in translating
Homer, chose to make it Patroclus, for the sake of metrical
convenience; Patroclus being better suited tv ttie nature of
iambic verse than PatriSclus. A late writer, after. having quoted
the authority, of some modern lexicographers, and jjiven his own
vote in favor of Patroclus, calls for a reason why he should not
be at liberty to accent Patrocles and Patrocli in the same man-
ner. --A very simple and obvious reason might easily have been
given, without recurring to modern authorities in a case where. :
L 3.
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? ltd Versification.
When, tempting the unequal fight rashly,
Beneath resistless Hector's might he fell,
Taught ly his superior prowess to know,
How difT'rent real worth from empty show.
314
Oh ! could some poet rise, boldjin wisdom,
And unfold half thy beauties to the world,
they cannot possibl/liave the smallest weight, as the question
must be decided by one universal and invariable rule, well known
to every school-boy who has read even the first page of the La-
tin prosody. The rule is, that a short vowel, immediately pre<f
ceding a mute and liquid, is rendered, by such position, not ne-
cessarily long, but simply common; that is to say, that, although
it still remain short in prose, it may, in poetry, be made either
long or short, at the writer's option, as I have shown by various
examples in my " Latin Prosody. " Now, Pairoclut, PutrOclcs,
AndrScles, Niciicles, Mctrucles, Hambcles, &c. being writteD in
Greek with the O-micron, or short 0, that 0, though rendered
common in poetry by the following mute and liquid, still con-
tinues short in Greek and Latin prose: consequently, it ought
to be so pronounced in English prose ; and, as our language does
not admit a licentious two-fold pronunciation, it ought to be
equally short in our poetry. Indeed the warmest admirer of
ancient literature would certainly laugh at any writer who
should, in English verse, transform the well-known prosaic
names of PerMes, SophVcles, Themislocles, to Pericles, Sophocles,
Themistocles, though such transformation is perfectly allowable
in Greek and Latin. --The same unvarying rule applies to Dory-
clus, Jphiclus, and many other names, which are too often mit-
accented and mispronounced by persons un-acquainted with the
ancient language! . --See the note on Anirodes, page 129, No.
321.
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? Versification. 137
Tloving on fancy's wing, impart thy fire,
And feel thy genius beaming on his heart--
I'd wish humbly, though the wish would be vain,
That on me some small portion might alight.
315. -- To England, on the Roman Invasion.
At this distant moment, thy language shows,
How much the country owes to the conqu'ror:
Refin'd, energetic, and expressive,
It sparkles with the gems he left behind.
When he came, he brought thy land a blessing:
Savage he found thee, and tame he left thee.
316
The scenes of life, when confess'd and present,
Stamp on the breast but their bolder features :
Yet not an image, when view'd remotely,
However rude, and however trivial,
But wakes the social sigh, and wins the heart,
With ev'ry claim of close affinity.
317
Rich harvests fill each undulating vale:
Trees crown the waving hill: flow'rs deck the mead.
Oaks throw a show'r of acorns from their boughs :
In the trunk below, bees hoard their nectar.
Large flocks, that whiten and spread o'er the field,
Yield to the shepherd their fleecy tribute.
318. -- Sir Robert Walpole.
Thus was he form'd to please and to govern :
Dignity with ease, familiar greatness,
Compos'd his frame: in ev'ry state, admir'd j
Great in public, amiable in private;
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? 128 Versification.
In pow'r, gentle, but, in disgrace, daring;
His love was liberty, peace was his wish.
319
Darius tovv'rM in pride high on his thrones
The fair A pa me* grnc'd the sov'reign'e side;
And she smii'd now, and, with mimic frown, now
Plac'd the monarch's s;icred crown on her brow.
He bends o'er her faultless form in transport,
Loves ev'ry look, an. ! commends ev'ry act.
320. -- A Miser.
He wore a threadbare cloak,, and rusty hat:
At charge of other folk f he din'd and supp'd:
And, bad he held out his palms, by his looks,,
An object fit for alms he might be thought.
So, if he refus'd his pelf to the poor,
* Apame. --The elegant and ingenious author of these lines-
has used a poetic licence in lengthening the middle syllable of
this name, which must here accordingly be made Apame, though
its real quantity is Apume. --But, as some of our dictionaries say
otherwise, it may be necessary to add, that, although perhaps no
ancient verse can be produced^ in which the name appears, there
occurs, in Priscian's geographical poem, a line (quoted in my
" Latin Prosody," sect. 3) which mentions the city of Apumea,
denominated from ApiLme; and, by a well-known rule of ancient
prosody, the quantity of the derivative proves that the primitive
Apame has the middle syllable short.
. f Folk. --These lines are from Swift, whose suffrage we thus
luckily have in favor of grammatic propriety ; folk being a sin-
gular noun of multitude, like people; and neither of them ad-
mitting a plural, unless (like the Latin populi and the French,
peuples) we were to say folks or peoples, for nations.
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? Versification. 129
~Fa)l as kindly as himself he us'd them.
321. -- Androcles and the Lion.
"When the lion rears his terrific form,
"Lo! Androcles* appears half dead with fright.
But, when the lion views his well-known face,
How soon he renews his former friendship!
The grateful brute lies on the ground, fawning,
And licks the hand that had erst heal'd his wound.
322. -- The Planet Jupiter.
Revolving earth must run her course twelve times,
JEre, round the sun, the vast planet journeys.
Four radiant moons guide the mighty monarch,
And dance by his side in bright succession ;
-Eclips'd and eclipsing, move around him,
And light the night of Jove with changing beams.
Round the sacred oak, gay with garlands, thus
In bright array the rural virgins dance.
323
We die in part, as those we love decay:
String after string from the heart is sever'd ;
Till loosen'd life, but breathing clay at last,
Is glad to fall away without one pang.
* AndrVcles. --This name, like some other Greek names of
kindred derivation, is written in two ways, AndrMus and Andro-
cles, as, in Homer, we find one and the same individual indis-
criminately called Patroclus and Putrocles. --In Aulus Gellius,
the name is Andrticlus^in iElian, AndrVcles ; which latter is
preferable, as the more usual form of such derivatives. In either
shape, it has the middle syllable short, aad the accent on the
first. --See the note on Patroclus, page 185, No. 313.
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? 130 Versification.
Unhappy lie, who feels the blow latest,
Whose eyes, o'er ev'ry friend laid low, have wept;
Dragg'd on from partial death to death, ling'ring,
Till, dying, breath is all he can resign.
324. - The Post Horse.
Ere his exhausted spirits can return,
Or reviving ardor bum through his frame, [ing:
He must come forth, though sore, maim'd, and limp-
The chaise is at the door: he hears the whip.
The collar tightens: and he feels again
His half-heal'd wounds inflam'd ; the wheels again
In his ears resound with tiresome sameness,
O'er blinding dust, or miles of flinty ground.
Thus robb'd nightly, and ev'ry day injur'd,
His piece-meal murd'rers wear away his life.
325
The blackbird, the thrush -- all the tuneful throng,
That with their mefodious song ehcer the groves,
And spend their days harmless -- spare, ye gunners!
But the predacious* tyrants of the air,
Whose fierce attacks annoy the peaceful tribes --
Ye gunners! employ all your skill on these.
* Predacious. -- This word being frequently mis-spflletl, even
in dictionaries, and converted into PredaCEous, I wish my
young readers to X)bserve, in this and numerous other cases,
the very material distinction between the terminations ACIuus
and ACEous, which convey meanings as widely different as the
terminations ING and ED annexed to our English verbs. Ad-
jectives in ACEous (in Latin ACEVS, and either always or most
commonly derived from substantive*) signify, of the same nature
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? Versification. 131
326
Say, in his own proud esteem, what is man ?
Hear him -- himself the theme and the poet --
A monarch cloth'd witli awe and majesty ;
or substance as the original noun, or resembling or belonging to
or consisting of it, as Argillaceous, Farinaceous, Sebaceous,
Saponaceous, Sec. Sec. But adjectives in ACIous (in Latin, AX
-- Italian, ACE -- French, sometimes ACE, as Tenace. some-
times ACIEUX, whence our English ACIOUS, as Audacieux,
Audacious) are mostly derived from verbs, and signify fond of,
or addicted to, or Jit for the action of the original verb, as Lo-
quacious, fond of talking, Rapacious, addicted to snatching or
plundering, Tenacious, apt to hold or retain, Capacious, fit or
able to contain, or of fit size to contain much; and so in a va-
riety of other examples. -- Agreeably to this analogy, from the
Latin verb Prador (to prey or plunder) we form the adjective
Pretdax-- In English, PredaClous -- apt to prey or plunder --
addicted to preying or plundering ; and, from the substantive
Prada (prey, plunder, booty) comes the Adjective Pradaceus --
in English, PredaCEous -- belonging to prey or booty-- consisting
of prey or booty. --Hence it is evident that birds or beasts of
prey must be described as PredaClous, but cannot correctly be
called PredaCEous. Indeed the word PredaCEous can hardly
be used with propriety, except by a writer, who, little scrupu-
lous respecting quaintness or novelty of diction, should employ
it in some such combination as the following --
With rav'ning appetite, the bird of Jove
In haste dispatches his predaceous meal. --
i. e. his meal consisting of prey -- or (speaking of Gil Bias in
the robbers' cavern) --
He looks around, and, with astonish'd gaze,
Silent surveys the rich predaceous hoard --
i. e. the hoard consisting of prey or plunder.
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? 132 Versification.
His will his law, and his mind his kingdom ;
In his mien grace, and in his eyes glory;
Supreme on earth, and worthy of the skies ;
Dominion in his nod, strength in his heart;
And quite a god, thunderbolts excepted.
So sings he, charm'd with his own form and mind
The theme a worm, the song magnificent.
327
See the peacock, that self-applauding bird!
Mark what a haughty Pharisee he is.
Meridian sun-beams tempt him to unfold
His radiant glories, gold, green, and azure
He seems to say, " Give place, ye meaner fowl:
I am all grace, dignity, and splendor.
"
The pheasant presumes not so on his charms,
Though he has a glory in his plumes too.
He, with modest mien, retrents, Christian-like,
To the far-sequester'd green, or close copse,
And, without desiring to be seen, shines.
323
Plac'd on this bustling stage for his trial,
From thoughtless youth to ruminating age,
Free in his will to refuse or to choose,
Man may abuse or improve the crisis
Conscience from within, and heav'n from above,
Cries in his startled ear, " From sin abstain. "
The world around solicits his desire,
And kindles a trench'rous fire in his soul,
While, to guard all his purposes and steps,
Peace follows Virtue, as her sure reward;
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? Versification. 133
And Pleasure brings in her train as surely
Vindictive pain and sorrow and remorse.
329
The lapse of rivers and time is the same:
With a restless stream both speed their journey.
The silent pace, with which they steal away,
No wealth can bribe, no pray'rs persuade to stay:
Both, when past, alike irrevocable;
And at last a wide ocean swallows both.
Though, in ev'ry part, each resemble each,
A diff'rence at length strikes the musing heart.
Streams never flow in vain : where streams abound,
How the land laughs, crown'd with various plenty!
But time, that should enrich the nobler mind,
Neglected, leaves behind a dreary waste.
330. -- Written in a hollow Tree.
Dispos'd to philosophic mental peace,
I sit compos'd here in this hollow trunk,
In this sequester'd cell, far from the world,
Content to dwell, like old Diogenes;
Inspir'd to moralise, and trace the time
When this oak, once tow'ring, was in its prime,
When its verdant branches spread o'er the lawn,
Though now dead from mutilation and age.
This relic then shall be a temple now
To those who, like me, love Arcadian scenes;
Who with rapture hear all the warbling throng
Hail, with grateful song, the sweet mora of spring.
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? Versification.
Iambics of Jive feet, or ten syllables, with examples of
sy tier ens.
331
The fragrant blossoms of the vernal field
Yield mellifluous essence to artful bees.
332
He was a virtuous and brave veteran,
Who ne'er bent the knee to foul dishonor.
333
The aloe* blooms, when o'er her tow'ring head
A hundred years have shed their fost'ring dews.
* Aloe, though properly three syllables, must here be re-
duced by synsresis to two, and so pronounced as nearly to
rhime with Tallowy, when shortly and rapidly uttered -- not with
Tallow or Fullow,as it is sometimes erroneously sounded. The
word is pure Greek; and, in that language, as likewise in the
Latin, it is invariably a trisyllable, like Pholoe, Euno'e, Dame,
-- With respect to Aloes, improperly used as the name of the
drug , an as improperly made to rhime with Fallows, I can
only say (what is sufficiently known to every school-boy who
has but learned the. Latin grammar, and a couple of declensions
in the Greek) that no such form as Aloe's does or can exist in
the Greek or Latin, excepc in the genitive case singular, rerji
correctly used by physicians in their prescriptions, as Tinct,
Aloe's, Tincture OF Aloe; from which prescriptions, I presume,
the wnrd accidentally n. ade its way into i oiuinon conversation,
as a singular nominative, fur, as to plural, it has none in either
Greek or Latin, as is equally wellknown to even tlie youthful
novices m those languages. -- Were there question, however,
of mentioning Aloe plants in the plural, my young readers need
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? Versification. 185
334
She seeks the vale of death with hurried steps,
And resigns her breath in wild delirium.
335
The morning beams, that impart life and joy, ^
Shall warm my heart with their genial influence.
336
He then flew lightly from his lofty steed,
And he rais'd the suppliant crew, one by one.
337
Begardless of the divine spark, they strive
To shine in fashion's transient and dim beams.
338
In days of yore, thou wast the veriest slave,
That ever tugg'd an oar, or dragg'd a chain.
339
Whoe'er can lead forth a patriot statesman,
Replete with worth, fortitude, and wisdom,. . . .
I give this golden chain and scarf to hitn.
His name shall ever live, engrav'd witli mine.
340
While, amid the pomp of state, Damocles *
Sate enraptur'd at the regal banquet,
O'er his head he spied the sword suspended ;
And all pleasure and joy fled at the sight.
From the sumptuous board he started, alarm'd,
And wish'd his humbler, safer, fare restor'd.
not scruple to say Alois, pronouncing the word in three sylla-
bles ; the last to rhime with Thete.
* DamSclet--the middle syllable short, and the accent on lite
first. -- See the note on PatrMut, No. 313, page 185.
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? 136 Versification.
341
Has nature denied that force to my nerves,
With which my happier fellows are supplied ?
Or does my shrinking mind, to toil averse,
Lazily recoil from labor's duties ?
. No! the bounteous hand of heav'n to these limbs
Has giv'n a more than common share of force :
Nor were their pow'rs, by pride or indolence,
Denied to the severest claims of toil.
342. -- To Mrs. Siddons.
Expos'd to scenes where varied pleasure glows,
And all the lures which vice throws for beauty,
'Tis thine to remain, 'midst danger, unhurt,
And, though thou feel'st its influence, prove it vain.
Thus th' asbestos defies the pow'r of fire,
And lies un-injur'd, 'midst its violence;
And, though destructive flames roar around it,
Quits the fierce furnace perfect as before.
But whence canst thou tread with un-injur'd feet
The world's dire path, spread with burning plough-
shares?
Whence can thy heart disdain temptation's pow'r,
While Envy's darts in vain assail thy fame ?
Religion's shelt'ring pinions wave o'er thee;
And^the wreath, that Justice gave, Virtue guards.
Iambics of eight and six syllables alternately; the
first line to rhime with the third--the second, with the
fourth.
343
Ah! what is life? -- The road to death
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? Versification. 137
Through dismay and anguish.
With ev'ry breath we inhale ills,
Along the devious way.
344
The sweet songsters of the grove now
Prepare their matin hymns,
Which, tun'd to love and gratitude,
Declare their maker's pow'r.
345
We still rove together at eve,
To hear the nightingale,
Who chants sweetly the notes of love,
So tremulously clear. . * .
. 346
He clad too and taught the orphan,
Reliev'd the widow's wants,
Brought kind assistance to prisons,
Where captive debtors griev'd.
347
His drear abode is yon hovel,
Which scarcely yields shelter:
He sits beside the road alhday,
Or walks the fields slowly.
348
Round me glows th' Elysian prospect,
O'erspread with vernal hues:
My heart o'erflows with ecstasy,
As I tread these lov'd scenes.
349
But now, plann'd by judgement and taste,
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? 138 Versification.
We find, throughout these scenes,
The works of Art's improving hand
Join'd with ancient splendor.
350. -- The Glow-worm.
Near the stream, or beneath the hedge,
A worm is known to stray,
That shows a lucid beam by night,
Which by day disappears.
351. -- The Antiquary.
He bore a druid's sacred form;
A girdle bound his robes;
In ancient lore he was deep vers'd,
In old, profound customs.
He'd trace old kings, by musty coins,
And know their mien and air.
By face he well knew king Alfred,
Though he'd never seen George.
Iambics of eight and six syllables alternately; the
six-syllable lines to rhime -- the others, not,
352
Could we obtain our present wish>
Should we rest contented ?
That wish might perhaps prove fatal --.
If possess'd, lamented.
353
Come, ye faithful! come triumphant t
Repair to Bethlehem.
Behold the king of angels born :
With pray'r adore the Lord.
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? Versification. 139
JLet the holy host of heav'n now '"
Raise the cheerful chorus:
Ptaise to the Lord in the highest:
Let all nations praise him.
Iambics of eight syllables, with alternate rhime;
i. e. the first line to rhime with the third -- the second,
with the jourth.
354
My soul, stop thy rapid flight here,
Nor depart from the pleasing groves,
Where great Nature first charm'd my sight,
Where first Wisdom inform'd my heart.
? 355
In vain they search'd, to find the wretch,
Whose breast never knew soft pity;
Whose heart ne'er felt a refin'd joy,
But still drew its pleasure from guilt.
356
Why so soon retir'd from the world ? .
Why have you fled to solitude--
Your heart fir'd with friendship and love>
And poetic dreams in your head i
357
Now morning and gentler gales came;
And hope cheer'd our bosoms again ;
We trimm'd our tatter'd sails gaily;
And England's coast appear'd at length.
358
On the Gallic shore soon landed,
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? 140 Versification.
And allow'd to roatn on parole,
Hope once more fill'd my faithful breast
With thoughts of peaceful home and thee.
359
What, though the miser's nairiful hand
Should drain the rich Peruvian mines?
Could these command one single joy,
Or mitigate one moment's pain ?
360
As her rapid thoughts arise, she
Can, in glowing phrase, express each,
With churms, which Nature's self supplies
To all she says, to all she does.
361
The fervid source of light and heat,
Through the western skies descending,
Though veil'd from mortal sight awhile,
Shall rise with golden beam again.
362
In dire amaze, o'er the sad scene,
With courage not her own, she went.
She cast her gaze on many a corpse,
And to many a groan turn'd her ear.
363
When I first began life's journey,
With the load of care unburden'd,
I ran with giant strides, in thought,
To scenes that Fancy painted fair.
My wishes would fly already
To many a great and arduous height.
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? Versification.
Nought was too high, nought too distant,
To tempt my fancy's daring flight.
364. -- To a sleeping Infant.
Seraphic boy, sleep, sleep in peace,
Thou tender pledge of sincere lore!
Thy wretched parents' only joy*
And their only solace here now
Smiling innocence, sleep secure!
May heav'n's sustaining arm be near,
And aid tHee to endure calmly
The evils which here await thee.
365
Honeysuckles and new hay lend
To the breathing vale their fragrance;
While nameless flow'rs blend their odors,
And regale the smell with their sweets.
366
Thy moral grace, thy peerless charms,
Far excel the pow'rs of fiction.
Each beauty decorates thy face:
All the virtues dwell within thee.
. 367
Soft regard, dear, dove-like kindness,
And wit combin'd with loveliness --
At once our reward and our bonds --
Shall make captives of all mankind.
368
Some hapless wretch, a prey to grief,
Oppress'd with more than common woes,
Pines away the night in sorrow,
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? 144 Versification.
Unbless'd by peace, uncheer'd by hope
fair queen of night! I call on thee:
Hear my pray'r, O silver Cynthia!
Tis thus Omnipotence lultils his law;
And, what Justice wills, Vengeance executes.
303
Without her heav'nlv guide, Philosophy
Logician, Mathematician, so we outfit to form Putctician from
the French Praticien--re-instating, of course, the c or k ol the
original Greek, Practicot, which is omitted in the French, only
for the sake of a softer sound. --With respect to Parishioner,
improperly formed from the French Parotsnen in I lie oame irre-
gular manner as Practitioner and Musitwner above, it wtre
fruitiest to attempt the extirpation of an error now inveterate
in the language, and too deeply rooted to allow any hope of
success.
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? 124 Versifkution.
May nourish pride, and blow up self-conceit,
But, while the reas'ning part is her province,
Has still on her heart a veil of midnight.
304. -- The Christian.
With unmanly fears he holds no parley:
He confidently steers, where duty bids;
At her call, faces a thousand dangers,
And surmounts them all, trusting in his God.
305
When life is new, our joys are not num'rous;
And some of the few are falling yearly.
306
Seek not thou, with vain endeavour, to find
The secret counsels of almighty mind.
The great decree lies involved in darkness;
Nor can the depths of fate by thee be pierc'd.
307
Oh ! wipe the falling dew from Sorrow's cheek :
The sons of want renew to you their plaint.
Impart the balm of kind relief again,
And glad the aching heart with timely aid.
308
The morsel valour gains, is sweet to me:
The homely cup which freedom drains, is sweet :
The ji>ys which independence knows, are sweet;
And revenge, wreak'd on insulting foes, sweet.
309
A naked new-born child, on parent's knees
Thou sat'st weeping, while all smil'd around thee,
So live, that, sinking in thy last long sleep,
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? Versification. 12. 5
Thou may'st smile calm, when all weep around thee.
310
Pleasures are few ; and we enjoy fewer:
Pleasure is bright and coy, like quicksilver:
With our utmost skill we strive to grasp it:
It eludes us still, and it still glitters.
311
" Can this be true ? " cries an arch observer. --
" True ! yes, 'tis true : with these eyes I saw it. "--
" On that ground alone, sir, I believe it:
Had I seen it with my own, I could riot. "
312
A tale should be succinct, clear, judicious;
The incidents well link'd, the language plain.
Tell not what ev'ry body knows, as new;
And, new or old, hasten still to a close.
313
Though array'd in Vulcanian panoply,
Patroclus* bet ray'd his native weakness,
* Patroclus. --Thi<< name must here take the accent on the
first syllable, and have the second short; which, in Tact, is the
genuine classic pronunciation, though Mr. Pope, in translating
Homer, chose to make it Patroclus, for the sake of metrical
convenience; Patroclus being better suited tv ttie nature of
iambic verse than PatriSclus. A late writer, after. having quoted
the authority, of some modern lexicographers, and jjiven his own
vote in favor of Patroclus, calls for a reason why he should not
be at liberty to accent Patrocles and Patrocli in the same man-
ner. --A very simple and obvious reason might easily have been
given, without recurring to modern authorities in a case where. :
L 3.
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? ltd Versification.
When, tempting the unequal fight rashly,
Beneath resistless Hector's might he fell,
Taught ly his superior prowess to know,
How difT'rent real worth from empty show.
314
Oh ! could some poet rise, boldjin wisdom,
And unfold half thy beauties to the world,
they cannot possibl/liave the smallest weight, as the question
must be decided by one universal and invariable rule, well known
to every school-boy who has read even the first page of the La-
tin prosody. The rule is, that a short vowel, immediately pre<f
ceding a mute and liquid, is rendered, by such position, not ne-
cessarily long, but simply common; that is to say, that, although
it still remain short in prose, it may, in poetry, be made either
long or short, at the writer's option, as I have shown by various
examples in my " Latin Prosody. " Now, Pairoclut, PutrOclcs,
AndrScles, Niciicles, Mctrucles, Hambcles, &c. being writteD in
Greek with the O-micron, or short 0, that 0, though rendered
common in poetry by the following mute and liquid, still con-
tinues short in Greek and Latin prose: consequently, it ought
to be so pronounced in English prose ; and, as our language does
not admit a licentious two-fold pronunciation, it ought to be
equally short in our poetry. Indeed the warmest admirer of
ancient literature would certainly laugh at any writer who
should, in English verse, transform the well-known prosaic
names of PerMes, SophVcles, Themislocles, to Pericles, Sophocles,
Themistocles, though such transformation is perfectly allowable
in Greek and Latin. --The same unvarying rule applies to Dory-
clus, Jphiclus, and many other names, which are too often mit-
accented and mispronounced by persons un-acquainted with the
ancient language! . --See the note on Anirodes, page 129, No.
321.
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? Versification. 137
Tloving on fancy's wing, impart thy fire,
And feel thy genius beaming on his heart--
I'd wish humbly, though the wish would be vain,
That on me some small portion might alight.
315. -- To England, on the Roman Invasion.
At this distant moment, thy language shows,
How much the country owes to the conqu'ror:
Refin'd, energetic, and expressive,
It sparkles with the gems he left behind.
When he came, he brought thy land a blessing:
Savage he found thee, and tame he left thee.
316
The scenes of life, when confess'd and present,
Stamp on the breast but their bolder features :
Yet not an image, when view'd remotely,
However rude, and however trivial,
But wakes the social sigh, and wins the heart,
With ev'ry claim of close affinity.
317
Rich harvests fill each undulating vale:
Trees crown the waving hill: flow'rs deck the mead.
Oaks throw a show'r of acorns from their boughs :
In the trunk below, bees hoard their nectar.
Large flocks, that whiten and spread o'er the field,
Yield to the shepherd their fleecy tribute.
318. -- Sir Robert Walpole.
Thus was he form'd to please and to govern :
Dignity with ease, familiar greatness,
Compos'd his frame: in ev'ry state, admir'd j
Great in public, amiable in private;
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? 128 Versification.
In pow'r, gentle, but, in disgrace, daring;
His love was liberty, peace was his wish.
319
Darius tovv'rM in pride high on his thrones
The fair A pa me* grnc'd the sov'reign'e side;
And she smii'd now, and, with mimic frown, now
Plac'd the monarch's s;icred crown on her brow.
He bends o'er her faultless form in transport,
Loves ev'ry look, an. ! commends ev'ry act.
320. -- A Miser.
He wore a threadbare cloak,, and rusty hat:
At charge of other folk f he din'd and supp'd:
And, bad he held out his palms, by his looks,,
An object fit for alms he might be thought.
So, if he refus'd his pelf to the poor,
* Apame. --The elegant and ingenious author of these lines-
has used a poetic licence in lengthening the middle syllable of
this name, which must here accordingly be made Apame, though
its real quantity is Apume. --But, as some of our dictionaries say
otherwise, it may be necessary to add, that, although perhaps no
ancient verse can be produced^ in which the name appears, there
occurs, in Priscian's geographical poem, a line (quoted in my
" Latin Prosody," sect. 3) which mentions the city of Apumea,
denominated from ApiLme; and, by a well-known rule of ancient
prosody, the quantity of the derivative proves that the primitive
Apame has the middle syllable short.
. f Folk. --These lines are from Swift, whose suffrage we thus
luckily have in favor of grammatic propriety ; folk being a sin-
gular noun of multitude, like people; and neither of them ad-
mitting a plural, unless (like the Latin populi and the French,
peuples) we were to say folks or peoples, for nations.
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? Versification. 129
~Fa)l as kindly as himself he us'd them.
321. -- Androcles and the Lion.
"When the lion rears his terrific form,
"Lo! Androcles* appears half dead with fright.
But, when the lion views his well-known face,
How soon he renews his former friendship!
The grateful brute lies on the ground, fawning,
And licks the hand that had erst heal'd his wound.
322. -- The Planet Jupiter.
Revolving earth must run her course twelve times,
JEre, round the sun, the vast planet journeys.
Four radiant moons guide the mighty monarch,
And dance by his side in bright succession ;
-Eclips'd and eclipsing, move around him,
And light the night of Jove with changing beams.
Round the sacred oak, gay with garlands, thus
In bright array the rural virgins dance.
323
We die in part, as those we love decay:
String after string from the heart is sever'd ;
Till loosen'd life, but breathing clay at last,
Is glad to fall away without one pang.
* AndrVcles. --This name, like some other Greek names of
kindred derivation, is written in two ways, AndrMus and Andro-
cles, as, in Homer, we find one and the same individual indis-
criminately called Patroclus and Putrocles. --In Aulus Gellius,
the name is Andrticlus^in iElian, AndrVcles ; which latter is
preferable, as the more usual form of such derivatives. In either
shape, it has the middle syllable short, aad the accent on the
first. --See the note on Patroclus, page 185, No. 313.
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? 130 Versification.
Unhappy lie, who feels the blow latest,
Whose eyes, o'er ev'ry friend laid low, have wept;
Dragg'd on from partial death to death, ling'ring,
Till, dying, breath is all he can resign.
324. - The Post Horse.
Ere his exhausted spirits can return,
Or reviving ardor bum through his frame, [ing:
He must come forth, though sore, maim'd, and limp-
The chaise is at the door: he hears the whip.
The collar tightens: and he feels again
His half-heal'd wounds inflam'd ; the wheels again
In his ears resound with tiresome sameness,
O'er blinding dust, or miles of flinty ground.
Thus robb'd nightly, and ev'ry day injur'd,
His piece-meal murd'rers wear away his life.
325
The blackbird, the thrush -- all the tuneful throng,
That with their mefodious song ehcer the groves,
And spend their days harmless -- spare, ye gunners!
But the predacious* tyrants of the air,
Whose fierce attacks annoy the peaceful tribes --
Ye gunners! employ all your skill on these.
* Predacious. -- This word being frequently mis-spflletl, even
in dictionaries, and converted into PredaCEous, I wish my
young readers to X)bserve, in this and numerous other cases,
the very material distinction between the terminations ACIuus
and ACEous, which convey meanings as widely different as the
terminations ING and ED annexed to our English verbs. Ad-
jectives in ACEous (in Latin ACEVS, and either always or most
commonly derived from substantive*) signify, of the same nature
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? Versification. 131
326
Say, in his own proud esteem, what is man ?
Hear him -- himself the theme and the poet --
A monarch cloth'd witli awe and majesty ;
or substance as the original noun, or resembling or belonging to
or consisting of it, as Argillaceous, Farinaceous, Sebaceous,
Saponaceous, Sec. Sec. But adjectives in ACIous (in Latin, AX
-- Italian, ACE -- French, sometimes ACE, as Tenace. some-
times ACIEUX, whence our English ACIOUS, as Audacieux,
Audacious) are mostly derived from verbs, and signify fond of,
or addicted to, or Jit for the action of the original verb, as Lo-
quacious, fond of talking, Rapacious, addicted to snatching or
plundering, Tenacious, apt to hold or retain, Capacious, fit or
able to contain, or of fit size to contain much; and so in a va-
riety of other examples. -- Agreeably to this analogy, from the
Latin verb Prador (to prey or plunder) we form the adjective
Pretdax-- In English, PredaClous -- apt to prey or plunder --
addicted to preying or plundering ; and, from the substantive
Prada (prey, plunder, booty) comes the Adjective Pradaceus --
in English, PredaCEous -- belonging to prey or booty-- consisting
of prey or booty. --Hence it is evident that birds or beasts of
prey must be described as PredaClous, but cannot correctly be
called PredaCEous. Indeed the word PredaCEous can hardly
be used with propriety, except by a writer, who, little scrupu-
lous respecting quaintness or novelty of diction, should employ
it in some such combination as the following --
With rav'ning appetite, the bird of Jove
In haste dispatches his predaceous meal. --
i. e. his meal consisting of prey -- or (speaking of Gil Bias in
the robbers' cavern) --
He looks around, and, with astonish'd gaze,
Silent surveys the rich predaceous hoard --
i. e. the hoard consisting of prey or plunder.
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? 132 Versification.
His will his law, and his mind his kingdom ;
In his mien grace, and in his eyes glory;
Supreme on earth, and worthy of the skies ;
Dominion in his nod, strength in his heart;
And quite a god, thunderbolts excepted.
So sings he, charm'd with his own form and mind
The theme a worm, the song magnificent.
327
See the peacock, that self-applauding bird!
Mark what a haughty Pharisee he is.
Meridian sun-beams tempt him to unfold
His radiant glories, gold, green, and azure
He seems to say, " Give place, ye meaner fowl:
I am all grace, dignity, and splendor.
"
The pheasant presumes not so on his charms,
Though he has a glory in his plumes too.
He, with modest mien, retrents, Christian-like,
To the far-sequester'd green, or close copse,
And, without desiring to be seen, shines.
323
Plac'd on this bustling stage for his trial,
From thoughtless youth to ruminating age,
Free in his will to refuse or to choose,
Man may abuse or improve the crisis
Conscience from within, and heav'n from above,
Cries in his startled ear, " From sin abstain. "
The world around solicits his desire,
And kindles a trench'rous fire in his soul,
While, to guard all his purposes and steps,
Peace follows Virtue, as her sure reward;
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? Versification. 133
And Pleasure brings in her train as surely
Vindictive pain and sorrow and remorse.
329
The lapse of rivers and time is the same:
With a restless stream both speed their journey.
The silent pace, with which they steal away,
No wealth can bribe, no pray'rs persuade to stay:
Both, when past, alike irrevocable;
And at last a wide ocean swallows both.
Though, in ev'ry part, each resemble each,
A diff'rence at length strikes the musing heart.
Streams never flow in vain : where streams abound,
How the land laughs, crown'd with various plenty!
But time, that should enrich the nobler mind,
Neglected, leaves behind a dreary waste.
330. -- Written in a hollow Tree.
Dispos'd to philosophic mental peace,
I sit compos'd here in this hollow trunk,
In this sequester'd cell, far from the world,
Content to dwell, like old Diogenes;
Inspir'd to moralise, and trace the time
When this oak, once tow'ring, was in its prime,
When its verdant branches spread o'er the lawn,
Though now dead from mutilation and age.
This relic then shall be a temple now
To those who, like me, love Arcadian scenes;
Who with rapture hear all the warbling throng
Hail, with grateful song, the sweet mora of spring.
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? Versification.
Iambics of Jive feet, or ten syllables, with examples of
sy tier ens.
331
The fragrant blossoms of the vernal field
Yield mellifluous essence to artful bees.
332
He was a virtuous and brave veteran,
Who ne'er bent the knee to foul dishonor.
333
The aloe* blooms, when o'er her tow'ring head
A hundred years have shed their fost'ring dews.
* Aloe, though properly three syllables, must here be re-
duced by synsresis to two, and so pronounced as nearly to
rhime with Tallowy, when shortly and rapidly uttered -- not with
Tallow or Fullow,as it is sometimes erroneously sounded. The
word is pure Greek; and, in that language, as likewise in the
Latin, it is invariably a trisyllable, like Pholoe, Euno'e, Dame,
-- With respect to Aloes, improperly used as the name of the
drug , an as improperly made to rhime with Fallows, I can
only say (what is sufficiently known to every school-boy who
has but learned the. Latin grammar, and a couple of declensions
in the Greek) that no such form as Aloe's does or can exist in
the Greek or Latin, excepc in the genitive case singular, rerji
correctly used by physicians in their prescriptions, as Tinct,
Aloe's, Tincture OF Aloe; from which prescriptions, I presume,
the wnrd accidentally n. ade its way into i oiuinon conversation,
as a singular nominative, fur, as to plural, it has none in either
Greek or Latin, as is equally wellknown to even tlie youthful
novices m those languages. -- Were there question, however,
of mentioning Aloe plants in the plural, my young readers need
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? Versification. 185
334
She seeks the vale of death with hurried steps,
And resigns her breath in wild delirium.
335
The morning beams, that impart life and joy, ^
Shall warm my heart with their genial influence.
336
He then flew lightly from his lofty steed,
And he rais'd the suppliant crew, one by one.
337
Begardless of the divine spark, they strive
To shine in fashion's transient and dim beams.
338
In days of yore, thou wast the veriest slave,
That ever tugg'd an oar, or dragg'd a chain.
339
Whoe'er can lead forth a patriot statesman,
Replete with worth, fortitude, and wisdom,. . . .
I give this golden chain and scarf to hitn.
His name shall ever live, engrav'd witli mine.
340
While, amid the pomp of state, Damocles *
Sate enraptur'd at the regal banquet,
O'er his head he spied the sword suspended ;
And all pleasure and joy fled at the sight.
From the sumptuous board he started, alarm'd,
And wish'd his humbler, safer, fare restor'd.
not scruple to say Alois, pronouncing the word in three sylla-
bles ; the last to rhime with Thete.
* DamSclet--the middle syllable short, and the accent on lite
first. -- See the note on PatrMut, No. 313, page 185.
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? 136 Versification.
341
Has nature denied that force to my nerves,
With which my happier fellows are supplied ?
Or does my shrinking mind, to toil averse,
Lazily recoil from labor's duties ?
. No! the bounteous hand of heav'n to these limbs
Has giv'n a more than common share of force :
Nor were their pow'rs, by pride or indolence,
Denied to the severest claims of toil.
342. -- To Mrs. Siddons.
Expos'd to scenes where varied pleasure glows,
And all the lures which vice throws for beauty,
'Tis thine to remain, 'midst danger, unhurt,
And, though thou feel'st its influence, prove it vain.
Thus th' asbestos defies the pow'r of fire,
And lies un-injur'd, 'midst its violence;
And, though destructive flames roar around it,
Quits the fierce furnace perfect as before.
But whence canst thou tread with un-injur'd feet
The world's dire path, spread with burning plough-
shares?
Whence can thy heart disdain temptation's pow'r,
While Envy's darts in vain assail thy fame ?
Religion's shelt'ring pinions wave o'er thee;
And^the wreath, that Justice gave, Virtue guards.
Iambics of eight and six syllables alternately; the
first line to rhime with the third--the second, with the
fourth.
343
Ah! what is life? -- The road to death
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? Versification. 137
Through dismay and anguish.
With ev'ry breath we inhale ills,
Along the devious way.
344
The sweet songsters of the grove now
Prepare their matin hymns,
Which, tun'd to love and gratitude,
Declare their maker's pow'r.
345
We still rove together at eve,
To hear the nightingale,
Who chants sweetly the notes of love,
So tremulously clear. . * .
. 346
He clad too and taught the orphan,
Reliev'd the widow's wants,
Brought kind assistance to prisons,
Where captive debtors griev'd.
347
His drear abode is yon hovel,
Which scarcely yields shelter:
He sits beside the road alhday,
Or walks the fields slowly.
348
Round me glows th' Elysian prospect,
O'erspread with vernal hues:
My heart o'erflows with ecstasy,
As I tread these lov'd scenes.
349
But now, plann'd by judgement and taste,
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? 138 Versification.
We find, throughout these scenes,
The works of Art's improving hand
Join'd with ancient splendor.
350. -- The Glow-worm.
Near the stream, or beneath the hedge,
A worm is known to stray,
That shows a lucid beam by night,
Which by day disappears.
351. -- The Antiquary.
He bore a druid's sacred form;
A girdle bound his robes;
In ancient lore he was deep vers'd,
In old, profound customs.
He'd trace old kings, by musty coins,
And know their mien and air.
By face he well knew king Alfred,
Though he'd never seen George.
Iambics of eight and six syllables alternately; the
six-syllable lines to rhime -- the others, not,
352
Could we obtain our present wish>
Should we rest contented ?
That wish might perhaps prove fatal --.
If possess'd, lamented.
353
Come, ye faithful! come triumphant t
Repair to Bethlehem.
Behold the king of angels born :
With pray'r adore the Lord.
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? Versification. 139
JLet the holy host of heav'n now '"
Raise the cheerful chorus:
Ptaise to the Lord in the highest:
Let all nations praise him.
Iambics of eight syllables, with alternate rhime;
i. e. the first line to rhime with the third -- the second,
with the jourth.
354
My soul, stop thy rapid flight here,
Nor depart from the pleasing groves,
Where great Nature first charm'd my sight,
Where first Wisdom inform'd my heart.
? 355
In vain they search'd, to find the wretch,
Whose breast never knew soft pity;
Whose heart ne'er felt a refin'd joy,
But still drew its pleasure from guilt.
356
Why so soon retir'd from the world ? .
Why have you fled to solitude--
Your heart fir'd with friendship and love>
And poetic dreams in your head i
357
Now morning and gentler gales came;
And hope cheer'd our bosoms again ;
We trimm'd our tatter'd sails gaily;
And England's coast appear'd at length.
358
On the Gallic shore soon landed,
? ? Generated for (University of Chicago) on 2014-12-26 12:11 GMT / http://hdl. handle. net/2027/hvd. hxg8hz Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www. hathitrust. org/access_use#pd-google
? 140 Versification.
And allow'd to roatn on parole,
Hope once more fill'd my faithful breast
With thoughts of peaceful home and thee.
359
What, though the miser's nairiful hand
Should drain the rich Peruvian mines?
Could these command one single joy,
Or mitigate one moment's pain ?
360
As her rapid thoughts arise, she
Can, in glowing phrase, express each,
With churms, which Nature's self supplies
To all she says, to all she does.
361
The fervid source of light and heat,
Through the western skies descending,
Though veil'd from mortal sight awhile,
Shall rise with golden beam again.
362
In dire amaze, o'er the sad scene,
With courage not her own, she went.
She cast her gaze on many a corpse,
And to many a groan turn'd her ear.
363
When I first began life's journey,
With the load of care unburden'd,
I ran with giant strides, in thought,
To scenes that Fancy painted fair.
My wishes would fly already
To many a great and arduous height.
? ? Generated for (University of Chicago) on 2014-12-26 12:11 GMT / http://hdl. handle. net/2027/hvd. hxg8hz Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www. hathitrust. org/access_use#pd-google
? Versification.
Nought was too high, nought too distant,
To tempt my fancy's daring flight.
364. -- To a sleeping Infant.
Seraphic boy, sleep, sleep in peace,
Thou tender pledge of sincere lore!
Thy wretched parents' only joy*
And their only solace here now
Smiling innocence, sleep secure!
May heav'n's sustaining arm be near,
And aid tHee to endure calmly
The evils which here await thee.
365
Honeysuckles and new hay lend
To the breathing vale their fragrance;
While nameless flow'rs blend their odors,
And regale the smell with their sweets.
366
Thy moral grace, thy peerless charms,
Far excel the pow'rs of fiction.
Each beauty decorates thy face:
All the virtues dwell within thee.
. 367
Soft regard, dear, dove-like kindness,
And wit combin'd with loveliness --
At once our reward and our bonds --
Shall make captives of all mankind.
368
Some hapless wretch, a prey to grief,
Oppress'd with more than common woes,
Pines away the night in sorrow,
? ? Generated for (University of Chicago) on 2014-12-26 12:11 GMT / http://hdl. handle. net/2027/hvd. hxg8hz Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www. hathitrust. org/access_use#pd-google
? 144 Versification.
Unbless'd by peace, uncheer'd by hope
fair queen of night! I call on thee:
Hear my pray'r, O silver Cynthia!
