112 
A NOTE ON THE ALEXANDRINE 
 
in a free and enlightened country that these verses are to be 
spoken with the natural emphasis and accent.  If they fail in 
this, the variety that I have purposely introduced into the 
measure with musical intent will be lost, and the play will be 
no longer human speech. 
If everything be spoken as if it were prose, then the re-
peated rimes at the short intervals will make speech, as 
it were, chime. 
But if people try to fit the speech to the rime, all is lost. 
Well, God forgive sin ! 
 
ALEISTER CROWLEY.