To be so pestered with a popinjay,
Out of my grief, and my impatience,

Answered negligently-I know not what,

He should, or should not; for he made me mad
To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet,

And talk so like a waiting gentlewoman

Of guns, and drums, and wounds (heaven save the mark!)
And telling me the sovreign'st thing on earth

Was spermaceti-for an inward bruise;
And that it was a great pity (so it was)
That villainous saltpetre-should be digged
Out of the bowels of the harmless earth,
Which many a good tall fellow had destroy'd
So cowardly; and but for these vile guns
He would himself have been a soldier.
This bald unjointed chat of his, my lord,
I answered indirectly, as I said;
And I beseech you let not his report

Come current, for an accusation,

Betwixt my love and your high majesty.”

There have been many rules laid down and suggestions given in regard to the proper rendering of the emphatic words in sentences. With what degree of success they have been attended, or what actual guide they have been to the student, we will not discuss here.

Most readers and speakers, however, regard emphasis as a matter of private judgment, which their own taste and appreciation of the sentiment should dictate, and which can not be determined by fixed rules; forgetting that taste would lose its significance, or at least become very bad taste, if it failed to translate the author's sentiments

correctly.

We might, with as much propriety, use the same liberty with the accentuation of syllables, or declare that individual taste should settle the various parts of speech. Emphasis is either something or nothing. It has a specific use or it has no use. If it has a legitimate place, it must be amenable to some law.

Then who is to decide this matter, it is asked. Is not one person as good authority as another? To the first question we would reply, nature is to decide; to the second, they are the best authority who have studied most closely natural effects. People in earnest, animated conversations and discussions, in asking or answering questions, always place the emphasis on the proper word, and would not deviate in rendering the ideas of others if they had not been erroneously taught by those who have ignored nature's invaluable lessons.

We will give some specimens where taste and appreciation of sentiment decided the emphatic words.

EXAMPLE 1.-The first sentence in the soliloquy of Macbeth when he is debating the murder of King Duncan-"If it were done when 't is done, then it were well it were done quickly."

Any one who has observed critically the rendition of this passage by different professional readers and actors will have heard it emphasized in the following various styles: "If it were done when 't is done, then it were well it were done quickly." The sense of which is: "If it were done when 't is, it were well." Here the sense is already completed, and "it were done quickly" becomes a meaningless clause, having no reference to what precedes it.

EXAMPLE 2.-"If it were done when 't is done, then it were well it were done quickly." "If it were when 't is" is without meaning. If it is, it absolutely is; there is no "if it were" about it. By such emphasis we are led to this conclusion, that "if it were when 't is, then it were well it were."

The true idea to be conveyed is that the act does not prevent consequences following it; that committing the murder is no surety that the business will be finished-the object attained.

Let us substitute the word finished for the first "done," and we will have no trouble in placing the emphasis: "If it were finished when 't is done, then it were well it were done quickly." Of course we can not help wishing that Macbeth had possessed a more copious language, and had not been obliged to use the same word three times in a sentence. But the office of the elocutionist is to find the meaning of the author and give it the proper expression, no matter how much it may be hidden by inexpressive words.

We will give one other example, from Paul:

"O death! where is thy sting?

O grave! where is thy victory?"

The majority of persons who read these sentences place the emphasis on is, which conveys the idea that the sting of death and the victory of the grave are things the reader is searching to find and eager to possess. They are simply exclamations of triumph, in consequence of the resurrection having gained the victory over death and the grave. This having been fully demonstrated, the apostle bursts forth with this paan, placing the emphasis on where; meaning, where now is thy sting:

"O death! where is thy sting?

O grave! where is thy victory?"

We hope these quotations will be sufficient to convince both reader and student that emphasis must be governed by fixed rules, inherent in the nature of things.

As we have shown that emphasis placed on the wrong words entirely changes the meaning of the author, it will be further seen that close and critical analysis is required, not only to find the truly emphatic word in a sentence, but to ascertain in what way it is controlled by something previously expressed.

RULE. Simple courtesy requires that all proper names, when introduced for the first time, should receive emphasis.

This rule must also be observed in presenting people to each other; and further, when several names are spoken in succession, each must receive stress, and must not be pronounced in the same pitch of voice nor with the same breath.

EXAMPLE." George and Mary, James and Cynthia, John and Eliza attended the celebration." These persons are distinctly and separately introduced, and each individual name must be pronounced with dif ferent emphasis (or pitch of voice) from the preceding one.

We can readily see the folly of disregarding this rule if we present a number of persons in succession, trying to pronounce their .names with one breath and in exactly the same pitch of voice. Certainly nothing could be more disrespectful. Therefore we see here a law, founded on the nature of things, to neglect or disobey which would be inexcusable.

The above rule applies also to objects and topics when first presented. It is but an act of politeness, due to the listeners, that they may become acquainted with a new subject demanding their consideration. If this is neglected, the subject-its acts, qualities, etc.mingle in inextricable confusion in the mind of the listener.

NOTE.-After a formal, emphatic presentation of nouns has taken place, according to the preceding rule, on their recurrence they do not take the same prominence; but their acts and qualities are next in order to receive stress.

EXAMPLE.-It rained, it hailed, it blew, making the storm terrific." Storm does not receive stress, because it stands in the position of a recurrence of the word. But the writer has introduced three distinct acts to express the character of the storm, and these should not be spoken on the same pitch of voice. As they all mean different things, different qualities of voice are required.

Therefore all students of elocution should analyze each sentence, for the purpose of gaining the author's full meaning. This, of course, involves an amount of study that may be discouraging to those who

expect to become proficients without labor; but it is the shortest and only road to excellence.

One very simple way of finding correct emphasis is by questions and answers. Let us take a part of the 23d Psalm, and by questions and answers see what we learn:

"The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want." Why shall I not want? Because the Lord is my Shepherd. Therefore we get this rendering: "The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want."

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Where doth He make me to lie down? In green pastures. He leadeth me where? By the still waters. He leadeth me in what paths? Of righteousness. For whose sake? For His name's sake. Again, "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul!" Unto whom do I lift up my soul? Unto thee. What do I lift up unto thee? My soul.

NOTE.-Remember that my is never emphatic unless it is used to denote possession, in contrast to something possessed by others, or when the object possessed is a subject of controversy.

"The Lord said unto my lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies-thy footstool," is correct, for two separate lords are designated.

RULE.—When any two words in a sentence are brought in contrast they are emphatic; as, "Why should it live-while I am fallen?"

In simple emphasis, where there are repetitions, or a succession of particulars to be designated, the stress is marked more by different pitches of voice and inflection than by increased loudness.

"They (through faith) subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions;-out of weakness were made strong,— waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the arms of the aliens."

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."

"The rocks crumble, the trees fall, the leaves fade, and the grass withers."

Emphasis may be properly divided into two classes, the Grammatical and Rhetorical.

Grammatical emphasis sustains the corresponding relation to words. in a sentence that accented syllables do to words, it being one of the essential elements that helps to give correct meaning, as well as life and soul to all delivery. As the subject and predicate are the important words in a sentence, they receive the stress from grammatical necessity. We will construct an example in simple grammatical emphasis. In pronouncing the name of God we should give it sufficient force to convey our devotional reverence for his name. If we say God IS, there

is an interest awakened, and the important stress is placed on the predicate, which means that he exists, that he is all in all. If we say God is great, it then becomes a simple copula; great is the thing predicated, and which receives the important stress. In all simple declarations this is a rule: John is wise; Julia is beautiful; James is good.

RULE 1.-But if they assume the form of positive affirmation or opposition to some other expressed opinion, then the copula receives the important stress; as, John Is wise, notwithstanding you do not think so; Julia is beautiful, and James is good.

RULE 2. In altercations and disputes the emphasis is changed from the pronoun to the verb: "This is my book. It was your book, but it is not now." The student should be required to originate sentences, emphasizing according to the preceding examples.

RULE 3.-In the repetition of a question the verb takes the stress; as, Who is this man of whom you speak? No answer being received, the question is repeated, Who is this man of whom you speak?

In all affirmations confirming a fact about which doubt has been expressed follow the same rule.

There are two ways of making emphasis-by stress and quantity. Stress is simple unimpassioned emphasis, such as occurs in important words in general conversation, or in reading sentiments or thoughts not particularly impressive. Quantity is either loudness or force, with more prolongation of the vowel-sounds on the unaccented syllables, and is marked also by variety of pitch.

When two or more states, conditions, or qualities are used in the predicate they are all emphatic, and usually increase in force of utterance, the last one receiving more stress than the preceding ones; but they should be spoken on different pitches, rather than in loudness of voice, bearing in mind also that two emphatic words must not be spoken without taking breath between them. God is (1)great-and (2)good-and (3)glorious.

EXERCISE IN MEDIUM EMPHASIS.

Ere three shrill notes the pipe had uttered,
You heard as if an army muttered;
And the grumbling-grew to a mighty-rumbling,
And out of the house the rats came tumbling;-

Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,
Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats;
Grave old plodders,-gay young friskers;

Fathers, mothers,—uncles, cousins,

Curling tails and pricking whiskers;

Families-by tens and dozens;—