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The pure Iambic measure however was seldom used by
the Latin poets. In order to render composition less diffi-
cult, and, by producing delay, to give the verses more gra-
vity and dignity, spondees were admitted into the odd places,
that is, into the first, third, and fifth. In every foot also, ex-
cept the last, which was always an iambus, a long syllable
was often changed into two short ones; so that an anapaest or
a dactyl was often used for a spondee, and a tribrac for an
iambus. Sometimes too, in the first station, a proceleusma-
tic occupied the place of a spondee. The scale of the mixed
Iambic Trimeter is therefore as follows:--
1
2
3
4
5
6
x See Clarke's note on II. A. SI.
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? OF VERSE. 191
The reason why the even places were reserved for the
iambus in preference to the spondee, seems to have been
this, that by placing the spondee first, and having the iambus
to follow, greater emphasis would be given to the conclud-
ing syllable of each measure, on which the ictus and pause
took place; the difference of time causing the ear to be
more sensibly affected when the long syllable is immediately
preceded by a short, than when two long syllables stand to-
gether.
By the Tragic Poets the pure Iambic measure was little
used, it being considered as too light for the dignity of Tra-
gic composition, and in lieu of the iambus, the spondee,
dactyl, and anapsest, were freely used in the first, third, and
fifth places.
The writers of comedy, satire, and fables, allowed them-
selves a still greater license. They admitted the spondee,
and its equivalents, the dactyl and anapaest, into the second
and fourth places, as well as the first, third, and fifth. The
last place however still remained as before, always an iam-
bus; as,
Petron. Tuo | fi9la\\td clai>\sus fia\\vo fids\citur.
Phsedr. Jlmit\tlt mgri\\to firdfiri\um qui dli\\enum afi\fietit.
Idem. Pare&\dum non \\sint ves\traJor\\titu\dinl.
The effect of this arrangement is to render these compo-
sitions more familiar in their style, and to bring them nearer
to the level of prose.
31. The Scazon or Choliambus,>' (ClaiuUcant, or lame
Iambic, so named, because in it the cadence is inverted or
maimed as it were, by the change of feet in the last two
places,) is the Iambic Trimeter, with a spondee instead of
an iambus in the sixth place; and, lest the verse should be-
come too heavy if a spondee were admitted into the fifth
place also, having generally, in that place, an iambus; as,
Citr in | lhed\\trum C&td \ teve\\re ve\nisti ?
An ide\d tdn\\tum ve\nerds \\ itC ex\ires ? Mart.
This species of verse is also called the Hipponactic Tri-
meter, from its inventor the satyrical poet Hipponax. It
y Scazon, from claudicans. --Choliaiubas, from efa>>>>
and leftists Intuitu.
I2
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? 102
OF VERSE.
was chiefly employed in saty rical composition} and was much
used for this purpose by Martial, as well as others.
22. The Saturnian Trimeter, is an Iambic Trimeter Hy-
permeter, with a violation of the Iambic law, by having a
spondee in the fourth place; as,
Ter. Maur. Ddbunt | malum |] Metil\li JVH\\vid | fide\\ta.
It may be scanned however in two divisions, the first
Iambic, the latter Trochaic; as,
Dabunt | malum \ Metel\li || JVavi\6 fio\e(<<.
An arrangement which produces no violation of rule, the
final syllable of each verse being common.
23. The Iambic Tetrameter, or Octonarius, or Quadra-
tus, a measure used by the comic poets, consists of eight
feet, or four measures. These feet are properly all Iambi;
they are subject however to the same variations as the
Iambic Trimeter; as,
Terent. Sdne\fwl is\\ta te \ miilen\\ta est muli\er It || temerd\
rid.
Idem. JVunc hie \ dies || Sliam \ vitam dd\\fert, aU\os md\\
res fios\tulat.
Idem. Pdtere\tur: nam\\ quem fer\ret, si[\fiaren\tem n6ra[)
ferret \ suum.
Idem. Lend \ sum, fdte\\6r, fier\nicies \\ commu\nis ddo\\
lescen\tium.
Idem. Cvjus | nunc misg\\ra sfies I 6ftes\\que sunt \ in te
no otnnis | sitfi.
24. The Iambic Tetrameter Catalectic, (called likewise
Hipponactic, from its inventor Hipponax,) is the Iambic
Tetrameter, deprived of its final syllable, and always having
an Iambus in the seventh place. The pure Iambic however
was seldom used, and in this the same variations were ad-
missible as in the Trimeter and Tetrameter; as,
Catul. Defiren\sd nd\\vis in | mart \\ vesd\nien\\te ven\to.
Terent. JVdn fi6s\sum sdti' j| ndrrd\re quos\\ludos\ firS-
bite\\ris in\tus.
25. The Iambic Trimeter Catalectic or Archilochian, is
tfte Iambic trimeter, wanting the final syllable. It contains
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? OF VERSE. 103
five feet (properly all iambi) followed by a catalectic syU
lable; as,
Horat. F6ca\tua dt\\gue non \voca\\tua aii\dit.
It admits, however, like the common Iambic trimeter, the
spondee into the first and third places, but not into the fifth,
which'would render the line too heavy; as,
Horat. Trahunt^ue sic\\cas ma\china || cari\nas.
Prud. JV6nnul\la guer\\cu sunt \ cava\\ta et ul\\md.
Terentianus Maurus prefers the following mode of scan-
ning this kind of verse:
Trdhunt\que sic\cds \\mdchi\nZ cd\rlnda.
26. The Iambic Dimeter, consists of two Iambic mea-
sures or four feet, properly all iambi; as,
Horat. Perun\xit hoc || Ia\sonem.
4
It admits however the same variations as the Trimeter.
The following is the scale :--
1
2
3
4
Horace, however, much more frequently employs a spon-
dee than any other foot in the third place.
The Iambip Dimeter is also called the Archilochian Di-
meter, from the poet Archilochus, its inventor.
27. The Iambic Dimeter Hypermeter, (called likewise
Archilochian,) is the Iambic Dimeter, with an additional
syllable at the end ; as,
Horat. Rede\git dd\\veros | timo\\res.
Idem. Orna\re fiul\\vindr | rfed||rum.
Horace frequently uses this measure in conjunction with
the Alcaic, and uniformly has the third foot a spondee. For
the line wjlich occurs, Od. 2, 19, 15.
Disjecta non levi ruina,
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? 104 OF VERSE.
has been corrected by Bentley from MSS. as follows:--
Disjecta -non leni ruina.
Alcaeus however, in the Greek stanza regularly uses the
iambus in the third place.
28. The Iambic Dimeter Acephalous, is the Iambic Dimeter
wanting the first syllable; as, ,
Hoiat. JVon | ebur || neque aii\reum.
Prud. D6\nd cdn\\acien\lig.
This kind of verse is sometimes, though improperly, scanned
as Catalectic Trochaic Dimeter.
JVon e\bur ne\\que aure\um.
Dona | cOnsci\\enti\! e.
29. The Iambic Dimeter Catalectic or Anacreontic, from
the poet Anacreon, who wrote in this measure in Greek-
called also Dimeter Claudus, is the Iambic Dimeter, want-
ing the final syllable, and consists, properly, of three iambi,
and a catalectic syllable; as,
jlnus I recpc\\ta vi\n6,
Tremen\tibus\\ldbel\lia. Petron.
It admits, however, the tribrac, amphimacer, spondee, and
anapaest, into the first place; in the third, it suffers no varia-
tion, at least in Latin; as,
Lex hac I data est \\ cadii\cis,
Deo \ juben\\tg mem\bris,
Ut tetn\figret || labo\rem
Medica\bilis || -v6lufi\tas. Prudent.
MiXTtfuu I poSbv || Sejei[o>>. Anacreon.
30. The Galliambus (so denominated from the Galli, or
priests of Gybele, by whom it was used) consists of an Iambic
Dimeter Catalectic, whose first foot is generally a spondee or
an anapaest, and another such Dimeter, wanting the last syl-
lable--the Catalectic syllable at the end of the first Dimeter
being long; as,
Catul. Sufier &l\t& vec\tiU J\tys || celeri | rate ma\rid.
This verse admits of the following variations:--
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? OF VERSE-
105
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
The anapaest however was generally preferred to the spon-
dee in both divisions of the verse, particularly the latter, and
the penultimate foot of the whole line was most commonly a
tribrac.
TROCHAIC MEASURES.
? Although Iambics and Trochaics seem directly opposite in
their, nature, yet there exists in reality a strong affinity be-
tween them. If, for example, a syllable be added to, or taken
from the beginning of a pure Iambic line, it becomes a pure
Trochaic; and if, on the contrary, a syllable be added to, or
taken from a pure Trochaic line, it becomes a pure Iambic. 1
31. The Trochaic Tetrameter Catalectic or Octonarius,
consists of seven feet, properly all trochees, followed by a
catalectic syllable; as,
Catul. Juaais \ eat in\ermis \ ire : Wfivrits | ire \juasua | eat.
This is the most common trochaic metre, and may, in con-
formity with what has already been observed, be converted
into an Iambic Octonarius, by the addition of a syllable to the
beginning.
The pure Trochaic Tetrameter however very rarely occurs.
The verse admits in the odd places, a trochee, or a tribrac;
but in the last place, a trochee only: in the even places, be-
sides the trochee and tribrac, it admits also a spondee, a dac-
tyl, an anapaest, and, though seldom, a proceleusraatic. It
rejects the iambus, as-the iambic does the trochee. The tri-
brac very rarely occurs in the sixth place, and never in the
seventh, except in a few instances in comedy. The dactyl
rarely appears in the fourth. The following is the scale :--
z The Port-Royal Grammarian asserts that there are no Trochaic verses,
properly so catled; but that those which commonly go by tikis name, are
In realiiy Acephalous Iambics,
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? 106
OF VERSE.
The Comic writers took the same liberties with this, as with
the Iambic measure, introducing the spondee and its equiva-
lents into the even places.
This measure was much used in hymns. The Caesural
pause uniformly occurs after the fourth foot, dividing the verse
into a Trochaic Dimeter Acatalectic, and a Trochaic Dimeter
Catalectic. One division of the chcjrus sang the former, the
other the latter. .
The following lines will serve to show the peculiar beauty
and melody which this species of verse often possesses :--
Prud. Macte, judex mortuorum,\\ made, rex viventium.
M. Cap. Scande cedi temfila, virgo,\\ digna tanto fozdere.
Prud. Solve vocem, mens, sonoram j || solve linguam mo-
bilem.
Idem. Terra, ccelum, fossa fionti, || trina rerum machina.
Catul. JRomuUas ifisa fecit || cum Sabinis nufitias,
32. The Sapphic verse, called after the poetess Sappho,
who invented it, consists of five feet, the first a trochee, the
second a spondee, the third a dactyl, and the fourth and fifth,
trochees; as,
Horat. Deflu\il sax\is agi\tatus | humor,
Sappho however, and after her example, Catullus, sometimes
made the second foot a trochee; as,
Sappho. lieu Ai|i; So|\o7rXoxE, ? wr<7(j/iai o-! .
Catul. Pauca | nunti|<<i<f mea fiuelle.
But Horace invariably adheres to the spondee in the second
place, which greatly increases the harmony of the line.
Seneca furnishes instances of a dactyl in the second place; as,
Sen. Quaque ad | Hesperi|as jacct ora metus.
Idem. Sume\re Innume|ras solitumfiguraa.
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? OF VERSE.
But perhaps Hesfierias, and innumeras, should be read as
trisyllables.
3
Sappho accompanied every three of these verses with an
Adonic line, and in this she has been imitated by Horace, Ca-
tullus, and others, but not by Seneca, who, in the choruses to
his tragedies, often gives a considerable number of successive
Sapphics, without any Adonic.
Those. Sapphic lines are the most harmonious, which have
the Csesural pause at the penthemimeris; as,
Inte|ger viltse || scele|risque | purus.
Non e|get Mau|ri )| jacu|lis nec | arcu. '
Nec vejnenariItis || gravi|da sa|gittis
Fusee pha|retra. Horat.
On the contrary, those which are without it, are strikingly
deficient in melody; as,
Horat. Tuque dum firocedis, Io triumfihe !
Idem. Hac Jovem sentire, Deosque cunctot.
Catul. Qui sedens adversus, identidem te.
Idem. Seu Sacas, sagittiferosque Parthos.
In the composition of the Sapphic Stanza, a word may be
divided in such a way, that the former part of it shall close
the third line, and the remainder form the beginning of the
fourth or Adonic. The ancient poets afford no instance of
such a division at th\e termination of the first, second, or fourth
verse; nor does it occur even in the third verse, in the Sap-
phics of Seneca, Statius, Ausonius, Prudentius, Sidonius Apol-
linaris, or Boethius, but only in those of Catullus and Horace. b
A continuation of sense from stanza to stanza, if not occur-
ring frequently, is permitted; but it is deemed harsh and auk-
a Sapphic verses are sometimes found redundant, (Hypermetri); but in
this case, the last vowel is elided, because ihe following verse begins with a
vowel.
b These remarks have reference to the division of a simple word. There
are two other instances of division, which are of a different class, vide Horat.
Od. I, 25, It. and 3, 27, 59. In these the prepositions are allowably de-
tached from the words with which they are compounded, as they often
are in other metres. From the aukward division whinh simple words fre-
quently experience between the third line of the Sapphic stanza and the
succeeding Adonic, the parts so divided, being separately void of all mean-
ing, Dr. Carey lias been led to venture the opinion, that the Sapphic stanza
of Catullus and Horace, was never intended to consist of lour separate
verses, but of three, viz. two five-foot Sapphics, and one of seven feet,
formed by the union of tire third Sapphic and the Adonic iuto one line.
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? 1Q8
OF VERSE.
ward to open a new sentence with the Adonic verse, of which
the first and natural use is to'dose the metre with an agree-
able rest. In all the odes of Horace, in this metre, one only,
a light composition, even seems to yield any pretence for such
a disjunction.
Est mihi nonum sufierantis annum
Plenus Albani cadus ; est in horto
Phylli, nectendis afiium coronis ;
Est hedera -vis [in horto]
Multa guA crines religata fulges.
Ridet argento domus: 8ec, Lib. 4, Od. 11.
33. The Phalsecian or Hendecasyllabic verse, (invented by
the poet Phalaecus,) consists of five feet, viz. a spondee, a
dactyl, and three trochees; as,
Mart. JVon est \ vivere,\ sed va\lere, \ vita".
Instead of a spondee as the first foot, Catullus sometimes
uses a trochee, or an iambus, a liberty seldom taken by subse-
quent poets.
Grati|a<< tibi maxima* Catullus
Aglt, \fiessimus omnium fioeta. Catul.
The same poet has also admitted a spondee instead of a
dactyl as the second foot, but this is not to be imitated.
The name Hendecasyllabic is frequently applied to the Pha-
laecian, from the circumstance of its containing eleven syllables;
but that name does not exclusively belong to it, since the
greater dactylic Alcaic, (to be noticed hereafter,) and the Sap-
phic, contain the same number. The following are instances
of the Sapphic converted into the Phalaecian, and the Alcaic
into the Sapphic:--
Sapphic. JVon e\get Mav\ri jacu\lis nec | arcH.
Phalaec. JVon Mau\rijacu\lis e\get nec \ drcu.
Alcaic. Summum J nec ofi\les \\nec mgtuds \ diem.
Sapphic. JVec dt\em sum\mum metu\da, nec | ofites.
34. The Trochaic Dimeter, consists of four feet, properly
all trochees; as,
Boeth. JVonfa\cit qu6d | ofitat | ifise.
It admits however the spondee, or its equivalents in quantity,
the dactyl and anapaest, into the second place; as,
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? OF VERSE. 10$
Inco\la ter\rarum ttb \ ortu
Solis | vlti\mum ad cu\bile,
Eja | Dbmitm \ jubi\late.
Consci\b% scele|n's ne\fandi. Buchanan.
35. The Trochaic Dimeter Catalectic consists of three feet,
properly all trochees, and a catalectic syllable 5 as,
Horat. JVon e\bur nt\que aurl\um.
It admits however into the second station, the spondee, the
dactyl, and perhaps the anapaest.
This measure is in fact nothing more than the Acephalous
Iambic Dimeter. It may be scanned either as an Iambic or ft
Trochaic verse, since, on account of the close affinity between
the two measures, it becomes of very little importance, in what
light the verse be regarded, whether as Iambic or Trochaic.
56. The Trochaic Dimeter Brachycatalectic, called also
Phallic or Ithyphallic verse, consists of three trochees; as,
Ter. Maur. Bacche, \ Bacche, \ Bacche.
The only composition in Latin, into which this metre en-
ters, appears to be the Archilochian Heptameter, a line con-
sisting of a Dactylic Tetrameter a priore, and an Ithyphallic j
Horat. Sohitur | acris hy\ems gtd\ta vicg || veris | et Fa|
voni.
CHORIAMBIC MEASURES.
Choriambic measures are so called from the Choriambus,
which foot predominates in them.
37. The Choriambic Pentameter consists of five feet, viz.
a spondee, three choriambi, and an iambus j as,
Horat. Tu ne \ quxsieris II scire, ngfa>>, \ quem mthi quern J
tibi.
38. The Choriambic Tetrameter Consists of three chorV-
ambi, and a bacchius; as,
Claud. Omni nintus | dim Jluvtis, || omnii cinat | ftrqfun?
dim.
k
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? 110 OF VERSE.
It admits however of variations, each of the three choriambi
being changeable to other feet of equal time; as,
Seren. Cui resera\ia. mugiunt | aurea clau\stra mundi.
Idem. TIbi vetus a|ra calult a. bb\rigineo | tacello.
Horace made a peculiar alteration in this species of verse,
which is far from meriting the name of an improvement. In
the first measure he substituted for the choriambus, the second
epitrit--in other words, he made the first measure consist of
a trochee and a spondee, instead of a trochee and iambus; as,
Horat. Te Deos b\ro Sybarin J cur firofieraa | amando.
39- The Choriambic Asclepiadic Tetrameter, (invented by
the poet Asclepiades,) consists of a spondee, two choriambi,
and an iambus j as, '. -. . <
Horat. Mtece\nas alavis |] edite re\gibua.
Horace invariably adheres to this form, but other poets
sometimes, though very rarely, make the first foot a dactyl j
as,
Sen. EffugT|i<<n, et miseros || libera mora \ vocet.
Mart. Cap. Omnige|7zam genitor \\ regna movens \ Deum.
The Caesural pause takes place at the end of the first cho-
tiambus, a circumstance which renders it easy to scan this
species of verse as a Dactylic Pentameter Catalectic. Thus,
Mace\nds ata\vis || edite \ regibus.
This mode of scanning the line is condemned however by
Terentianus.
The Caesural pause falls inelegantly on the middle of a
word; as,
Horat. JVon %n\cendia C&r\\chaginis im\fiia.
Unless there be an ecthlipsis or synaloepha ; as,
Horat. Exe\gi monumen|jtum are fieren\nius.
Idem. Audi\tam modere|jre arboribus \ Jidem. . .
Or the word be a compound; as,
Horat. Dum Jla\grantia dc\\torguet ad os\cula.
These lines, afier all, however, are somewhat harsh, and
scarcely to be imitated.
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? OF TERSE. 111
40. The Choi-iambic Trimeter or Glyconic, (so named from
its inventor, the poet Glyco or Glycon,) consists of three
feet, a spondee, a choriambus, and an iambus; with the
Caesural pause after the first foot; as,
Horat. Sic te || Diva fiotens | Cyfiri:
Others scan it, when it has a spondee in the first place, by
a spondee and two dactyls, making it a dactylic trimeter; as,
? Sic te | Diva fio\tens Cyfiri.
The first foot is sometimes an iambus or a trochee; as,
Catul. Puel\l<e et fiueri in\tegri.
Idem. Magna Wfirdgenies \ Jovis.
Horace, who very frequently uses the Glyconic, invariably
has a spondee in the first place, except in a single instance,
Ignis [|jliacds \ damds. Od. I, 15,36.
He here admits the trochee. Cunningham, Sanadon, and
other editors, however, read on this very account, Pergameas
in place of Iliacas. To this perhaps may be added the twenty-
fourth line of the same ode, which according to old editions
runs thus:--?
Teucer \\ et Sthenelus \ sciens,
instead of the present reading, Teucer te, &c. or that of Bent-
ley and others, Teucerque, et, &c. c
41. The Choriambic Trimeter Catafectic or Pherecratic,
(so called from the poet Pherecrates,) is the Glyconic de-
prived of its final syllable, and consists of a spondee, a cho-
riambus, and a catalectic syllable ; as,
Horat. Gralo \ Pyrrha sub dn\tro.
The first foot was sometimes a trochee or an anapaest,
rarely an iambus; as,
Catul. Tecia \frugibus ex\files.
Boeth. Donrunis | firessus ini\quis.
c The change from Iliacas to Pergameas seems rather too violent.
Why mav not the final Bi llable of ignis be lengthened by the Caesura, to-
gether with that of Teucer in the old editions in which it occurs I Horace,
it is true, does not often indulge in such licenses, yet the following instance*
will show that he did not altogether avoid them: Od. t, 3, 36. --1,13, 6.
--S, 6, 14. --2,13, 16. --3, 24, 5.
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? 112 OF VERSE,
Catul. Vae\\lique cand\mus.
. The Pherecradc verse, when it has a spondee in the first
station, may be scanned as a Dactylic Trimeter.
When subjoined to the Glyconic, it produces what is com-
monly termed the Pnapean verse, which has already been
treated of under Dactylic Measures.
42. The Choriambic Dimeter consists of a choriambus and
a bacchius; as,
Horat. LydiiL die | fi$r omnia.
IONIC MEASURES.
The Ionic Measures are so called from the feet of which
they are composed- They are of two kinds, the Ionic a . ma-'
jore, and the Ionic a minore.
43. The pure Ionic a majore, Tetrameter, consists of four
greater Ionics; as, '
Scalig. Fecit salts | tegrum rabi\em qui domu\it feminx.
44. The impure Ionic a majore, or Sotadean, (so named
from the poet Sotades, who frequently used this measure,)'
consists of three great Ionics, and >> spondee; as,
Ter. Maur.