72 On RYTHMICAL MEASURES. 



is always compenfated at the conclufion of the ftrain. The 

 moft graceful clofe of a rythmical fucceffion is when the laft 

 found is long. We alfo reft upon this found with moft fatis- 

 faction when it begins upon an accented part of the meafure. 

 In this cafe, that meafure may be left incomplete, by the exact 

 quantity of the introductory note ; fo that when the ftrain is 

 repeated, this incomplete bar at the end, together with the in- 

 troductory note at the beginning, make up one entire mea- 

 fure. 



I now come to make fome obfervations upon the rythm of 

 poetry. 



It has already been remarked, that words being compofed 

 of fyllables which differ in length according to certain propor- 

 tions, are fufceptible of rythm. In all compofitions, therefore, 

 the object of which is to pleafe and to affect, it has been the 

 general practice to arrange the words in fome agreeable 

 rythm. One very common method for attaining this end has 

 been, to form the words into parcels, according to certain mea- 

 fures and proportions ; and in order that thefe parcels may be 

 more readily perceived and attended to by the reader, to write 

 thenVout in feparate lines. 



This poetical rythm cannot poflibly be fo various and com- 

 plicated as the mufical. The fame principles, however, to a 

 certain extent, take place in both. We find in poetry fmall 

 intervals or units of time regularly divided and combined. 

 The divifions, indeed, cannot poflibly be fo minute as they 

 often are in mufic ; neither are the parcels fo equal and uni- 

 form. We have alfo in poetry accented and feeble founds ', 

 and verfes, like mufical ftrains, are often introduced by one or 

 more feeble founds, which fometimes are compenfated at the 

 end of the verfe, and at other times are not. In poetry, as in 

 mufic, we often make up a part of the meafure by refts or filent 

 times. In reciting verfes, too, we can make indefinite paufes ; 



and 



