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Emphasis may be divided into the SUPERIOR and the INFERIOR emphasis. The fuperior emphasis determines the meaning of a fentence, with reference to fomething faid before, presupposed by the author as general knowledge, or removes an ambiguity, where a pafsage may have more fenfes than one. The inferior emphafis enforces, graces, and enlivens, but does not fix, the meaning of any pafsage. The words to which this latter emphasis is given, are, in general, fuch as feem the most important in the fentence, or, on other accounts, to merit this distinction. The following pafsage will ferve to exemplify the superior emphasis.

"Of man's firft difobedience, and the fruit

"Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal tafte

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Brought death into the world, and all our wo," &c. "Sing heav'nly Muse!"

Suppofing that originally other beings, befides men, had difobeyed the commands of the Almighty, and that the circumftance were well known to us, there would fall an emphafis upon the word man's in the first line; and hence it would be read thus:

"Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit," &c.

But if it were a notorious truth, that mankind had tranfgrefsed in a peculiar manner more than once, the emphafis would fall on first; and the line be read,

"Of man's firft difobedience, &c.

Again, admitting death (as was really the cafe) to have been an unheard-of and dreadful punishment, brought upon man in confequence of his tranfgrefsion; on that fuppofition the third line would be read,

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But if we were to fuppofe, that mankind knew there was fuch an evil as death in other regions, though the place they inhabited had been free from it till their tranfgrefsion, the line would run thus:

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Brought death into the world," &c.

The fuperior emphafis finds place in the following short fentence, which admits of four diftinct meanings, each of which is afcertained by the emphasis only.

"Do you ride to town to-day?"

The following examples illustrate the nature and use of the inferior emphafis.

Many perfons miftake the love, for the practice of "virtue."

"Shall I reward his fervices with falfehood! Shall I forget him who cannot forget me!"

"If his principles are false, no apology from himself can “make them right: if founded in truth, no cenfure from "others can make them wrong."

"Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull;
"Strong, without rage; without o'erflowing, full.”

"A friend exaggerates a man's virtues; an enemy, his "crimes."

"The wife man is happy, when he gains his own appro"bation; the fool, when he gains that of others."

The fuperior emphasis, in reading as in speaking, muft be determined entirely by the sense of the passage, and always made alike: but as to the inferior emphafis, taste alone feems to have the right of fixing its fituation and quantity.

Among a number of perfons, who have had proper op

portunities of learning to read, in the best manner it is now taught, very few could be felected, who, in a given in

fiance, would ufe the inferior emphafis alike, either as to place or quantity. Some perfons, indeed, use scarcely any degree of it: and others do not scruple to carry it much beyond any thing to be found in common difcourfe; and even fometimes throw it upon words fo very trifling in themselves, that it is evidently done with no other view, than to give variety to the modulation*. Notwithstanding this diverfity of practice, there are certainly proper boundaries, within which this emphafis must be reftrained, in order to make it meet the approbation of found judgment and correct tafte. It will doubtlefs have different degrees of exertion, according to the greater or less degree of importance of the words upon which it operates; and there may be very properly fome variety in the use of it: but its application is not arbitrary, depending on the caprice of readers.

As emphafis often falls on words in different parts of the fame fentence, fo it is frequently required to be continued, with a little variation, on two, and fometimes more words together. The following fentences exemplify both the parts of this pofition: "If you feek to make one rich, study not "to increase his fiores, but to diminish his defires." "The "Mexican figures, or picture-writing, reprefent things not "words: they exhibit images to the eye, not ideas to the "underflanding."

* By modulation is meant that pleafing variety of voice, which is perceived in uttering a sentence, and which, in its nature, is perfealy distinct from emphafis, and the tones of emotion and passion. The young reader fhould be careful to render his modulation corret and easy; and, for this purpose, should form it upon the model of the most judicicus and accurate speakers.

Some fentences are fo full and comprehenfive, that almoft every word is emphatical: as, "Ye hills and dales, ye "rivers, woods, and plains!" or, as that pathetic expofulation in the prophecy of Ezekiel, "Why will ye die!"

Emphafis, befides its other offices, is the great regulator of quantity. Though the quantity of our fyllables is fixed, in words feparately pronounced, yet it is mutable, when thefe words are ranged in fentences; the long being changed into short, the short into long, according to the importance of the words with regard to meaning. Emphafis alfo, in particular cafes, alters the feat of the accent. This is demonftrable from the following examples. "He fhall "increase, but I fhall decreafe." "There is a difference "between giving and forgiving." "In this fpecies of com"pofition, plausibility is much more essential than probabi"lity." In these examples, the emphafis requires the accent to be placed on fyllables, to which it does not commonly belong.

In order to acquire the proper management of the em phafis, the great rule to be given, is, that the reader ftudy to attain a just conception of the force and spirit of the fentiments which he is to pronounce. For to lay the emphasis with exact propriety, is a conftant exercise of good fenfe and attention. It is far from being an inconfiderable attainment. It is one of the moft decifive trials of a true and just taste; and muft arife from feeling delicately ourfelves, and from judging accurately of what is fitteft to firike the feelings of others.

There is one error, againft which it is particularly proper to caution the learner; namely, that of multiplying emphatical words too much, and ufing the emphafis indifcriminately. It is only by a prudent referve and diftine

tion in the use of them, that we can give them any weight. If they recur too often; if a reader attempts to render every thing he exprefses of high importance, by a multitude of firong emphafis, we foon learn to pay little regard to them. To crowd every fentence with emphatical words, is like crowding all the pages of a book with Italic characters; which, as to the effect, is juft the fame as to use no fuch diftinctions at all.

SECTION. VI.

Tones.

TONES are different both from emphasis and paufes; confifting in the notes or variations of found which we em ploy, in the exprefsion of our fentiments. Emphafis affects particular words and phrases, with a degree of tone or inflexion of voice; but tones, peculiarly fo called, affect fentences, paragraphs, and fometimes even the whole of a difcourse.

To show the use and necefsity of tones, we need only obferve, that the mind, in communicating its ideas, is in a conftant ftate of activity, emotion, or agitation, from the different effects which those ideas produce in the fpeaker. Now the end of fuch communication being, not merely to lay open the ideas, but alfo the different feelings which they excite in him who utters them, there must be other figns than words, to manifeft those feelings; as words uttered in a monotonous manner, can reprefent only a fimilar ftate of mind, perfectly free from all activity or emotion. As the communication of thefe internal feelings, was of much more confequence in our focial intercourfe, than the mere conveyance of ideas, the Author of our being did not,

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