For these respectes the auncient reformers of language, inuented, three maner of pauses, one of lesse leasure then another, and such seuerall intermissions of sound to serue( besides easment to the breath) for a treble distinction of sentences or parts of speach, as they happened to be more or lesse perfect in sence.  The shortest pause or intermission they called comma as who would say a peece of a speach cut of.  The second they called colon, not a peece but as it were a member for his larger length, because it occupied twice as much time as the comma.  The third they called periodus, for a complement or full pause, and as a resting place and perfection of so much former speach as had bene vttered, and from whence they needed not to passe any further vnles it were to renew more matter to enlarge the tale.  This cannot be better represented then by example of these common trauailers by the hie ways, where they seeme to allow themselues three maner of staies or easements:  one a horsebacke calling perchaunce for a cup of beere or wine, and hauing dronken it vp rides away and neuer lights:  about noone he commeth to his Inne, & there baites him selfe and his horse an houre or more:  at night when he can conueniently trauaile no further, he taketh vp his lodging, and rests him selfe till the morrow:  from whence he followeth the course of a further voyage, if his business be such.  Euen so our Poet when he hath made one verse, hath as it were finished one dayes iourney, & the while easeth him selfe with one baite at the least, which is a Comma or Cesure in the mid way, if the verse be euen and not odde, otherwise in some other place, and not iust in the middle.  If there be no Cesure at all, and the verse long, the lesse is the makers skill and hearers delight.  Therefore in a verse of twelue sillables the Cesure ought to fall right vpon the sixt sillable:  in a verse of eleuen vpon the sixt also leauing fiue to follow.  In a verse of ten vpon the fourth, leaving sixe to follow.  In a verse of nine vpon the fourth, leauing fiue to follow.  In a verse of eight iust in the middest, that is, vpon the fourth.  In a verse of seauen, either vpon the fourth or none at all, the meeter very ill brooking any pause.  In a verse of sixe sillables and vnder is needefull no Cesure at all, because the breath asketh no reliefe:  yet if ye giue any Comma, it is to make distinction of sense more then for any thing else:  and such Cesure must neuer be made in the middest of any word, if it be well appointed.  So may you see that the vse of these pawses or distinctions is not generally with the vulgar Poet as it is with the Prose writer because the Poetes cheife Musicke lying in his rime or concorde to heare the Simphonie, he maketh all the hast he can to be at an end of his verse, and delights not in many stayes by the way, and therefore giueth but one Cesure to any verse:  and thus much for the sounding of a meetre.  Neuerthelesse