On RYTHMICAL MEASURES. 109 



in no longer time than we employ in expreffing one fyllable in 

 the fame fentence. It would be rafh, however, upon perceiving 

 this, to aflert, that the one fyllable was in quantity triple or 

 quadruple of the others, as in different occurrences, or in 

 different arrangements of the fame fyllables, the proportion 

 might be varied. We can, with great eafe, contracfl or extend 

 a fyllable, when we wifh to make it a certain component part; 

 or the whole of a determined interval of time, upon which we 

 have fixed our attention. It is hard to fuppofe, that in the 

 Greek and Latin languages, which are compofed of the fame 

 fimple elements with ours, no proportion Qiould fubfift betwixt 

 contiguous fyllables, but that of equ,ality, or that of two to one, 

 or fome obfcure or ill defined proportion approaching to thefe ; 

 and it is ftill harder to fuppofe, that thefe proportions were 

 conftant and invariable, in every fituation and occurrence. 



The trochasus and fpondsus might be rendered equal in reci- 

 tation, either by contracting the latter to the time of the for- 

 mer, or by extending the former to that of tlie latter. The 

 one or the other of thefe pradlices might be adopted in different 

 cafes, according to the different ftrudlure of the fyllables of 

 which the feet were compofed. That there was a tendency to 

 prolong the trochaeus, we are almoft inclined to believe, from 

 the firft fyllable of that foot being regularly placed in the 

 ftrongeft and moft emphatic part of the meafure. It is well 

 known, that in conftrudting mixed trochaic verfes, the tro- 

 chsus was made to occupy the firft, third and other uneven 

 places ; the even places were occafionally filled with fpondasus, 

 or other feet of four times. In iambic verfes, again, the even 

 places were kept facred to the iambus. If, however, we confi- 

 der the firft fyllable of thefe verfes as introdudory, and fuppofe 

 the meafure to begin with the fecond fyllable, which we are - 

 much inclined to do, we reduce them to trochaics, in which 

 alfo the trochaeus will be regularly found in the uneven places 

 of the meafure. 



It 



