This Middle English long line, of either six or seven stresses or accents, is found in Skelton's Magnyfycence, and other early Plays.
In Roister Doister, on the whole, the lines of six accents seem to prevail, lines corresponding to the Middle English Alexandrine, or in Udall's case perhaps rather to the classical senarius, to the trimeter of the Roman comedy as understood by Udall. But a great number of septenarii occur at the side of these senarii, distributed all over the play, and in the speeches of different persons.
In many cases it seems even doubtful whether a verse should be regarded as a senarius or a septenarius.
Specimens of the Senarius:—
| Truepen | ie get | thee in | thou shalt | among | them knowe |
| I will | speake out | aloude | I care | not who | heare it. |
Specimens of the Septenarius (the syllable before the cæsura or the end of the line with a slighter, secondary accent, produces this septenarius in most cases):—
| I go' | now Tri'st | ram Tru'st | y` | I tha'nk | you' | right mu'ch | |
| And see' | that in' | case I' | should neede' | to come' | to arm' | ing.` | |
Senarii or Septenarii:—
| Yet a fi'tter wi'fe for you'r | ma'ship mi'ght be fou'nde. | |
| or: | Ye't a fi'tter wi'fe for you'r | ma'ship mi'ght be fou'nde. |
| Such a good'ly ma'n as you' | mi'ght get on'e with la'nde. | |
| or: | Such' a good'ly ma'n as you' | mi'ght get on'e with la nde. |