Chapter XXI: Section III: Further instructions concerning rhyme

The consonants that precede the vowels where the rhyme begins, must be different in sound, and not the same; for then the rhyme will be too perfect; as light, delight; vice, advice, and the like; for though such rhymes were allowable in the days of Spenser and the other old poets, they are not so now, nor can there be any music in one single note. Cowley himself owns, that they ought not to be allowed except in Pindaric odes, which is a sort of free poetry, and there too very sparingly and not without a third rhyme to answer to both; as,

"In barren Age wild and inglorious lye,
And boast of past Fertility,
The poor relief of present Poverty."—_Cowley._

Where the words fertility and poverty rhyme very well to the last word of the first verse, lye; but cannot rhyme to each other, because the consonants that precede the last vowels are the same, both in writing and sound.

But this is yet less allowable, if the accent be on the last syllable
of the rhyme; as,

"Her Language melts Omnipotence, arrests
His hand, and thence the vengeful Light'ning wrests."—_Blac._

From hence it follows, that a word cannot rhyme to itself though the signification be different; as, he leaves to the leaves, &c.

Nor the words that differ both in writing and sense, if they have the
same sound, as maid and made, prey and pray, to bow and a bough; as,

"How gaudy Fate may be in Presents sent,
And creep insensible by Touch or Scent."—_Oldham._

Nor a compound to its simple; as move to remove, taught to untaught, &c.

Nor the compounds of the same words to one another, as disprove to approve, and the like. All which proceeds from what I said before, viz., that the consonants that precede the vowels where the rhyme begins, must not be the same in sound, but different. In all which we vary from our neighbours; for neither the French, Italians, nor Spaniards, will allow, that a rhyme can be too perfect; and we meet with frequent examples in their poetry, where not only the compounds rhyme to their simples, and to themselves, but even where words written and pronounced exactly alike, provided they have a different signification, are made use of as rhymes to another. But this is not permitted in our poetry.

We must take care not to place a word at the middle of a verse that
rhymes to the last word of it; as,

"So young in show, as if he still should grow."

But this fault is still more inexcusable, if the second verse rhyme to
the middle and end of the first; as,

"Knowledge he only sought, and so soon caught,
As if for him Knowledge had rather sought."—_Cowley._

"Here Passion sways, but there the Muse shall raise
Eternal Monuments of louder Praise."—_Waller._

Or both the middle and end of the second to the last word of the
first; as,

"Farewell, she cry'd, my Sister, thou dear Part,
Thou sweetest Part of my divided Heart."—_Dryden._

Where the tenderness of expression will not atone for the jingle.