University of Virginia Library

SECT. V.

Of the Elisions that are admitted in our Versification.

Our Verses consisting only of a certain Number of Syllables, nothing can be of more ease, or greater use to our Poets than the retaining or cutting off a Syllable from a Verse, according as the measure of it requires; and therefore it will be requisite to treat of the Elisions that are allowable in our Poetry, some of which have been already taken notice of in the preceeding Article.

By Elision I mean the cutting off one or more Letters from a. Word, whereby two Syllables come to be contracted into one, or the taking away an entire Syllable; Now when in a Word of more than two Syllables, which is accented upon the last save two, any of the Liquids L, M, N, or R, happen to be between two Vowels, that which preceedes the Liquid admits of an Elision. Of this nature are all the Words in LOUS, MOUS, NOUS, and ROUS preceded by a Vowel; as Fabulous, Amorous, which are Words of three Syllables, and often us'd as such in Verse: But they may also be contracted into two, by cutting off the Vowel that preceedes the Liquid; as Fab'lous, Am'rous.

Observe, that I said accented upon the last save two, for if the Word be accented on the last save one; that is to say, upon the Vowel that precedes the Liquid, that Vowel may not be cut off. And therefore it is a fault in some Poets to make, for Example, Sonorous of two Syllables, as in this Verse;

Blac.

Which always ought to be of three; as in this,

Milt.

There are also many Words in RY, that admit of the like Elisions; as Vot'ry, Vict'ry, or Votary, Victory, &c.

To these may be added the Gerunds of all Verbs whose Infinitives end in any of the Liquids, preceeded by a Vowel or Dipthong, and that are accented upon the last save one,

for the Gerunds being form'd by adding the Syllable ING to the Infinitive, the Liquid, that was their final Letter, comes thereby to be between two Vowels, and the Accent that was upon the last save one of the Infinitive, comes to be on the last save two of the Gerund, and therefore the Vowel or Dipthong that preceeds the Liquid may be cut off, by means whereof the Gerund of three Syllables comes to be but of two, as from Travel, Travelling, or Trav'ling, from Endeavour, Endeavouring, or Endeav'ring, and many others.

But if the Accent be upon the last Syllable of such a Verb, its Gerund will not suffer such an Elision: Thus the Gerund of Devour must always be of 3 Syllables, Devouring,not Dev'ring, because all Derivatives still retain the Accent of their Primitives, that is, upon the same Syllable, and the Accent always obliges the Syllable upon which it is to remain intire.

Whenever the Letter S happens to be between two Vowels in words of the like Nature, that is to say, that are Accented upon the last save one, one of the Vowels will admit of the like Elision; as Pris'ner, Bus'ness, &c.

Or the Letter C when it is sounded like S, that is to say, whenever it preceeds the Vowels e, or i, as, Med'cine for Medicine, &c.

Whenever V Consonant happens to be between two Vowles, the last of them may be cut off, as Ev'n, Ev'ry, &c. But Never, Ever, Over, lose their Consonant, and are contracted thus: Ne'er, E'er, O'er.

Lastly, to these may be added the Gerunds of the Verbs in OW, that are Accented upon the last save one, as Follow, Wallow, &c. All which will suffer an Elision of the O that preceeds the W; as Foll'wing, Wall'wing, &c.