The Sock creeps low, the Tragic Bushkins rife; None knew this Art so well, so well did use As did the Mantuan Shepherd’s Heav’nly Muse:  500 He marry’d Sound and Sense, at odds before, We hear his Scylla bark, Charybdis roar; And when in Fields his Fiery Coursers meet The hollow Ground shakes underneath their feet:  Yet nicer Ears can taste a Diff’rence when Of Flocks and Fields he sings or Arms and Men.  If I our English Numbers taste aright, We in the grave Iambic most delight:  Each second Syllable the Voice should rest, Spondees may serve, but still th’ Iambic’s best:  510 Th’ unpleasing Trochee always makes a Blot, And lames the Numbers; or, if this forgot, A strong Spondaic should the next succeed, The feeble Wall will a good Buttress need:  Long Writing, Observation, Art and Pain Must here unite if you the Prize would gain. [Sidenote:  Pauses.] Pause is the Rest of Voice, the poor Remains Of antient Song that still our Verse retains:  The second Foot or third’s our usual Rest, Tho more of Art’s in varying oft exprest. 520 At ev’ry Word the Pause is sometimes[3] made, And wond’rous Beauty every where displaid:  —­But here we guess, and wander in the dark; How should a hoodwink’d Archer hit the Mark?  The little Glimpse that DRYDEN gives, is more Than all our careless Writers knew before; A few Chance Lines may smooth and roundly fly, But still no Thanks to us, we know not why.  He finds Examples, we the Rule must make, Tho who without a Guide may not mistake? 530 [4] “Tho deep yet clear, tho gentle yet not dull, Strong without Rage, without o’er flowing full.” If we that famous Riddle can unty, Their brightest Beauties in the Pauses lie, To Admiration vary’d; next to these The Numbers justly order’d charm and please:  Each Word, each happy Sound is big with Sense, They all deface who take one Letter thence. [Sidenote:  Quantity.] But little more of Quantity we know Than what our Accent does, and Custom show:  540 The Latin Fountains often we forsake, As they the Greek; nay diff’rent Ages take A diff’rent Path; Perfume and Envy now We say, which Ages past would scarce allow:  If no Position make our Accent strong Most Syllables are either short or long. [Sidenote:  Rhime.] Primitive Verse was grac’d with pleasing Rhimes, The Blank a lazy Fault of After-times; Nor need we other proof of this to plead