The Art of English Poetry (1708) Part 5

The same Poet has in another place made use of a like Word twice in one Verse, and made it two Syllables each time.

_With Ruin upon Ruin, Rout on Rout._

And any Ear may discover that this last Verse has its true Measure, the other not.

But there are some Words that may be excepted; as _Diamond_, _Violet_, _Violent_, _Diadem_, _Hyacinth_, and perhaps some others, which, though they are accented upon the first Vowel, are sometimes us'd but as two Syllables; as in the following Verses,

_From Diamond Quarries hewn, and Rocks of Gold._ Milt.

_With Poppies, Daffadils, and Violets joyn'd._ Tate.

_With vain, but violent Force their Darts they flung._ Cowl.

_His Ephod, Mitre, well-cut Diadem on._ Cowl.

_My blus.h.i.+ng Hyacinths, and my Bays I keep._ Dryd.

Sometimes as three; as

_A Mount of rocky Diamond did rise._ Blac.

_Hence the blue Violet and blus.h.i.+ng Rose._ Blac.

_And set soft Hyacinths of Iron Blue._ Dryd.

When they are us'd but as two Syllables they suffer an Elision of one of their Vowels, and are generally written thus, _Di'mond_, _Vi'let_, &c.

This Contraction is not always made of Syllables of the same Word only; for the Particle _A_ being plac'd after a Word that ends in a Vowel, will sometimes admit of the like Contraction: For Example, after the Word _many_; as,

_Tho' many a Victim from my Folds was bought, And many a Cheese to Country-Markets brought._ Dryd.

_They many a Trophy gain'd with many a Wound._ Dav.

After _To_; as,

_Can he to a Friend, to a Son so b.l.o.o.d.y grow._ Cowl.

After _They_; as,

_From thee, their long-known King, they a King desire._ Cowl.

After _By_; as,

_When we by a foolish Figure say._ Cowl.

And perhaps after some others.

There are also other Words whose Syllables are sometimes contracted, sometimes not: as, _Bower_, _Heaven_, _Prayer_, _Nigher_, _Towards_, and many more of the like Nature: But they generally ought to be us'd but as one Syllable; and then they suffer an Elision of the Vowel that precedes their final Consonant, and ought to be written thus: _Pow'r_, _Heav'n_, _Pray'r_, _Nigh'r_, _tow'rds_.

The Termination ISM is always us'd but as one Syllable; as

_Where griesly Schism and raging Strife appear._ Cowl.

_And Rhumatisms I send to rack the Joynts._ Dryd.

And, indeed, considering that it has but one Vowel, it may seem absurd to a.s.sert that it ought to be reckon'd two Syllables; yet in my Opinion, those Verses seem to have a Syllable more than their due Measure, and would run better if we took one from them; as,

_Where griesly Schism, raging Strife appear.

I Rhumatisms send to rack the Joynts._

Yet this Opinion being contrary to the constant practice of our Poets, I shall not presume to advance it as a Rule for others to follow; but leave it to be decided by such as are better Judges of Poetical Numbers.

The like may be said of the Terminations ASM and OSM.

SECT. V.

_Of the Elisions that are allow'd in our Versification._

Our Verses consisting only of a certain Number of Syllables, nothing can be of more ease, or greater use to our Poets, than the retaining or cutting off a Syllable from a Verse, according as the measure of it requires; and therefore it is requisite to treat of the Elisions that are allowable in our Poetry, some of which have been already taken notice of in the preceding Section.

By Elision, I mean the cutting off one or more Letters from a Word, whereby two Syllables come to be contracted into one; or the taking away an intire Syllable. Now when in a Word of more than two Syllables, which is accented on the last save two, the Liquid R, happens to be between two Vowels, that which precedes the Liquid admits of an Elision, Of this nature are many Words in ANCE, ENCE, ENT, ER, OUS, and RY; as _Temperance_, _Preference_, _Different_, _Flatterer_, _Amorous_, _Victory_: Which are Words of three Syllables, and often us'd as such in Verse; but they may also be contracted into two, by cutting off the Vowel that precedes the Liquid; as _Temp'rance_, _Pref'rence_, _Diff'rent_, _Flatt'rer_, _Am'rous_, _Vict'ry_. The like Elision is sometimes us'd, when any of the other Liquids L, M, or N, happen to be between two Vowels, in Words accented like the former, as _Fabulous_, _Enemy_, _Mariner_, which may be contracted _Fab'lous_, _En'my_, _Mar'ner_. But this is not so frequent.

Observe, that I said accented on the last save two; for if the Word be accented on the last save one, that is to say, on the Vowel that precedes the Liquid, that Vowel may not be cut off. And therefore it is a fault to make, for Example, _Sonorous_ of two Syllables, as in this Verse;

_With Son'rous Metals wak'd the drowsie Day._ Blac.

Which always ought to be of three; as in this,

_Sonorous Metals blowing martial Sounds._ Milt.

In like manner; whenever the Letter S happens to be between two Vowels in Words of three Syllables, accented on the first, one of the Vowels may be cut off; as _Pris'ner_, _Bus'ness_, &c.

Or the Letter C when 'tis sounded like S; that is to say, whenever it preceds the Vowels E or I; as _Med'cine_, for _Medicine_.