On Quantitative Metre 335the classical languages that a sequence of more than one con-
sonant after a short vowel — whether in the word itself or with
the help of an initial consonant or consonants in the word that
follows — compensates for the shortness and gives the syllable,
inexorably, a value of metrical length. This is palpably untrue, as
has already been shown by the stumbles of Sidney and Bridges
and every other classicist operator in quantitative verse. Let
us again consult the ear, not the theorising mind; what is its
judgment on this point if we listen, for instance, to these four
hexameter lines based on natural and true quantity?
O_
ne a ̆nd u ̆n|a_
rmed i ̆nthe ̆|ca_
rwa ̆sthe ̆|dri_
ve ̆r;|gre_
ywa ̆she ̆,|shru_
nke ̆n,Wo_
rn wi ̆th hi ̆s|de_
ca_
des. To ̆|Pe_
rga ̆ma ̆|ci_
nctu ̆red wi ̆th|stre_
ngthCy_
clo ̆|pe_
a ̆nO_
ld a ̆nd a ̆|lo_
ne he ̆a ̆r|ri_
ved, i ̆nsi ̆g|ni_
fi ̆ca ̆nt,|fee_
ble ̆st o ̆f|mo_
rta ̆ls,Ca_
rry ̆i ̆ng|Fa_
te i ̆nhi ̆s|he_
lple ̆ss|ha_
nds a ̆nd the ̆|doo_
mo ̆fa ̆n|e_
mpi_
re.According to the classical theory words and syllables like “and”,
“of”, “in”, “the”, “he”, “ing” should be treated as long since or
when two or three consonants come immediately after the vowel
within the line. But this is quite false; the “dr” of “driver” does
not as a matter of fact make the “the” before it long; the natural
shortness of “with” is not abolished by the “h” of the following
word “his”, or the shortness of “his” by the “d” of “decades”.
All these small light words are so intrinsically short, so light in
their very nature, that nothing, or nothing short of an unavoid-
able stress, can force quantitative length or weight of sound
upon them. Even the short “i”s and short “a” of “insignificant”
and the short “e” of “feeblest” retain their insignificance and
feebleness in spite of the help of the two consonants occurring
after them, — the voice passes too swiftly away for any length
to accrue before it has left them; there is no weight, no dwelling
or lingering upon them sufficient to give them a greater sound-
value. It would be a strange and extravagant prosody that could