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It is chiefly toward the end of a sentence that the harmonic inflcetiog la necessary in order to form an agreeable cadence.

BULE I.-When a series of similar sentences, or members of sentences, form a branch of a subject or paragraph, the last sentence or member must fall gradually into a lower tone, and adopt the harmonic inflection, on such words as form the most agreeable cadence.

EXAMPLE.

Since I have mentioned this unaccountable zeal which Appears in atheists and infidels, I'must farther observe, that they are likewise in a most particular manner pos sessed with the spirit of bigc ry. They are wedded' to opinions' full of contradiction' and impossibility', and at the same time' look upon the smallest' difficulty' in an article` of faith' as a sufficient reason for rejecting it.

RULE II. — When the last member of a sentence ends with four accented words, the falling inflection takes place on the first and last, and the rising on the second and third.

EXAMPLES.

1. The immortality of the soul is the basis of morality, and the source of all the pleasing' hopes' and secret joys', that can arise in the heart of a reasonable treature'.

2. A brave' man struggling in the storms' of fate', And greatly' falling' with falling' state'.

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at the end of the last member, the first has either the rising or falling, the second the rising, and the last the falling inflection.

EXAMPLE.

Cicero concludes his celebrated books, De Oratore, with some precepts for pronunciation and action, without which part he affirms, that the best orator in the world can never succeed, and an indifferent one, who is master of this, shall gain much greater applause!

ECHO

Is here used to express that repetition of a word or thought, which immediately arises from a word or thought that preceded it.

RULE.-The echoing word ought always to be pronounced with the rising inflection in a high tone of voice, and a long pause after it, when it implies any degree of passion.

EXAMPLE.

*

1. Augustin became a Christian! Augustin! who had mastered all the learning of his age, and whose subtle mind had anticipated the objections of future unbelievers.

Bossuet was a Christian! Bossuet! whose soaring genius and wonderful intellectual vision ar acknowledged and honored by all.

*The echoing word is printed in italics, and marked with the rising inflection.

THE MONOTONE,

In certain solemn and sublime passages has a wonderful force and fignity; and by the uncommonness of its use, it even adds greatly to that variety with which the car is so much delighted.*

EXAMPLE.

1. High on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus or of Inde,

Or where the gorgeous east, with richest händ,
Shōwers, on her kings barbaric, pearl' and gold',
Satan exalted sat.

CIRCUMFLEXES.

The rising circumflex begins with the falling inflection and ends with the rising upon the same syllable, and seems as it were to twist the voice upward. This turn of the voice is marked in this man ner, ( «.)

EXAMPLE.

But it is foolish in us to compare Drusus Africanus and ourselves with Clodius; all our other calamities were tolerable; but no one can patiently bear the death of Clodius.

The falling circumfax begins with the rising inflection, and enda with the falling upon the same syllable, and seems to twist the voice downward. This turn of the voice may be marked by the common circumflex: thus, (▲.)

EXAMPLE.

Queen. Hamlet, you have your father much offe ided. Hamlet. Madam, yoû have my father much offended.

This monotone may be defined to be a continuation or sameness of sound upon certain syllables of a word, exactly like that produced by repeatedly striking a bell ;-such a stroke may be louder or softer but continues exactly in the same pitch. To express this tone upon paper, a horizontal line may be adopted; such a one as is generally need to express a long syllable in verse: thus (-.)

Both these circumflex inflections may be exemplified in the word as in a speech of the Clown in Shakspeare's As You Like It.

I knew when seven justices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, ɔne of them thought but of an If; as if you said số, then a said sô. O ho! did you so? So they shook hands and were sworn brothers.

CLIMAX,

OR A GRADUAL INCREASE OF SIGNIFICATION,

Requires an increasing swell of the voice on every succeeding particular, and a degree of animation corres ponding with the nature of the subject.

EXAMPLE.

1. After we have practised good actions awhile, they become easy, and when they are easy, we begin to take pleasure in them; and when they please us, we do them fiequently; and, by frequency of acts, a thing grows into a habit; and a confirmed habit is a second kind of nature; and, so far as anything is natural, so far it is necessary, and we can hardly do otherwise; nay, we do many times when we do not think of it.

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ACCENT.

RULE.-Emphasis requires a transposition of accent, when two words which have a sameness in part of their formation, are opposed to each other in sense.

EXAMPLES.

1. What is done', cannot be un`done.*

✦ The signs ( ́and,) besides denoting the inflections, mark als the accented syllables.

Whatever inflection be adopted, the accented syllable is always

2. There is a material difference between giving and for giving

3. Thought and language act' and re'act upon each ether.

4. He who is good before in'visible witnesses, 18 emi nently so before the visible.

5 What fellowship hath right'eousness with un righteousness? ard what communion hath light with darkness?

6. The riches of the prince must in crease or de'crease, in proportion to the number and riches of his subjects.

Note 1.-This transposition of the accent extends itself to all words which have a sameness of termination, though they may not be directly opposite in sense.

EXAMPLES.

1. In this species of composition, plau'sibility is much more essential than prob'ability.

2. Lucius Catiline was expert in all the arts of sim' ulation and dis`simulation; covetous of what belonged to others, lavish of his own.

Note 2.—When the accent is on the last syllable of a word which has no emphasis, it must be pronounced louder and a degree lower than the rest.

EXAMPLE.

Sconer or later virtue must meet with a reward'.

Luder than the rest; but if the accent be pronounced with the rising infection, the accented syllable is higher than the preceding, and lower than the succeeding syllable; and if the accent have the falling inflection, the accented syllable is pronunced higher than any other yllable, either preceding or sncceeding

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