It is sufficiently exact to say, that in reading this properly, the syllables without slide may be spoken on one key or monotone. From this key go slides upwards to its highest note, and from the same high note stay slides downwards to the key; and go does the same, in the answer to the question. In the second example, the case is entirely similar. But the difficulty with the inexpert reader is, that he strikes the downward slide, not above the key, but on it, and then slides downward, just as in a cadence. The faulty manner may be represented thus:

The other part of the difficulty in distinguishing the falling inflection from the opposite, arises from its want of sufficient extent. Sometimes indeed the voice is merely dropped to a low note, without any slide at all. The best remedy is, to take a sentence with some emphatic word, on which the intensive falling slide is proper, and protract that slide, in a drawling manner, from a high note to a low one. This will make its distinction from the rising slide very obvious.

Harmony and emphasis make some exceptions to several of these rules, which the brevity of my plan compels me to pass by without notice.

RISING INFLECTION.

9] RULE IV. The pause of suspension, denoting that the sense is unfinished, requires the rising inflection. This rule embraces several particulars, more especially applying to sentences of the periodic structure,

which consist of several members, but form no complete sense before the close. It is a first principle of articulate language, that in such a case, the voice should be kept suspended, to denote continuation of sense.

The following are some of the cases to which the rule applies.

1. Sentences beginning with a conditional particle or clause; as,

"If some of the branches be broken óff, and thóu, being a wild olive-trée, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-trée; boast not against the branches." "As face answereth to face in wáter, so the heart of man to

man."

In what Walker calls the 'inverted period,' the last member, though not essential to give meaning to what precedes, yet follows so closely as not to allow the voice to fall till it is pronounced.

2. The case absolute; as,

"His father dying, and no heir being left except himself, he succeeded to the estate." "The question having been fully discússed, and all objections completely refúted, the decision was unanimous."

3. The infinitive mood with its adjuncts, used as a nominative case; as,

"To smile on those whom we should cénsure, and to countenance those who are guilty of bad áctions, is to be guilty ourselves." "To be pure in heárt, to be pious and benévolent, constitutes human happiness."

4. The vocative* case without strong emphasis, when it is a respectful call to attention, expresses no sense com

* I use this term as better suiting my purpose than that of our grammarians,nominative independent.

pleted, and comes under the inflection of the suspending pause; as,

Mén, brethren, and fathers,-hearken." "Friends, Rómans, countrymen !-lend me your ears."

5. The parenthesis commonly requires the same inflection at its close, while the rest of it is often to be spoken in the monotone. As an interjected clause, it suspends the sense of the sentence, and for that reason only, is pronounced in a quicker and lower voice, the hearer being supposed to wait with some impatience for the main thought, while this interjected clause is uttered; as, 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 ?" The most common exceptions in this case, occur in rhetorical dialogue, where narrative and address are mingled, and represented by one voice, and where there is frequent change of emphasis.

The same sort of exception may apply to the general principle of this rule, whenever one voice is to represent two persons, thus ;

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and fillèd; notwithstanding ye give them not those thing which are needful to the body; what doth it pròfit?

Here the sense is entirely suspended to the close, and yet the clause introduced as the language of another, requires the falling slide.

Another exception, resting on still stronger ground, occurs where an antithetic clause requires the intensive falling slide on some chief word to denote the true meaning; as in the following example,-"The man who is in the daily use of ardent spirits, if he does not become a

drunkard, is in danger of losing his health and character." In this periodic sentence, the meaning is not formed till the close; and yet the falling slide must be given at the end of the second member, or the sense is subverted; for the rising slide on drunkard would imply that his becoming such, is the only way to preserve health and character.

In the foregoing rule, together with the VI. and IX. is comprised all that I think important in about thirty rules of Walker.

10] RULE V. Tender emotion generally inclines the voice to the rising slide.*

Grief, compassion, and delicate affection, soften the soul, and are uttered in words, invariably with corresponding qualities of voice. The passion and the appropriate signs by which it is expressed, are so universally conjoined, that they cannot be separated. It would shock the sensibility of any one to hear a mother describe the death of her child, with the same intonations which belong to joy or anger. And equally absurd would it be for a general to assume the tones of grief, in giving his commands at the head of an army.

Hence the vocative case, when it expresses either affection or delicate respect, takes the rising slide; as, "Jesus saith unto her, Máry." "Jesus saith unto him, Thóm"Sír, I perceive that thou art a prophet."—"Sírs, what must I do to be saved?"

as."

This inflection prevails in the reverential language of prayer. The same slide prevails in pathetic poetry. Take an example from Milton's lamentation for the loss of sight.

* In the first edition, this rule was expressed too strongly to coincide with the authors meaning, as explained in other parts of the work. It is corrected here, at the suggestion of a friend.

Thus with the year,

Seasons return; but not to me returns
Dáy, or the sweet approach of év'n or mórn,
Or sight of vernal blóom, or summer's róse,
Or flócks, or hérds, or human face divine;
But cloud instead, and ever during dark
Surround me

Another example may be seen in the beautiful little poem of Cowper, on the receipt of his mother's picture:

My mother! when I learn'd that thou wast déad,
Say, wast thou conscious of the tears I shéd?
Hover'd thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing són,
Wretch even thén, life's journey just begún ?
I hear'd the bell toll'd on thy burial day,
I saw the hearse, that bore thee slow away,
And, turning from my nurs'ry windów, drew
A long, long sigh, and wept a last adieu.

In both these examples the voice preserves the rising slide, till, in the former we come to the last member, beginning with the disjunctive but,-where it takes the falling slide on cloud and dark. In the latter the slide does not change till the cadence requires it, on the last word, adieu.

11] RULE VI. The rising slide is commonly used at the last pause but one in a sentence. The reason is, that the ear expects the voice to fall when the sense is finished; and therefore it should rise for the sake of variety and harmony, on the pause that precedes the cadence. -Ex.

"The minor longs to be at àge, then to be a man of business, then to make up an estàte, then to arrive at honórs, then to retire." "Our lives, (says Seneca,) are spent either in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we oùght to do."