[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
Slit,—The stanza from Chevy Chase in the article of October 2nd belongs to the seventeenth-century version of the poem—the version which Addison discusses in the Spectator of May 21st, 1711. It was no doubt by a printer's error that "needs " was omitted before " must " in the first line. I cannot inform your correspondent of the origin of the version, but it is to be found in a great many modern anthologies. The discussion of French rhyme in the same article omits mention of the " identical rhyme" which sounds so strange to English ears. Pas meaning " step" is constantly rhymed with pas the negative, and Hugo has somewhere—.
"La rose dit h la tombs :— Que fais-tu do ce qui tombs Dans ton gouffre (awed toujours P " The ingenuity of the " Senna cherib " couplet recalls a brilliant improvisation made by an Eton rhymester in answer to a challenge. Commanded to rhyme on "Kidderminster" he said :— "There was a young curate of Kidderminster, Who once unmistakably chid a spinster; For once on the ice She used words that weren't nice When he quite inadvertently slid aginst her."
The " Sennacherib " couplet itself has a sequel, though perhaps a rather disappointing one :— " That doughty chief Sennacherib Of any man could crack a rib, Save only of Tehosophat- I'll tell you why—he was so fat."
Such frivolous rhyming may be a blessed form of recreation and do good service in the distracting of thoughts. Sick men sometimes amuse themselves by inventing new names for the Rhyming Family. The family consists entirely of twins. The eldest pair are called "Peter" and " Repeater," and the second "Kate" and "Duplicate"; after that you may devise as many such pairs of names as you can, but the last of all should be ""Max" and " Climax " or "Mary " and" Summary" according to your taste in sexes.--I am, Sir, &c.,
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