Excuse my brevity: I can say but little where I understand but little. _I am_, etc. OF ROPALIC or Gradual Verses, Etc. _Mens mea sublimes rationes præmeditatur._ TRACT VII SIR, Though I may justly allow a good intention in this Poem presented unto you, yet I must needs confess, I have no affection for it; as being utterly averse from all affectation in Poetry, which either restrains the phancy, or fetters the invention to any strict disposure of words. A poem of this nature is to be found in _Ausonius_ beginning thus, _Spes Deus æternæ stationis conciliator._ These are Verses _Ropalici_ or _Clavales_, arising gradually like the Knots in a Ῥοπάλη or Clubb; named also _Fistulares_ by _Priscianus_, as _Elias Vinetus_[265] hath noted. They consist properly of five words, each thereof encreasing by one syllable. They admit not of a _Spondee_ in the fifth place, nor can a Golden or Silver Verse be made this way. They run smoothly both in Latin and Greek, and some are scatteringly to be found in _Homer_; as, Ὦ μάκαρ Ἀτρείδη μοιρηγενὲς ὀλβιοδαίμον, _Liberè dicam sed in aurem, ego versibus hujusmodi Ropalicis, longo syrmate protractis, Ceraunium affigo._ [265] El Vinet. _in_ Auson. He that affecteth such restrained Poetry, may peruse the Long Poem of _Hugbaldus_ the Monk, wherein every word beginneth with a C penned in the praise of _Calvities_ or Baldness, to the honour of _Carolus Calvus_ King of _France_, _Carmina clarisonæ calvis cantate Camænæ._ The rest may be seen at large in the _adversaria_ of _Barthius_: or if he delighteth in odd contrived phancies may he please himself with _Antistrophes_, _Counterpetories_, _Retrogrades_, _Rebusses_, _Leonine_ Verses, etc. to be found in _Sieur des Accords_. But these and the like are to be look'd upon, not pursued, odd works might be made by such ways; and for your recreation I propose these few lines unto you, _Arcu paratur quod arcui sufficit._ _Misellorum clamoribus accurrere non tam humanum quam sulphureum est._ _Asino teratur quæ Asino teritur._ _Ne Asphodelos comedas, phœnices manduca._ _Cœlum aliquid potest, sed quæ mira præstat Papilio est._ Not to put you unto endless amusement, the Key hereof is the homonomy of the Greek made use of in the Latin words, which rendreth all plain. More ænigmatical and dark expressions might be made if any one would speak or compose them out of the numerical Characters or characteristical Numbers set down by _Robertus de Fluctibus_.[266] [266] _Tract 2. Part lib. 1._ As for your question concerning the contrary expressions of the Italian and Spaniards in their common affirmative answers, the Spaniard answering _cy Sennor_, the Italian _Signior cy_, you must be content with this Distich,