Assonance was the characteristic coördinating element in the verse of the early Romance languages, the Provençal, Old French, and Spanish. Thus in the _Chanson de Roland_ (eleventh century) we find the verses of each _laisse_, or strophe, bound together by assonance. Frequently this develops into full rime by chance or convenience. The following is a characteristic group of verses from the _Roland_: Li reis Marsilies esteit en Sarragoce. Alez en est un vergier soz l'ombre; Sor un pedron de marbre bloi se colchet: Environ lui at plus de vint milie homes. Il en apelet et ses dus et ses contes: "Odez, seignor, quels pechiez nos encombret. Li emperedre Charles de France dolce En cest pais nos est venuz confondre." The following specimen of Old Spanish verse shows the nature of assonance as regularly used in that language: Fablo myo Çid bien e tan mesurado: "Grado a ti, señor padre, que estas en alto! Esto me han buelto myos enemigos malos." Alli pieussan de aguijar, alli sueltan las rriendas. A la exida de Bivar ovieron la corneja diestra, E entrando a Burgos ovieron la siniestra. Meçio myo Çid los ombros e engrameo la tiesta: "Albricia, Albarffanez, ca echados somos de tierra!" (_Poema del Cid._ Twelfth century.) Maiden, crowned with glossy blackness, Lithe as panther forest-roaming, Long-armed naiad, when she dances, On a stream of ether floating,-- Bright, O bright Fedalma! Form all curves like softness drifted, Wave-kissed marble roundly dimpling, Far-off music slowly winged, Gently rising, gently sinking,-- Bright, O bright Fedalma! (GEORGE ELIOT: Song from _The Spanish Gypsy_, book i.) This song was written in avowed imitation of the Spanish verse, illustrating its prevailingly trochaic rhythm as well as alliteration. Elsewhere verse bound together only by assonance is almost unknown in English poetry. In the _Contemporary Review_ for November, 1894, Mr. William Larminie has an interesting article giving a favorable account of the use of assonance in Celtic (Irish) verse, and proposing its larger use in English poetry, as a relief from the--to him--almost cloying elaborateness of rime. In the following specimen, assonance seems in some measure to take the place of rime. Haply, the river of Time-- As it grows, as the towns on its marge Fling their wavering lights On a wider, statelier stream-- May acquire, if not the calm Of its early mountainous shore, Yet a solemn peace of its own.