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Negation.

It is not my book.

I said good, not bad.

NEGATIVE SENTENCES.

Negative sentences, and negative members of sentences, when they do not conclude a paragraph, require the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

You are not left alone' to climb the arduous ascent-God is with you; who never suffers the spirit which rests on him to fail, nor the man who seeks his favor to seek it in vain'.

I tax not you, ye elements, with unkindness';
I never gave you kingdoms; call'd you children';
You owe me no subscription`; why, then, let fall
Your horrible pleasure': here I stand-your slave-
A poor, infirm`, weak", and despised old man'.

Virtue is of intrinsic value and good desert; not the creature of will', but necessary and immutable`; not local`, or temporary', but of equal extent' and antiquity with the divine mind'; not a mode of sensation', but everlasting truth`; not dependent on power', but the guide of all power'.

When a series of negative sentences concludes a paragraph, the last member of the series takes the falling inflection.

EXAMPLE.

In death', the poor man' lays down', at last', the burden of his wearisome life'. No more shall he hear the insolent calls of the master', from whom he received his scanty wages'. No more shall he be raised from needful slumber on his bed of straw' nor be hurried away from his homely meal", to undergo the repeated labors of the day`.

A concession or admission takes the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

Painting', poetry', eloquence', and every other art, on which the genius of mankind has exercised itself, may be abused', and prove dangerous in the hands of bad men"; but it were ridiculous to contend', that, on this account', they ought to be abolished'.

One' may be a speaker', both of much reputation', and much in

fluence', in the calm', argumentative manner"; to attain the pathetic' and the sublime of oratory', requires those strong sensibilities of mind', and that high power of expression', which are given to few`.

A parenthesis should be read more quickly and in a lower tone of voice, than those parts of the sentence which precede and follow it.

EXAMPLES.

Know ye not brethren'-for I speak to them that know the law' —that the law' hath dominion over a man' as long as he liveth"?

If envious people were to ask themselves', whether they would exchange their situations with the persons envied' (I mean their minds', passions', notions', as well as their persons', fortunes', and dignities',) I believe the self-love common to human nature', would, generally, make them prefer their own condition'.

If there's a God above us'

And that there is', all nature cries aloud',

Through all her works"-He must delight in virtue;
And that which He' delights' in, must be happy`.

But to my mind-though

am native here

And to the manner born,-it is a custom

More honored in the breach than in the observance.

SERIES.

A series is a number of particulars, immediately following one another, whether independent (1), or having one

ence (2).

EXAMPLES.

common refer

(1) The wind and rain are over; Calm is the noon' of day: The clouds are divided` in heaven; Over the green hills flies the inconstant sun': Red through the stony vale comes down the stream of the hill'.

(2) The characteristics of chivalry were-valor', humanity', courtesy', justice', and honor`.

When the members of a series consist of several words, as in the former example, the series is called compound; when of single words, as in the latter, it is called simple.

When a series begins a sentence, but does not end it, it is called a commencing series; when it ends it, whether it begins it or not, it is called a concluding series.

COMMENCING SERIES.

Each particular of a commencing series takes the rising inflection

--with this special observance, that the last particular must have a greater degree of inflection, thereby intimating that the enumeration is finished.

EXAMPLES.

Beauty', strength', youth', and old age", lie undistinguished, in the same promiscuous heap of matter`.

Hatred', malice', and anger", are passions unbecoming a disciple of Christ'.

Regulation', proportion', order', and color", contribute to grandeur as well as to beauty`.

CONCLUDING SERIES.

Each particular of a concluding series, except the last, takes the rising inflection. The particular preceding the last requires a greater degree of the rising inflection than the others, thereby intimating, that the next particular will close the enumeration. The last is pronounced with the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

They, through faith, subdued kingdoms', wrought righteousness'; obtained promises', stopped the mouths of lions', quenched the violence of fire', escaped the edge of the sword', out of weakness were made strong', waxed valiant in fight", and turned to flight the armies of the aliens'.

Where'er he turns', he meets a stranger's eye:
His suppliants scorn him', and his followers fly';
Now, drops at once the pride of awful state',
The golden canopy', the glittering plate',
The regal palace', the luxurious board',
The liv'ried army", and the menial lord.

Note. I have given a somewhat elaborated exposition of the Rules which govern ARTICULATION and INFLECTION.-As these two important branches of Elocutionary Study are definite and positive--on the divisions of EMPHASIS and MODULATION-SO much must be left to that higher, or more philosophical department of the art, which is drawn from a careful analysis of the meaning of language and the adapting of modulated sounds to the sense, that I shall confine myself to a few essential general rules, rather than follow out any system of elaborated Artificial Instruction.

EMPHASIS.

EMPHASIS is that stronger, fuller sound of the voice by which, in reading or speaking, we distinguish the accented syllable of words on which we design to throw particular stress, in order to show how they affect the rest of the sentence. On the right management of Emphasis depend the whole life and spirit of delivery: false emphasis perverts the meaning of language, feeble emphasis is ineffective, and emphasis overdone is repulsive to good taste.

There are two kinds of emphasis:

1. Emphasis of sense-governed by inflection proper to the sentence.

2. Emphasis of force-always made with the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES IN EMPHASIS.

Of Sense.

Did you walk home to-day?

Did you walk home to-day?

Did you walk home to-day?

Did you walk home to-day?

Did you walk home to-day?

Of Force.

Could you be so cruel?

Could you be so cruel?

I Did not say so.

EXAMPLE OF ACCUMULATED EMPHASIS.

11

I tell you I will not do it; nothing on earth shall persuade me.

Exclamations and interjections require impassioned, impressive emphasis.

Every new incident in a narrative, each particular object in description, and each new subject in passages, should be marked with distinctive emphatic stress.

Corresponding and antithetical words should be emphatic: when contrasted or compared, the objects of greater importance should be given with stronger emphatic stress with the falling inflection—the less important ones with the rising inflection.

When greater force is desired in the delivery of a particular phrase, every word and even parts of compound words, are given with emphatic expression.

A climax gradually ascends in expression to its close.

EXAMPLE.

It is pleasant to be virtuous and good, because that is to excel many others'; it is pleasant to grow better, because that is to excel ourselves'; it is pleasant to mortify and subdue our lusts, because that is victory'; it is pleasant to command our appetites' and passions', and to keep them in due order', within the bounds of reason and religion", because that is empire'.

See, what a grace was seated on this brow!
Hyperion's curls'; the front of Jove himself';
An eye like Mars', to threaten and command';
A station like the herald Mercury",
New lighted on a heaven-kissing hill'.
A combination' and a form' indeed,

Where every god' did seem to set his seal",
To give the world assurance of a man`.

An anti-climax should be read with decreasing energy, as you proceed; until the last member, being strongly emphatic, takes a fall instead of a rise.

EXAMPLE.

What must the king do now? must he submit'?

The king shall do it`: must he be depos'd'?

The king shall be contented': must he lose

The name of king'?-let it go!

I'll give my jewels for a set of beads';

My gorgeous palace' for a hermitage`;

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