The next perception of harmony arifes from comparing a greater number of lines, and obferving the relative proportion of the couplets to each other, in point of fimilarity and diverfity: as, Thy forests Windfor" and thy green retreats, When through the clouds" he drives the trembling doves. The In this way the comparison of lines variously apportioned by the different feats of the three cæfuras, may be the fource of a great variety of harmony, confiftent with the finest melody. This is ftill increased by the introduction of two cæfuras, and much more by that of femi-pauses. femi-paufes double every where the terms of comparison ; give a more distinct view of the whole and the parts; afford new proportions of measurement, and an ampler scope for diverfity and equality, thofe fources of beauty in harmony. Warms' in the fun" refreshes' in the breeze, Glows' in the ftars" and bloffoms' in the trees; 3d. The last object in versification regards expreffion. When men exprefs their fentiments by words, they naturally fall into that fort of movement of the voice, which is confonant to that produced by the emotion in the mind; and the Dactylic or Anapaftic, the Trochaic, Iambic, or Spondaic, prevails even in common difcourfe, according to the different nature of the sentiments expreffed. To imitate nature, therefore, the poet, in arranging his words in the artificial compofition of verfe, must take care to make the movement correfpond to the fentiment, by the proper ufe of the feveral kinds of feet: and this is the firft and most general fource of expreffion in numbers. That a judicious management of the feet and paufes, may be peculiarly expreffive of particular operations and fentiments, will fufficiently appear to the learner, by a few select examples under each of thofe heads. In the following inftance, the vast dimenfions of Satan are shown by an uncommon fucceffion of long fyllables, which detain us to furvey the huge arch fiend, in his fixed posture. Sō ftretch'd out huge in length the arch fiend lãy. The next example affords inftances of the power of a Trochee beginning a line, when fucceeded by an Iambus. -and fheer within Lights on his feet: as when a prowling wolf The Trochee which begins the line fhows Satan in the act of lighting the Iambus that follows, fixes him"Lights on his feet." The fame artifice, in the beginning of the next line, makes us fee the wolf-" leap o'er the fénce.”—But as the mere act of leaping over the fence, is not the only circumftance to be attended to, but also the facility with which it is done, this is ftrongly marked, not only by the fmooth foot which follows-" with eafe"-itself very expreffive, but likewife by a Pyrrhic preceding the last foot"into the fōld."—which indeed carries the wolf-" with eafe into the fōld.” The following inftances fhow the effects produced by cæfuras, fo placed as to divide the line into very unequal portions fuch as that after the firft, and before the laft femipede. -thus with the year Seafons return, but not to me returns Here the cæfura after the first femipede Day, ftops us unexpectedly, and forcibly impreffes the imagination with the greatness of the author's lofs, the lofs of fight. No fooner had th' Almighty ceas'd, but all Loud" as from numbers without number" sweet There is fomething very striking in this uncommon cœfura, which fuddenly stops the reader, to reflect on the importance of a particular word. We fhall close the fubject, with an example containing the united powers of many of the principles which have been explained. Dire was the tossing" deep the groans” Děspāir" Many of the rules and obfervations refpecting Profody, are taken from "Sheridan's Art of Reading;" to which book the Compiler refers the ingenious ftudent, for more extensive information on the subject. PUNCTUATION.* PUNCTUATION is the art of dividing a written compofition into fentences, or parts of fentences, by points or stops, for the purpose of marking the different paufes which the fenfe, and an accurate pronunciation require. The Comma reprefents the shorteft paufe; the Semicolon, a paufe double that of the comma; the Colon, double that of the femicolon; and the Period, double that of the colon. The precife quantity or duration of each paufe, cannot be defined; for it varies with the time of the whole. The fame compofition may be rehearsed in a quicker or a flower time; but the proportion between the paufes fhould be ever invariable. In order more clearly to determine the proper application of the points, we muft diftinguish between an imperfect phrafe, a fimple fentence, and a compound fentence. An imperfect phrase contains no affertion, or does not amount to a propofition or fentence: as, "Therefore; in hafte; ftudious of praise." A fimple fentence has but one fubject, and one finite verb, expreffed or implied: as, "Temperance preferves health." A compound fentence has more than one fubject, or one finite verb, either expreffed or understood; or it consists of two ro more fimple fentences connected together : as, "Good nature mends and beautifies all objects;" "Virtue refines the affections, but vice debases them." In a sentence, the fubject and the verb, or either of them, * As punctuation is intended to aid both the fenfe, and the pronunciation of a sentence, it could not have been exclufively difcuffed under the part of Syntax, or of Profody. The nature of the fubject, its extent and importance, and the grammatical knowledge which it prefuppofes, have induced us to make it a distinct and fubfequent article. may be accompanied with several adjuncts: as, the object, the end, the circumftance of time, place, manner, and the like: and the subject or verb may be either immediately connected with them, or mediately; that is, by being connected with fomething which is connected with fome other, and fo on: as, "The mind, unoccupied with useful knowledge, becomes a magazine of trifles and follies." Members of fentenees may be divided into simple and compound members. See page 137. CHAPTER I. Of the Сомма. The Comma ufually feparates thofe parts of a fentence, which, though very clofely connected in fenfe and construction, require a pause between them. RULE I. With respect to a simple sentence, the several words of which it confifts have so near a relation to each other, that, in general, no points are requifite, except a full ftop at the end of it: as, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Every part of matter swarms with living creatures." 66 A fimple fentence, however, when it is a long one, and the nominative cafe is accompanied with infeparable adjuncts, may admit of a pause immediately before the verb: as, "The good taste of the prefent age, has not allowed us to neglect the cultivation of the English language:" "To be totally indifferent to praise or cenfure, is a real defect in character." RULE II. When the connexion of the different parts of a fimple fentence is interrupted by an imperfect phrafe, a comma is ufually introduced before the beginning, and at the end of this phrafe: as, "I remember, with gratitude, his goodness to me :" "His work is, in many respects, very imperfect. It is, therefore, not much approved." But when thefe interruptions are flight and unimportant, the comma |