ying of the Pause_, which is the Soul of all
Versification in all Languages. Verse is Musick, and Musick is more or
less pleasing as the Notes are more or less varied, that is, raised or
sunk, prolonged or shortned. In order to judge of the varying of
_English_ Versification, I first endeavour'd (as I have already said,
with respect to the _Latin_) to find out the common Pause in _English_
Verse, that is, where the Voice naturally makes some sort of Stop when
a Verse is read. To this purpose I look'd into Mr. _Cowley_'s
_Davideis_ (for it would be of no use to quote such Authors as
_Quarles_ and _Ogilby_, who never had any Reputation for Poetry; but
this Gentleman has been stil'd, and is at present recorded in
_Westminster-Abbey_, as _Anglorum Pindarus_, _Maro_, _Flaccus_) and
there I soon found the common Pause to be upon the last Syllable of
the second Foot. For Example:

"I sing the Man | who _Judah_'s Sceptre bore
In that Right-hand, | which held the Crook before;
Who from best Poet, | best of Kings _did_ grow:
The two chief Gifts | Heav'n could on Man bestow.
Much Dangers first, | much Toil did he sustain,
Whilst _Saul_ and Hell | crost his strong Fate in vain.
Nor did his Crown | less painful Work afford--

Here we have seven Lines, and all of them, except the third, paus'd in
the same place.

Thus I discovered from _Cowley_ in _English_ what I perceived from
_Ovid_ in _Latin_. I then turned to the _Paradise Lost_, and there I
found _Milton_ even surpasses _Virgil_ in this particular. _Virgil_
uses the common Pause at the fifth Line of the _Georgicks_, but
_Milton_ does not use it till he comes to the sixth Line in his
_Paradise Lost_.

"Of Man's first Disobedience | and the Fruit
Of that forbidden Tree | whose mortal Taste
Brought Death into the World | and all our Woe,
With Loss of _Eden_ | 'till one greater Man
Restore us | and regain the blissful Seat,
Sing Heavenly Muse |--

It would be needless to produce more Examples to this purpose; and I
believe I may venture to affirm that the Verse is varied at least with
as much Skill in the _Paradise Lost_, as even in the _Georgick_
itself: I am inclinable to think with more, because in this respect
the _English_ Language surpasses the _Latin_, by reason of its
Monosyllables, of which I have said enough for any body at all versed
in these Matters, to be able to make out what is here advanc'd. But
before I quit this Article, I will