V.j MELANCHOLY HOURS. 349 



the cornices of a Yitruvian edifice ; the colouring to a 

 shaded design of Michael Angelo. In its place it adds 

 to the eifect of the whole, but when rendered a prin- 

 cipal ohject of attention it is ridiculous and disgusting, 

 lihyme is no necessary adjunct of true poetry. Southey's 

 *' Thalaba" is a fine poem, with no rhyme and very lit- 

 tle measure or metre: and the production which is reduced 

 to mere prose by being deprived of its jingle, could never 

 possess, in any state, the marks of inspiruiion. 



So far, therefore, I am of opinion that it is advisable 

 to renounce the Italian fabric altogether. "We have al- 

 ready sufficient restrictions laid upon us by the metrical 

 laws of our native tongue, and I do not see any reason, 

 out of a blind regard for precedent, to tie ourselves to a 

 difficult structure of verse, which probably originated with 

 the Troubadours, or wandering bards of France and Xor- 

 mandy, or with a yet ruder race ; one which is not pro- 

 ductive of any rational eifect, and which only pleases the 

 ear by frequent repetition, as men who have once had the 

 greatest aversion to strong wines and spirituous liquors, 

 are, by habit, at last brought to regard them as delicacies. 



In advancing this opinion, I am aware that I am op- 

 posing myself to the declared sentiments of many in- 

 dividuals whom I greatly respect and admire. Miss 

 Seward (and ]Miss Seward is in herself a host) has, both 

 theoretically and practically-, defended the Italian struc- 

 ture. Mr Capel Loti't has likewise favoured the world 

 with many sonnets, in which he shows his approval of 

 the legitimate model by his adherence to its rules, and 

 many of the beautiful poems of Mrs LoiFt, published in 

 the '' Monthly Mirror," are likewise successfully formed 

 by those rules. Much, however, as I admire these wri- 

 ters, and ample as is the credence I give to their critical 

 discrimination, I cannot, on mature reflection, subscribe 

 to their position of the expediency of adopting this struc- 

 ture in our poetry, and I attribute their success in it more 

 to their individual powers, which would have surmount- 

 ed much greater difficulties, than to the adaptability of 

 this foreign fabric to our stubborn and intractable lan- 

 guage. 



