VERSIFICATION. 



The number of verfes, however, of which the madrigal con- 

 fided, was amonglt the poets of the fixteenth century arbi- 

 trary. The rhyme is yet ad libllum ; fometimes only the 

 two laft verfes rhyme togetlier. 



The charafter of the madrigal is not edentially different 

 from the epigram of the Latins. It is contradiftinguiihed, 

 however, by its llyle, which, though fimple, is fo elevated 

 as to become equally uuadapted to the fatire, or to hu- 

 mourous and trivial fubjefts. 



The epigram is a fmall puem confifting of an indefinite 

 number and kind of verfes, and terminating in a point of wit. 

 Generally, however, it contains not lefs than two nor more 

 than eight verfes, which are frequently hendecafyllabic, and 

 rhyme together by couplets. 



VI. The Dithyramb. 

 The dithyramb is a fpecies of poem compofed in honour 

 of Bacchus : or, in faft, it is any poem written with a degree 

 of unufual wildiiefs and enthufiafm. It employs verfe of 

 every kind, piano, tronco, fdrucciolo, great and fmall, with 

 or without rhyme, and ftanzas of any magnitude. And the 

 whole is written with that liberty and freedom from rellraint, 

 36 indicates it to be the indigenous produttion of the devotee 

 of Bacchus. Its llyle at one time is elevated, at another 

 low. The metaphors it employs are bold ; its phrafeology 

 excentric and whimfical, and words are admitted either 

 purelj exotic, or oddly compounded of others ; as ebrifef- 

 tofo, egidarmato, capribarbicornipede, &c. The reader 

 will find many examples of the Itahan dithyrambic in the 

 works of Crefcimbeni, Quadrio, and Audrucci, and in the 

 " Bacco in Tofcana" of Francefco Redi. 



VII. The Idyl. 



This fpecies of poem confifts of an indefinite number of 

 feptenarii or hendecafyllabic verfes, and free from all rellraint 

 as it refpefts the rhyme. The word idyl (idillio) is derived 

 from noiWko-i, the diminutive of -iJof, a figure or reprefenta- 

 tion ; and the idyl, in faft, is nothing but the painting or 

 image of fome natural objeft. 



There is no difference between the Italian and the French 

 idyl. 



The Cxjura. 



We ha^ now to notice what is peculiar to the cxfura 

 in the French and Italian verfification. Amongft the mo- 

 dems, it is faid to be that paufe between one word and an- 

 other, which divides the verfe into two equal or unequal 

 parts. A verfe is faid to be fo much the more liarmonious, 

 in proportion as it abounds in caefura; which give redoubled 

 energy to the accented fyllables. The ufe and defign of this 

 paufe, Boileau very appofitely mentions in the following 

 lines. 



Que toujours dans vos vers, — les fens coupant les mots, 

 Sufpende I'hemiftiche, — en marque le repoS. 



In the hendecafyllabic verfe, the caefura fhould occur be- 

 tween the fifth and fixth fyllable, and between the ninth and 

 the tenth, or between the feventh and the eighth only ; as in 

 the followiog verfes of Ariofto. 



s , e s 1 o 



II coUo k. tondo-il petto colmo-e lafgo. 

 Da render raolle-ogni cor rozzo, -e fcabro 



7 » 



Quindi efcon le cartefi-parolctte. 



By adveiting to the principles of accentuation already ex- 

 plained, we fhall difcover that when the hendecafyllabic is 

 accented on the fourth and eighth fyllables, it ought to have 



the cacfural paufe between the fifth and the fixth, and between 

 the ninth and the tenth fyllables. And when the principal ac- 

 cent is on the fixth only, it ouglit to have the caefura between 

 the feventh and the eighth fyllables ; i. e. when the verfe is 

 piano. But if the words on which the principal accents fall 

 (/. e. accent commun) are tronchi, the caefura mull follow imme- 

 diately after each accented fyllable. 



We may, from thefe obfervations, eafily infer what are the 

 moil fuitable places for the caefura in every other verfe ; as 

 the cxfura ought to take place immediately after the principal 

 or charaftenftic accent [accent commun) uf the entire verfe, 

 the hcmillich, or of any conftiluent member. 



To the above remarks, which are perfeClly applicable to 

 the verfification of the French language, we may add the 

 following. If at the place of the csfura, the preceding 

 word be feminine, (f. e. end with e mute, ) the following word 

 ought to commence with an initial vowel, in order that the 

 ehfion or fynalipha may take place. For example, in the 

 hendecafyllabic verfe, which confills of a quinarius and a 

 feptenarius, when the former ends with an e mute, the latter 

 miift commence with a vowel ; otherwifc the verfe will have a 

 fyllable too much, fince a quinarius and a feptenarius con- 

 jointly make twelve fyllables. 



Engiyh Verjijicatton. 



All the different feet ufed in Englifh verfification are re- 

 ducible to eight kinds, four of two and four of three fyl- 

 lables ; as, 



D'tjyllalic Feet. 



1. An iambus, „ .; as, betray, consift. 



2. A trochee, .„; as, e'xtort, gii'iltlefs. 



3. A fpondee, . .; as, the pale moon. 



4. A pyrric, ,^ o ; as, on the tall tret. 



Tfifyllabic Feet. 



V. ^ - ; as, contr.lvcBt, acquiefce. 

 _ ^ ^ ; as, labourer, pofiible. 

 w - - ; as, delightful, domeftic. 

 w V, u ; as, numerable, conquerable. 



5. An anapaeft, 



6. A datlyl, 



7. An amphibrac, 



8. A tribrach, 



Thofe feet of which verfe may be wholly or chiefly formed 

 are termed principal feet. Such are the trochee, iambus, 

 daily], and anapaell. The others are denominated yfcoWary 

 feet, becaufe their ufe in Enghlh verfiilcation, is merely to 

 diverfify the rhythm and to improve the verfe. 



I. Iambic Verfe. 



1 . Iambic Manometer CataleSic.-~Th\s verfe, which is the 

 fhorteil form of the Engliih iambic, confifts of an iambus 

 and an additional fhort fyllable. It is only found in fianzas : 

 we have no poem, (or monocolon,) formed exclufively of this 

 meafure. 



Afsailing, 

 Availing, 

 Relenting, 

 Repenting. 



2. Iambic Manometer jicataleHic. — This verfe, which is alfo 

 too ffiort to be continued through any great number of hncs, 

 contains an iambic metre, or two iambic feet ; as, 



With raptiir'd ears 



Thfi monarch hears. — Dry den. 



3. Iambic Monameter Hypercatale(iic.—T\i\i vcrfc is the 

 fame as the former, with an additional fhort fyllable, zi. 



Upon a mountilin 

 Befide a fountain. 



4. .Yb 



