fication, it constantly happens that, in its relative proportion in a line, the same word is sometimes long, sometimes short; and indeed, it will be manifest to any ear, that monosyllables, such as care, there, loud, bold, &c. may be prolonged at will to any indefinite time, so as to give to them the quantity of a quaver, a cratchet, a minim, or even a semibreve. This clearly does away with the idea of a settled rule of quantity in our language; the rhythmus (or order) of which is governed by another principle, that of the regular arrangement of heavy and light sounds, or syllables; and this it is, not quantity, which makes the rhythm of English versification. This will be more fully treated of under the head of " Time," in the chapter devoted to the Reading of Verse. Here it is necessary to remark, that there is a certain rhythmical, or measured, movement even in prose; not so regularly preserved as in verse, but still requiring to be noted and marked in reading. In some elaborate compositions, indeed, where the cadences are very regular, the rhythm and time are preserved with great exactness; and it is a great beauty in elocution to mark them by the pulsation and remission of the voice, on the heavy and light syllables respectively, and by a due observance of time or measure. Take, as an example, the following, by Dr. Johnson, in common time: The notation is only to show the time, and the barring marks the rhythmical accentuation: ig- no- rant in spite of ex- pe- ri- ence. In this example I have marked the accented or heavy syllables which require pulsation of voice; and it will be observed that the first note of the bar is always accented, or its place is supplied by a rest, or pause, which, with the other notes, fills up the cadence, and completes the bar; for rests, or pauses, are as essential a part of the rhythm as the notes themselves, and, in verse especially, it is on their due and proportionate observance, as well as of the heavy and light syllables, that rhythm depends. All this is more fully explained hereafter: but I thought thus much, on the subject of quantity and stress, (or accent,) necessary to be remarked before proceeding with Emphasis, of which stress is an essential constituent. The power of emphasis to strengthen or change the meaning of any sentence is very great; and its proper use in delivery adds greatly to the point and power of a discourse; hence some orators are called emphatic speakers, when it is intended that their style is pointed and forcible. But Emphasis is not merely stress or weight of voice: it is made up of stress and inflection; accordingly, EMPHASIS is stress and inflection of voice. There are two principal kinds of Emphasis 1. Emphasis of sense. 2. Emphasis of force. 1. Emphasis of sense is that emphasis which marks and indicates the meaning or sense of the sentence; and which being transferred from word to word, has power to change and vary the particular meaning of such sentence. In other words, it is the placing on the particular word which carries the main point of the sentence, or member of the sentence, the inflection due to such sentence or member, and giving weight or emphasis to such inflection:-the word so marked and distinguished is called the emphatic word. RULE. To make the emphasis of sense, throw the inflection proper to the sentence, or member of it, on the emphatic word; and give weight or stress on that inflection. Thus The following interrogative sentence requires the rising inflection. Now, by placing that inflection on any one word, and at the same time giving weight or stress to that inflection—the sense will be emphasized on that particular word; and as the emphasis of sense is changed from word to word, the point of the sense will be varied accordingly. tion and meaning of a sentence, or member of it, on some particular word: and the inflection is rising or falling according to the rule applicable to the particular sentence, or member of it, in which that word occurs. There are branches of the emphasis of sense, incidental to particular rules of inflection, as Antithetical Emphasis Emphasis with pronominal phrase, &c. of which I shall speak under the proper heads. 2. Emphasis of force (or it might be called Emphasis of feeling,) is that emphasis or stress which a speaker uses arbitrarily to add force to some particular idea or expression; not because the sense or meaning intended to be conveyed requires it,-but because the force of his own feeling dictates it. RULE, The emphasis of force is always made with the falling inflection; whatever may be the inflection proper to the sentence, without such emphasis. EXAMPLES. Could you be so cruel? Could you be so cruel? I did not say so. These sentences-interrogative and negative-by ordinary Rule, would have the rising inflection; ; but the emphasis of force being placed on the word could, or cruel, and not, gives |