260 Letters of the King of Pruffia.....Mr. Dyer on Englifh Verfification. 
ufeful and ingenious treatife, publithed 
under the patronage of the Beard of 
Agriculture and Highland Society of Scot- 
land, by Mr. Johsftone, who has been 
inftructed in the art by Elkington himfelt, 
and who. is likewile practiling if in this 
country with great fuccefs.—-The prin- 
eiples of the art he has clearly 
ftrated,. and by means of various views 
and fections, which accompany the work, 
has certainky contributed much. to the 
extenfion, both of its theory and practice: 
My reafon therefore, forthus addrefling 
you, is with a view, to your gratifying 
foch of your readers as may not have an 
opportunity of perufing Mr. Johnftone’s 
book, with fuch extracts, as your own 
judgment may lead you to fele&t *; and 
alfo with a view of making it more 
generally known, among the landed pro- 
prietors of this country, where I believe 
your publicaticn 1s pretty extenfively 
circulated. Tam, Sir, &c. &c. 
A FRIEND 7 TO IMPROVEMENT, 
Hladdingten, Feb. 1798. 


Fo the Editor af the Montily Magazin 
ey SIRS 
N your Magazine for March, you have 
| inferted two letters from Frederick, the 
third king of Pruflia, to the Duchets of 
Brunfwick. Your ee eoke ent, 1. S. by 
whom they were tranfmitted to you, teers 
to think, that the character of Frederick 
is not accurately known ; but more copious 
information has not, I fuppofe, been pub- 
Kifhed, concerning any prince who ever 
exifted, than has been communicated to 
the public relative to this celebrated 
pra ; and I think, that there are no 
yafi grounds for any material doubts 
refpecting his character, which has been 
fuficiently afcertained and developed. 
‘Fhe letters, communicated by your cor- 
refpondent, as they were written bya 
monarch of fuch celebrity, were very 
properly inferted in your mifcellany ; but 
¥t does not eee to me, that they throw 
any new light upon his character.) It is 
well known, that Frederick, 3 in his private 
relations and connexicns, could f: freq uently 
act and’ write like’ a very amiable man ; 
though, on other occali ae in his public 
character; he scene fot times act like an 
* Our correipondent, if areader, ought to 
have known-that it.is net our practice to give 
extras trom. English books, theugn we h: 
no obfection to point out to public notice fuch 
4S are. valuable. 
emon- 
unfeeling defpot. If your correfpondent, 
PS. ise that he has made any new 
difcoveries refpe€ting Frederick’s charac- 
ter, his ideas on the fubjeét fhould be more’ 
diftin&tly ftated. Bi Si 
; oa 3, 1798. 

To the Editor of the Monthly arias 
SIR, 
he a former letter were dropped a Fe 
hints concerning Englith verfification: 
the fpecies of verfe, to which thofe obfer- 
vations more immediately referred, was 
the Heroic, or Iambic rhyme*. Tt ‘is 
now intended to confider the other fpecies 
of verfe adopted by Englith poets: though 
it muft fir be noticed, that many regu- 
lations applicable to the Iambic rhyme, 
is with fome few variations, apply to 
he other metres. An equal attention for 
ene fhould be fhewn to varying the 
paufes, toimproper rhymes; to open vow- 
els, and the like. There wal be lefs occa- 
lon stherefore, #9 repeat fuch obfervations : 
good fenfe will dire’ where a deviation 
from general rules becomes neceffary. 
The Evecrac meafure, in Englifh 
poetry, is various, but more, generally 
two-foid ; the Heroic or Jambic rhyme— 
fuch for example is Mr. Pope’s fine elegy 
cn the death of an unfortunate lady: 
What beck’ning ghoft, along the monsehe 
fhade 
_ Invites my fteps, and points to yonder glade? 
and Mr. Mafon’s Ifis; or, the Heroic, 
with an alternate rhyme, as Mr.Shenftone’s 
Jeffy, and his other elegies. Of the for- 
mer fpecies of Elegiac verfe I have already 
treated: and of the latter little remains 
to be faid, except, that the practice 
of cur beit writers feems to ‘authorize 
us to fav, that the fourth line natu- 
rally clofes the fenfe, and tact the lait 
word of that line fhould not be joined to 
the fucceeding flanza: Mr..Gray’s Elegy 
i @ country church-yard will exemplily 
his remark; the utmoft liberty thae: og 

* Inthe former part of the laft letter were 
two material errors ‘of the prefs: -In thofe 
places rhyme is ufed for répthwi Rhyme is 
ae feet iy apescalar fpecies tt } th B 
Tatner- 2a par Eictiar pecies OF ray TT). ¥ 
Ruy tum, I meant wenfured motion, am gene- 
ral, inthe fenie ufed| by: Ariftetle stwhich 
will apply to mutic and daneingy-a6; well_as 
poetry: and to any fpecies of poetry, meafured 
into particular metres:.. thythm ;applies,to 
Milton’s:verfe, 2s well as to Pope's. ss The word 
rhyme is ‘afterwards uled in its common ac- 
ceptatien. 
pect . 
