The Stanzas of 7 Verses are frequent enough in our Poetry, especially among the Ancients, who compos'd many of their Poems in this sort of Stanza: See an Example of one of them taken from Spencer in The Ruines of Time, where the 1st and 3d Verses rhyme to one another, the 2d, 4th and 5th, and the two last.
But Fame with Golden Wings aloft doth fly
Above the reach of ruinous Decay,
And with brave Plumes does beat the Azure Sky,
Admir'd of base-born Men from far away:
Then whoso will with virtuous Deeds essay
To mount to Heaven, on Pegasus must ride,
And in sweet Poets Verse be glorify'd.
I have rather chosen to take notice of this Stanza, because that Poet and Chaucer have made use of it in many of their Poems, tho' they have not been follow'd in it by any of the Moderns: whose Stanza's of 7 Verses are generally compos'd as follows.
Either the four first Verses are a Quadran in Alternate Rhyme, and the three last rhyme to one another; as,
Now by my Love, the greatest Oath that is,
None loves you half so well as I;
I do not ask your Love for this,
But for Heaven's sake believe me, or I dye.
No Servant sure but did deserve
His Master should believe that he did serve;
And I'll ask no more Wages tho' I starve.Cowl.
Or the four first are two Couplets, and the three last a Triplet; as,
Indeed I must confess
When Souls mix 'tis a Happiness,
But not compleat till Bodies too combine,
And closely as our Minds together joyn.
But Half of Heav'n the Souls in Glory taste,
'Till by Love in Heav'n at last,
Their Bodies too are plac'd.Cowl.
Or, on the contrary, the three first may rhyme, and the four last be in Rhymes that follow one another; as,
From Hate, Fear, Hope, Anger, and Envy free,
And all the Passions else that be,
In vain I boast of Liberty:
In vain this State a Freedom call,
Since I have Love; and Love is all.
Sot that I am! who think it fit to brag
That I have no Disease besides the Plague.Cowl.
Or the 1st may rhyme to the two last, the 2d to the 5th, and the 3d and 4th to one another; as,