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PARENTHESIS.

RULE IX. A parenthesis must be read more quickly, and in a lower tone of voice, than those parts of the sentence, which precede and follow it.

EXAMPLES.

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"?

If envious people were to ask themselves', whether they would exchange their situations with the persons envied', (I mean their minds', passions', notions', as well as their persons', fortunes', and dignities',) I believe the self love common to human nature', would, generally, make them prefer their own condition'.

If there's a God above us'

And that there is', all nature cries aloud',

Through all her works"-He must delight in virtue';
And that which He' delights' in, must be happy`.

But to my mind-though I am native here

And to the manner born,-it is a custom

More honour'd in the breach than in the observance.

For God is my witness'-whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son'-that without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers, making request--if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey, by the will' of God

-to come unto you.

A ball now hisses through the airy tides,
(Some fury wings it, and some demon guides)
Parts the fine locks her graceful head that deck,
Wounds her fair ear, and sinks into her neck.

Then went the captain', with the officers', and brought them without violence (for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned' ;) and when they had brought them', they set them before the council'.

Let us (since life can little more supply
Than just to look about us and to die),
Expatiate free o'er all this scene of man;
A mighty maze! but not without a plan.

Should you fall in the struggle, should the nation fall, you will have the satisfaction (the purest allotted to man) of having performed your part.

Tell them, though 'tis an awful thing to die'-
'Twas even to thee)-yet, the dead path once trod,
Heaven lifts its everlasting portals high,

And bids "the pure in heart behold their God."

SERIES.

A series is a number of particulars, immediately following one another, whether independent, (1), or having one common reference, (2).

EXAMPLES.

(1) The wind and rain are over; Calm is the noon of day: The clouds are divided in heaven; Over the green hill flies the inconstant sun: Red through the stony vale comes down the stream of the hill'.

(2) The characteristics of chivalry were-valour`, humanity', courtesy, justice', and honour`.

When the members of a series consist of several words, as in the former for example, the series is called compound; when of single words,* as in the latter, it is called simple.

When a series begins a sentence, but does not end it, it is called a commencing series; when it ends it, whether it begins it or not, it is called a concluding series.

COMMENCING SERIES.

RULE X. Each particular of a commencing series takes the rising inflection—with this special observance, that the last particular must have a greater degree of inflection, thereby intimating, that the enumeration is finished.

EXAMPLES.

Beauty', strength', youth', and old age", lie undistinguished, in the same promiscuous heap of matter`.

Hatred', malice, and anger", are passions, unbecoming a disciple of Christ'.

Regulation', proportion', order', and colour", contribute to grandeur as well as to beauty`.

* The addition of an article, a preposition, or a conjunction, does not render a series compound; nor the introduction of a compound member, when the majority of the members are simple.

If

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or, whither snall I flee from thy presence` ? If I ascend up into Heaven', thou art there; if I make my bed in hell', behold, Thou art there.` I take the wings of the morning', and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea", even there shall thy hand lead me', and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say', Surely the darkness' shall cover me', even the night" shall be light about me`. Yea, the darkness' hideth not from Thee;" but the night shineth as the day: the darkness' and the light' are both alike to Thee.`

The verdant lawn', the shady grove', the variegated landscape', the boundless ocean', and the starry firmament", are contemplated with pleasure by every beholder`.

I conjure you', by that which you profess',
(Howe'er you come to know it') answer me':
Though you untie the winds', and let them fight
Against the churches"; though the yesty waves'
Confound, and swallow navigation up";

Though bladed corn be lodged', and trees blown down";
Though castles topple on their warders' heads',
Though palaces and pyramids' do slope

Their heads to their foundations"; though the treasure
Of nature's germins' tumble all together,

Ev'n till destruction sicken"-answer me
To what I ask you'.

CONCLUDING SERIES.

RULE XI. Each particular of a concluding series, except the last, takes the rising inflection. The particular preceding the last requires a greater degree of the rising inflection than the others, thereby intimating, that the next particular will close the enumeration. The last is pronounced with the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

They, through faith, subdued kingdoms', wrought righteousness', obtained promises', stopped the mouths of lions', quenched the violence of fire', escaped the edge of the sword', out of weakness were made strong', waxed valiant in fight", and turned to flight the armies of the aliens`.

Where'er he turns', he meets a stranger's eye:
His suppliants scorn him', and his followers fly;
Now, drops at once the pride of awful state',
The golden canopy', the glittering plate',
The regal palace', the luxurious board',

The liv'ried army", and the menial lord.

True gentleness' teaches us to bear one another's burdens', to rejoice with those' who rejoice', to weep with those' who weep; to please every one his neighbour' for his good`; to be kind' and tender-hearted'; to be pitiful' and courteous'; to support the weak"; and to be patient towards all menˆ.

1

What though no weeping loves' thy ashes grace`,
Nor polished marble' emulate thy face?

What though no sacred earth allow thee room',
Nor hallow'd dirge' be mutter'd o'er thy tomb`?
Yet shall thy grave with rising flowers be drest',
And the green turf lie lightly on thy breast` !
There shall the morn her earliest tears bestow",
And the first roses of the year' shall blow`.

EMPHASIS.

RULE XII. Emphasis, in the most usual sense of the word, is that stress with which certain words are pronounced, so as to be distinguished from the rest of the sentence. Among the number of words we make use of in discourse, there will always be some, which are more necessary to be understood than others: those things, with which we suppose our hearers to be pre-acquainted, we express by such a subordination of stress as is suitable to the small importance of things already understood; while those, of which our hearers are either not fully informed, or which they might possibly misconceive, are enforced with such an increase of stress as makes it impossible for the hearer to overlook or mistake them. Thus, as it were in a picture, the more essential parts of a sentence are raised, as it were, from the level of speaking; and the less necessary are, by this means, sunk into a comparative obscurity.

EXAMPLES.

A man's first care should be to avoid the reproaches of his own heart'; his next, to escape the censures of the world'. It will be difficult for her to retain the decorous and dignified semblance of love for him', who has cared but little for the reality of it`.

Those governments which curb not evils', cause` !

And a rich knave's' a libel on our laws`.

Religion' raises men above themselves": Irreligion' sinks them beneath the brutes`.

We must forget all feelings' save the one
We must resign all passions' save our purpose
We must behold no object' save our country`.

NOTE.

Emphasis, according to Knowles, is of two kinds, absolute and relative. Relative emphasis has always an antithesis, either expressed or implied: absolute emphasis takes place, when the peculiar eminence of the thought is solely -singly considered.

'Twas base and poor, unworthy of a peasant`,

To forge a scroll so villainous and loose,

And mark it with a noble lady's name.

Here we have an example of relative emphasis; for, ií the thought were expressed at full, it would stand thus:— Unworthy not only of a gentleman, but even of a peasant. 'Twas base and poor, unworthy of a man,

To forge a scroll so villainous and loose,
And mark it with a noble lady's name.

Here we have an example of absolute emphasis; for, i the thought were expressed at full, it would stand thus:Unworthy a being composed of such perfections as constitut>

a man.

When we wish to give a phrase with the utmost possi ble force, not only every word which enters into the com position of it, becomes emphatic, but even the parts of com pound words are pronounced as if they were independ

ent.

EXAMPLES.

There was a time, then, my fellow citizens, when the Lace demonians were sovereign masters both by sea and land when their troops and forts surrounded the entire circuit of At tica; when they possessed Euboea, Tanagra, the whole Baotia district, Megara, Ægina, Cleone, and the other islands; while this State had not one ship-no, NOT-ONE-WALL.

That's truly great! what think you 'twas set up
The Greek and Roman name in such a lustre,
But doing right in stern despite of nature;
Shutting their ears 'gainst all her little cries,
When great, august, and godlike justice call'd!

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