[Footnote 36: “Is _e_ for _o_ a mistake, or may it be compared with _preue_ for _prove_, &c.?” --Ellis. I would observe that _greting_ is the spelling of the _substantive_ in l. 166.] § 28. ON THE METRE OF HAVELOK. The poem is written in the familiar rhythm of which I have already spoken elsewhere, viz. at p. xxxvii of the Preface to Mr Morris’s edition of Genesis and Exodus. The metre of Havelok is rather more regular, but many of the remarks there made apply to it. The chief rule is that every line shall contain four accents,[37] the two principal types being afforded (1) by the eight-syllable and nine-syllable lines-- (_a_) For hém | ne yé|dë góld | ne fé, 44; (_b_) It wás | a kíng | bi á|rë dáwës, 27; and (2) by the seven-syllable and eight-syllable lines-- (_c_) Hérk|net tó | me gó|dë men, 1; (_d_) Al|lë thát | he mícth|ë fyndë, 42. To one of these four forms every line can be reduced, by the use of that slighter utterance of less important syllables which is so very common in English poetry. It is not the number of _syllables_, but of _accents_, that is essential. In _every_ line throughout the poem there are four accents, with only two or three exceptions, viz. ll. 1112, 1678, &c, which are defective. In a similar manner, we may readily scan any of the lines, as e.g. ll. 2-4; (_c_) Wi|uës, mayd|nës, and al|lë men (_b_) Of a ta|lë þat | ich you | wile tellë[38] (_b_) Wo-so | ’t wil’ her’ | and þer|to duellë, &c. Here the syllables _-nes and_ in l. 3, _of a_ in l. 4, and _it wile_ in l. 5, are so rapidly pronounced as to occupy only the room of one unaccented syllable in lines of the strict type. However awkward this appears to be in theory, it is very easy in practice, as the reciter readily manages his voice so as to produce the right rhythmical effect; and, indeed, this variation of arrangement is a real improvement, preventing the recitation from becoming monotonous. Those who have a good ear for rhythm will readily understand this, and it seems unnecessary to dwell upon it more at length. But it may be remarked, that the three lines above quoted are rather _more irregular than usual_, and that the metre is such as to enable us to fix the instances in which the final _-e_ is pronounced with great accuracy, on which account I shall say more about this presently. I would, however, first enumerate the rimes which seem to be more or less inexact or peculiar, or otherwise instructive. I. _Repetitions._ Such are _men, men_; _holden, holde_, 29;[39] _erþe, erþe_, 739; _heren, heren_, 1640; _nithes, knithes_, 2048; _youres, youres_, 2800. To this class belong also _longe, londe_, 172, _heye, heie_, 1151, 2544; where _longe, londe_ is, however, only an assonance.