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language, but has formed what Butler calls a Babylonifh Dialect, in itself harsh and barbarous; but made by exalted genius, and extenfive learning, the ve hicle of fo much inftruction and fo much pleasure, that, like other lovers, we find grace in its deformity.

Whatever be the faults of his diction, he cannot want the praife of copioufnefs and variety: he was mafter of his language in its full extent; and has felected the melodious words with fuch diligence, that from his book alone the Art of English Poetry might be learned..

After his diction, fomething must be faid of his verfification. The measure, he fays, is the English heroick verfe without rhyme. Of this mode he had many.

examples among the Italians, and some in his own country. The earl of Surry is faid to have tranflated one of Virgil's books without rhyme; and, befides our tragedies, a few fhort poems had appeared in blank verfe; particularly one tending to reconcile the nation to Raleigh's wild attempt upon Guiana, and probably written by Raleigh himself. These petty performances cannot be fuppofed to have much influenced Milton, who more probably took his hint from Trifino's Italia Liberata; and, finding blank verfe eafier than rhyme, was defirous of perfuading himself that it is

better.

Rhyme, he fays, and fays truly, is no neceffary adjunct of true poetry. But perhaps,

haps, of poetry as a mental operation, metre or mufick is no neceffary adjunct it is however by the mufick of metre that poetry has been difcriminated in all languages; and in languages melodiously constructed, by a due proportion of long and fhort fyllables, metre is fufficient. But one language cannot communicate its rules to another: where metre is fcanty and imperfect, fome help is neceffary. The mufick of the English heroick line ftrikes the ear fo faintly that it is easily loft, unless all the fyllables of every line co-operate together this co-operation can be only obtained by the prefervation of every verse unmingled with another, as a diftinct fyftem of founds; and this diftinctness is

:

ob

obtained and preserved by the artifice of

rhyme. The variety of paufes, fo much

boafted by the lovers of blank verfe, changes the measures of an English poet to the periods of a declaimer; and there are only a few skilful and happy readers of Milton, who enable their audience to perceive where the lines end or begin. Blank verfe, faid an ingenious critick, Seems to be verfe only to the eye.

Poetry may fubfift without rhyme, but English poetry will not often please; nor can rhyme ever be fafely fpared but where the fubject is able to fupport itfelf. Blank verfe makes fome approach to that which is called the lapidary ftile; has neither the eafinefs of profe, nor the melody of numbers, and therefore

tires by long continuance. Of the Italian writers without rhyme, whom Milton alleges as precedents, not one is popular; what reafon could urge in its defence, has been confuted by the ear.

But, whatever be the advantage of

rhyme, I cannot prevail on myself to wifh that Milton had been a rhymer; for I cannot with his work to be other than it is; yet, like other heroes, he is to be admired rather than imitated. He that thinks himself capable of aftonifhing, may write blank verfe; but thofe that hope only to please, muft condefcend to rhyme.

The highest praise of genius is origi

nal invention.

Milton cannot be faid to

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