If we are marked to die, we are enough To do our country loss; and if to live, No, no, my lord; wish not a mân from England. If the word " man,' ," in this passage, be uttered with such an emphasis laid upon it as to contrast it with some antithetical word understood, but without any circumflex of the voice on the vowel a, the sense will be perverted, and the inferential meaning will be, that, although he should not wish a man, yet he might wish a woman, or a horse: whereas, if the direct equal wave of a third, with long quantity, be given to the word "inan," the meaning and the beauty of the passage will be fully displayed. Example.-Mr. Addison relates an anecdote of an ancient philosopher, who, after having invited some of his friends to dine with him, was disturbed by a person that came into the room in a passion, and overturned the dinner table: to which outrage the philosopher calmly replied, "Every one has his câlamity; and he is a happy mân that has no greater than this. Remark. This quoted sentence ought to be read with an easy, free, and perfectly familiar intonation; and then the emphatick words, "calamity," "happy" and "this," as well as the word "man," will very happily display the circumflex movements of the voice. In short, the wave of the voice occurs, more or less, in the pronunciation of emphatick words. This subject will, therefore, be resumed under the head of emphatick inflections. Examples in which a wrong Inflection is capable of perverting the meaning. The curfew tolls', the knell of parting day`; The author has marked the inflections and pauses in this passage, agreeably to the elocution which he thinks ought to be given to it. But who has not observed, that it is commonly read with the rising inflection and the suspending pause ap plied to the word "tolls," in the first line? And who does not perceive, that such a reading would give the line a totally dif ferent meaning from the correct one? It would change the character of the verb "tolls" from an intransitive to a transitive, and make the word "knell" an objective case to it, and moreover, render the line tame, and unpoetical; whereas, nothing can be more obvious, than that the writer designed the word "knell" to be in apposition with "curfew:" for the last part of the line, is, literally, a mere repetition of the thought contained in the first part, but, figuratively, it is a new, and picturesque, and glowing image, altogether worthy the talents of the great poet who conceived it. Some, again, by confounding the number of lines in this stanza, with the number of members in the sentence, would close the second line with the falling inflection, under the mistaken notion that the third line is the last member but one, at the close of which, according to the rule, the voice should take the rising inflection and the suspending pause. But, when justly considered, this sentence will be found to be composed of only three principal members. The first line is a compound member, the second, a simple, and the third and fourth lines, form another compound member. From this explanation, then, and by recollecting that the conjunction and is understood after the word "lea," it must appear obvious, that that word should take the rising inflection, in accordance with Rule 7, page 82. And what chastened ear is there, that does not sanction this application of the rule? From the foregoing observations, it is evident, moreover, that a misconception of the structure and character of sentences, would lead to a misapplication of the rules; and that an injudicious or erroneous use of the rules, would be far more detrimental to elocution than no use of them. One or two more selections from the same beautiful poem, (Gray's Elegy,) will elicit a few remarks that may be useful to the unpractised student. Th' applause of list'ning senates to command', To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land', And read their hist'ry in a nation's eyes', Their lot forbade'; nor circumscribed alone", Their growing virtues', but their crimes confined'; in this passage, a falling inflection of the voice is not allow able, until it sweeps through the whole of the first stanza, and reaches the word forbade," in the second: according to Exception 2, to Rule 7, page 83. Although, without any great perversion of taste, the falling inflection might be made at the close of each of the first two lines, yet, were the voice to fall at the close of the last line of the first verse, as many a reader is in the habit of allowing it, the whole passage would thereby be converted into nonsense. Some might suppose, that the word "throne," at the close of the last line but one in the sentence, requires, agreeably to Rule 7, the rising inflection; but the inflection of that word is controlled by the emphasis that falls upon it; for which reason it should be inflected according to the 1st Exception to the Rule. Approach and read' (for thou canst read') the lay' Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn`.` This example most strikingly illustrates the importance of the rising inflection and suspending pause where the sense is interrupted and suspended, (as is the case at the word "read,") whilst the voice, in an under key, takes its flight through the parenthetical clause. To allow the voice to fall on the first "read," is to trample on the laws of common sense, and put the principles of elocution to the blush. No farther seek his merits to disclose', Or draw his frailties from their dread abode', (There they', alike', in trembling hope repose',) The bosom of his Father and his God'. It seems to be the most natural to give the falling inflection to the word "abode," at the close of the second line, in this example; but, as the sense, though apparently closed at that word, is actually interrupted by the parenthetical clause which follows, the meaning of the last line, in which the word "bosom" is in apposition with " abode," might, possibly, be as clearly appre hended, were we to give the rising inflection to the word "abode." The parenthetical clauses in this and the example next preceding it, seem to call for a remark. In order to render the meaning, in any tolerable degree, perspicuous, in these two examples, it is absolutely necessary, that these parenthetical clauses should be read, not merely in a lower tone or key, but in an intonation distinctly different in kind from that employed in pronouncing the other portions of the respective sentences in which they occur. The following passage from Addison's Cato, is presented with the punctuation in which it ordinarily appears in books, and with the inflections marked in conformity to that punctuation. It is an address of one of the sons of Cato to his brother. Remember what our father oft has told us, The comma at "intricate," and the semicolon placed after "errours," very readily cause the reader to mistake the connexion between the members of this passage, and, by making the rising inflection at "intricate," to unite the meaning of the third line with that of the second. A little reflection, however, will enable him to discover his mistake; for no one would believe, for a moment, that the great and the just Cato ever inculcated into the minds of his sons so irreligious an idea as to tell them that "The ways of Heaven are puzzled in mazes and perplexed with errours." Although, to short-sighted mortals, they may appear "dark and intricate," yet, to say that they are "puzzled in mazes and perplexed with errours," is a profanity of which neither Mr. Addison nor Cato could have been guilty. But is not this the meaning of the passage? Agreeably to the punctuation, most certainly it is. How, then, shall we clear up the difficulty? Simply by reversing the inflections and the pauses at the end of the second and third line. The meaning of the third line will then be connected with that of the fourth, and show the meaning of the poet to be, that it is our "understanding," and not "Heaven," that is "Puzzled in mazes and perplexed with errours. The sense and beauty of the passage are restored by punctu ating and inflecting it in the following manner : Remember what our father oft has told us', The following passage from Henry V. admits of a double meaning, according to the turn of the inflections: For he to-day that sheds his blood with me', This day shall gentle his condition'. Agreeably to this reading, that is, by giving the rising inflection to the word "brother," and the falling to " vile," the conditional phrase, "be he e'er so vile," is connected in sense with the preceding part of the same line in which it occurs; whereas, by reversing these inflections, according to the directions in the same passage as subsequently presented, the meaning of the phrase will be connected, as some think it should be, with the line which follows it. This story shall the good man teach his son', We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'; And gentlemen in England', now abed', Shall think themselves accursed they were not here', Examples of this description might be multiplied without limit; but it is presumed that enough have been brought forward to show the necessity of strict attention to the inflections of the voice, employed by one who would enunciate the sentiments of others with accuracy and elegance. QUESTIONS. What is meant by a Circumflex or Wave? By what mark is it indicated? Define a Single, a Double, and a Continued Wave. What is a Direct Equal Wave?-What, an Inverted Equal Wave? What, an Unequal Wave? Please to explain the difference between a Direct Unequal, and an Inverted Unequal Wave. Illustrate each of these Waves by examples. Can you illustrate these circumflex movements of the voice on the rowels a, o, ou, ee, ew, &c.? Give some examples in which a wave of the voice is proper on some particular words. Can you cite and explain some examples in which an improper inflection presents a wrong meaning? Please to read several of the examples under the head of "Promiscuous Exercises," and explain the rules which apply to them. PROMISCUOUS EXERCISES. In reading the following examples, the pupil should be required, by frequent trials and repetitions, not only to enunciate them with the great est care and accuracy, but, also, to apply every Rule and every Excep tion agreeably to which the exercises are marked. Hypocrisy is the necessary burden of villany. Affectation is a part of the chosen trappings of folly'. There is nothing more dreadful to an author than neglect'. There is the modern infidel', who affects to deny the divine authenticity of the Bible'. The devil don't deny it'. The infidel has all the impudence of the devil', but not half the knowledge'. The fine arts look not so much to what is natural', as to |