Now, therefore', O Lord our God', I beseech thee save thou us out of his hand', that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God', even thou only. The petitioners', therefore', pray your honor to take their case into consideration', and to inquire into the truth of the foregoing facts', and', on their being found true', to order and decree that the several parties', heretofore named', shall release and convey to them all their right and title to the premises'; or that your Honor would transfer', by decree', the title thereof to them according to said contract', under such limitations', or in such manner', as justice and equity may require'; or that such other relief may be granted' as the merits of the case shall demand', and they', as in duty bound', shall pray. RULE IV. Gentleness, kindness, pity, and tender feeling in general, incline the voice to the rising slide, and to the use of semitones. NOTE. A semitone is half a tone, and is the smallest interval between two sounds as the voice rises or falls. I mention this here on account of its necessary connection with the rising slide in cases to which this rule applies. The semitone is equally adapted, in general, to the cases which fall under Rule III.; but I deferred a particular mention of it till now, because the learner, after the preceding exercises, will be better prepared to understand its application. This rule is so often violated by readers that I wish its bearing to be particularly noted, and the examples under it to be well practised upon. EXAMPLES. My little children', let us not love in word', neither in tongué ; but in deed', and in truth'. Beloved', believe not every spirit'; but try the spirits', whether they are of God'. Let not your heart be troubled': ye believe in God'-believe also in mé. In my Father's house are many mansions'. If it were not só, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again', and receive you to myself'. And she said, "Behold thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods. Return thou after thy sister-in-law." And Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave thee; for whither thou goest', I will gó; and where thou lodgest', I will lodge; thy people shall be my peoplé, and thy God' my God'. Where thou diest', I will dié, and there will I be buried'. The Lord do so to mé and more alsó, if aught but death' part thee and mé." Have pity upon mé, have pity upon mé, O ye my friends', for the hand of God hath touched mé. My kinsfolk have failed', and my familiar friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in my housé, and my maids', count me for a stranger'. I am an alien in their sight'. I called my servant', and he gave me no answer. I entreated him for the children's saké of my own body'. Yea, young children' despised mé. I arosé, and they spoke against mé. Pity the sorrows of a poor old man', Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door', The muse forgot', and thou be loved no moré. I was soon', however', called to the sad reality. The figure of her father bending over the grave of his darling child'; the silent', suffering' composure' in which his countenance was fixed'; the tears of his attendants', whose grief was light' and capable of tears'; these gave me back the truth', and reminded me' that I should see her no more. There was a flow of sorrow', with which I suffered myself to be borne along with a melancholy kind of indulgence; but when her father dropped the cord' with which he had helped to lay his Maria in the earth', its sound on the coffin chilled my heart', and horror', for a moment', took place of pity.* RULE V. When two alternatives are expressed, denoted by the conjunctions or, nor, simply; or by either, or; neither, nor, the first alternative will have the rising inflection, and the last the falling. It was John' or James`. Lové or hatred. It was either you or г. EXAMPLES. Decide on going' or staying. You are either my friend' or my enemy'. I am neither one' nor the other. *For remarks on the proper close of sentences, involving many of the foregoing and succeeding examples, see observations on cadence, page 51. He will be governed by neither fear nor hope`. We must either conquer them', or they will conquer ùs. You must either learn when young, or be ignorant in old age`. Was this the calculation of a man well versed in public affairs, or was it the dream of a smattering politician? Had you rather that Cæsar were living', and die all slaves', er that Cæsar were dead', and live all freemen? Who sees with equal eyes, as God of all', A hero perish', or a sparrow fall. RULE VI. The answer to a question has the falling slide, whether the question be put formally or informally, directly or indirectly. EXAMPLES. What did you give for that penkifé? A dollar`. When did he return from his journey'? Yesterday`. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean'? Not one. It may perhaps be asked, what can we dó? Are we to go to war'? Are we to interfere in the Greek causé? Are we to endanger our pacific relations'? No-certainly not. When Pyrrhus had shown the utmost fondness for his expedition against the Romans, Cyneas, his chief minister, asked him what he proposed to himself by this wár. Why', says Pyrrhu's, to conquer the Romans`, and reduce all Italy to my · obedience`. What then? To pa'ss over into Sicily, and then all the Sicilians must be our subjects. And what does your majesty intend néxt? Why, truly to conquer Carthage, and make myself màster of all Africa. "thou What shall we say, thén? Is the law sín? Go`d forbi`d. Nay, I had not known lus't except the law had said', shalt not covet." Wherefore then sèrveth the law? It was added because of transgressions`, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made`; and it was ordained by angels` in the hands of a mediator. Hamlet. But where wàs this? Horatio. My lord', upon the platform` where we watched`. Hamlet. Did you not speak to it? Horatio. My lord', I did. Hamlet. Then saw you not his facé? Horatio. O, yès, my lord'—he wore his beaver ùp. Hamlet. What, looked he frowningly'? Horatio. A countenance more in sòrrow than in anger. Hamlet. Palé, or rèd? Horatio. Này, very pale. Hamlet. And fixed his eyes upon you? Horatio. Most constantly`. Hamlet. I would I had been theré. Horatio. It would have much amazed' you. Is it a small matter, then, that you have deprived us of our ancient possessions', Sicily' and Sardiniá, but you would have Spain too? Well, we shall yield Spain; and then-you will pass into Africa. Will pass, did I say?-This very year they ordered one of their consuls into Africá, the other into Spain. Would you learn wisdom', consult experience; would you be happy', learn how to be contented; would you command respect', seek to desèrve it. RULE VII. When several things are contrasted together, the expression of that which stands first in the contrast requires the rising inflection, of that which stands last, the falling. EXAMPLES. Boy's and girls; mén and women; ol'd and yoùng; parents' and children; lové and hatrèd; hopé and fear; joy' and grief; wealth' and poverty`. What they know by reading', I know by action. They are pleased to slight my mean birth': I despise their mean characters. Want of birth and fortuné is the objection against mé: want of personal wòrth, against them. Mirth' is short' and transient': cheerfulness fixed and permanent. Mirth is like a flash of lightning' that breaks through a gloom of clouds and glitters for a moment': cheerfulness' keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind', and fills it with a steady' and perpetual serenity. I esteem a habit of benignity' greatly preferable to munificence. The formér is peculiar to great and distinguished persons': the latter belongs to flatterers of the people`, who court the applause of the inconstant vulgar. If the flights of Dryden, therefore, are higher', Pope continues longer on the wing. If of Dryden's fire' the blaze is brighter', of Pope's, the heat is more regular and constant. Dryden' often surpasses expectation', and Pòpe never falls below it. Dryden' is read with frequent astonishment', and Pòpe with perpetual delight. When we have looked on the pleasures of life, and they have vanished away; when we have looked on the works of nature', and perceived that they were changing; on the monuments of art', and seen that they would not stan'd; on our friends', and they have flèd while we were gazing`; on ourselvés, and felt that we were as fleeting as they; when we have looked on every object to which we could turn our anxious eyes', and they have all told us that they could give us no hope nor support, because they were so feeble themselves'; we can look to the throne of God. Change and decay' have never reached that; the revolution of agés has never movèd it; the waves of an eternity are rushing past it', but it has remained unshaken`; the waves of another eternity are rushing towards it', but it is fixed`, and can never be disturbed. There are many subjects which it is not easy to understand', but it is always easy to misrepresent`; and when arguments cannot be controverted, it is not difficult to calumniate motives. RULE VIII. The language of command, authority, threatening, rebuke, aversion, surprise, astonishment, and wonder, incline the voice to the downward slide. EXAMPLES. Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise. Then said the king to the servants, "Bin`d him hand and foòt, and take him awày, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weèping and gnàshing of teeth." Awake, ye sons of Spain'-awake-advance. Strike for the sires who left you frèe; Strikè, for their sàkes who borè you ; Strike for your homes and liberty, And the heav`en you worship o'er you. Arm, warriors', arm` for fight. Let each His adamantine coat gird wèll, and each Vanguard`, to rig`ht and left the front unfold. I make a decree, that, in every dominion of my kingdom, men tremble and fear before the God of Danièl. |