CHAP. II.

Of Rhyme.

SECT. I.

What Rhyme is, and the several Sorts of it.

Rhyme is a Likeness or Uniformity of Sound in the terminations of two Words, I say, of Sound, not of Letters; for the Office of Rhyme being to content and please the Ear, and not the Eye, the Sound only is to be regarded, not the Writing: Thus Maid and Perswade, Laugh and Quaff, tho' they differ in Writing, rhyme very well: But Plough and Cough, tho' written alike, rhyme not at all.

In our Versification we may observe 3 several sorts of Rhyme; Single, Double, and Treble.

The single Rhyme is of two sorts: One of the Words that are accented on the last Syllable: Another, of those that have their Accent on the last save two.

The Words accented on the last Syllable, if they end in a Consonant, or mute E, oblige the Rhyme to begin at the vowel that precedes their last Consonant, and to continue to the end of the Word: In a Consonant; as,

Here might be seen that Beauty, Wealth, and Wit, And Prowess, to the Pow'r of Love submit.Dryd.

In mute E; as,

A Spark of Virtue by the deepest Shade Of sad Adversity, is fairer made.Wall.

But if a Diphthong precede the last Consonant, the Rhyme must begin at that Vowel of it whose Sound most prevails; as,

Next to the Pow'r of waking Tempests cease, Was in that Storm to have so calm a Peace. Wall.

If the Words accented on the last Syllable end in any of the Vowels except mute E, or in a Diphthong, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel or Diphthong. To the Vowel; as

So wing'd with Praise we penetrate the Sky, Teach Clouds and Stars to praise him as we fly.Wall.

To the Diphthong; as,

So hungry Wolves, tho' greedy of their Prey, Stop when they find a Lion in the way.Wall.

The other sort of single Rhyme is of the Words that have their Accent on the last Syllable save two. And these rhyme to the other in the same manner as the former; that is to say, if they end in any of the Vowels, except mute E, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel; as,

So seems to speak the youthful Deity; Voice, Colour, Hair, and all like Mercury.Wall.

But if they end in a Consonant or mute E, the Rhyme must begin at the Vowel that precedes that Consonant, and continue to the end of the Word. As has been shewn by the former Examples.

But we must take notice, that all the Words that are accented on the last save two, will rhyme, not only to one another, but also to all the Words whose Terminations have the same Sound, tho' they are accented on the last Syllable. Thus Tenderness rhymes not only to Poetess, Wretchedness, and the like, that are accented on the last save two, but also to Confess, Excess, &c. that are accented on the last; as,

Thou art my Father now, these Words confess, That Same, and that indulgent Tenderness.Dryd.

SECT. II.

Of Double and Treble Rhyme.

All Words that are accented on the last save one, require the Rhyme to begin at the Vowel of that Syllable, and to continue to the end of the Word; and this is what we call Double Rhyme; as,

Then all for Women, Painting, Rhyming, Drinking, Besides ten Thousand Freaks that dy'd in Thinking.Dryd.

But it is convenient to take notice, that the ancient Poets did not always observe this Rule, and took care only that the last Syllables of the Words should be alike in Sound, without any regard to the Seat of the Accent. Thus Nation and Affection, Tenderness and Hapless, Villany and Gentry, Follow and Willow, and the like, were allow'd as Rhymes to each other in the Days of Chaucer, Spencer, and the rest of the Antients; but this is now become a fault in our Versification; and these two Verses of Cowley rhyme not at all.

A clear and lively brown was Merab's Dye; Such as the proudest Colours might envy.

Nor these of Dryden.

Thus Air was void of Light, and Earth unstable, And Waters dark Abyss unnavigable.

Because we may not place an Accent on the last Syllable of Envy, nor on the last save one of unnavigable; which nevertheless we must be oblig'd to do, if we make the first of them rhyme to Dye, the last to Unstable.

But we may that observe in Burlesque Poetry, it is permitted to place an Accent upon a Syllable that naturally has none; as,

When Pulpit, Drum Ecclesiastick, Was beat with Fist instead of a Stick.

Where unless we pronounce the Particle A with a strong Accent upon it, and make it sound like the Vowel a in the last Syllable but one of Ecclesiastick, the Verse will lose all its Beauty and Rhyme. But this is allowable in Burlesque Poetry only.

Observe that these double Rhymes may be compos'd of two several Words; provided the Accent be on the last Syllable of the first of them; as in these Verses of Cowley, speaking of Gold;

A Curse on him who did refine it, A Curse on him who first did coin it.

Or some of the Verses may end in an entire word, and the Rhyme to it be compos'd of several; as,

Tho' stor'd with Deletery Med'cines, Which whosoever took is dead since.Hud.

The Treble Rhyme is, when in words accented on the last save two we begin the Rhyme at the Vowel of that Syllable, and continue it to the end of the word: Thus Charity and Parity, Tenderness and Slenderness, &c., are treble Rhymes. And these too, as well as the double, may be compos'd of several words; as,

There was an ancient sage Philosopher, That had read Alexander Ross over.Hud.

The Treble Rhyme is very seldom us'd, and ought wholly to be excluded from serious Subjects; for it has a certain flatness, unworthy the Gravity requir'd in Heroick Verse. In which Dryden was of Opinion that even the double Rhymes ought very cautiously to find place; and in all his Translation of Virgil, he has made use of none except only in such words as admit of a Contraction, and therefore cannot properly be said to be double Rhymes; as Giv'n, Driv'n, Tow'r, Pow'r, and the like. And indeed, considering their Measure is different from that of an Heroick Verse, which consists but of 10 Syllables, they ought not to be too frequently us'd in Heroick Poems; but they are very graceful in the Lyrick, to which, as well as to the Burlesque, those Rhymes more properly belong.

SECT. III.

Further Instructions concerning Rhyme.

The Consonants, that precede the Vowels where the Rhyme begins, must be different in Sound, and not the same; for then the Rhyme will be too perfect; as Light, Delight; Vice, Advice, and the like; for tho' such Rhymes were allowable in the Days of Spencer and the other old Poets, they are not so now; nor can there be any Musick in one single Note. Cowley himself owns, that they ought not to be employed except in Pindarick Odes, which is a sort of free Poetry, and there too very sparingly, and not without a third Rhyme to answer to both; as,

In barren Age wild and inglorious lye, And boast of past Fertility, The poor Relief of present Poverty.Cowl.

Where the words Fertility and Poverty rhyme very well to the last word of the first Verse, Lye; but cannot rhyme to each other, because the Consonants that precede the last Vowels are the same, both in Writing and Sound.

But this is yet less allowable if the Accent be on the Syllable of the Rhyme; as,

Her Language melts Omnipotence, arrests His Hand, and thence the vengeful Lightning wrests.Blac.

From hence it follows that a word cannot rhyme to it self, tho' the signification be different; as He Leaves to the Leaves, &c.

Nor the words that differ both in Writing and Sense, if they have the same Sound, as Maid and Made, Prey and Pray, to Bow and a Bough: as,

How gawdy Fate may be in Presents sent, And creep insensibly by Touch or Scent.Oldh.

Nor a Compound to its Simple; as Move to Remove, Taught to Untaught, &c.

Nor the Compounds of the same Words to one another, as Disprove to Approve, and the like. All which proceeds from what I said before, viz. That the Consonants that precede the Vowel where the Rhyme begins, must not be the same in Sound, but different. In all which we vary from our Neighbours; for neither the French, Italians not Spaniards will allow that a Rhyme can be too perfect: And we meet with frequent Examples in their Poetry, where not only the Compounds rhyme to their Simples, and to themselves; but even where words written and pronounc'd exactly alike, provided they have a different Signification, are made use of as Rhymes to one another: But this is not permitted in our Poetry; and therefore, tho' in the two former Editions of this Book I said that Rhyme is only a Sameness of Sound at the End of Words, I have in this given it a Definition which I take to be more agreeable to our Practice, and call'd it a Likeness or Uniformity of Sound in the Terminations of two Words.

We must take care not to place a Word at the middle of a Verse that rhymes to the last Word of it; as,

So young in show, as if he still should grow.

But this fault is still more inexcusable, if the second Verse rhyme to the middle and end of the first; as,

Knowledge he only sought, and so soon caught, As if for him Knowledge had rather sought.Cowl. Here Passion sways; but there the Muse shall raise Eternal Monuments of louder Praise.Wall.

Or both the middle and end of the second to the last Word of the first; as,

Farewell, she cry'd, my Sister, thou dear Part, Thou sweetest part of my divided Heart.Dryd.

Where the tenderness of Expression will not attone for the Jingle.