(Subj.)

(Pred.)

and his mental energy,

and his vigorous en

[terprise;

and nervous irritation and depression

ensue.

All that was once lovely and of good report retires.

Sometimes both subject and predicate are equally emphatic, and the whole sentence is spoken with continued emphasis. A long pause however, must generally intervene between the two members.

(Subj.)

(Subj.)

(Pred.)

It is in vain

Sir,

The war

[matter.

(Subj.) to extenuate the

(Pred.) is actually begun!

The next gale that sweeps from the north
may bring to our ears

the clash of resounding arms.

Let not the student suppose that he is expected to carry along in his mind, a grammatical analysis of sentences during the glowing excitement of eloquent reading or speaking. Far from it. He is scarcely to think of words, much less of grammar. For it is with ideas, images and feelings, that he is to be in

tensely occupied. Still a few such analyses as the above will be found of great advantage. They divest the subject of much of the strangeness which it presents in many books of elocution, and form those appropriate habits by which a reader emphasizes with instantaneous correctness, the moment his eye glances on a passage. Unless a person can emphasize at sight, and without the necessity of previously studying a passage, he has little practical or even useful knowledge either of reading or speaking. Indeed, emphasis that is the result of ingenious study, is generally wrong. It corresponds neither with the grammar, the logic, nor the general scope of the composition. The new readings" by which actors so often aim at notoriety, are apt to be as incorrect as they are far-fetched.

Every reader however, instinctively makes some sort of analysis of passages, as he proceeds, and in the following examples we shall present one of that extremely simple kind, which corresponds with the most common action of a reader's mind. In the second part of the work, the subject will be resumed.

Without then going into a grammatical, or a logical analysis, the mind of a reader generally notices that the most important, and consequently the emphatic portion of a sentence, is either at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end. The same habit is followed likewise, in regard to sections or phrases of a sentence.

We should have preferred to present the following example in the ordinary form of continuous discourse, but the page would have become confused. As we give it, each line is not always a strict rhetorical phrase.

EXAMPLE FOR PRACTICE.

Emphasis at be- Gentlemen, we are at the point of a century ginning. from the birth of Washington;

Emphasis at be- and what a century

ginning.

it has been!

Emphasis at be- in his moral, social and political character,

ginning.

leading the whole long train

of other improvements,

which has most remarkably distinguished

the era of Washington.

[Our existing institutions,

Emphatic clause raised on these foundations,

in middle and

at end.

have conferred on us

almost unmixed happiness.

There are two principles, gentlemen,

We wish to direct the attention of the student to the fact, that in the latter part of the last example, some of the emphatic

clauses occurring in the middle of a sentence are somewhat parenthetical in their structure. It is singular that for upwards of a hundred years it should have been the standing rule in books, that parentheses or parenthetical clauses universally require to be read in "a quicker and weaker tone of voice," while it is commonly directed likewise to read them on a lower pitch. So far are these rules from being true universally, that such clauses are as often emphatic as any others, and as often require to be read on a higher as on a lower key. Extemporaneous style and that of conversation, frequently abound in parentheses, which are delivered with more instead of less earnestness, from the fact that the speaker is afraid of forgetting the ideas that they present, or puts them in by way of caution to prevent misapprehension. In written styles likewise, participial clauses, coming in parenthetically, contribute to condensation, and are often strongly emphatic.

At the end of the section on Grouping or the Accent of Construction, we cautioned against injuring the tone of continuity which is required in a discourse. The same caution is needed in reference to the above examples. If it be asked, upon what does the tone of continuity depend?—we answer, upon that sustained earnestness of tone, at the end of groups, which proceeds from the suspension of the respiration, and the fixed attitude, look, and appeal of the hand, which we have described above as accompanying rhetorical pauses.

EMPHATIC FORCE ON SINGLE WORDS.

A strong and exclusive emphasis on a single word, is found quite difficult in early practice.

The faults which result from not being accustomed to the strong mental and physical effort required for such emphasis,

are, first, want of force; and secondly, want of complete and unreserved earnestness of expression.

1. In order to ensure sufficient force, breath must be taken the mind must be made ready-and then the emphatic word must be sent forth, with a more fearless energy than is natural to timid and unpractised speakers.

The force and energy of the voice on an emphatic word, must be sufficient to produce a strong and frequently a striking and even startling effect on the auditors.

2. Unpractised speakers often emphasize with sufficient loudness and force, and yet do not seem to be really in earnest.

To use a familiar expression, they do not appear to be wholesouled in their earnestness. This fault proceeds from three

causes.

First, the mind, as it were, partly holds back, and does not completely surrender itself up to the required. expression.

ner.

There should be for the time a total abandonment, and especially a fearless indifference as to personal peculiarities of manThese are seldom of serious importance, so long as they do not hinder the expression of earnestness. Apprehensiveness and self-criticism will surely prevent perfect heartiness and sincerity of emphatic expression.

Secondly, the more earnest the emphasis, the more heartily must the breath be sent out.

In the most powerfully emphatic utterance, this is done so heartily, that the lungs seem at first to be completely emptied. Such is not however the fact, although the breath does indeed issue violently during the utterance of the accented syllable of the emphatic word.