498 Transactions. 



Examples like (31) a and (32) c are extremely common in both these strict 

 writers of " numbers." The intruding syllable is avoided in reading bv 

 eliding the vowels — " th' unuseful," " th' insuperable " ; in the other 

 examples the vowel making the extra syllable is cut out — " cov'ring." 

 '' batt'ning," " wat'ry," " grov'ling," &c. ; in " by emission " the vowels 

 "y" and "e" are read as one so far as possible, and the same with the 

 "i" and " e" in " happier." In verse 3 of (32) h the " a" appears to be 

 intrusive. The " numbers" are very evident in these authors : the svllables 

 in their heroic cou.plets are never less than ten, and not often more. In the 

 former respect they followed Milton : they out-heroded him in the latter, 

 slaughtering the vowels wherever possible ; and the commentators marked 

 their graves remorselessly with the sabre sign '. The fact to observe is, 

 that whilst triple units were almost rigidly excluded from duple verse, 

 the \ATiters were conscious of a pause into which an extra syllable might 

 be inserted without dislocation of rhythm. 



15. The due observance of the time-value of units gives full effect to 

 the subtle pause-melody of Christina Rossetti's poetry. What is the beauti- 

 ful " Dream-love " without its pauses ? — 



(33.) Young/ Love/ lies slee/ping / 



In May-/time / of the year/, [or. In May -/time of/ the jear/] 

 Among/ / the li/lies / 



Lapped/ in the ten/der light/ : 

 White/ lambs/ come gra/zing, / 



White doves/ come buil/ding there/ ; 

 Aiid round/ / about/ liim / 



The May-/ bushes/ are white/. 



In these pauses, which need not always exactly fill the place of the dropped 



syllables, and whose places will without doubt be varied by different readers, 



there is a sustaining of sound that bridges any break. Without observation 



of the pauses the verse becomes rugged and displeasing. The poetess 



herself must have experienced the enchantment of the vocal pauses when 



sne sa \ s, /.-i* \ tt- £ a. 



(34.) Hun pertect music 



Doth hush unto his rest, 

 And through the pauses 



The perfect silence calms 

 Oh, the poor voices 



Of earth from east to west, 

 And jDoor earth's stillness 



Between the stately palms. 



Byron was incapable of music of this kind : his units almost always have 



their complete tale of syllables, and his metres are generally remarkably 



pure and obvious. This fact, making the reading of his verses technically 



easy, has probably helped in adding to liis popularity. He himself says 



in a letter to Moore, " I am a man of all measures." He was freest in his 



triple measures, but altogether lacked the subtlety of pause and cunning 



variation. He, with Moore, could " sound the loud timbrel " ; he could 



" tear a passion to tatters," but he seldom approached the " perfect peace" 



of Christina Rossetti's verse. Moore shows curious, but obvious, examples 



of the pause in " Love's Young Dream," and again in the following : — 



(35.) While gazing on the moon's light, 

 A moment from her smile I turned. 

 To look at orbs, that, more bright. 

 In love and distant glory buiiied. 

 But too far 

 Each proud star. 



For me to feel its warming glance 



