Did he travel for health', or for pleasure'? NOTE I.-When the disjunctive or is made emphatic, with the falling inflection, it is followed by the rising inflection, in accordance with the note to Rule IV.; as, "He must have traveled for health, or pleasure'." EXAMPLES.-He must either work', or study'.-He must be a mechanic, or a lawyer'. -He must get his living in one way, or the other'. NOTE II.-When or is used conjunctively, as no contrast is denoted by it, it requires the rising inflection after as well as before it, except when the clause or sentence expresses a completion of the sense. EXAMPLE.-Did he give you money', or food', or clothing'? No', he gave me nothing'. RULE VI.-When negation is opposed to affirmation, the former takes the rising and the latter the falling inflection, in whatever order they occur. Comparison and contrast (antithesis) come under the same head. EXAMPLES.-I did not hear him', I saw him'.-I said he was a good soldier', not' a good citizen'. He will not come to-day', but to-morrow'.-He did not call me', but you'.-He means dutiful', not undutiful'.-I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him'. This is no time for a tribunal of justice', but for showing mercy; not for accusation', but for philanthropy'; not for trial', but for pardon'; not for sentence and execution', but for compassion and kindness'. Comparison and Contrast.-Homer was the greater genius', Virgil the better artist'; in the one we most admire the man', in the other the work'.-There were tyrants at home', and robbers abroad'. By honor' and dishonor; by evil report' and good report'; as deceivers', and yet true' : as unknown', and yet well known'; as dying', and behold we live; as chastened', and not killed; as sorrowful', yet always rejoicing; as poor', yet making many rich'; as having nothing', yet possessing all things. When our vices leave us, we flatter ourselves we leave them'. The prodigal robs his heir', the miser robs himself `. NOTE I.-Negative sentences which imply a continuance of thought, although they may not be opposed to affirmation, frequently close with the rising inflection; as, True politeness is not a mere compliance with arbitrary custom'. Do not suppose that I would deceive you'. These things do not make your government'.` This is nearly allied in character to Rule IX.; and such examples as those under Note I. may be considered as expressive of tender emotion, in opposition to strong emotion. Affirmative sentences similar to the foregoing require the rising inflection, in accordance with Rule IX., when they express tender emotion; as, I trust you will hear me'. I am sure you are mistaken'. But, sir, the poor must not starve'; they must be taken care of'. NOTE II.-When, in contrasted sentences, negation is attended with deep and calm feeling, it requires the falling inflection. EXAMPLE. We are perplexed', but not in despair'; persecuted', but not forsaken. RULE VII.-For the sake of variety and harmony, the last pause but ove in a sentence is usually preceded by the rising inflection. EXAMPLES.-The minor longs to be of age; then to be a man of business'; then to arrive at honors'; then to retire. Time taxes our health', our limbs', our faculties', our strength', and our features`. NOTE.-The foregoing rule is sometimes departed from in the case of an emphatic succession of particulars, for which, see Rule VIII. In the second preceding example, the rising inflection is given to the words health, limbs, faculties, and strength, both because they are not attended with strong emphasis, and because they are followed by the pause of suspension, in which the mind anticipates a continuation of the sentence. In an emphatic series of particulars, where the series begins the sentence, but does not either end it or form complete sense, every particular except the last should have the falling inflection. EXAMPLE. Our disordered hearts', our guilty passions', our violent prejudices', and misplaced desires', are the instruments of the trouble which we endure. 2d. A Concluding Series. When the series ends the sentence, or forms complete sense, every particular in the series, except the last but one, should have the falling inflection; and, indeed, all should have it, if the closing member of the series is of sufficient length to admit a pause with the rising inflection, before the end. EXAMPLE.-Charity suffereth long', and is kind'; charity envieth not'; charity vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own'; is not easily provoked'; thinketh no evil'. NOTE.-The degree of emphasis, and often of solemnity, with which the successive particulars are mentioned, decides, in cases of the pause of suspension (see Rule II.), whether the rising or the falling inflection is to be used. Thus, a succession of particulars which one reader deems unimportant, will be read by him throughout with the rising inflection, while another, feeling more deeply, will use the falling inflection. Thus: 1. The birds sing', the lambs play', the grass grows', the trees are green', and all nature is beautiful'. 2. The blind see'; the lame walk'; the lepers are cleansed'; the deaf hear'; the dead are raised'; and to the poor', the gospel is preached'. In this example all the particulars have the falling inflection. The first line in Mark Antony's harangue is read differently by equally good readers; but the difference arises wholly from their different appreciation of the spirit and intention of the speaker. Thus: Friends', Romans', countrymen', lend me your ears! If Antony designed to characterize "countrymen" with peculiar emphasis, he gave it the falling inflection, otherwise he gave the word no greater prominence than the preceding words "friends" and "Romans." RULE IX.-Expressions of tender emotion, such as grief, pity, kindness, gentle joy, a gentle reproof, gentle appeal, gentle entreaty or expostulation, etc., commonly require a gentle rising inflection. EXAMPLES. Mary'! Mary'! do not do so'. My mother'! when I learned that thou wast dead', Hovered thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing son', I would not live alway'; I ask not to stay, Where storm after storm rises dark o'er the way'; I would not live alway, thus fettered by sin'; Is your father' well', the old man' of whom ye spake'? Is he' yet alive'? RULE X.-Expressions of strong emotion, such as the language of exclamation (not designed as a question), authority, surprise, distress, denunciation, lamentation, earnest entreaty, command, reproach, terror, anger, hatred, envy, revenge, etc., and strong affirmation; require the falling inflection. EXAMPLES.--What a piece of work is man'! How noble in reason'! how infinite in faculties in action', how like an angel'! in apprehension', how like a God! My lords, I am amazed'; yes, my lords, I am amazed at his Grace's speech. Woe unto you Pharisees! Woe unto you Scribes`! You blocks', you stones', you worse than senseless things! Go to the ant, thou sluggard'; consider her ways, and be wise'. Jesus saith unto her, Mary'. She turned herself, and said unto him, Rabboni. I tell you, though you', though all the world', though an angel from heaven' should declare the truth of it, I could not believe it. I dare' accusation. I defy the honorable gentleman. I'd rather be a dog', and bay the moon than such a Roman'. CAS. O ye gods! ye gods! must I endure all this'? BRU. All this? ay', and more`. NOTE. When exclamatory sentences become questions they require the rising inflection. EXAMPLES.-What are you saying'!- Where are you going'! They planted by your care'! No! your oppressions planted them in America'. THE CIRCUMFLEX OR WAVE. RULE XI.-Hypothetical expressions, sarcasm, and irony, and sentences implying a comparison or contrast that is not fully expressed, often require a union of the two inflections on the same syllable. EXPLANATION.-In addition to the rising and falling inflections, there is what is called the circumflex or wave, which is a union of the two on the same syllable. It is a significant twisting or waving of the voice, generally first downward and then upward, but sometimes the reverse, and is attended with a sensible protraction of sound on the syllable thus inflected. It is marked thus: (~) as, "I may possibly go to-morrow, though I can not go to-day." "I did it myself, sir. Surprising'! You did it!" EXAMPLES.-If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? I grant you I was down, and out of breath; and so was he. And but for these vile guns, he would himself' have been a soldier'. QUEEN. Hamlet', you have your father much offended. HAMLET. Madam', you have my father much offended. SHYLOCK. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. Hath a dog money'? Is it possible a cur can lend two thousand ducats'? They tell us to be moderate; but they, they are to revel in profusion. You pretend to reason'? You don't so much as know the first elements of reasoning. NOTE. A nice distinction in sense sometimes depends upon the right use of the inflections. EXAMPLES. "I did not give a sixpence'." "I did not give a sixpence." The circumflex on sixpence implies that I gave more or less than that sum; but the falling inflection on the same word implies that I gave nothing at all. "Hume said he would go twenty miles to hear Whitefield preach,” (here the circumflex implies the contrast), " but he would take no pains to hear an ordinary' preacher." "A man who is in the daily use of ardent spirits, if he does not become a drúnkard', is in danger of losing his health and character," The rising inflection on the closing syllable of drunkard would pervert the meaning wholly, and assert that, in order to preserve health and character, one must become a drunkard. "The dog would have died if they had not cut off his head." The falling inflection on died would make the cutting off his head necessary to saving his life. A physician says of a patient, “He is better'." This implies a positive amendment. But if he says, "He is better'," it denotes only a partial and perhaps doubtful amendment, and implies, "But he is still dangerously sick." THE MONOTONE. RULE XII.-The monotone, which is a succession of words on the same key or pitch, and is not properly an inflection, is often employed in passages of solemn denunciation, sublime description, or expressing deep reverence and awe. It is marked with the short horizontal dash over the accented vowel. It must not be mistaken for the long sound of the vowels, as given in the Pronouncing Key. EXAMPLES. -And one cried unto another, and said, Hōly, hōly, hōly is the Lord of hōsts. The whole earth is full of his glory. Blessing, honor, glōry, and pōwer be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on mẽn, fear căme upon me, and trembling which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not disc.rn the form thereof: an image was before my eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, Shall mōrtal män be mōre jūst than God? Shall a man be more păre than his Mäker? EMPHASIS. Emphasis is a forcible stress of voice upon some word or words in a sentence on account of their significancy and importance. Sometimes it merely gives prolonged loudness to a word, but generally the various inflections are connected with it. Thus it not only gives additional force to language, but the sense often depends upon it. EXAMPLES.-I did not say he struck me; I said he struck John'. I did not say he struck me; I said he pushed me. I did not say he struck me; I said John did. I did not say he struck me; but I wrote it. I did not say he struck me; but John said he did. He that can not bear a jest, should never make` one. It is not so easy to hide one's faults as to mend them. BRUTUS. You have done that you should be sorry for. (The varied effects of emphatic stress and emphatic inflection are so fully shown in the Reading Lessons of all the Readers as to need no further illustration.) II. HIGHER PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION. A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS, IN WHICH SOME OF THE HIGHER PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION ARE DEVELOPED. FIRST EVENING. ANALYSIS-Modifications of general rules, owing to the great variety of emotions, passions, and feelings, which language is designed to express. Direct questions whose an. swers take the rising inflection. Examples. No one can be a correct reader without a correct appreciation of what he reads. When good readers will read the same passage differently. Questions that contain an appeal. The inflections in spoken language. Why printed language is a very imperfect representation of spoken language. Importance of the inflections in obscure passages. Bernardo. Well', Crito', I believe we agreed to devote the evenings of this week to an examination of some of the higher principles of Elocution. At what point shall we begin'? Crito. As I have met with some difficulties in what are called the "Elements of Elocution," perhaps it would be well to take up these first. Bernardo. By all means. Let us know what these difficulties are, that we may remove them, if possible. Crito. In the first place, I would ask, as introductory, why there should be so many modifications, by way of notes and exceptions, of the Rules laid down in the "Elements ?" Bernardo. The answer is very easy. It is owing to the great variety of emotions, passions, and feelings, which written language is designed to express. Plain and simple language, which has but little variety, requires but few rules. Thus, in the case of plain direct questions, without emotion, if the answers are plain and simple also, they will in all cases take the falling inflection. Look at the examples given under the Notes to Rule I. Do you not see that all of them are, more or less, the language of passion or emotion'? Crito. I had not thought of it before; but I see it is so. I suppose', then', the reason for every departure from Rule I., in the case of direct questions, is to be found in the nature of the passion or feeling which is designed to be expressed. Bernardo. Exactly so'. Depend upon it, if the answer to a direct and simple question does not take the falling inflection', it is because something more than a plain and direct answer is contained in the reply. Crito. I was puzzled, a few days ago, to find a rule for the inflection which I heard given, in a political debate, to several answers to direct questions. The following are the examples: Mr. A. Did not you vote for Harrison'? Mr. B. To be sure I did'; but has that any thing to do with the question'? Mr. A. Certainly it has'. Does it not show that you belong to the Republican party'? Mr. B. Not at all, sir'. I belonged to the Whig party then', and I advocate the same principles now`. Can you say as much-that you have not changed both party and principles too'? Mr. A. Most assuredly I can'. Here the answers take the rising inflection; and I suppose the principle, or rule, is to be found in the first Note under Rule I. Bernardo. You are correct. The answers are given with a feeling, and in a tone of self-assurance, that may be considered as approaching to |