place it, and how to execute it properly, is quite certain to be right in other respects.

Language that is merely narrative, and without comparison, passion or emotion, seldom demands what is properly termed emphasis; e. g., John is a very diligent scholar.

In

In this sentence, no force is required but the ordinary accent of a division; because there is no emotion, comparison or contrast. But introduce a comparison, and a demand for emphasis is perceived at once; e. g., John is quite as diligent a scholar as James. I reading the sentence now, the emphasis seems to be formed by laying greater stress on the words compared ; but, in truth, it is made by pronouncing John and James with opposite curves, increasing the pause a little at John, and quickening the movement of the middle division. Again: I say Jôhn || is a very diligent scholar, not James! Now the emphasis is made on the same words by opposite circumflexes, and the middle division takes the falling slide.

This is

The sleep of the laboring man is sweet. I simple narrative; and in reading, requires but the simple accent of a division, with the rising slides. But, should the thought of an idle man enter the mind-and it could scarcely be otherwise-nothing more is required to show it in reading, than to give a slight emphasis to laboring by changing the inflection from a rising slide to a rising curve; pause a little more at sleep, and quicken the middle division; thus, The sléep of the láboring mán is sweet.

But, in mere narrative, an important word introdu

cing a new thought, requires a slight emphasis, which is usually made by a slight pause after the word; as after John and sleep, in the passages above; yet such words have not generally been considered emphatic; though it is impossible to read well without calling attention to them in this way.

If I were an Américan as I am an Englishmán, while a foreign troop remained in my country, I NEVER would lay down my arms

nèver

néver

nèver.

In the last example, the emphasis is made on American and Englishman by the rising slide, and rising curve, attended with more force than ordinary accent; and on never, the first and second time used, by the falling slide and strong force, proportioned to the degree of emotion implied in the language: and the last never by the falling slide and a deep depression of the voice,almost to a deep aspirated whisper, drawn up from the very bottom of the chest.

These examples show sufficiently that emphasis, in its stress, pause, inflection and quantity, is as diversified as the sense and feeling designed to be expressed by it; and that sense and feeling furnish the only guides to its proper use.

Some writers have divided emphasis into several kinds, called the inferior and the superior, the secondary and the primary; emphatic stress, compound stress, emphasis of contrast, and many more ;-distinctions which seem to me more likely to confuse than to assist

the student for, if he fully understand what he reads, and have ready facility in using the various appliances, as already taught, he will very naturally, and perhaps unconsciously, increase or diminish the force of his emphasis, as the language justly demands; so that emphasis will inevitably follow just as he appreciates the sense, and will naturally take the form which will express that sense the best.

In books, where there is any change from a uniform type, the words printed in italics, except in the Bible, are ordinarily intended for emphasis: the words in capitals, for a higher, and those in larger capitals, for a still higher emphasis. In manuscript, these degrees of force are marked by lines drawn under the words intended for emphasis one for italics, two for capitals, and three lines for greater capitals and the same lines may be used to indicate these degrees of emphasis, under words on the printed page.

Cadence. The close of the last example in emphasis illustrates also the cadence. Cadence is a falling of the voice on one or more words in succession; or on one or more syllables of the same word, in some respects like passing down irregular steps, and is generally made at the close of a period or paragraph. The word is of Latin origin, and comes from cadere, to fall; and is apt to be taken in contrast with emphasis, because there can, in fact, be no elevation or turn of the voice amounting to what is called emphasis, without a correspondent depression.

The general fault in making the cadence, is a dull uniformity at the close of successive periods and para

graphs. The following examples will show what a pleasing variety can be thrown into cadence, in a way to gratify the ear, and give life to utterance; and how constant must be the exercise of good taste and judgment in order to make it properly.

I have been young and now I am old; yet have I never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his

séed

bégging

bread.

It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead, and is alìve again; and was lost and

ís

found.

I could not have slept this night upon my bèd, nor even reposed my head upon my pillow, without giving. vent to my steadfast abhorrence of such enormous and prepòs

còm

ter

óus

prin

cí

plès.

Blessed are they that moùrn: for they shall be

fórt

èd.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall sée

God.

LESSON VII.

EXAMINATION OF A CLASS ON INFLECTIONS AND EMPHASIS.

TEACHER. What inflections are called the rising, and what the falling slides; and what marks would you use to show them?

A. The rising slide carries the voice upward in a straight line, as if up an inclined plane; and the falling slide downward, as if down an inclined plane. The rising is heard in asking a definite question; the falling, in answering it; as, Do you love pláy? Yès; I dò:or the rising is heard in the first, and the falling, in the last member of a sentence disjunctively connected by or; as, Will you gó, or stày? The rising slide is designated by the acute accent; the falling, by the grave accent.

T. What are circumflexes, and how are they designated?

B. The rising circumflex is a union of the falling and rising slides on the same syllable, and is shown by the grave and acute accents, joined at the bottom; as on Mike in this ironical passage: If Mike has affirmed it, who can doubt it ?-the falling circumflex is a union of the rising and falling slides on the same syllable, and is shown by the acute and grave accents, joined at the top; as, on the word all, in this ironical passage: If Mike says so, then âll | must believe it of course.

C. I think, sir, both of the circumflexes are brought out clearly on is and be, in the second line of this couplet from Pope: