drunkard, is in danger of losing his health and character." In this periodic sentence, the meaning is not formed till the close; and yet the falling slide must be given at the end of the second member, or the sense is subverted; for the rising slide on drunkard would imply that his becoming such, is the only way to preserve health and character.

In the foregoing rule, together with the VI. and IX. is comprised all that I think important in about thirty rules. of Walker.

10] RULE V. Tender emotion generally inclines the voice to the rising slide.*

Grief, compassion, and delicate affection, soften the soul, and are uttered in words, invariably with corresponding qualities of voice. The passion and the appropriate signs by which it is expressed, are so universally conjoined, that they cannot be separated. It would shock the sensibility of any one to hear a mother describe the death of her child, with the same intonations which belong to joy or anger. And equally absurd would it be for a general to assume the tones of grief, in giving his commands at the head of an army.

Hence the vocative case, when it expresses either affection or delicate respect, takes the rising slide; as, "Jesus saith unto her, Máry." "Jesus saith unto him, Thóm"Sír, I perceive that thou art a prophet."-" Sírs, what must I do to be saved?"

as."

This inflection prevails in the reverential language of prayer. The same slide prevails in pathetic poetry. Take an example from Milton's lamentation for the loss of sight.

* In the first edition, this rule was expressed too strongly to coincide with the authors meaning, as explained in other parts of the work. "It is corrected here, at the suggestion of a friend.

Thus with the year,

Seasons return; but not to me returns
Dáy, or the sweet approach of év'n or mórn,
Or sight of vernal bloom, or summer's róse,
Or flócks, or hérds, or human face divine;
But cloud instead, and ever during dàrk
Surround me-

Another example may be seen in the beautiful little poem of Cowper, on the receipt of his mother's picture :

My mother! when I learn'd that thou wast déad,
Say, wast thou conscious of the tears I shéd?
Hover'd thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing són,
Wretch even thén, life's journey just begún ?
I hear'd the bell toll'd on thy burial day,
I saw the hearse, that bore thee slow away,
And, turning from my nurs'ry windów, drew
A long, long sigh, and wept a last adièu.

In both these examples the voice preserves the rising slide, till, in the former we come to the last member, beginning with the disjunctive but,-where it takes the falling slide on cloud and dark. In the latter the slide does not change till the cadence requires it, on the last word, adieu.

11] RULE VI. The rising slide is commonly used at the last pause but one in a sentence. The reason is, that the ear expects the voice to fall when the sense is finished; and therefore it should rise for the sake of variety and harmony, on the pause that precedes the cadence. -Ex.

"The minor longs to be at àge, then to be a man of business, then to make up an estàte, then to arrive at honórs, then to retire.” "Our lives, (says Seneca,) are spent either in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we oùght to do."

FALLING INFLECTION.

The general principle suggested under Rule V, is to be borne in mind here. In the various classes of examples under the falling inflection, the reader will perceive the prevailing characteristic of decision and force. So instinctively does bold and strong passion express itself by this turn of voice, that, just so far as the falling slide becomes intensive, it denotes emphatic force. The VIII. IX. and X. rules will illustrate this remark.

12] RULE VII. The indirect question, or that which is not answered by yes or no, has the falling inflection; and its answer has the same.

This sort of question begins with interrogative pronouns and adverbs. Thus Cicero bears down his adversary by the combined force of interrogation and emphatic series.

This is an open, honourable challenge to you. Why are you silent? Why do you prevaricate? I insist upon this point; I ùrge you to it; prèss it; requìre it; náy, I demand it of you.

So in his oration for Ligarius;

What, Tubero, did that naked sword of yours mean, in the battle of Pharsàlia ? At whose breast was its point aimed? What was the meaning of your arms, your spìrit, your eyes, your hands, your ardour of sòul?

In conversation there are a few cases where the indirect question has the rising slide; as when one partially hears some remark, and familiarly asks; What is that? Who is that?

The answer to the indirect question, according to the

general rule, has the falling slide; though at the expense of harmony; as,

Who say the people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say that one of the old prophets is risen again.-- Where is boasting then? It is excluded.— Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt? The infernal sèrpent.

The want of distinction in elementary books, between that sort of question which turns the voice upward, and that which turns it downward, must have been felt by every teacher even of children. This distinction is scarcely noticed by the ancients. Augustin, in remarking on the false sense sometimes given to a passage of Scripture by false pronunciation, says, The ancients called that question interrogation, which is answered by yes or no; and that percontation, which admits of other answers.* Quinctilian, however, says the two terms were used indifferently.

13] RULE VIII. The language of authority and of surprise, is commonly uttered with the falling inflection. Bold and strong passion so much inclines the voice to this slide, that in most of the cases hereafter to be specified, emphatic force is denoted by it.

1. The imperative mood, as used to express the commands of a superior, denotes that energy of thought which usually requires the falling slide. Thus Milton supposes Gabriel to speak, at the head of his radiant files:

* He gives an example from Paul, with the pronunciation which he proposes :-" post percontationem, Quis accusabit adversus electos Dei? illud quod sequitur sono interrogantis enuntietur, Deus qui justificat? ut tacitè respondeatur, Non. Et item percontemur, Quis est qui condemnat? rursus interrogemus, Christus Jesus, qui mortuus est? etc. ut ubique tacitè respondeatur, Non."

De Doctrina Christiana, Lib. III. Cap. 3.

Uzziel! half these draw off and coast the south,

With strictest watch; these other, wheel the nòrth.

-Ithuriel and Zephon! with winged speed

Search through this gàrden; leave unsearched no nòok.
This evening from the sun's decline arriv'd

Who tells of some infernal spirit seen,

Hitherward bent:

Such where ye find, seize fàst, and hìther bring.

Thus in the battle of Rokeby, young Redmond addressed his soldiers;

Up, comrades! ùp!-in Rokeby's halls

Ne'er be it said our courage falls.

No language surpasses the English, in the spirit and vivacity of its imperative mode, and vocative case. These often are found together in the same address; and when combined with emphasis, separately or united, they have the falling slide, and great strength.

2. Denunciation and reprehension, on the same principle, commonly require the falling inflection; as,

Wo unto you, Phàrisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues. Wò unto you, làwyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge. But God said unto him, thou fòol!—this night thy sòul shall be required of thee. But Jesus said, Why tèmpt ye me, ye hypocrites! Paul said to Elymas, O full of all subtlety, and all mischief! Thou child of the Devil,-thou enemy of all righteousness!

In the beginning of Shakspeare's Julius Cæsar, Marullus, a patriotic Roman, finding in the streets some peasants, who were keeping holiday, for Cæsar's triumph over the liberties of his country, accosted them in this indignant strain;

Hènce!-home, you idle creatures, get you home.

You blocks, you stones! You worse than senseless things!