(1) With breathing fire his pitchy nostrils blow,
As from his sides he shakes the fleecy snow.
Around this hoary prince from wat'ry beds
His subject islands raise their verdant heads.
.   .   .   .   .   .   .
Eternal spring with smiling verdure here
Warms the mild air and crowns the youthful year.
.   .   .   .   .   .   .
The vine undressed her swelling clusters bears,
The labouring hind the mellow olive cheers.

(The Dispensary.)

(Read, omitting the interlined epithets, and you get perfectly fluent octosyllables.)

(2) First in these fields, I try the sylvan strains,
Nor blush to sport on Windsor's blissful plains.
Fair Thames, flow gently from thy sacred spring,
While on thy banks Sicilian Muses sing;
Let vernal airs thro' trembling osiers play
And Albion's cliffs resound the rural lay.

(Windsor Forest.)

Now this, in the same way, by the omission of some of the italicised gradus epithets, becomes—

First in these fields I try the strains,
Nor blush to sport on Windsor's plains.
Fair Thames, flow gently from thy spring,
While on thy banks [the] Muses sing;
Let vernal airs through osiers play
And Albion's cliffs resound the lay.

[Transcriber's Note: In the following example, first part of each line is angled up the page, and second part of each line is angled down.]

(3) Not with more glories in th' ethereal plain
The sun first rises o'er the purpled main,
Than issuing forth the rival of his beams
Launch'd on the bosom of the silver Thames.
Fair nymphs and well-drest youths around her shone,
But ev'ry eye was fix'd on her alone.
On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore,
Which Jews might kiss and Infidels adore.
Her livelylooks a sprightly mind disclose,
Quick as her eyes and as unfixed as those.
Favours to none to all she smiles extends,
Oft she rejects but never once offends.
Bright as the sun her eyes the gazers strike,
And like the sun they shine on all alike.
Yet graceful ease and sweetness void of pride
Might hide her faults if Belles had faults to hide.
If to her share some female errors fall,
Look in her face and you'll forget them all.