use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must beget a temperance that will give it smoothness. Oh! it offends me to the soul, to hear a robustious, periwig a-pated fellow, tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise. Pray you avoid it.

8. Be not too tame, either; but let your own discretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the word, and the word to the

action

with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature; for any thing so overdone, is from the purpose of playing, whose end is, to hold, as it were, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the times, their form and pressure. Now, this overdone, or come tardy off, though it may make the unskillful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve the censure of one of which, must, in your allowance, overweigh a whole theater of others.

SECTION VIII.

Absolute Emphatic Clause Repeated.

NOTE. Clauses of this kind are subject to the same rules that have been given under Absolute Emphasis, when applied to single words.

EXAMPLES.

1. Let our subject be our country, OUR WHOLE COUNTRY, and NOTHING BUT OUR COUNTRY.

2. A Deity believed, is joy begun; a Deity ADORED, is JOY ADVANCED; a Deity BELOVED, is JOY MATURED.

3. My first argument for the adoption of this measure is, the

Periwig, a small wig to conceal baldness. b Groundlings, those who stood in what is called the pit, at theaters.

people demand it; my second argument is, THE PEOPLE DEMAND IT; my third argument is, THE PEOPLE DEMAND IT.

EXERCISE.

1. Frown INDIGNANTLY upon the first dawning of an attempt to alienate any portion of this Union from the rest.

The

2. I have shown by the gentleman's own arguments, that the doctrine advanced by him, is not at present received; that it never was received; that it never CAN, by any possibility, BE RECEIVED; and, if admitted at all, it must be by the TOTAL

SUBVERSION OF LIBERTY.

3. What was the cause of our wasting forty millions of money, and sixty thousand lives? The American war! What was it that produced the French rescript? a The American war! What was it that produced the Spanish manifesto? THE AMERICAN WAR! What was it that armed forty-two thousand men in Ireland, with the arguments carried on the points of forty-two thousand bayonets? THE AMERICAN WAR! For what are we about to incur an additional debt of twelve or fourteen millions? THIS DIABOLICAL AMERICAN WAR!

4. I impeach him in the name of the Commons House of Parliament, whose trust he has betrayed. I impeach him in the name of the English nation, whose ancient honor he has sullied. I impeach him in the name of the people of India, whose rights he has trodden under foot, and whose country he has turned into a desert. Lastly, in the name of human nature itself, in the name of both sexes, in the name of every age, in the name of every rank, I impeach the common enemy and oppressor of all.

a Rescript, among the Romans, an edict or decree.

5. Is character valuable? On this point, I will not insult you with argument. There are certain things, to argue which, is treason against nature. The Author of our being did not intend to leave this point afloat at the mercy of opinion; but, with his own hand, he has kindly planted in the soul of man an instinctive love of character. This high sentiment has no affinity to pride. It is the ennobling quality of the soul; and, if we have hitherto been elevated above the ranks of surrounding creation, human nature owes its elevation to the love of character.

6. It is the love of character for which the poet has sung, the philosopher toiled, the hero bled. It is the love of character which wrought miracles in ancient Greece; a the love of character is the eagle on which Rome b rose to empire. And it is the love of character, animating the bosom of her sons, on which America must depend in those approaching crises that may "try men's souls." Will a jury weaken this, our nation's hope? Will they, by their verdict, pronounce to the youth of our country, that character is scarce worth possessing? No, gentlemen, no; never, never.

SECTION IX.

Antithetic Emphatic Clause.

NOTE. Clauses of this kind are subject to the same rules that have been given under Antithetic Emphasis, when applied to single words.

■ Greece, (proper,) an ancient country, which included all of modern Greece, and a portion of the southern part of Turkey in Europe. b Rome, an ancient city, situated nearly on the site of modern Rome, in Italy. The Roman empire once embraced most of the eastern world as then known.

QUESTION. How should antithetic emphatic clauses be read?

EXAMPLES.

1. The robber of character plunders that which not enriches him, but makes his neighbor poor indeed.

2. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me LIBERTY, or give me DEATH.

3. Tell your sovereign, sir, I am poor and penniless; but with all the wealth of his KINGDOM, he cannot make me false to my country. I boast not of my influence over the minds of the people, but I GLORY in my unshaken fidelity to the cause of independence.

EXERCISE.

1. But youth, it seems, is not my only crime. I have been accused of acting a THEATRICAL part.

2. Is it that you would fight Austria for us? No; a thousand times, No. Take away the prestigea of Russian aid, and I, strong in the confidence of my people, will CRUSH it in one single battle, as I CRUSH this paper my hand.

in

3. Be studious, and you will be learned; be industrious and frugal, and you may be rich; be sober and temperate, and you will be healthy; be virtuous, and you will be happy.

4. We read of that philosophy, which can smile over the destruction of property; of that religion, which enables its possessor to extend the benign look of forgiveness and complacency to his murderers; but it is not in the soul of man to bear the lacerations of slander.

5. There was a time, then, my fellow-citizens, when the Lacedæmonians b were sovereign masters, both by sea and land; while this state had not one ship—no, not one wall.

•Prestige, illusion, fascination, imposture. Lacedæmonian, a citizen of Sparta, or Lacedæmon, one of the most powerful of the states of ancient Greece

D

CHAPTER V.

INFLECTION.

AN INFLECTION is a modification of the voice in reading or speaking, commonly referring to the upward and downward slides.

There are four inflections, or modifications of the voice, besides the cadence; namely, the Rising Inflection, Falling Inflection, Circumflex, and Monotone.

A mark inclining to the right, (') denotes the rising inflection A mark inclining to the left, () denotes the falling inflection. A curving mark, () usually denotes the circumflex.

A horizontal mark, (-) denotes the monotone.

It should be distinctly remembered, that, although each of the above marks, or characters indicates an inflection of the voice, the same in kind, yet, in degree, intensity, and significant expressiveness, there is a great variety of shades. Any attempt, therefore, to give definite rules, touching the minor shades of modification, would rather perplex, than aid the learner. Good sense, correct taste, and a delicate ear, will ordinarily adapt the more graceful inflections to the spirit of the piece, in the best way, and in the most natural manner.

Definitions and Explanations.

1. The RISING INFLECTION is an upward turn or slide of the voice; as, Will you go to-day?

2. The FALLING INFLECTION is a downward turn or slide of the voice; as, Where has he gone?

3. The CIRCUMFLEX is the union of the falling and rising inflections on the same syllable or word,

QUESTIONS. What is an inflection? What are the four inflections, besides the cadence, which are used in reading? How is the rising inflection denoted? How the falling? How the circumflex? the monotone? What is said of the various minor shades of inflection? What is the rising inflection ? What the falling? What the circumflex?