The English Reader

times a degree of cadence in the voice is required ; and sometimes that peculiar tone and cadence which denote the sentence to be finished. In all these cases, we are to regulate ourselves by attending to the manner in which nature teaches us to speak, when engaged in real and earnest discourse with others. The following sentence exemplifies the suspending and the closing pauses: "Hope, the balm of life, soothes us under every misfortune." The first and second pauses are accompanied by an inflection of voice, that gives the hearer an expectation of something further to complete the sense: the inflection attending the third pause signifies that the sense is completed.

The preceding example is an illustration of the suspending pause, in its simple state; the following instance exhibits that pause with a degree of cadence in the voice: "If content cannot remove the disquietudes of mankind, it will at least alleviate them."

The suspending pause is often, in the same sentence, attended with both the rising and the falling inflection of voice; as will be seen in this example, Moderate exercise`, and habitual temperance', strengthen the constitution*

As the suspending pause may be thus attended with both the rising and the falling inflection, it is the same with regard to the closing pause: it admits of Loth. The falling inflection generally accompanies it; but it is not unfrequently connected with the rising inflection: Interrogative sentences, for instance, are often terminated in this manner: as. "Am I ungrateful "Is he in earnest "

But where a sentence is begun by an interrogative pronoun or adverb, it is commonly terminated by the following inflection: as, "What has he gained by his folly" "Who will assist him`?" Where is the messenger ?” “When did he arrive' ?"

When two questions are united in one sentence, and connected by the conjunction or, the first takes the rising, the second the falling inflection; as, "Does his conduct support discipline'; or destroy it ?"

The rising and falling inflections must not be confounded with emphasis. Though they may often coincide, they are, in their nature, perfectly distinct. Empha is sometimes controls those inflections.

The regular application of the rising and falling inflections, confers so much beauty on expression, and is so neces

The rising inflection is denoted by the acute; the falling, by the grave accent.

sary to be studied by the young reader, that we shall inse. a few more examples to induce him to pay greater attention to the subject. In these instances, all the inflections are not marked. Such only are distinguished as are most striking, and will best serve to show the reader their utility and i importance.

"Manufactures, trade`, and agriculture', certainly employ more than nineteen parts in twenty, of the human species.

"He who resigns the world, has no temptation to envy, hatred`, malice', anger; but is in constant possession of a serene mind: he who follows the pleasures of it, which are in their very nature disappointing, is in constant search of care, solicitude, remorse', and confusion."

"To advise the ignorant, relieve the needy', comfort the afflicted', are duties that fall in our way almost every day of our lives."

"Those evil spirits, who, by long custom, have contracted in the body habits of lust', and sensuality'; malice', and revenge'; an aversion to every thing that is good', just', and laudable', are naturally seasoned and prepared for pain and misery."

"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."

The reader who would wish to see a minute and ingenious investigation of the nature of these inflections, and the rules by which they are governed, may consult Walker's Elements of Elocution.

SECTION VIII.

MANNER OF READING VERSE.

ear,

the

at it is

WHEN we are reading verse, there is a peculiar Jifier lly in making the pauses justly. The difficulty arises, from the melody of verse, which dictates to the ear pauses or rests of its own; and to adjust and compound these properly with the pauses of the sense, so as neither to bart the offend the understanding, is so very nice a matter, no wonder we so seldom meet with good readers of There are two kinds of pauses that belong to of verse; one is, the pause at the end of the F ther, the cæsural pause, in or near the mid gard to the pause at the end of the line. in or verse to be finished, rhyme

B 2

che melod ne; and the ale of it. With which marks that renders this always

sensible; and in some measure compels us to observe it in our pronunciation. In respect to blank verse, we ought also to read it, so as to make every line sensible to the ear; for, what is the use of melody, or for what end has the poet composed in verse, if in reading his lines, we suppress his numbers, by omitting the final pause; and degrade them, by our pronunciation, into mere prose ? At the same time that we attend to this pause, every appearance of sing-song and tone must be carefully guarded against. The close of the line, where it makes no pause in the meaning, ought not to bé marked by such a tone as is used in finishing a sentence; but without either fall or elevation of the voice, it should be denoted only by so slight a suspension of sound, as may distinguish the passage from one line to another, without injuring the meaning.

The other kind of melodious pause, is that which falls somewhere about the middle of the verse, and divides it into two hemisticks, a pause, not so great as that which belongs to the close of the line, but still sensible to an ordinary, ear. This, which is called the cæsural pause, may fall, in En glish heroic verse, after the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th syllable in the line. Where the verse is so constructed, that this cæsural pause coincides with the slightest pause or division in the sense, the line can be read easily; as in the two first verses of Pope's Messiah.

"Ye nymphs of Solyma!" begin the song:

"To heavenly themes," sublimer strains belong."

But if it should happen that words which have so strict and intimate connexion, as not to bear even a momentary separ ation, are divided from one another by this cæsural pause, we then feel a sort of struggle between the sense and the sound, which renders it difficult to read such lines harmoniously. The rule of proper pronunciation in such cases, is, to regard only the pause which the sense forms; and to read the line accordingly. The neglect of the cæsural pause may make the line sound somewhat harmoniously; but the effect be much worse, if the sense were sacrificed to the For instance, in the following line of Milton,

woula

ound.

WILL

"What in me is dark,

Illumine: what is low, raise and support,"

dictates the pause after illumine, at the er e, which, in reading, ought to be me if the melody only were to be regdonnected with what follows, a

the sense clearly
of the third syllabi
accordingly; though,.
ed, illumine should be c

ethe

pause not made till the fourth or sixth syllable. following line of Pope's Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot,

"I sit, with sad civility I read:"

So in the

the ear plainly points out the casural pause as falling after sad, the fourth syllable. But it would be very bad reading to make any pause there, so as to separate sad and civility. The sense admits of no other pause than after the second syllable sit, which therefore must be the only pause made in reading this part of the sentence.

There is another mode of dividing some verses, by introducing what may be called demi-cæsuras, which require very slight pauses, and which the reader should manage with judgment, or he will be apt to fall into an affected sing-song mode of pronouncing verses of this kind. The following

lines exemplify the demi-cæsura',

"Warms in the sun", refreshes' in the breeze,
"Glows' in the stars", and blossoms' in the trees;
"Lives' through all life" extends' through all extent,
Spreads' undivided", operates' unspent."

Before the conclusion of this introduction, the Compiler takes the liberty to recommend to those teachers, who may favour his compilation, to exercise their pupils in discovering and explaining the emphatic words, and the proper tones and pauses, of every portion assigned them to read, previously to their being called out to the performance. These preparatory lessons, in which they should be regularly examined, will improve their judgment and taste; prevent the practice of reading without attention to the subject; and establish a habit of readily discovering the meaning, force,and beauty, of every sentence they peruse.

5. Discourse between Adam and Eve, retiring to rest,
6. Religion and death,

198

PART I.

PIECES IN PROSE.

CHAP. I..

SELECT SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS.

CHAP. H.

NARRATIVE PIECES.

Sect. 1. No rank or possession can make the guilty mind happy,

2. Change of external condition often adverse to virtue,"

3. Haman or the misery of pride,