OBS. 4.—­These lines this ingenious prosodist divides not thus, but, throwing them together like prose unpunctuated, finds in them “a regular succession of dactylic rhythms, varied only at three points by equivalent spondees, and separated into two distinct divisions by equivalent terminating caesuras.”  He imagines that, “By all who have ears—­not over long—­this will be acknowledged as the true and the sole true scansion.”—­E.  A. Poe:  Pioneer, p. 107.  So it may, for aught I know; but, having dared to show there is an other way quite as simple and plain, and less objectionable, I submit both to the judgement of the reader:—­

“Kn=ow y~e th~e | l=and wh~ere th~e | c=ypr~ess and | m=yrtle are |
=emblems of | d=eeds that are | d=one in th~eir | cl=ime wh~ere th~e |
r=age of the | v=ult~ure th~e | l=ove of the | t=urtl~e n~ow | m=elt
into | s=oftn~ess n~ow | madd~en t~o | crime.  Kn=ow y~e th~e | l=and
of the | c=ed~ar and | v=ine where th~e | fl=ow’rs ever | bl=oss~om
th~e | b=eams ever | sh=ine wh~ere th=e | l=ight w~ings =of | z=eph=yr
op | -pr=ess’d with p~er | -f=ume w=ax | f=aint o’er the | g=ard~ens
of | G=ul in h~er | bl=oom wh~ere th~e | c=itr~on and | =olive are |
f=airest of | fr=uit and th~e | v=oice of the | n=ight~ing~ale |
n=ev~er is | m=ute where th~e | v=irg~ins are | s=oft as th~e | r=os~es
th~ey | tw=ine =and | =all s~ave th~e | sp=ir~it of | m=an is d~i- |
v=ine ’t~is th~e | l=and of the | E=ast ’t~is th~e | cl=im~e of the |
S=un c~an h~e | sm=ile on such | d=eeds as his | ch=ildr~en h~ave |
d~one =oh w=ild as the | =acc~ents of | l=overs’ f~are- | w=ell are
the | h=earts th~at th~ey | be=ar and th~e | t=ales th~at th~ey |
t=ell.”—­Ib.

OBS. 5.—­In the sum and proportion of their quantities, the anapest, the dactyl, and the amphibrach, are equal, each having two syllables short to one long; and, with two short quantities between two long ones, lines may be tolerably accordant in rhythm, though the order, at the commencement, be varied, and their number of syllables be not equal.  Of the following sixteen lines, nine are pure anapestic tetrameters; one may be reckoned dactylic, but it may quite as well be said to have a trochee, an iambus, and two anapests or two amphimacs; one is a spondee and three anapests; and the rest may be scanned as amphibrachics ending with an iambus, but are more properly anapestics commencing with an iambus.  Like the preceding example from Byron, they lack the uniformity of proper composites, and are rather to be regarded as anapestics irregularly diversified.

THE ALBATROSS.

“’Tis said the Albatross never rests.”—­Buffon.