Let us pass on now to triple measures. When con. sidering duration, it was noticed that, as contrasted with double measures, the triple give to the movement the effect of greater rapidity, inasmuch as the time usually allotted to two syllables is in them allotted to three. It is important to notice here, in addition to this, that in the degree in which the accented syllable in triple measures is rendered emphatic, there is a tendency to give it the same time as that given to the two unaccented syllables in the same foot, and thus, by way of contrast, to thrust it into greater prominence. Accordingly, initial and terminal accents in triple measure are stronger forms of the same in double measure. They convey, too, an added effect of rapidity, representing, therefore, more drift and momentum in the general thought expressed in the passage. But in triple measure there is also a middle syllable in the foot, which syllable, as well as the one before it or after it, can be emphasized. This fact gives rise to a measure of a new kind, which, as it influences somewhat both of the other kinds of triple measure, needs to be considered before them.

The accent given on the middle of the foot corresponds to what elocutionists term Median stress, in which the voice swells out on the middle of an utterance, as in reading the line: "O joy to the people and joy to the throne." Median stress begins like terminal, indicating, like it a reflective motive,-a desire to impress one's thought on others; and ends like initial, indicating an instinctive motive,-a desire to express one's thought for its own sake. The two forms together seem to indicate, therefore, any thing that is felt to be worth the attention both of others and of one's self. It is accordingly the natural expression for emotion or for eloquence of

thought, for any thing deemed to be intrinsically attractive and interesting whether because beautiful or pathetic. Notice how graceful is the general effect of this kind of

verse:

There is a green island in lone Gougaune Barra,
Where Allua of songs rushes forth as an arrow;

In deep valleyed Desmond-a thousand wild fountains
Come down to that lake from their home in the mountains.
High sons of the lyre, O how proud was the feeling,
To think while alone through that solitude stealing,
Though loftier minstrels green Erin could number,
I only awoke your wild harp from its slumber,

And mingled once more with the voice of those fountains
The songs even Echo forgot on her mountains.

—Gougaune Barra : J. J. Callanan.

"What makes you be shoving and moving your stool on,
And singing all wrong the old song of 'The Coolun'?"
There's a form at the casement,—the form of her true love,-
And he whispers with face bent: "I'm waiting for you, love;
Get up on the stool, through the lattice step lightly,

We'll rove in the grove while the moon's shining brightly."
-The Spinning-Wheel Song: J. F. Waller.

Median measures are frequently changed to terminal measures at the ends of the lines; e. g.:

How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood,
When fond recollection presents them to view.

The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wildwood,
And every loved spot which my infancy knew.

Old Oaken Bucket: S. Woodworth.

In slumbers of midnight the sailor boy lay,

His hammock swung loose to the sport of the wind:
But watch-worn and weary his cares flew away,
And visions of happiness danced o'er his mind.

-The Sailor Boy's Dream: Dimond.

Society, friendship, and love,

Divinely bestowed upon man.

O had I the wings of a dove,

How soon would I taste you again!

-Selkirk: Cowper.

The following are terminal triple measures, but owing to the fact that there is no break in the regularity of the metre after the pause at the end of each line, their effect is about the same as that of median triple measures:

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee,

And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

And so all the night-tide I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

-Annabel Lee: Poe.

The Greek metre corresponding to median is the Amphibrach, from auqi, on both sides, and ßpaxis, short. Scholars usually treat it as a form of the anapæst or terminal triple measure, and as significant of the same mental tendency. As the last two quotations have shown, these two measures are often used interchangeably, and, when we come to treat of terminal triple measure, we shall find that there is a reason why this should be so. Any further consideration, therefore, of what the measure represents may better be deferred until then.

In uttering measures termed Initial Triple, of which examples are given below, it will be noticed that there is a natural tendency to use more emphasis with the second than with the first of the unaccented syllables, producing therefore a stronger tone at the end as well as at the beginning of the measure. In this respect a foot thus accented corresponds in effect to what elocutionists term Compound stress; and for this reason might be termed

Compound measure. Compound stress characterizes an utterance the first and last parts of which receive more force than its middle. It may be used for a strong form of initial stress, especially where there are long slides, the beginnings and ends of which need to be brought out with distinctness, as in the word now in the question: "What will you do now?" or it may be used, as its form (X) suggests, especially with abrupt irregular rhythm, for a combination of the ideas expressed by initial and terminal stress-i. e., for assured, positive, and dictating earnestness, persistence, and determination, as in these words that are italicised.

“You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things."

Here are examples of the poetic equivalent for this kind of stress, indicating persistence or determination. They introduce occasionally an initial double measure; e. g.:

Come away, come away, hark to the summons;
Come in your war array, gentles and commons,

Come as the winds come when forests are rended,
Come as the waves come when navies are stranded;
Faster, come faster, come faster and faster,

Chief, vassal, page and groom, tenant and master.

-Gathering Song of Donald the Black: Scott.

Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air,
Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army while

All the world wondered:

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right through the line they broke;

Cossack and Russian

Reeled from the sabre-stroke.

-Charge of the Light Brigade: Tennyson

Several Greek measures correspond to this, chiefly perhaps the Dactyl from daxτvλos, a finger, which, like the measure, consists of three members, divided at the joints into one long and two short parts. Schmidt tells us that this "was used (especially in choric poetry) to denote an exalted God-trusting state of mind, or to express warnings with solemn earnestness”—both of which uses could evidently be made of a metre representing the ideas just attributed to this. The measure corresponds also to Schmidt's representation of the pæonic, which with some quadruple feet derived its main effect from feet containing a long syllable followed by a short and a long. This, as will be noticed, is more nearly analogous to Compound stress than is the dactyl. But in English both measures would be read in nearly the same way, and would always be used interchangeably. The pæonic measure, according to Schmidt, indicated "overwhelming enthusiasm," as well as another state to be spoken of in a moment. Of course, the "enthusiasm " here mentioned can very properly be classed as a manifestation of the highest degree of assurance and positiveness, which have been said to characterize this metre. The other state of feeling which Schmidt says that this metre sometimes represents, is apparently just the opposite of enthusiasm--i. e., “uncertainty, wavering, and helplessness." We find an exact parallel to this conflicting use of the Greek pæonics in the employment of initial triple measure in such a poem as Hood's Bridge of Sighs; e. g.:

Touch her not scornfully,
Think of her mournfully,
Gently, and humanly.
Not of the stains of her,
All that remains of her

Now is pure womanly.