are the most musical, which do not run wholly either upon long or short syllables, but are composed of an intermixture of them; such as repent, produce, velocity, celerity, independent, impetuosity. The following passage may be quoted as an instance of harmonious construction:

"We shall conduct you to a hill side, laborious, indeed, at the first ascent, but else so smooth, so green, so full of goodly prospects, and melodious sounds on every side, that the harp of Orpheus was not more charming,"

Every thing in this sentence conspires to promote, the harmony. The words are happily chosen, being full of soft and liquid sounds; laborious, smooth, green, goodly, melodious, charming; and these words are so skilfully arranged, that were we to alter the collocation of any one of them, the melody would sustain a sensible injury. The members of the period swell beautifully above each other, till the ear, prepared by this gradual rise, is conducted to that full close on which it always rests with pleasure.

2. Of the members of a sentence. There are two things on which the music of a sentence likewise depends. These are the proper distribution of the several members of it; and the close or cadence of the whole.

Whatever

Whatever is easy and agreeable to the organs of speech, always sounds grateful to the ear. The pauses ought to be so distributed, as to make the course of the breathing easy, and at the same time, should fall at such distances, as to bear a certain musical proportion to each other.

EXAMPLE." He must divest himself of the prejudices of his age and country; he must consider right and wrong in their abstracted and invariable state; he must disregard present laws and opinions and rise to general and transcendental truths, which will always be the same: he must therefore content. himself with the slow progress of his name; contemn the praise of his own time, and commit his claims to the justice of posterity."

3. Of the close of a sentence. When we ain at dignity or elevation, the sound should be made to grow to the last; the longest members of the period and most sonorous words should be reserved to the conclusion.

- EXAMPLE." It fills the mind with the largest variety of ideas, converses with its objects at the great. est distance; and continues the longest in action, without being tired or satiated with its proper enjoyments."

A falling off towards the close always produces a disagreeable effect. In general it seems to hold,

that

that a musical close in our language, requires either the last, or the last but one, to be a long syllable. Words which consist mostly of short syllables, as contrary, retrospect, particular, seldom conclude a sentence harmoniously.

It is necessary however to observe, that sentences so constructed as to make the sound always swell towards the end, and to rest upon syllables of a certain description, give a discourse the tone of declamation. The ear soon becomes acquainted with the melody, and is apt to be cloyed with it. If we would keep up the attention of the reader or hearer, if we would preserve vivacity and strength in our composition, we must be very attentive to vary our measures, This regards the distribution of the members, as well as the cadence of the period. Sentences constructed in a similar manner, with the pauses falling at equal intervals should never follow one another. Short: sentences should be intermixed with long and swell.. ing ones, to render the discourse sprightly, as well as magnificent.

Though the music of sentences demands a considerable degree af attention, yet this attention must be confined within moderate bounds. Every appear、 ance of a writer's affectation of harmony is disagreeable; especially if the love of it betray him so far as

to sacrifice perspicuity, precision, or strength of sentiment, to sound. All unmeaning words, introduced merely to round the period, or complete the melody, are great blemishes in writing. They are childish ornaments, by which a sentence always loses more in point of significancy, than it can gain in point of sound.

The cadence and melody of no author should be imitated; but the most musical writers should be read in order to refine the ear.

It remains to treat of a higher Beauty; the sound adapted to the sense. This beauty may either be attained in prose or verse; but in illustrating its general principles, the writings of the poets will furnish us with the most copious and striking illus-trations.

There being frequently a strong resemblance of one sound to another, it will not be surprising to find án, articulate sound resembling, one that is not articulate.

EXAMPLE

Loud sounds the air, redoubling strokes on strokes, On all sides round the forest hurls her oaks

Headlong. Deep echoing groan the thickets brown, Then RUSTLING, CRACKLING, CRASHING, thunders

A word or line consisting of short syllables, and therefore pronounced quickly, may resemble rapid motion:

Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum. VIRGIL.

A word or sentence composed of long syllables, may resemble slow, solemn, or difficult motion.

Illi inter sese magna vi brachia tollunt.

VIRGIL.

Violent or rough motion is imitated by abrupt and harsh combinations of syllables and of words: and easy or soft motion is painted by a succession of flowing and melodious sounds:

"Two craggy rocks, projecting to the main,
The roaring wind's tempestuous rage restrain;
Within, the waves in softer murmurs glide,
And ships secure without their hausers ride.”

By the frequency of its pauses, a line composed of monosyllables makes an impression similar to what is made by laborious interrupted motion:

"First march the heavy mules securely slow;

O'er hills, o'er dales, o'er crags, o'er rocks they go."

POPE. Prolonged motion is well expressed by an Alexandrine verse.

The