1810.] 
have pursued. And TI haste to enlarge 
on the immediate design of my commu- 
nication $ which is, first, to present a few 
iifant specimens of a new measure, that 
I conceive may be made to accord with 
all the beauties of the common heroic; 
and bring with it a dower of additional 
grace, melody, and variety; next, to 
trace out rules for the government of this 
measure; and lastly, to request the stric- 
tures of others, on the fitness of this verse 
for the epic narrative, with any obser. 
vations that may tend to its improve 
ment. 
The following lines, extracted from 
several writers of iambic metre, contain 
in general two trissyllabic feet ; and, as 
before observed, many of them have 
often been selected as instances of the 
sweetest melody. 
O'f crouds], Gr is|siiing forth, or En] tére 
\ in g in. 
Over many| a frozen], many] 3 £1] ery alp. 
Warring] in héaven| against], heavén’s 
match fless king. : 
Liixir|iant, méan| while mir | miring wa |- 
térs fall. 
Aud var|idus, won| dering at] my flizht} 
and change. 
Méldd | ious mur | murs, war | bling tiine{ his 
praise. 
And flow |éring Gdoitirs, cas|sia, nardf, 
and balm. 
Imipearls| Sn év|ery leaf], and év] ery 
flow’r. 
Whén swél | ling bids] their Gd | oiirdus f6 j- 
| liage shed. 
Ivo filery whirls}, fall of | victor | Yots 
thoiights. 
, Eich indi) vidial| séeks a] sévér| a1 gdal. 
On’ mii} tial wants] biile ma |tiial h2pj- 
piness. 
These na|tiirdl love] mdiatain’d], habi|- 
tiial those. 
Up td the} fiéry| concave], tower| Ing highs 
These I fix as the shortest admissible 
lines of the new measure, and that a 
proper combination of the long foot or 
anapestic, &c. and the short foot or 
iambic, &c. may always be preserved, no 
line must be allowed to exceed fourteen 
‘syllables, as hereafter noticed. 
Take the following as examples; the 
matter of which is principally from Qsa 
sian’s poems: 
© thou} that rollést], as round} as the 
4 shield 
O*f my {a| thers, whénce| are thy beams], 
O Stn |, th’y light 
Evérlast jing? Forth] in thy aw| ful beau 
£ ty| thou com’s: 5 
‘T'hé stars| thémséives hide] in thé sky| ; 
thé moon} cdl! aad pale 
Déscends| in thé wes | térn wave] 3 bu: thou) 
New Measure for Heroie Poetry; 
409, 
Yn thy glor|iotis course], for whd} Ys céms= 
. . Pan |ion for thée ? 
The daks| of thé moun|tains fall;| thé 
» . ,mountains| thémsélves 
Decay) with years; séa shrinks,] and ine 
reas | és again; 
Thé modon| hérself| is concéal’d| in révol [= 
Rs ving héav’n 5 
Bit thouj art for év}er thé same}, for 
fs ever], with joy, 
Pirsi’st) thé bright stéps| of thy cOoursef. 
., When dark] is thé world 
With tempésts| , w hen ralls the] lotid thin] 
: der, and light | ning flies, 
Thou Jook’st in| th} beatry| frém heaven], 
and laigh’st} at thé storm. 
Daughtér| of Tésc | xr bring], oh bring,| mé 
_.. the harp. 
The pies Of the song] rises} Yn O's| siXn’s 
soul. 
1t résém| bles thé fiéld,| whtn dark { nése 
, covers thé hills; 
When shadows} incréase} Sn thé aiin’s} dé« 
» 2. ,Seend | ing plain, 
TD see], O° Milvin| %, my son{ near thé 
ec | hoing récle 
OF Cron3;} bit, Io! "tis thé mist] of the 
_ 8s fart lake, — | 
Ting’d with] thé wés|tén béam] : how 
i Jovely| the mist! 
That asstimes| thé form| of Oscar}, tirny 
i oh] yé winds ; 
Turn from it} yé blasts,| thie oar] frona 
Ardvén’s} rdugh side. 
Why théu in| vistblé| wandéréry) bréezé of 
the vale, 
That bendést| thé thistle] of Lord,} why 
. .. bast] théu lefe 
My listén | ing ear ?| No distant| roaring f 
of streams, 
No sotind] 6f thé harp] frém thé rock,| 1° 
joy | ful héar. 
Malving,| thdu hintréss| 3f Lathy,| comey 
O} récal! 
TO thé sor] réwftl bard{ his soil.| My 
eye] 1” ptt forth 
To Lochlin| 6f lakes[, t8 thé dark,| thé 
bil] Lowy ba 
Of Uthdrjnd, proudf in thé swell [ing ¢f 
waves.}| Hé déscénds. 
Fingal| ‘rom Ocean] déscénds,} frém th? 
roar} Of winds. : 
The heroes] Sf Morvén| are few{ in 3 stran|- 
ger’s land. 
Man dar’d| not thé sky, 
But restéd{ his eye| On thé green} réfréshf 
Ing hérb. 
No aspén| trée qiiver{éd his leaf,{ ndr bowed 
a pime ; 
For thé winc| was low| in thé diis{ky fotinj- 
tain’d shade. i 
Sée night] sétrlés fast] én thé world,} dark 
clouds| arise 
In warring} confasién| behind! the wert. 
