“You will often find in the Greek Tragedians, and in SENECA; that when a Scene grows up into the warmth of Repartees, which is the close fighting of it, the latter part of the trimeter is supplied by him who answers:  and yet it was never observed as a fault in them, by any of the Ancient or Modern critics.  The case is the same in our verse, as it was in theirs:  Rhyme to us, being in lieu of Quantity to them.  But if no latitude is to be allowed a Poet; you take from him, not only his license of quidlibet audendi:  but you tie him up in a straighter compass than you would a Philosopher.

“This is, indeed, Musas colere severiores.  You would have him follow Nature, but he must follow her on foot.  You have dismounted him from his Pegasus!

“But you tell us ’this supplying the last half of a verse, or adjoining a whole second to the former, looks more like the Design of two, than the Answer of one [pp. 498, 559].’  Suppose we acknowledge it.  How comes this Confederacy to be more displeasing to you, than a dance which is well contrived?  You see there, the united Design of many persons to make up one Figure.  After they have separated themselves in many petty divisions; they rejoin, one by one, into the gross.  The Confederacy is plain amongst them; for Chance could never produce anything so beautiful, and yet there is nothing in it that shocks your sight.

“I acknowledge that the hand of Art appears in Repartee, as, of necessity, it must in all kind[s] of Verse.  But there is, also, the quick and poignant brevity of it (which is a high Imitation of Nature, in those sudden gusts of passion) to mingle with it:  and this joined with the cadency and sweetness of the Rhyme, leaves nothing in the Soul of the Hearer to desire.  ’Tis an Art which appears; but it appears only like the shadowings of painture [painting], which, being to cause the rounding of it, cannot be absent:  but while that is considered, they are lost.  So while we attend to the other beauties of the Matter, the care and labour of the Rhyme is carried from us; or, at least, drowned in its own sweetness, as bees are some times buried in their honey.

“When a Poet has found the Repartee; the last perfection he can add to it, is to put it into Verse.  However good the Thought may be, however apt the Words in which ’tis couched; yet he finds himself at a little unrest, while Rhyme is wanting.  He cannot leave it, till that comes naturally; and then is at ease, and sits down contented.

“From Replies, which are the most elevated thoughts of Verse, you pass to the most mean ones, those which are common with the lowest of household conversation.  In these you say, the majesty of the Verse suffers.  You instance in ‘the calling of a servant’ or ’commanding a door to be shut’ in Rhyme.  This, CRITES! is a good observation of yours; but no argument.  For it proves no more, but that such thoughts should