EXAMPLES. 1. My heart, my soul', my sword', are thine forever! 2. Shriek, and shout', and battle-cry', are maddening in their rear. 3. Your thought', your counsel', and, if necessary, your blood', must be given to your country'. 4. An embargo liberty', a handcuffed liberty', liberty in fetters', is none of our offspring'. RULE XII.—If the members of a concluding series are not emphatic, they all take the rising inflection except the last, which takes the falling inflection; but if emphatic, they all take the falling inflection except the last but one, which takes the rising inflection. EXAMPLES. 1. The dew is dried up', the star is shot', the flight is past', the man forgot'. 2. He tried each art', reproved each dull delay', allured to brighter worlds', and led the way'. 3. She winks', and giggles', and simpers', and simpers', and giggles', and winks'. 4. They will celebrate it with thanksgiving', with festivity', with bonfires', and illuminations'. 5. You bring with you marks of honor from Trenton and Monmouth', from Yorktown', Camden', Bennington', and Saratoga. 6. He was so young', so intelligent', so generous', so brave', so every thing', that we are apt to like in a young man'. 7. My doctrine shall drop as the rain', my speech shall distil as the dew', as the small rain upon the tender herb', and as the showers upon the grass'. 8. These crowd around to ask him of his health; these bow in honest duty and respect'; and these arrange a sofa or a chair', and these conduct him there.' 9. Moreover, I will take from them the voice of mirth', and the voice of gladness', the voice of the bridegroom', and the voice of the bride', and the sound of the millstones', and the light of the candle'. 10. These 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', turned to flight the army of the aliens'. EXCEPTION.-If very emphatic, all the members may receive the falling inflection. EXAMPLES. 1. It is higher', purer', nobler'. 2. We may die'; die colonists'; die slaves'. 3. Thou art a robber', a law-breaker', a villain'. 4. Look to see them live', torn from your arms', disdain'd', dishonor'd'. 5. Behold, mine anger and my fury it shall be poured out upon this place', upon man', and upon beast', and upon the trees of the field', and upon the fruit of the ground'. RULE XIII.—Language of scorn, irony, sarcasm, and contrast, is uttered with the CIRCUMFLEX. EXAMPLES. 1. What you, you insignificant prevaricator! 2. But to-morrow some Roman Adonis, breathing sweet ôdors from his curling locks, shall come, and, with his lily fingers, pat your red brawn, and bet his sesterces upon your blood. 3. Hail, King of the Jews! 4. Hear him, my lord; he's wondrous condescending! Mark the humility of the shepherd Nôrval. 5. You did no mischief; ŏh nô! 6. Cry aloud, for he is a god: either he is talking, or he is pursuing or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 7. "But," says the noble lord, "we have a right to tax America.' Oh, inestimable right! Oh, wonderful, transcendent right! the assertion of which has cost this country thirteen provinces, six islands, one hundred thousand lives, and seventy millions of money! 8. They are not fighting; they are pâusing. 9. Yet this is Rôme, that sat on her seven hills and from her throne of beauty ruled the world! Yet we are Romans! Why, in that elder day to be a Roman was greater than a king. RULE XIV.-Grave, solemn, and sublime language requires the use of the MONOTONE. EXAMPLES. 1. Pāle-sheeted ghōsts, with gōry lōcks, upstarting from their tombs. 2. Aloft in awful stāte, the gōdlike hērō sāte on his impērial throne. 3. The past, at least, is secure. There is Boston, and Concord, and Lexington, and Bunker-HiH; and there they will remāin fōrēver. 4. Dēēpēst hōrrōr chill'd his blōōd, thāt būrned befōre; cōld, clāmmy sweats came ō'er him. 5 Lō, from the regions of the North Fastens on the Olynthian towers. 6. Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhābīteth eternity, I dwell in the high and hōly place. 7. And I saw a great white throne, and he that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven flēd away; and there wās fōund nō place for them. 8. High on a thrōne of royal state, which fār 9. In thoughts from the visiōns of the night, when deep sleep falleth ōn man, fear came upōn mē, and trēmbling, which made all my bōnes to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. It stōōd still, būt I cōūld not discērn the fōrm thereof; an image wās befōre mine eyes; there was silence, and I heard a vōice, saying, Shall mōrtāl man bē mōre just than God? Shāll ā mān bē mōre pūre than his Maker? RULE XV.—The parenthesis must be read quicker and in a lower tone than the principal sentence, and must generally end with the same inflection that terminates the clause immediately preceding it. EXAMPLES. 1. If there's a Power above us', (And that there is, all Nature cries aloud Through all her works',) he must delight in virtue. 2. Know ye not, brethren', (for I speak to them that know the law',) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 3. What conjuration, and what mighty magic', (For such proceeding I am charged withal',) I won his daughter with. 4. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence; (for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned';) and when they brought them, they set them before the council. 6 NOTE. To that part of this rule which has reference to inflection there are exceptions, as will be seen by the following 3. EXAMPLES. 1. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing, 2. Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power, Thou little tricksy Puck! With antic toys so funnily bestuck, Light as the singing bird that wings the air', (The door! the door! he'll tumble down the stair`!) (Why, Jane, he'll set his pinafore afire'!) Thou imp of mirth and joy! In love's dear chain so bright a link, Thou idol of thy parents'; (Hang the boy'! SECTION VII. PITCH. PITCH may be defined that tone which prevails in speaking or reading any sentence, paragraph, or dis course. In every voice there are many pitches; but, for present purposes, it will only be necessary to notice five, which are as follows: very low pitch, low pitch, medium pitch, high pitch, very high pitch. Very low pitch is the lowest key on which pure tones can be produced; and is the appropriate pitch for language expressive of deep solemnity and awe. Low pitch is about half-way between the very low and the medium pitch; and is used for expressing solemn and sublime thoughts. Medium pitch is that used in ordinary conversation; and is a suitable pitch for calm reasoning and simple narration and description. High pitch is about half-way between medium and very high pitch; and may be correctly used in spirited declamation and in expressing lively and joyous emotions. Very high pitch is the highest key used in speaking and reading; and is the pitch which is employed in calling, in giving commands, and in expressing strong emotions. For the sake of convenience we will let (p1) designate very low pitch; (p3), low pitch; (p3), medium pitch; (p1), high pitch; and (p3), very high pitch. DIRECTIONS FOR EXERCISE ON PITCH. Select a line and utter it successively on each pitch, beginning at the lowest and proceeding to the highest, and then begin at the highest and proceed to the lowest. When this can be well done, choose appropriate passages for each pitch, and deliver them in the same manner. Those who are somewhat familiar with music may prefer the following arrangement. 7. si -6.-la 4. fa 2. re 5. sol EXAMPLES. (p5) Roll on, thou dark blue ocean. -4.-fa 8. mi 8. do • (p3) Roll on, thou dark blue ocean. -7.-si 6. la -5.-sol -(p1) Roll on, thou dark blue ocean. -(p3) Roll on, thou dark blue ocean. (p3) Roll on, thou dark blue ocean. (p1) Roll on, thou dark blue ocean, |