Pope himself, however, has confuted his own words by his admirable writings more effectively than could be done by labored argument. Many of the best lines in the Essay above referred to, as well as in the Essay on Man,—and there are few “dull” or “creeping” verses to be found in either,—are made up entirely of monosyllables, or contain but one word of greater length, or a contracted word pronounced as one syllable. The Universal Prayer—one of the most beautiful and elaborate pieces, both in sentiment and versification, ever produced in any language—contains three hundred and four words, of which there are two hundred and forty-nine monosyllables to fifty-five polysyllables, thus averaging but one of the latter to every line. A single stanza is appended as a specimen:— If I am right, thy grace impart Still in the right to stay; If I am wrong, oh, teach my heart To find that better way! Rogers, conversing on this subject, cited two lines from _Eloisa to Abelard_, which he declared could not possibly be improved:— Pant on thy lip, and to thy heart be press’d; Give all thou canst—and let me dream the rest. Among the illustrations employed by Floy, are numerous selections from the hymnology in common congregational use, such as the following:— Sweet is the work, my God, my King, To praise thy name, give thanks, and sing; To show thy love by morning light, And talk of all thy truth at night.—§Watts.§ Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace To help me on to God?—§Watts.§ Save me from death; from hell set free; Death, hell, are but the want of thee: My life, my only heav’n thou art,— O might I feel thee in my heart!—§C. Wesley.§ The same writer, to show Shakspeare’s fondness for small words, and their frequent subservience to some of his most masterly efforts, enters upon a monosyllabic analysis of King Lear, quoting from it freely throughout. Those who read the play with reference to this point will be struck with the remarkable number of forcible passages made up of words of one syllable:— Thou know’st the first time that we smell the air, We wawl and cry: I will preach to thee; mark me. When we are born, we cry that we are come To this great stage of fools.—This a good block?—_Act IV. Sc. 6._ The following occurs in the play of King John, where the King is pausing in his wish to incite Hubert to murder Arthur:— Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet; But thou shalt have; and creep time ne’er so slow, Yet it shall come, for me to do thee good. I had a thing to say.—But let it go.—_Act III. Sc. 3._