Directions respecting the use of Capital or Head Letters. Capital or head letters are so called from the Latin caput, the head. Small letters are said to have been first introduced in the seventh century; before that time, only large or capital letters were used. For a long time after the introduction of small letters, every noun began with a capital letter, both in writing and printing, but at present only the following words begin with capital letters: 1. The first word of every book, chapter, letter, note, or any other piece of writing. 2. The first word after a period, also, after a note of interrogation or exclamation, when the sentence before, and the one after it, are independent of each other. But, if several interrogative or exclamatory sentences are so connected, that the latter sentences depend on the former, all of them, except the first, may begin with a small letter; as, "How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! how are her habitations become so desolate! how is she become as a widow !" 3. The names of the Deity; as, God, Jehovah, the Almighty, the Supreme Being. 4. The proper names of persons, places, streets, rivers, ships, mountains, &c.; as, Thomas, Leeds, Cheapside, the Thames, the Royal George, Snowdon, &c.-Also, common nouns, when personified; as, "Come, gentle Spring." 5. Adjectives derived from the proper names of places; as, English, French, Roman. 6. The first word of an example or of a quotation, when it follows a semicolon or colon; that is, when it is used in a direct form; as, "Temperance preserves health.” When a quotation is not introduced in a direct form, but follows a comma, the first word must not begin with a capital; as, "Solomon observes, that pride goeth before destruction."" 7. Every substantive and principal word in the titles of books; as, "Euclid's Elements of Geometry;" "Gold smith's Deserted Village." 8. The first word in every line of poetry. 9. The pronoun I, and the interjections 0, Oh, are written in capitals; as, "I study;" "Hear, O Israel!” Other words also may begin with capitals, when they are remarkably emphatical, or form the principal subject of the composition. PART V. PROSODY. PROSODY teaches the proper Pronunciation of Words, and the Laws of Verse. The term Prosody is derived from gos, to, and qd, song. PRONUNCIATION. Correct Pronunciation, or Orthöepy, depends on the proper use of Accent, Quantity, Emphasis, Pause, and Tone. Accent is a particular stress of the voice on a certain syllable in a word, that it may be better heard than the rest, or distinguished from them; as, the syllable vir in the word virtue. In our language, every word of more than one syllable has one of those syllables accented. A correct knowledge, however, of accentuation can be acquired only by attending to the best speakers, and frequently consulting a good Pronouncing Dictionary. The Quantity of a syllable is the time occupied in pronouncing it. A syllable is long, when the accent is on the vowel; and short, when the accent is on the consonant. A long syllable requires twice the time in pronouncing it that a short one does. Long syllables are marked thus ; as, tūbe; short syllables, thus ; as, mặn. Emphasis denotes that stress of the voice which we lay on some particular word or words in a sentence, in order to mark their superior importance, and thus more clearly to convey the idea intended by the writer or speaker. Emphases must be judiciously employed, for when they occur too frequently they are apt to be disregarded. The best general rule is, clearly to comprehend what you are about to read or utter, and then place the emphasis on those words which you would render emphatical if they proceeded from the immediate sentiment of your own mind in private discourse. Pauses, or rests, are cessations of the voice, in order to enable the reader or speaker to take breath; and to give the hearer a distinct perception of the meaning, not only of each sentence, but of the whole discourse. M 1. Pauses are of two kinds; first, emphatical pauses; and next, such as serve to distinguish the sense. Emphatical pauses are used after something has been said which is important, and on which we wish to fix the hearer's attention. These pauses must not be used too frequently. With respect to pauses which serve to distinguish the sense, it is proper to observe, that the voice should be relieved at every stop; slightly at a comma, longer at a semicolon, still more so at a colon, and completely at a period. The sense also sometimes requires pauses which are not represented by points; these are called rhetorical pauses.-An excellent method for preventing the habit of taking breath too frequently is, to accustom yourself to read sentences of considerable length abounding with long and difficult words. 2. There are likewise two pauses peculiar to poetry; the Final pause at the end of each line, and the Casural pause at or near the middle of the line, In reading blank verse, the close of each line should be made sensible to the ear, but without either letting the voice fall, or elevating it; it should be marked only by such a slight suspension of sound, as may distinguish the passage from one line to another without injuring the sense. The Casural pause divides the line into two parts. It is necessary in every line of eight, ten, or twelve syllables, and is generally placed at the end of the fourth, fifth, or sixth syllable. Intonation is the change or modulation of the voice, when speaking or reading. The 1. The tone of the voice is changed principally at the accent or emphasis. raising of the voice at the accent or emphasis is called the rising inflection; the sinking of the voice is called the falling inflection. The art of making a proper use of Pauses, Accent, Emphasis, and Intonation, in speaking, reading, or reciting, is called Elocution. 2. The different passions of the mind must be expressed by different tones of the voice. Love, by a soft, smooth, languishing voice; anger, by a strong, vehement, and elevated voice; joy, by a quick, sweet, and clear voice; sorrow, by a low, flexible, interrupted voice; fear, by a dejected, tremulous, hesitating voice; courage, by a full, bold, and loud voice; and perplexity, by a grave and earnest voice. In exordiums, the voice should be low, yet clear; in narrations, distinct; in reasoning, slow; in persuasions, strong: it should thunder in anger, soften in sorrow, tremble in fear, and melt in love. In an antithesis, the contrary assertion should be pronounced louder than the other. In a climar, the voice should always rise with it. In dialogues, it should alter with the parts. The voice should be steadily and firmly supported throughout the sentence, and the concluding words modulated according to the sense. 3. The best general rule to be observed with respect to Intonation, is to follow nature. Consider how she teaches you to utter any sentiment or feeling of the heart in sensible animated conversation. Think after what manner, with what tones and inflections of voice, you would, on such an occasion, express yourself, when you were most in earnest, and sought most to be listened to by those whom you addressed. Let these be the foundation of your manner of pronouncing in public, and you will take the surest method of rendering your delivery both agreeable and persuasive. In order to speak and read with grace and effect, attention must also be paid to the proper pitch of the voice. 1. The voice must neither be too loud nor too low. Acquire such a command over your voice, that you may elevate or lower it according to the number of persons addressed. 2. The voice must not be thick nor indistinct. Accustom yourself, both in conversation and in reading, to give every sound which you utter its due proportion, so that every word and every syllable may be clearly and distinctly heard. 3. The utterance must neither be too quick nor too slow. Convey to the hearer the sense, weight, and propriety of every sentence you read, in a free, full, and deliberate pronunciation. Another subject which claims attention, is Gesture of Action. The best rule that can be given on this subject is, to attend to the looks and gestures in which earnestness, indignation, compassion, or any other emotion, discovers itself to the best advantage in the common intercourse of men. Let the motions and gestures which nature thus dictates be those on which your own are formed. VERSIFICATION. Prose may be defined to be language not confined to a determinate number of peculiarly arranged syllables. Poetry or verse differs in its construction from prose, chiefly in requiring a more measured arrangement of words, and in admitting a peculiar license in the application of them. The measured arrangement which principally distinguishes poetry or verse from prose, is called Versification. The application of certain words in poetry, contrary to the ordinary rules of Grammar, is called poetical license. Verse is of two kinds ;-namely, rhyme and blank verse. Rhyme is a term applied to verses that terminate in syllables of the same sound; as, Indulge the true ambition to excel In that best art,—the art of living well. In blank verse, the final syllables do not rhyme. Blank verse may be accounted a noble, bold, and disencumbered species of versification, and in several respects it possesses many advantages over rhyme. It allows the lines to run into one another with perfect freedom; hence, it is adapted to subjects of dignity and force, which demand more free and manly numbers than can be obtained in rhyme. Blank verse is written in the heroic measure, that is, in lines consisting of ten syllables. Milton, Cowper, Wordsworth, Thomson, Akenside, Armstrong, and Pollok, are the principal poets in this species of composition. A verse is a certain number of syllables, so disposed as to form one line of poetry. The harmony of verse depends upon the regular recurrence of accented and unaccented syllables. A foot is a portion of a verse, consisting of two or more syllables. A certain number of syllables are named feet, because, by their aid, the voice steps along, as it were, through the verse in a measured pace. A couplet or distich consists of two lines or verses; a triplet of three. A hemistich is half a verse.-The term hypercatalectic, hypermeter or redundant, is applied to a verse when it exceeds the regular number of syllables. The repetition of the same letter or letters at certain intervals in a line forms what is termed Alliteration; as, "If you trust before you try,-you may repent before you die," A stanza or stave is a combination of several verses, varying in number according to the poet's fancy, and constituting a regular division of a poem or song. Scanning is dividing a verse into its several feet, in order to ascertain whether their quantity and place are agreeable to the rules of metre. Metre or Measure, is the number of poetical feet which a verse contains. All feet used in poetry consist either of two or of three syllables, and are reducible to eight kinds; four of two syllables, and four of three, as follow: 5. A Dactyl (---); as, virtuous. 6. An Amphibrach (---); as, contentment. 8. A Tribrach (~~~); as, (nu)mĕrăblě. In the preceding examples, a dash (-) placed over a vowel shows that it is accented; a breve (u) that it is unaccented, as in hōly. The marks over the vowels will therefore show that in an Iambus, the first syllable is unaccented and the second accented; in a Trochee, the first syllable is accented and the second unaccented, and so of the other feet. The Casura or division, is the pause which takes place in a verse, and which divides it into two parts; as, The dumb shall sing || the lame his crutch forego, The Cæsural pause occurs after the fourth, fifth, or sixth syllable in a line, and, accordingly as it occurs after one or other of these syllables, the melody of the verse is affected and its air diversified. as, 1. When the cæsura occurs after the fourth syllable, the verse is lively and spirited; Her lively looks | a sprightly mind disclose, 2. When the cæsura falls after the fifth syllable, the verse loses that brisk and lively air, and becomes more smooth, gentle, and flowing; as, Eternal sunshine | of the spotless mind, Each prayer accepted | and each wish resign'd. 3. When the cæsura occurs after the sixth syllable, the verse becomes solemn, and marches, as it were, with a more measured pace; as, The wrath of Peleus' son | the direful spring |