106 CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIS FAMILY. 



was to show you how easy a thing it might be with a little 

 care for a nephew to excell his uncle in the business of versi- 

 fication ; but as you have so fully answered that intent by 

 your late excellent lines, you must for the future excuse my 

 replying in the same way, and make some allowance for the 

 difference of ages. 



However, when at any time you find your muse propitious, 

 I shall always rejoice to see a copy of your performance, and 

 shall be ready to commend, and, what is more rare and more 

 sincere, even to object and criticise where there is occasion. 



A little turn for English poetry is no doubt a pretty accom- 

 plishment for a young gentleman, and will not only enable 

 him the better to read and relish our best poets, but will, like 

 dancing to the body, have an happy influence even upon his 

 prose compositions. Our best poets have been our best prose 

 writers ; of this assertion Dryden and Pope are notorious in- 

 stances. It would be in vain to think of saying much here 

 on the art of versification : instead of the narrow limits of a 

 letter, such a subject would require a large volume. How- 

 ever, I may say in a few words that the way to excell is to 

 copy only from our best writers. The great grace of poetry 

 consists in a perpetual variation of your cadences : if possible 

 no two lines following ought to have their pause at the same 

 feet. 



Another beauty should not be passed over ; and that is, the 

 art of throwing the sense and power into the third line, which 

 adds a dignity and freedom to your expressions. Dryden in- 

 troduced this practice, and carried it to great perfection ; but 

 his successor, Pope, by his over exactness, corrected away 

 that noble liberty, and almost reduced every sentence within 

 the narrow bounds of a couplet. Alliteration, or the art of 

 introducing words beginning with the same letter in the same 

 or following line, has also a fine effect when managed with 

 discretion. Dryden and Pope practised this art with won- 

 derful success. As, for example, where you say " the polished 

 beetle," the epithet " burnished " would be better for the 

 reason above. But then you must avoid affectation in this 

 case, and let the alliteration slide in, as it were, without de- 



