As the suspending pause may be thus attended with both the rising and the falling inflection, it is the same with regard to the closing pause: it admits of both. The falling inflection generally accompanies it; but it is not unfre quently connected with the rising inflection. Interrogative sentences, for instance, are often terminated in this manner: as, "Am I ungrateful' ?" "Is he in earnest'?" But where a sentence is begun by an interrogative pronoun or adverb, it is commonly terminated by the falling inflection: as, "What has he gained by his folly?" "Who will assist him?" "Where is the messenger?" "When did he arrive?" When two questions are united in one sentence, and connected by the con junction or, the first takes the rising, the second the falling inflection: as, "Does his conduct support discipline', or destroy it?" The rising and falling inflections must not be confounded with emphasis. Though they may often coincide, they are, in their nature, perfectly distinct. Emphasis sometimes controls those inflections. The regular application of the rising and falling inflections, confers so much beauty on expression, and is so necessary to be studied by the young reader, that we shall insert a few more examples to induce him to pay greater attention to the subject. In these instances, all the inflections are not marked. Such only are distinguished, as are most striking, and will best serve to show the reader their utility and importance. "Manufactures, trade, and agriculture', certainly employ more than ninefeen parts in twenty of the human species." "He who resigns the world has no temptation to envy', hatred', malice, anger'; but is in constant possession of a serene mind: he who follows the pleasures of it, which are in their very nature disappointing, is in constant search of care, solicitude', remorse', and confusion."" "To advise the ignorant, relieve the needy, comfort the afflicted', are duties that fall in our way almost every day of our lives." "Those evil spirits, who, by long custom, have contracted in the body habits of lust' and sensuality; malice', and revenge'; an aversion to every thing that is good', just', and laudable', are naturally seasoned and prepared for pain and misery." "I am persuaded, that neither death', nor life; nor angels', nor principalities', nor powers; nor things present', nor things to come'; nor height', nor depth; nor any other creature', shall be able to separate us from the love of God."" The reader who would wish to see a minute and ingenious investigation of the nature of these inflections, and the rules by which they are governed, may Consult Walker's Elements of Elocution. SECTION VIII. Manner of reading Verse. WHEN we are reading verse, there is a peculiar difficulty in making the pauses justly. The difficulty arises from the melody of verse, which dic tates to the ear pauses or rests of its own: and to adjust and compound these properly with the pauses of the sense, so as neither to hurt the ear, nor offend the understanding, is so very nice a matter, that it is no wonder we so seldom meet with good readers of poetry. There are two kinds of pauses that belong to the melody of verse: one is, the pause at the end of the line; and the other, the casural pause in or near the middle of it. With regard to the pause at the end of the line, which marks that strain or verse to be finished, rhyme renders this always sensible; and in some measure compels us to observe it in our pronunciation. In respect to blank verse, we ought also to read it so as to make every line sensible to the ear: for, what is the use of melody, or for what end has the poet composed in verse, if, in reading his lines, we suppress his numbers, by omitting the final pause; and degrade them, by our pronun clation, into mere prose? At the same time that we attend to this pause, every appearance of sing-song and tone must be carefully guarded against. The close of the line where it makes no pause in the meaning, ought not to be marked by such a tone as is used in finishing a sentence; but, without either fall or elevation of the voice, it should be denoted only by so slight a suspension of sound, as may distinguish the passage from one line to another, without injuring the meaning. The other kind of melodious pause, is that which falls somewhere about the middle of the verse, and divides it into two hemistichs; a pause, not so great as that which belongs to the close of the line, but still sensible to an ordinary ear. This, which is called the cæsural pause, may fall, in English heroic verse, after the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th syllable in the line. Where the verse is so constructed, that this cæsural pause coincides with the slightest pause or division in the sense, the line can be read easily; as in the two firs verses of Pope's Messiah: "Ye nymphs of Solyma"! begin the song; "To heav'nly themes, sublimer strains belong." But if it should happen that words which have są strict and intimate a con. nexion, as not to bear even a momentary separation, are divided from one another by this casural pause, we then feel a sort of struggle between the sense am the sound, which renders it difficult to read such lines harmoniously The rule of proper pronunciation in such cases, is to regard only the pause which the sense forms; and to read the line accordingly. The neglect of the cæsural pause may make the line sound somewhat unharmoniously, but the effect. would be much worse, if the sense were sacrificed to the sound. For instance in the foliowing lines of Milton, "What in me is dark, "Illumine; what is low, raise and support." The sense clearly dictates the pause after illumine, at the end of the third syllable, which, in reading, ought to be made accordingly; though, if the melody only were to be regarded, illumine should be connected with what follows, and the pause not made till the fourth or sixth syllable. So in the following line of Pope's Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, "I sit, with sad civility I read. The ear plainly points out the casural pause as falling after sad, the fourth syllable. But it would be very bad reading to make any pause there, so as to separate sad and civility. The sense admits of no other pause than after the second syllable sit, which therefore must be the only pause made in reading> this part of the sentence. There is another mode of dividing some verses, by introducing what may be called demi-cæsuras, which require very slight pauses; and which the reader should manage with judgment, or he will be apt to fall into an affected singsong mode of pronouncing verses of this kind. The following lines exempiny the demi-cæsura: "Warms' in the sun", refreshes' in the breeze. "Lives' through all life"; extends' through all extent, Before the conclusion of this introduction, the Compiler takes the liberty to recommend to teachers, to exercise their pupils in discovering and explaining the emphatic words, and the proper tor-s and pauses, of every portion as.. signed them to read, previously to their being called out to the performance These preparatory lessons, in which they should be regularly examined, will improve their judgment and taste; prevent the practice of reading without attention to the subject; and establish a habit of readily discovering the mean mg, force, and beauty, of every sentence they peruse. B CHAPTER II. Sect. 1. No rank or possessions can make the guilty mind happy 2 Change of external condition often adverse to virtue 3 Haman; or the misery of pride 4. Lady Jane Grey 5. Ortogrul; or the yanity of riches 6. The hill of science 7. The journey of a day; a picture of human life 2. On gratitude 3. On forgiveness 4. Motives to the practice of gentleness 5. A suspicious temper the source of misery to its possessor 6. Comforts of religion 7. Diffidence of our abilities a mark of wisdom 8. On the importance of order in the distribution of our time 9. The dignity of virtue amidst corrupt examples 10. The mortifications of vice greater than those of virtue 11. On contentment 12. Rank and riches afford no ground for envy 13. Patier.ce under provocations our interest as well as duty 14. Moderation in our wishes recommended . 15. Omniscience and omnipresence of the Deity, the source of consolation to good men CHAPTER IV. Sect. 1. Happiness is founded in rectitude of conduct 2. Virtue and piety man's highest interest .. 3. The injustice of an uncharitable spirit 4. The misfortunes of men mostly chargeable on themselves 5. On disinterested friendship 6. On the immortality of the soul Seet. 1. The Seasons CHAPTER V. 2. The cataract of Niagara, in Canada, North America 3. The grotto of Antiparos 4. The grotto of Antiparos, continued 5. Earthquake at Catanea 6. Creation 7. Charity CHAPTER VI. Sect. 1. Trial and execution of the Earl of Strafford 2. An eminent instance of true fortitude of mind 5. Exalted society, and the renewal of virtuous connections, two sources 6. The clemency and amiable character of the patriarch Joseph 3. The Apostle Paul's noble defence before Festus and Agrippa 4. Lord Mansfield's speech in the House of Lords, 1770, on the bill for preventing the delays of justice, by claiming the privilege of parliament 7. On the proper state of our temper with respect to one another." 9. Reflections occasioned by a review of the blessings pronounced by Christ 15. On the power of custom, and the uses to which it may be applied 16. The pleasures resulting from a proper use of our faculties 23. Virtue, when deeply rooted, is not subject to the influence of fortune 24. The speech of Fabricius, a Roman ambassador, to king Pyrrhus 25. Character of James I. king of England 26. Charles V. emperor of Germany, resigns his dominions, and retires Sect. 1. Short and easy sentences 2. Verses in which the lines are of different length 3. Verses containing exclamations, interrogations, and parentheses CHAPTER II. Narrative Pieces. 5. A paraphrase on the latter part of the 6th chapter of Matthew 7. Reflections on a future state, from a review of winter 8. Adam's advice to Eve, to avoid temptation 9. On procrastination. 10, That philosophy, which stops at secondary causes, reproved 11. Indignant sentiments on national prejudices and hatred; and on slavery 183 5. Liberty and slavery contrasted 167 168 169 6. Charity. A paraphrase on the 13th chapter to the First Corinthians 7. Picture of a good man. 8. The pleasures of retirement 9. The pleasure and benefit of an improved and well-directed imagination 170 Sect. 1. The hermit 2. The beggar's petition 3. Unhappy close of life 4. Elegy to pity 5. Verses supposed to be written by Alexander Selkirk, during his solitary 6. Gratitude 7. A man perishing in the snow; from whence reflections are raised 8. A morning hymn |