"Ye nymphs of Solyma! begin the song; "To heav'nly themes, sublimer strains belong." But if it should so happen that words which have so strict and inti mate a connexion, as not to bear even a momentary separation, 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 unharmoniously; but the effect would be much worse, if the sense were sacrificed to the sound. For instance, in the following line of Milton, "What in me is dark, "Illumine; what is low, raise and support, the sense clearly dictates the pause after illumine, at the end of the third syllable, which, in reading, ought to be made accordingly; though if the melody only were to be regarded, illumine should be connected with what follows, and the pause not made till the fourth or sixth sylla ble. So in the following line of Pope's Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, "I sit, with sad civility I read," the ear plainly points out the cæsural 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, Before the conclusion of this introduction, the Compiler takes the liberty to recommend to teachers, 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. CONTENTS. CHAPTER II.-Narrative Pieces. B2 CHAPTER IV.—Argumentative Pieces. SEC. 1. Happiness is founded in rectitude of conduct, 2. Virtue man's highest interest, 3. The injustice of an uncharitable spirit, 4. The misfortunes of men mostly chargeable on them- SEC. 1. Trial and execution of the Earl of Strafford, 4. Lord Mansfield's speech in the House of Lords, 1770, on- SEC. 1. Earthquake at Calabria, in the year 1638, 2. Letter from Pliny to Geminius, 3. Letter from Pliny to Marcellinus, on the death of an ami- 5. On the government of our thoughts, 6. On the evils which flow from unrestrained passions, 7. On the proper state of our temper, with respect to one 8. Excellence of the Holy Scriptures, 9. Reflections occasioned by a review of the blessings, pro- 24. The speech of Fabricius, a Roman ambassador, to king 25. Character of James I. king of England, |