RULES for Inflection of the Series.

1. A simple, commencing Series

takes a rising inflection on every member of the Series except the penultimate (or last but one), which has a falling inflection.

[For the pause proper to Series, see ante, PAUSE.]

2. A simple, concluding Series

takes a rising inflection on every member of the series but the last.

1. Commencing, takes a falling inflection on every member

(3)

a liberal education,

and industrious habits, (4)

are passports to happiness and honor.

2. Concluding, takes the falling inflection on every member but the penultimate.

EXAMPLE.

ཝ

Contentment, happiness, and honor, reward

a good disposition, (1)

DIVISION OF A LONG SIMPLE SERIES.

RULE.

When a simple series exceeds five members, avviae the whole into two or more shorter series; and read the divisions according to rule,―marking each division with the middle pause.

EXAMPLE.

The works of the flesh are manifest; which are these:

པ

༥

emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

envyings," murders, drunkenness, revellings, and

such like.-Gal.

In a series of so many members as this, the division (as above) prevents that unpleasing and cataloguelike monotony, which is produced by reading the whole as one series, with an unbroken succession of rising inflections. The division is of course arbitrary, as to the number of members which may be allotted to each division; but the object to be aimed at in the separation of the members is a distinct classification; so that things, objects or ideas, resembling or allied to each other in quality or degree, shall be kept together, and not be thrown in confusedly with others of a different nature.

Now, in the above example, such a distinct classification is rendered difficult, if not impossible, to the reader, by the absence of order and classification in the passage itself. It may indeed be remarked, with

the greatest respect, that great confusion is caused to the mind by the indiscriminately throwing together a series of offences very widely differing from each other in quality and degree; and the climax of the whole is enfeebled, if not destroyed, by the addition of "drunkenness and revellings," after the high crime of murder. As that crime is the climax of the works of the flesh, what follows weakens the effect, and is, in fact, an anti-climax. I am now analyzing it merely as a piece of composition; and for the purpose of making my meaning more clear, suppose the passage to have stood as follows:

The works of the flesh are manifest; which are these:

ཡ

Fornication, adultery, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

witchcraft heresy idolatry

emulations envy variance hatred

་

wrath strife seditions

revellings drunkenness murders

and such like.

By this arrangement, the classification of crime would have been clear and perfect, gradually growing and increasing in power up to the climax-murder,-the last dread work of the flesh. And it is to aid this logical arrangement, classification and progression, that the rules for reading the series are given. In the following series the classification is distinct and perfect as it is written, and it will be felt that the elocutionary arrangement and inflections very much aid it:

For 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, which is in

Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans, c. viii.

IRREGULAR SERIES.

A series is frequently irregular,-that is, in part simple, and in part compound. In such cases:

RULE.

Separate and class the simple and compound members,—and read them in series according to their respective rules.

EXAMPLES.

All the circumstances and ages of men,

poverty, riches, youth, old age,

all the dispositions and passions,

་

ཡ

melancholy, love, grief, contentment,

are capable of being personified in poetry, with great propriety.-Blair.

སྐ

ཡ

2. Neither blindness, nor gout, nor age, nor penury, nor domestic afflictions, nor political disappointments,

་

nor abuse, nor proscription, nor neglect,

had power to disturb his sedate and majestic patience.

Macauley