Nothing, thou Elder Brother e'en to shade!Thou hadst a Being e'er the World was made.And, (well-fix'd) art alone of ending not afraid.Roch.
Or else they consist of 8 Syllables; as these ofWaller,Of a fair Lady playing with a Snake.
Strange that such Horrour and such GraceShould dwell together in one Place,A Fury's Arm, an Angel's Face,
Nor do the Verses of these Stanzas always contain a like number of Syllables; for the first and third may have ten, the second but eight; as,
Men without Love have oft so cunning grownThat something like it they have shewn,But none who had it, ev'r seem'd to have none.Love's of a strangely open, simple kind,Can no Arts or Disguises find,But thinks none sees it, 'cause it self is blind.Cowl.
In the Stanzas of 4 Verses, the Rhyme may be intermix'd in two different manners; for either the 1st and 3d Verse may rhyme to each other, and by consequence the 2d and 4th, and this is call'd Alternate Rhyme; or the 1st and 4th may rhyme, and by consequence the 2d and 3d.
But there are some Poems in Stanzas of four Verses, where the Rhymes follow one another, and the Verses differ in number of syllables only; as inCowley'sHymn to the Light, which begins thus,
First born ofChaos!who so fair didst comeFrom the old Negro's darksom Womb:Which, when it saw the lovely Child,The melancholy Mass put on kind Looks and smil'd.
But these Stanzas are generally in Alternate Rhyme, and the Verses consist either of 10 Syllables; as,
She ne'er saw Courts, but Courts could have undoneWith untaught Looks and an unpractis'd Heart:Her Nets the most prepar'd could never shun;For Nature spread them in the scorn of Art.Dav.
Or of 8; as,
HadEchowith so sweet a Grace,Narcissusloud Complaints return'd:Not for Reflexion of his Face,But of his Voice the Boy had burn'd.Wall.
Or of 10 and 8. that is to say, the 1st and 3d of 10; the 2d and 4th of 8; as,
Love from Time's Wings has stol'n the Feathers sure,He has, and put them to his own;For Hours of late as long as Days endure.And very Minutes Hours are grown.Cowl.
Or of 8 and 6 in the like manner; as,
Then ask not Bodies doom'd to dye,To what Abode they go;Since Knowledge is but Sorrow's Spy,'Tis better not to know.Dav.
Or of 7; as,
Not the silver Doves that fly,Yoak'd inCytherea'sCar;Nor the Wings that lift so high,And convey her Son so far;Are so lovely sweet and fair,Or do more ennoble Love;Are so choicely match'd a Pair,Or with more consent do move.Wall.
Note, That it is absolutely necessary that both the Construction and Sense should end with the Stanza, and not fall into the beginning of the following one, as it does in the last Example, which is a fault wholly to be avoided.
Of the Stanzas of Six Verses.
The Stanzas of 6 Verses, are generally only one of the before-mention'd Quadrans or Stanzas of 4 Verses, with two Verses at the end that rhyme to one another; as,
A Rural Judge dispos'd of Beautie's Prize,A simple Shepherd was prefer'd toJove;Down to the Mountains from the partial SkiesCameJuno, Pallas,and the Queen of Love,To plead for that which was so justly giv'nTo the brightCarlisleof the Courts of Heav'n.Wall.
Where the 4 first Verses are only a Quadran, and consist of 10 Syllables each in Alternate Rhyme.
The following Stanza in like manner is compos'd of a Quadran, whoseVerses consist of 8 Syllables; and to which 2 Verses that rhyme to one another are added at the end; as,
Hope waits upon the flowry Prime,And Summer, tho' it be less gay,Yet is not look'd on as a timeOf Declination and Decay,For with a full Hand that does bringAll that was promised by the Spring.Wall.
Sometimes the Quadran ends the Stanza; and the two Lines of the same Rhyme begin it; as,
Here's to thee, Dick,this whining Love despise:Pledge me, my Friend, and drink till thou be'st wise.It sparkles brighter far than she;'Tis pure and right without Deceit;And such no Woman e'er can be;No, they are all Sophisticate.Cowl.
Or as in these, where the first and last Verses of the Stanza consist of 10 Syllables;
When Chance or cruel Bus'ness parts us two,What do our Souls, I wonder, do?While Sleep does our dull Bodies tie,Methinks at home they should not stayContent with Dreams, but boldly flyAbroad, and meet each other half the way.Cowl.
Or as in the following Stanza, where the 4th and 5th Verses rhyme to each other, and the 3d and 6th;
While what I write I do not see,I dare thus ev'n to you write Poetry,Ah foolish Muse! that dost so high aspire,And know'st her Judgment well,How much it does thy Pow'r excell;Yet dar'st be read by thy just Doom the Fire.Cowl.(Written in Juice of Lemon.
But in some of these Stanzas, the Rhymes follow one another; as,
Take heed, take heed, thou lovely Maid,Nor be by glitt'ring Ills betray'd:Thy self for Money! Oh! let no Man knowThe Price of Beauty fall'n so low:What dangers oughtst thou not to dreadWhen Love that's blind, is by blind Fortune led?Cowl.
Lastly, some of these Stanzas are compos'd of 2 Triplets; as,
The Lightning, which tall Oaks oppose in vain,To strike sometimes does net disdainThe humble Furzes of the Plain.She being so high, and I so low,Her Pow'r by this does greater show,Who at such Distance gives so sure a Blow.Cowl.
Of the Stanzas of 8 Verses.
I have already said, that theItalianscompose their Heroick Poems in Stanzas of 8 Verses, where the Rhyme is dispos'd as follows; the 1st, 2d, and 5th Verses rhyme to one another, and the 2d, 4th, and 6th, the two last always rhyme to each other. Now our Translators of their Heroick Poems have observ'd the same Stanza and Disposition of Rhyme; of which take the following Example fromFairfax'sTranslation ofTasso's Goffredo,Cant.1.Stan.3d.
Thither thou know'st the World is best inclin'd,Where luringParnassmost his Beams imparts;And Truth convey'd in Verse of gentlest kind,To read sometimes, will move the dullest Hearts;So we, if Children young diseas'd we find,Anoint with Sweets the Vessel's foremost parts,To make them taste the Potions sharp we give;They drink deceiv'd, and so deceiv'd they live.
But our Poets seldom imploy this Stanza in Compositions of their own; where the following Stanzas of 8 Verses are most frequent.
Some others may with safety tellThe mod'rate Flames which in them dwell;And either find some Med'cine there,Or cure themselves ev'n by Despair:My Love's so great, that it might proveDang'rous to tell her that I love.So tender is my Wound, it cannot bearAny Salute, tho' of the kindest Air.Cowl.
Where the Rhymes follow one another, and the six first Verses consist of 8 Syllables each, the two last of 10.
We have another sort of Stanza of 8 Verses, where the 4th rhymes to the1st, the 3d to the ad, and the four last are two Couplets; and where the 1st, 4th, 6th and 8th, are of 10 Syllables each, the 4 others but of 8; as,
I've often wish'd to love: What shall I do?Me still the cruel Boy does spare;And I a double Task must bear,First to wooe him, and then a Mistress too.Come at last, and strike for shame,If thou art any thing besides a Name;I'll think thee else no God to be,But Poets, rather, Gods, who first created thee.Cowl.
Another, when the 2 first and 2 last Verses consist of 10 Syllables each, and rhyme to one another, the 4 other but of 8 in alternate Rhyme.
Tho' you be absent hence, I needs must say,The Trees as beauteous are, and Flowers as gay,As ever they were wont so be:Nay the Birds rural Musick tooIs as melodious and free,As if they sung to pleasure you.I saw a Rose-bud ope this Morn; I'll swearThe blushing Morning open'd not more fair.Cowl.
Another where the 4 first Verses are two Couplets, the 4 last in alternate Rhyme; as inCowley'sOde,Of a Lady that made Posies for Rings.
I little thought the time would ever be,That I should Wit in dwarfish Posies see.As all Words in few Letters live,Thou to few Words all Sense dost give.'Twas Nature taught you this rare Art,In such a Little Much to shew;Who all the Good she did impartTo Womankind, epitomis'd in you.
Of the Stanzas of 10 and of 12 Verses.
The Stanzas of 10 and 12 Verses are seldom employed in our Poetry, it being very difficult to confine our selves to a certain Disposition of Rhyme, and measure of Verse, forso many Lines together; for which Reason those of 4, 6, and 8 Verses are the most frequent. However we sometimes find some of 10 and 12; as inCowley'sOde which he callsVerses left upon a Wager, where the Rhymes follow one another, but the Verses differ in Number of Syllables.
As seen hereafter will I Wagers lay'Gainst what an Oracle shall say:Fool that I was to venture to denyA Tongue so us'd to Victory.A Tongue so blest by Nature and by Art,That never yet it spoke, but gain'd a Heart.Tho' what you said had not been true,If spoke by any else but you;Your Speech will govern Destiny,And Fate will change, rather than you shall lye.Cowl.
The same Poet furnishes us with an Example of a Stanza of 12 Verses in the Ode he calls theThe Prophet, where the Rhymes are observ'd in the same manner as in the former Example.
Teach me to Love! Go teach thy self more Wit:I chief Professor am of it.Teach Craft toScots,and Thrift toJews,Teach Boldness to the Stews.In tyrants Courts teach supple Flattery,TeachJesuitsthat have travell'd far, to lye.Tenth Fire to burn, and Winds to blow,Teach restless Fountains how to flow,Teach the dull Earth fixt to abide,Teach Womankind Inconstancy and Pride.See if your Diligence there will useful prove;But, prithee teach not me to Love.
Of the Stanzas that consist of an odd Number of Verses.
We have also Stanzas that consist of odd numbers of Verses, as of 5, 7, 9, and 11; in all which it of necessity follows, that three Verses of the Stanza rhyme to one another, or that one of them be a blank Verse.
In the Stanzas of 5 Verses, the 1st and 3d may rhyme, and the 2d and two last; as,
Sees not my Love how Time resumesThe Beauty which he lent these Flow'rs:Tho' none should taste of their Perfumes,Yet they must live but some few Hours:Time what we forbear, devours.Wall.
Which is only a Stanza of 4 Verses in alternate Rhyme, to which a 5th Verse is added that rhymes to the 2d and 4th.
See also an Instance of a Stanza of 5 Verses where the Rhymes are intermix'd in the same manner as the former, but the 1st and 3d Verses are composed but of 4 Syllables each.
Go lovely Rose,Tell her that wastes her Time and me,That now she knows,When I resemble her to thee,How sweet and fair she seems to be.Wall.
In the following Example the two first Verses rhyme, and the three last.
'Tis well, 'tis well with them, said I,Whose short-liv'd Passions with themselves can dye.For none can be unhappy, who'Midst all his Ills a Time does know,The ne'er so long, when he shall not be so.Cowl.
In this Stanza, the 2 first and the last, and the 3d and 4th rhyme to one another.
It is enough, enough of time and painHast thou consum'd in vain:Leave, wretched Cowley, leave,Thy self with Shadows to deceive.Think that already lost which than must never gain.Cowl.
The Stanzas of 7 Verses are frequent enough in our Poetry, especially among the Ancients, who compos'd many of their Poems in this sort of Stanza: See an Example of one of them taken fromSpencerinThe Ruines of Time, where the 1st and 3d Verses rhyme to one another, the 2d, 4th and 5th, and the two last.
But Fame with Golden Wings aloft doth flyAbove the reach of ruinous Decay,And with brave Plumes does beat the Azure Sky,Admir'd of base-born Men from far away:Then whoso will with virtuous Deeds essayTo mount to Heaven, onPegasusmust ride,And in sweet Poets Verse be glorify'd.
I have rather chosen to take notice of this Stanza, because that PoetandChaucerhave made use of it in many of their Poems, tho' they have not been follow'd in it by any of the Moderns: whose Stanza's of 7 Verses are generally compos'd as follows.
Either the four first Verses are a Quadran in Alternate Rhyme, and the three last rhyme to one another; as,
Now by my Love, the greatest Oath that is,None loves you half so well as I;I do not ask your Love for this,But for Heaven's sake believe me, or I dye.No Servant sure but did deserveHis Master should believe that he did serve;And I'll ask no more Wages tho' I starve.Cowl.
Or the four first are two Couplets, and the three last a Triplet; as,
Indeed I must confessWhen Souls mix 'tis a Happiness,But not compleat till Bodies too combine,And closely as our Minds together joyn.But Half of Heav'n the Souls in Glory taste,'Till by Love in Heav'n at last,Their Bodies too are plac'd.Cowl.
Or, on the contrary, the three first may rhyme, and the four last be in Rhymes that follow one another; as,
From Hate, Fear, Hope, Anger, and Envy free,And all the Passions else that be,In vain I boast of Liberty:In vain this State a Freedom call,Since I have Love; and Love is all.Sot that I am! who think it fit to bragThat I have no Disease besides the Plague.Cowl.
Or the 1st may rhyme to the two last, the 2d to the 5th, and the 3d and 4th to one another; as,
In vain thou drowsie God I thee invoke,For thou who dost from Fumes arise,Then who Man's Soul do'st overshadeWith a Thick Cloud by Vapours made,Canst have no Pow'r to shut his Eyes,Or passage of his Spirits to choak,Whose Flame's so pure, that it sends up no smoke.Cowl.
Or lastly, the four first and two last may be in following Rhyme, and the 5th a Blank Verse; as,
Thou robb'st my Days of Bus'ness and Delights,Of Sleep thou robb'st my Nights:Ah lovely Thief! what wilt thou do?What, rob me of Heav'n too!Thou ev'n my Prayers dost from me steal,And I with wild IdolatryBegin to God, and end them all to thee.Cowl.
The Stanzas of 9 and of 11 Syllables are not so frequent as those of 5 and of 7.Spencerhas composed hisFairy Queenin Stanzas of 9 Verses, where the 1st rhymes to the 3d, the 2d to the 4th 5th and 7th; and the 6th to the two last. But this Stanza is very difficult to maintain, and the unlucky choice of it reduc'd him often to the necessity of making use of many exploded Words; nor has he, I think, been follow'd in it by any of the Moderns; whose 6 first Verses of the Stanzas that consist of 9, are generally in Rhymes that follow one another, and the three last a Triplet; as,
Beauty, Love's Scene and Masquerade,So well by well-plac'd Lights, and Distance made;False Coin! with which th' Impostor cheats us still,The Stamp and Colour good, but Metal ill:Which light or base we find, when weWeigh by Enjoyment, and examine thee.For tho' thy Being be but Show,'Tis chiefly Night which Men to thee allow,And chuse t' enjoy thee, when thou least art thou.Cowl.
In the following Example the like Rhyme is observ'd, but the Verses differ in Measure from the former.
Beneath this gloomy Shade,By Nature only for my Sorrows made,I'll spend this Voice in Cries;In Tears I'll waste these Eyes,By Love so vainly fed:So Lust of old, the Deluge punished.Ah wretched Youth! said I;Ah wretched Youth! twice did I sadly cry;Ah wretched Youth! the Fields and Floods reply.Cowl.
The Stanzas consisting of 11 Verses are yet less frequent than those of 9, and have nothing particular to be observ'd in them. Take an Example of one of them, where the 6 first are 3 Couplets, the three next a Triplet, the two last a Couplet; and where the 4th, the 7th, and the last Verses are of 10 Syllables each, the others of 8.
No, to what purpose should I speak?No, wretched Heart, swell till you break;She cannot love me if she would;And, to say Truth, 'twere pity that she should.No, to the Grave thy Sorrows bear,As silent as they will be there:Since that lov'd Hand this mortal Wound does give,So handsomely the thing contrive,That she may guiltless of it live:So perish, that her killing theeMay a Chance-medley, and no Murther be.Cowl.
Of Pindarick Odes, and Poems in Blank Verse.
The Stanzas of Pindarick Odes are neither confin'd to a certain number of Verses, nor the Verses to a certain number of Syllables, nor the Rhyme to a certain Distance. Some Stanzas contain 50 Verses or more, others not above 10, and sometimes not so many: Some Verses 14, nay, 16 Syllables, others not above 4: Sometimes the Rhymes follow one another for several Couplets together, sometimes they are remov'd 6 Verses from each other; and all this in the same Stanza.Cowleywas the first who introduc'd this sort of Poetry into our Language: Nor can the nature of it be better describ'd than as he himself has done it, in one of the Stanzas of his Ode uponLiberty, which I will transcribe, not as an Example, for none can properly be given where no Rule can be prescrib'd, but to give an Idea of the Nature of this sort of Poetry.
If Life should a well-order'd Poem be,In which he only hits the White,Who joyns true Profit with the best Delight;The more Heroick Strain let others take,Mine the Pindarick way I'll make:The Matter shall be grave, the Numbers loose and free,It shall not keep one settled pace of Time,In the same Tune it shall not always Chime,Nor shall each day just to his Neighbour rhyme.A thousand Liberties it shall dispence,And yet shall manage all without offence,Or to the sweetness of the Sound, or Greatness of the Sense.Nor shall it never from one Subject start,Nor seek Transitions to depart;Nor its set way o'er Stiles and Bridges make,Nor thro' Lanes a Compass take,As if it fear'd some Trespass to commit,When the wide Air's a Road for it.So the Imperial Eagle does not stayTill the whole Carcass he devour,That's fall'n into his Pow'r,As if his gen'rous Hunger understood,That he can never want plenty of Food;He only sucks the tastful Blood,And to fresh Game flies chearfully away,To Kites and meaner Birds he leaves the mangled Prey.
This sort of Poetry is employed in all manner of Subjects; in Pleasant, in Grave, in Amorous, in Heroick, in Philosophical, in Moral, and in Divine.
Blank Verse is where the Measure is exactly kept without Rhyme;Shakespear, to avoid the troublesome Constraint of Rhyme, was the first who invented it; our Poets since him have made use of it in many of their Tragedies and Comedies: but the most celebrated Poem in this kind of Verse isMilton's Paradise Lost; from the 5th Book of which I have taken the following Lines for an Example of Blank Verse.
These are thy glorious Works, Parent of Good!Almighty! thine this universal Frame,Thus wondrous fair! thy self how wondrous then!Speak you, who best can tell, ye Sons of Light,Angels! for you behold him, and with Songs,And Choral Symphonies, Day without NightCircle his Throne rejoycing, you in Heaven.On Earth! joyn all ye Creatures, to extolHim first, him last, him midst, and without end.Fairest of Stars! last in the Train of Night,Is better thou belong not to the Dawn,Sure Pledge of Day, that crown'st the smiling Morn,With thy bright Circlet, praise him in thy Sphere,While Day arises, that sweet Hour of Prime!Thou Sun! of this great World, both Eye and Soul,Acknowledge him thy Greater, sound his PraiseIn thy Eternal Course, both when thou climb'stAnd when high Noon hast gain'd, and when thou fall'st.Moon! that now meet'st the Orient Sun, now fly'stWith the fix'd Stars, fix'd in their Orb that flies,And ye five other wandring Fires! that moveIn Mystick Dance, not without Song, resoundHis Praise, who out of Darkness call'd up Light.Air! and ye Elements! the eldest BirthOf Nature's Womb, that in Quaternion runPerpetual Circle multiform, and mixAnd nourish all things; let your ceaseless ChangeVary to our great Maker still new Praise.To Mists and Exhalations! that now riseFrom Hill or steaming Lake, dusky or grey,Till the sun paint your fleecy Skirts with Gold,In Honour to the World's great Author rise;Whether to deck with Clouds th' uncolour'd Sky,Or wet the thirsty Earth with falling Showr's,Rising or falling, still advance his Praise.His Praise, ye Winds! that from four Quarters blow,Breathe soft or loud; and wave your Tops, ye Pines!With ev'ry Plant, in sign of Worship, wave.Fountains! and ye that warble as you flowMelodious Murmurs, warbling tune his Praise.Join Voices all ye living Souls, ye Birds!That singing, up to Heav'n's high Gate ascend,Bear on your Wings, and in your Notes his Praise.Ye that in Waters glide! and ye that walkThe Earth! and stately tread, or lowly creep;Witness if I be silent, Ev'n or Morn,To Hill or Valley, Fountain or fresh Shade,Made vocal by my Song, and taught his Praise.
Thus I have given a short Account of all the sorts of Poems, that are most us'd in our Language. The Acrosticks, Anagrams,&c.deserve not to be mention'd, and we may say of them what an Ancient Poet said long ago.
Stultum est difficiles habere Nugas,Et stultus Labor est ineptiarum.
First Year(1946-47)
Numbers 1-6 out of print.
Second Year(1947-1948)
7. John Gay'sThe Present State of Wit(1711); and a section on Wit fromThe English Theophrastus(1702).
8. Rapin'sDe Carmine Pastorali, translated by Creech (1684).
9. T. Hanmer's (?)Some Remarks on the Tragedy of Hamlet(1736).
10. Corbyn Morris'Essay towards Fixing the True Standards of Wit, etc.(1744).
11. Thomas Purney'sDiscourse on the Pastoral(1717).
12. Essays on the Stage, selected, with an Introduction by Joseph Wood Krutch.
Third Year(1948-1949)
13. Sir John Falstaff (pseud.),The Theatre(1720).
14. Edward Moore'sThe Gamester(1753).
15. John Oldmixon'sReflections on Dr. Swift's Letter to Harley(1712); and Arthur Mainwaring'sThe British Academy(1712).
16. Nevil Payne'sFatal Jealousy(1673).
17. Nicholas Rowe'sSome Account of the Life of Mr. William Shakespeare(1709).
18. "Of Genius," inThe Occasional Paper, Vol. III, No. 10 (1719); and Aaron Hill's Preface toThe Creation(1720).
Fourth Year(1949-1950)
19. Susanna Centlivre'sThe Busie Body(1709).
20. Lewis Theobold'sPreface to The Works of Shakespeare(1734).
21.Critical Remarks on Sir Charles Grandison, Clarissa, and Pamela(1754).
22. Samuel Johnson'sThe Vanity of Human Wishes(1749) and TwoRamblerpapers (1750).
23. John Dryden'sHis Majesties Declaration Defended(1681).
24. Pierre Nicole'sAn Essay on True and Apparent Beauty in Which from Settled Principles is Rendered the Grounds for Choosing and Rejecting Epigrams, translated by J. V. Cunningham.
Fifth Year(1950-51)
25. Thomas Baker'sThe Fine Lady's Airs(1709).
26. Charles Macklin'sThe Man of the World(1792).
27. Frances Reynolds'An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Taste, and of the Origin of Our Ideas of Beauty, etc.(1785).
28. John Evelyn'sAn Apologie for the Royal Party(1659); andA Panegyric to Charles the Second(1661).
29. Daniel Defoe'sA Vindication of the Press(1718).
30. Essays on Taste from John Gilbert Cooper'sLetters Concerning Taste, 3rd edition (1757), & John Armstrong'sMiscellanies(1770).
Sixth Year(1951-1952)
31. Thomas Gray'sAn Elegy Wrote in a Country Church Yard(1751); andThe Eton College Manuscript.
32. Prefaces to Fiction; Georges de Scudéry's Preface toIbrahim(1674), etc.
33. Henry Gally'sA Critical Essayon Characteristic-Writings (1725).
34. Thomas Tyers' A Biographical Sketch of Dr. Samuel Johnson (1785).
35. James Boswell, Andrew Erskine, and George Dempster.Critical Strictures on the New Tragedy of Elvira, Written by Mr. David Malloch(1763).
36. Joseph Harris'sThe City Bride(1696).
37. Thomas Morrison'sA Pindarick Ode on Painting(1767).
38. John Phillips'A Satyr Against Hypocrites.
39. Thomas Warton'sA History of English Poetry.
H. Richard ArcherWm. Andrews Clark Memorial Library
R. C. BoysUniversity of Michigan
Ralph CohenUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Vinton A. DearingUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Corresponding Secretary:Mrs. Edna C. Davis, Wm. Andrews Clark Memorial Library
The Society exists to make available inexpensive reprints (usually facsimile reproductions) of rare seventeenth and eighteenth century works. The editorial policy of the Society remains unchanged. As in the past, the editors welcome suggestions concerning publications. All income of the Society is devoted to defraying cost of publication and mailing.
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