Here Arms, the, I, who, by, appear to be shorter in their Sound than and, man, sing, forc'd, fate.
Again,
"Breathe soft or loud, and wave your Tops, ye Pines.
In this Line the same Difference is perceiv'd between breathe, or, your, ye; and soft, loud, wave, tops, pines.
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Whence it is evident that these Lines are perfectly Iambick.
The Particle and, as well as some other Monosyllables, may be said to be common, like many Words in Latin; they submit themselves to be alter'd by the Voice in reading, and may be pronounced either long or short: But this is not so in other Words. And here it may be proper to observe, that Milton has a very artful Way of varying his Numbers, by putting a Trochaick Foot at the Beginning of a Verse; and the Reason why he could do it, is, that the Verse is not enough form'd in that place for the Ear to perceive the Want of the proper Measure. The Examples of this kind are very numerous: I will mention but two.
"Angels, for ye behold him, and with Song.
And again,