For thou dost fear the soft and tender fork
Of a poor worm: thy best of rest is sleep,
And that thou oft provokest; yet grossly fear'st
Thy death, which is no more: thou art not thyself;
For thou exist'st on many a thousand grains
That issue out of dust: happy thou art not;
For what thou hast not, still thou striv'st to get;
And what thou hast, forget'st thou are not certain
For thy complexion shifts to strange effects,
After the moon: if thou art rich, thou art poor;
For like an ass, whose back with ingots bows,
Thou bear'st thy heavy riches but a journey,
And Death unloadeth thee.

Shakspeare.

CHAPTER XIV.-Pause, Inflections of Voice, and Special Emphasis.

;

Words in ROMAN CAPITALS are especially emphatic, and to be used with the rising Inflection.

INTERROGATION.

Interrogation, in its simplest form, is merely the asking of a question; but it is frequently used as a figure of speech, and, in such case, adds great force to eloquence in general, but especially to direct personal appeals.

Interrogation is denoted by the sign (?).

The word on which the main stress of the interrogation is laid, must be read (however placed in the sentence) with marked, but not violent and loud, Emphasis.

Questions usually terminate with the suspending pause; and if asked by a Verb, with the rising inflection.

Questions commencing with Pronouns and Adverbs, terminate with the falling inflection.

In a series of questions separated by or, the first takes the rising inflection, and the remainder ordinarily the falling inflection.

Here, however, as in other instances, the aim of the reader must be to adapt his voice to the nature of the subject.

Antitheses and Contrasts involved in Interrogations, must be marked as nearly as circumstances allow, as previously directed.

An answer to a question returns to the ordinary pitch, and follows the rules already given.

SIMULTANEOUS EXERCISES.

1. Shall a good man' feel no indignation' against INJUSTICE and BARBARITY?

2. Have I no interest at ALL? Can I be contented with none - but one SEPARATE and DETACHED ?

2. Am I not related to the very EARTH ITSELF? Are such abilities' made for NO PURPOSE? Would he give us talents' that are NOT to be EXERTED? Would he give us capacities' that are NEVER to be GRATIFIED ? 4. Twenty months are passed', - WHO shall restore them'?

5. When the thoughts are once disadjusted - WHY are they not always in confusion'? How is it - that they are rallied in a moment'? - and - from the wildest irregularity - reduced to the most ORDERLY ARRAY?

6. WHO distributes those pendulous floods' through all the borders of the EARTH? TO WHOM shall we ascribe the niceness of contrivance', - which now emits', - now restrains them? - sometimes drives their humid train to ONE PLACE', - Sometimes to ANOTHER ? and dispenses them to this soil' in LARGER - to that in smaller - COMMUNICATIONS?

7. Was not her pride more intolerable' than his LEVITY? Was not her rapine more intolerable' than his PROFUSENESS?

8. Suppose we should have the fortune to conquer for Stephen' will victory' teach him MODERATION? will he learn from security' that regard to our liberties which he could' not' learn' from DANGER'?

D

1.

PRACTICE.

Fret', till your proud heart' break'; Go, show your slaves' how choleric' you are,

And make your bondmen tremble'; Must I BUDGE? Must I OBSERVE you? must I stand and crouch' Under your TESTY HUMOUR?

Never', Cassius.

2. Q. Hold you the watch TO-NIGHT?1

Shakspeare.

Can GOLD

remove the MORTAL HOUR'?

In life' can LOVE be bought with GOLD?
Are friendships' pleasures to be SOLD'?
No', all that's worth a wish',

Fair Virtue - gives' unbribed',

a thought',

unbought'.
Dr. Johnson.

4. Reft of thy sons', amid thy foes' forlorn' -
Mourn, widow'd queen', forgotten Sion', mourn'.
Is this thy place', sad' city', this' thy THRONE
Where the wild desert' rears its craggy STONE?
While suns unblessed' their angry lustre fling' -
And way-worn pilgrims' seek the scanty SPRING?

1 To be read by the pupils in succession.

5. It must be so' Plato', thou reason'st well';

Else WHENCE this pleasing hope', this fond

This longing after' immortality'?

Or' WHENCE this secret dread', and inward horror'

Of falling into naught'? WHY shrinks the soul'

Back on herself',

'Tis the Divinity'

Tis Heaven' itself,

and startles at destruction'?
that stirs' within us';

that points' out' a hereafter',

And intimates Eternity' to man'.

Addison.

6. Extracts from the Philippics of Demosthenes.

But when, my Countrymen, will you begin to exert your vigour? Do you wait till roused by some dire event? till forced by some necessity? what, then, are we to think of your present condition? To free-men, the disgrace attending on misconduct is, in my opinion, the most urgent necessity. Or say, is it your sole ambition to wander through the public places, each inquiring of the other, "What new advices?" anything be more new than that a man of Macedon should conquer the Athenians, and give law to Greece? "Is Philip dead?" "No-but he is sick." Pray, what is it to you whether Philip is sick or not? Supposing he should die, you would raise up another Philip, if you continue thus regardless of your interest.

66

Can

It is not surely necessary to warn you, that votes alone can be of no consequence. Proceed, then, Athenians, to support your deliberations with vigour. What time so proper for action? what occasion so happy? and when

can you hope for such another, if this be neglected? Has not Philip, contrary to all treaties, insulted you in Thrace? Does he not, at this instant, straiten and invade your confederates, whom you have solemnly sworn to protect? Is he not an implacable enemy ? a faithless ally?—the usurper of provinces, to which he has no title or pretence?-a stranger, a barbarian, a tyrant?

7. Truth.

Attend, ye sons of men; attend and say,
Does not enough of my refulgent ray
Break through the veil of your mortality?
Say, does not reason in this form descry
Unnumber'd, nameless glories, that surpass

The angel's floating pomp, the seraph's glowing grace?
Shall, then, your earth-born daughters vie
With me? Shall she, whose brightest eye
But emulates the diamond's blaze,

Whose cheek, but mocks the peach's bloom,

Whose breath, the hyacinth's perfume,

Whose melting voice, the warbling woodlark's lays,Shall she be deem'd my rival? Shall a form

Of elemental dross, of mouldering clay,

Vie with these charms imperial? The poor worm

Shall prove her contest vain.

Life's little day

Shall pass, and she is gone; while I appear

Flush'd with the bloom of youth, through
Heaven's eternal year.

8. British Energy.

No, ye soft sons of Ganges, and of Ind,
Ye feebly delicate, life little needs

Mason.

Your feminine toys, nor asks your nerveless arms
To cast the strong-flung shuttle, or the spear.
Can ye defend your country from the storm
Of strong invasion? Can ye want endure,
In the besieged fort, with courage firm?