Vir. I thank thee, Jupiter! I am still a father!
Luc. You are, Virginius. Yet-

Vir. What! is she sick?

Luc. No.

Vir. Neither sick nor dead! All well! No harm! Nothing amiss! Each guarded quarter safe, That fear may lay him down and sleep, and yet This sounding the alarm! Thou tell'st

A story strangely. Out with 't! I have patience
For any thing, since my Virginia lives,

And lives in health!

Luc. You are required in Rome

To answer a most novel suit.

Vir. Whose suit?

Luc. The suit of Claudius.

Vir. Claudius !

Luc. Him that's client

To Appius Claudius, the decemvir.

Vir. What! Ha! Virginia! You appear

To couple them. What makes my fair Virginia

In company with Claudius? - His suit! What suit?

Answer me quickly!— Quickly! lest suspense,

Beyond what patience can endure, coercing,
Drive reason from her seat!

Luc. He has claimed Virginia.

Vir. Claimed her! Claimed her!

On what pretense?

Luc. He says she is the child

Of a slave of his, who sold her to thy wife.

Vir. Go on, you see I am calm. Luc. He seized her in the school, And dragged her to the forum, where Appius was giving judgment.

Vir. Dragged her to the forum!— Well, I told you, Lucius, I would be patient.

Luc. Numitorius* there confronted him. Vir. Did he not strike him dead? True, true, I know it was in the presence of The decemvir. Oh! had I confronted him! Well! well! the issue? Well, o'erleap all else, And light upon the issue. Where is she? Luc. I was despatch'd to fetch thee, ere I could learn. Vir. The claim of Claudius Appius's client — Ha! I see the master-cloud - this ragged one, That lowers before, moves only in subservience To the ascendant of the other,― Jove, With its own mischief break it and disperse it, And that be all the ruin! Patience! Prudence! Nay, prudence, but no patience. Come! a slave Dragged through the streets in open day! My child! My daughter! my fair daughter, in the eyes Of Rome! Oh! I'll be patient. Come! the essence Of my best blood, in the free common ear Condemned as vile! Oh! I'll be patient. Come! Oh! they shall wonder, I will be so patient.

Rhetorical Dialogue.

RHETORICAL DIALOGUE embraces all compositions in which the writer incidentally introduces two individuals, or more, as speaking. It should be read according to the preceding rule under personation.

EXERCISE.

HELPS TO READ.-BYROM.

1. A certain artist, I've forgot his name, Had got for making spectacles a fame,

QUESTIONS. What is rhetorical dialogue? How should it be read?

• Nu-mi-to'ri-us, the uncle of Virginia.

Or "Helps to Read".
Was writ upon his glaring sign in gold;
And, for all uses to be had from glass,
His were allowed, by readers, to surpass.
There came a man into his shop one day-
"Are you the spectacle contriver, pray?"
"Yes, sir," said he, "I can in that affair
Contrive to please you, if you want a pair.”-

2. "Can you? pray do then."— So, at first, he chose
To place a youngish pair upon his nose;

And book produced, to see how they would fit;
Asked how he liked 'em. "Like 'em?—Not a bit."
"Then, sir, I fancy, if you please to try,
hand will better suit your eye." —

These in my

66

No, but they do n't."-" Well, come, sir, if you please, Here is another sort, we 'll e'en try these;

as, when they first were sold,

Still somewhat more they magnify the letter:

Now, sir?"-" Why now,- -I'm not a bit the better.”

6

3. "No! here, take these that magnify still more ;
How do they fit?". "Like all the rest before."
In short, they tried a whole assortment through,
But all in vain, for none of them would do.
The operator, much surprised to find

So odd a case, thought, sure the man is blind!
"What sort of eyes can you have got?" said he.
"Why, very good ones, friend, as you may see."
"Yes, I perceive the clearness of the ball,-
Pray, let me ask you - Can you read at all?"

4. "No, you great blockhead; I could, what need
Of paying you for any Helps to Read?'"-
And so he left the maker in a heat,
Resolved to post him for an arrant cheat.

SECTION IV.

GRAMMATICAL AND RHETORICAL PAUSES.

PAUSES are suspensions of the voice in reading or speaking. They are necessary, not only to enable the reader or speaker to take breath, but are more especially important in order to give the hearer a distinct understanding of every thought. There are two kinds :

1. The grammatical pauses, or those used in punctuation to mark the sense of written composition.

2. The rhetorical pause, or a suspension of voice where grammatical pauses do not require it. It is employed to produce rhetorical effect, and is marked thus ( | ).

It is supposed that the pupil is already familiar with the characters employed in punctuation, and hence it is unnecessary to introduce them here. It may be well, however, to remark, that to one of them has any uniform or definite length in reading, and must always depend on the emotions of the reader, and his rate of

utterance.

But the rhetorical pause deserves the student's most careful attention; for when properly observed, it adds force and impressiveness to the thought or sentiment uttered. If it precedes an important word or clause, it excites expectation, and prepares the mind for what follows. Its length, like that of grammatical pauses, is indefinite, being governed by the importance of the thought to be expressed. Hence, correct taste will better decide its proper length, and where it should be made, than any set rules.

The following rule, however, embraces a few of the instances where its use is required, and is introduced for the purpose of calling the learner's attention to the subject.

QUESTIONS. What are pauses, and for what are they necessary? How many kinds are there to be observed in prose compositions? What are they? For what are grammatical pauses used? What is a rhetorical pause, and for what is it employed! Have the grammatical pauses any uniform or definite length in reading? What is said of the rhetorical pause? Has it any definite length?

RULE 13. The rhetorical pause is generally required, 1st. Between a verb and its subject, or nominative. 2d. Before and after an intervening phrase. 3d. Before an adjective when it follows its noun. 4th. Before the second of two nouns in apposition, the latter being explanatory of the former. 5th. Before the verb when two or more nouns in succession are subjects of it. 6th. Before that when used as a conjunction. 7th. Where the ellipsis occurs. 8th. Be fore, and sometimes before and after a word specially important. 9th. Before a verb in the infinitive mood, when governed by another verb. 10th. Before who, or which, when the subject of a verb. 11th. Before that when used for who.

EXAMPLES OF EACH.

1. Kindness begets kindness, and love | begets love. Conscience is the chamber of justice.

2. Virtue | however it may be neglected for a time will ultimately be respected.

Modesty especially in females | is always attractive.

3. It was a calculation | accurate to the last degree.

He had a mind | energetic, a judgment | discriminating. 4. Hope | the balm of life | soothes us under misfortunes. Solomon | the son of David | was king of Israel.

5. Saul and Jonathan | were warm friends.

Riches, pleasures, and health | become evils to those who do not know how to use them.

6. It is in society only that we can relish those pure joys, which gladden the life of man.

He went to Egypt | that he might see the pyramids.

7. Add to your faith | virtue; to virtue | knowledge; to knowl

QUESTIONS. What are the specific cases given in the rule, where the rhetorical pause is generally required? Give an example of each.