The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle dew from heaven Upon the place beneath; it is twice bless'd, It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes 'Tis mightiest of the mighty, it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown. His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute of awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings: But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthroned in the hearts of kings: It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's, When mercy seasons justice.--SHAKSPEARE. § 537. _The last measure in a line or verse is indifferent as to its length._--By referring to the section upon single rhymes, we shall find that the number of syllables is just double the number of accents; that is, to each accented there is one unaccented syllable, and no more. Hence, with five accents, there are to each line ten syllables. This is not the case with all verses. Some rhymes are double, and the last accented syllable has two unaccented ones to follow it. Hence, with five accents there are to each line eleven syllables. Now it is in the last measure that this supernumerary unaccented syllable appears; and it is a general rule, that, in the last measure of any verse, supernumerary unaccented syllables can be admitted without destroying the original character of the measure. § 538. See the verses in the section on double rhymes. Here the original character of the measure is x a throughout, until we get to the words _disséver_ and _for éver_, and afterwards to _men doúbt it_, and _aboút it_. At the first view it seems proper to say that in these last-mentioned cases x a is converted into x a x. A different view, however, is the more correct one. _Disséver_ and _for éver_, are rather x a with a syllable over. This extra syllable may be expressed by the sign _plus_ ( + ), so that the words in point may be expressed by x a +, rather than by x a x. It is very clear that a measure whereof the last syllable is accented (that is, measures like x a, _presúme_, or x x a, _cavalíer_), can only vary from their original character on the side of excess; that is, they can only be altered by the addition of fresh syllables. To subtract a syllable from such feet is impossible; since it is only the last syllable that is capable of being subtracted. If that last syllable, however, be the accented syllable of the measure, the whole measure is annihilated. Nothing remains but the unaccented syllable preceding; and this, as no measure can subsist without an accent, must be counted as a supernumerary part of the preceding measure. § 539. With the measures a x, a x x, x a x, the case is different. Here there is room for syllable or syllables to be subtracted.