(Unemphatic,) O no! that is not the law!

(Emphatic.) I say that is NOT the law!

Note.-When a negative phrase or clause is contrasted with an affirmative one, whether first or last in the order of construction, the rule is the same; as, "I said this book, not that," or, "I did not say this book, but that." "It was black, not white;" or, "It was not white, but black." Rule 4. An imperative sentence takes the falling inflection; as,

"Strike! till the last armed foe expires;

Strike! for your altars and your fires."

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise."-Bible.

"Hence! horrible shadow !"

Rule 5. A direct interrogation, or a question that can be answered by Yes or No, takes the rising inflection; as,

"To purchase heaven has gold the power?

Can gold remove the mortal hour?
In life can love be bought with gold?
Are friendship's pleasures to be sold ?"

Note.-When, by strong emphasis on the first or auxiliary verb, a direct question anticipates an affirmative reply, it takes a falling inflection; as, "Is this true? Can you believe it? Has not reason prevailed ?"

Rule 6. An indirect interrogation, or a question that can not be answered by Yes or No, takes the falling inflection; as, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place ?”—Bible.

Note 1.-If the question be repeated, it takes the rising inflection; as, "Which way did you say?"

Note 2.-Sometimes the meaning of a question is decided by an inflection, making it direct or indirect; as, "Will you read Pope or Milton ?" Ans. "Pope." It is a direct question when both nouns receive the rising inflection; as, “Will you read Pope or Milton ?" "Yes."

Rule 7. Words or phrases in apposition take the same inflection; as,

'Absalom, my son, was my staff."

"Victoria is the daughter of Edward, duke of Kent.”

"We will go to Brooklyn, the City of Churches." Rule 8. Words or phrases in contrast or antithesis take opposite inflection; as,

(Single Antithesis.)

"They sang of love, and not of fame

Forgot was Britain's glory;

Each heart recalled a different name,

But all sang 'Annie Laurie.""-BAYARD TAYLOR.

(Double Antithesis.) "The difference between a madman and a fool is, the former reasons justly from false data, and the latter erroneously from just data."

"Prosperity gains friends; adversity tries them.' "It is harder to avoid censure than to gain applause." Rule 9. Words or phrases in a parenthesis, suspending the sense, take the rising inflection; as,

"But here's a parchment with the seal of Cæsar.

I found it in his closet: 'tis his will.

Let but the commons hear this testament

(Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read),

And they would go and kiss dead Cæsar's wounds,

And dip their napkins in his sacred blood—

Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,

And, dying, mention it within their wills,

Bequeathing it as a rich legacy

Unto their issue."-SHAKSPEARE.

Rule 10. Words or phrases in a parenthesis, making addition to the complete sense, take the falling inflection; as,

"In fact, there's nothing that keeps its youth,

So far as I know, but a tree and truth.

(This is a moral that runs at large;

Take it.—You're welcome.—No extra charge.)”—HOLMES. Note. When the sense is reopened by the parenthetical addition, the voice is kept up at the close of the parenthesis.

SERIES.

A series is a succession of particulars, at least three in number. Series are classed as simple and compound, either of which may be a commencing or a concluding series.

A SIMPLE series is one whose members are single in word or idea; as,

In my garden are apples, | peaches, | plums, | and pears.]

A series is COMPOUND when the members comprise several words, or convey more than one idea; as,

"From every battle-field of the Revolution-from Lexington and Bunker Hill-from Saratoga and Yorktown-from the fields of Eutaw-from the cane-brakes that sheltered the men of Marion, the repeated, long-prolonged echoes came up, "THE UNION: IT MUST BE PRESERVED.""-BANCROFT.

A series is COMMENCING When the sense is not complete at the close of the series; as,

Men, women, and children | were seen in the park.

A series is CONCLUDING when the sense is complete with the series; as,

I saw in the park men, | women, | and children.|

Rules for the Inflection of Series.

Rule 11. A simple commencing series should have the rising inflection on every member but the penultimate, or last but one; as,

(Nouns.) Mary, Sarah, | James, | and John | were at the fair last week.

(Adjectives.) A beautiful, | accomplished, and amiable lady lives in the house on the hill.*

(Verbs.) He sees, hears, and feels as well as ever he did. Rule 12. A simple concluding series takes the rising inflection on every member but the ultimate, or last; as,

At the fair last week I saw Mary, Sarah, James, and John. In the house on the hill lives a lady, beautiful, accomplished, and amiable.

He can still hear, see, and feel.

Rule 13. A compound commencing series takes the falling inflection on every member but the ultimate, or last, which takes a strong rising inflection; as,

(<) "From every valley in our land, from every cabin on the pleasant mountain sides, from the ships at our wharves, from the tents of the hunter in our westernmost prairies, from the living minds of the living millions of American freemen, | from the thickly coming glories of fu

*A series of adjectives takes the noun as one of its members, in the application of the rule for inflection.

turity, the shout went up, like the sound of many waters, "THE UNION: IT MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED." "—BANCROFT.

Commence this series in moderate time and force, and increase in volume to the last member of the series, which receives a full rising inflection.

Rule 14. A compound concluding series takes the falling inflection on every member but the penultimate, or last but one; as,

"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; | that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; "-Const. of U. S.

Rule 15. A long Series.-When a series exceeds five members, divide it into two or more shorter series, and read each division according to the rule which would apply to the entire series; as,

In him was genius, | judgment, | memory, | learning, || circumspection, | reflection, | application.

The series, as a whole, would follow the rule for simple concluding series (No. 12), hence each of the shorter series should be read according to that rule.

Rule 16. Antithetical Series.-When each member of a series contains an antithesis, the rule for antithesis should be applied to each member, and the whole series should be read according to the rule for that particular series; as,

"Talent is power, tact is skill; | talent is weight, tact is momentum; talent knows what to do, tact knows how to do it ; | talent makes a man respectable, tact will make him respected; talent is wealth, tact is ready money. |”—London Atlas.

"I have spoken but of feelings and associations common to all ages, and all generations of men; to the rude and the polished; to the barbarian and the civilized; to the bond and the free; to the inhabitant of the dreary forests. of the north and the sultry regions of the south; | to the worshiper of the sun, and the worshiper of idols; to the heathen, dwelling in the darkness of his cold mythology; | and to the Christian, rejoicing in the light of the true God."-STORY.

These examples follow the rule for compound concluding

series (No. 14), while each antithesis follows the rule (No. 8) for antithesis.

Rule 17. Irregular Series.-When a series is mixed in form, being part simple and part compound, read it according to the rule for compound series, with such inflections upon the members of the simple series as shall not interfere with the whole.

"Oh for a prophet's eye to look into the future! If it be the destiny of America to administer with fidelity, wisdom, and success her free institutions; to spread them over the whole continent, filling it with a numerous, enlightened, industrious, moral, and contented people-one in name, one in government, one in power; to build up here an empire, the last and the noblest offspring of Time, this whole accumulated greatness will constantly tend to exalt higher and higher in the estimation of mankind him who will forever be deemed the founder of it all."-FRANCIS C. GRAY.

This is a concluding series of three members (beginning with "to administer," "to spread,” “to build”), and contains three simple series, one in the first, and two in the second member of the series.

SENTENTIAL INFLECTIONS, OR CADENCES.

Cadence is the falling of the voice in reading or speaking, especially at the end of a sentence.

The sentential inflections arise from the construction of sentences. They are the closing slides, or cadence, and the rising slide upon the last clause before the cadence called the penultimate slide.

Rule 1. The full cadence of complete sense, at the close of a full period, is made by three "concretes,"* gradually descending in their radical pitch; as,

66 "The mean of true valor lies between the extremes of cowardice and rashness."-CERVANTES.

*Sounds, it must be remembered, are discrete when separate or detached, and concrete when blended or united in succession, so as to discover no joinings. The former are illustrated by touching successive keys of the piano, and the latter by sliding the hands along the strings of a violin while drawing the bow.