Even the number of the inversions of accent decreases considerably and is only about 12 per cent. We find scarcely any examples of double thesis, slurring of syllables, missing theses in the beginning or in the interior of the line, &c. The caesura, which is the chief means by which variety is imparted to the metre, is generally masculine or lyric, and as a rule occurs after the second or third foot; occasionally we have double caesuras. Epic caesuras are rare, if they occur at all. Feminine endings are frequent, their proportion being about 25 to 28 per cent. Light and weak endings are rarely to be found amongst the masculine endings, nor are run-on lines (about 20 per cent.) frequently used by Dryden. Most of the characteristic features of his blank verse will be found exemplified in the following extract: Emperor. _Márry'd! | I'll nót belíeve it; || 'tís impósture; Impróbable | they shóu'd presúme t'attémpt, Impóssible | they shóu'd efféct their wísh._ Benducar. _Have pátience tíll I cléar it._ | Emperor. _Í have nóne: Go bíd our móving Pláins of Sánd | lie stíll, And stír not, | whén the stórmy Sóuth blows hígh: From tóp to bóttom | thóu hast tóss'd my Sóul, And nów 'tis ín the mádness | of the Whírl. Requír'st a súdden stóp? | unsáy thy lýe, That máy in týme do sómewhat._ | Benducar. _Í have dóne. For, sínce it pléases yóu | it shóu'd be fórg'd 'Tis fít it shóu'd: | Fár be it fróm your Sláve, To ráise distúrbance | ín your Sácred Bréast._ Emperor. _Sebástian ís my Sláve | as wéll as thóu; Nor dúrst offénd my Lóve, | but thát Presúmption ..._ Benducar. _Most súre he óught not._ | Emperor. _Thén all méans were wánting; No Príest, no Céremónies | óf their Séct: Or, gránt we thése defécts | cou'd bé supplý'd, Hów cou'd our Próphet dó | an áct so báse, Só to resúme his Gífts, | and cúrse my Cónquests, By máking mé unháppy! | Nó, the Sláve That tóld thee só absúrd a stóry, | lý'd._ Dryden, Sebastian, III. The blank verse of Lee, Otway, N. Rowe, and Addison[169] is of similar structure. § =179.= Blank verse was treated even more strictly by =Thomson= in _The Seasons_. Thomson followed Dryden with regard to his treatment of the caesura and the inversion of accent, but made no use at all of feminine endings. Cf. the following passage from _Summer_: