'CI#APTER XX. " Angels invisible to sense, 4' Spreading their pinions for a shield, " Are the brave souldiers' best defence, " When cannons in long order shall dipense " Terrible slaughter round the field." I might take notice here, that there are two other kinds Of metre in English, besides this common sort, where the accent is supposed to lodge on every second syllable. One sort of uncommon verse, is when the line contains but seven syllables, and apretty strong accent lies on the first syliar ble in the line, and on the third, fifth, and seventh ; as, " Glitering stones, and golden things, " Wealth and honours that have wings, " Ever flntt'ring to begone, " I could never call my own : " Riches that the world bestows, " She can take, and I can lose ; " But the treasures that are mine, " Lie afar beyond her line. Theother sort of uncommon verse has a quick and hasty sound, and must have the accent placed on every third syllable. Matters of mirth and pleasantry are the subject of this sort of song ; and but seldom is it used where the sense is very solemn and serious. Take this instance of it : "''Tis the vóice of the slúggard : I hear him complain, " You have wák'd me too soón, I must slúmber again. " As the doór on its hinges, so he on his bed " Turns his sides, and.hisshoulders, and his heávy head." In this last line the natural and-proper accent lies not on the word his, where the word seems to require it ; but on the word heávy : Yet it happens to have a sort of beauty in it here, to keep the natural accent, and thereby you spew the heaviness of the sluggard more emphatically, while he suffers not the verse to run swift, and smooth, and harmonious. Thus let thepoesy always answer for itself, but the reader should keep true to the natural accent. And, in general, it must tse still maintained that the common rules of reading prose, hold good in reading all these kinds of poetry : Nor is the reader obliged to'know before-hand what particular kind of verse he is going to r.eàd,'if he will bct follow the common pronunciation of the English tongue ; let him buthumour the sense a little, as he ought to do in prose, by reading swift or slow, according as the subject is grave or merry, and if he has acquainted himself a little with verso, and practised the reading of it, where the poet has performed his part well, the lines will yield their proper har- mony. Thus it appears to be a much easier matter to read verse well, titan most people imagine, if theywould butcontent them- selves to pronounce it as they do common language, without affecting to add new music to the lines, by an unnatural turn and tone of the voice.
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