The grave hath won thee. I shall hear the gush
Of music, and the voices of the young;
And life will pass me in the mantling blush,

And the dark tresses to the soft winds flung;-
But thou no more, with thy sweet voice shall come
To meet me, Absalom!

But, oh! when I am stricken, and my heart,

Like a bruised reed, is waiting to be broken,
How will its love for thee, as I depart,

Yearn for thine ear to drink its last deep token!
It were so sweet, amid death's gathering gloom,
To see thee, Absalom!

And now, farewell! 'Tis hard to give thee up,
With death so like a gentle slumber on thee :-
And thy dark sin!—Oh! I could drink the cup,
If from this wo its bitterness had won thee.
May God have called thee, like a wanderer, home,
My erring Absalom!"

He covered up his face, and bowed himself
A moment on his child: then, giving him
A look of melting tenderness, he clasped
His hands convulsively, as if in prayer;
And, as a strength were given him of God,
He rose up calmly, and composed the pall
Firmly and decently, and left him there,
As if his rest had been a breathing sleep.

PAIN.

Mental Suffering and Bodily Pain, when not excessive, employ the vocal symbols of deep plaintiveness, even the Semitone, the Tremor, the Aspiration, and the Broken Melody.

Excessive bodily pain however, often substitutes for feebleness of voice great Force-sometimes even on the Falsette.

EXAMPLE.

Search there; nay, probe me; search my wounded reins-
Pull, draw it out-

Sticks across my shoulders: the sad venom flies

Like lightning through my flesh, my blood, my marrow.
Ha! what a change of torments I endure!

A bolt of ice runs hissing through my bowels:
"Tis, sure, the arm of death, give me a chair;
Cover me, for I freeze, and my teeth chatter,
And my knees knock together.

SECRECY, APPREHENSION, FEAR, &c. Secrecy is expressed by that perfect Aspiration which we call the Whisper.

Apprehension and Mystery combine the Aspiration with a suppressed voice. Curiosity, Suspicion, Eagerness, and Hope employ the same elements.

Suppressed Fear speaks in an under tone, and combines with this kind of vocality both the Tremor and the Aspiration.

EXAMPLES.

1. Angels and ministers of grace defend us—

Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damned,

Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,

Be thy intents wicked or charitable,

Thou comest in such a questionable shape

That I will speak to thee.

Save me and hover o'er me with your wings,

You heavenly guards!—What would your gracious figure? 2. Hah! dost thou not see, by the moon's trembling light, Directing his steps, where advances a knight,

His eye big with vengeance and fate?

3. Then first, with amazement, fair Imogene found,

That a stranger was placed by her side;

His air was terrific, he uttered no sound;

He spoke not, he moved not, he looked not around,
But earnestly gazed on the bride.

4. Now, fair Hypolita, our nuptial hour

Draws on apace, four happy days bring in
Another moon; but oh! methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,

Long-withering out a young man's revenue.

5. Alas! I am afraid they have awaked,

And 'tis not done; the attempt, and not the deed,
Confounds us- -Hark! I laid the daggers ready,

He could not miss them. Had he not resembled
My father as he slept, I had done it.

TERROR, HORror.

When danger becomes imminent, fear bursts through all restraints, and the state of mind ensues which is called Terror; and this is expressed by great Force of voice combined with the Downward Inflection and a strongly marked Aspiration. The voice of Terror sometimes breaks on the ear in the scream of the Falsette.

Horror combines Force of voice and the Aspiration with the Guttural Harshness, which as an element of speech is never properly used but to give expression to the highest emotions of the mind.

INTERROGATION.

In Section V, of Chap. I, we deduced the principle that the Rising Slide is the prime element in Interrogation; and though this is the universal symbol of doubt and uncertainty, yet that the Thorough Interrogative Intonation is given only in the case of the Direct Question.

We are now to show how this Thorough form of Into

nation is modified by the conditions under which it is employed.

The Unimpassioned Interrogation should employ the Concrete Third and the Radical Stress.

The more earnest question carries the voice through the
Fifth, and may employ the Vanishing Stress; as in the
following example :-
What! shall one of us,

That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers; shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes ?
And sell the mighty space of our large honors,
For so much trash, as may be grasped thus ?—
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,

Than such a Roman.

Dignity or Solemnity of expression will never allow the use of a wider interval than the Fifth; and where the question is characterized by these, Long Quantity and the Median Stress should prevail, and the Inverted Wave may take the place of the simple concrete.-Example:

Are these the pompous tidings ye proclaim,
Lights of the world, and demi-gods of Fame?
Is this your triumph-this your proud applause,
Children of Truth, and champions of her cause?
For this hath science searched, on weary wing,
By shore and sea-each mute and living thing?
Launched with Iberia's pilot from the steep,
To worlds unknown, and isles beyond the deep?
Or round the cope her living chariot driven,

And wheeled in triumph through the signs of Heaven?
Oh! star-eyed science, hast thou wandered there,

To waft us home the message of despair?

Vaunting or Mirthful Interrogation carries the voice through an Octave; and the Vanishing Stress increases the intensity of the inquiry, as in the following:

Moneys is your suit.

What should I say to you? Should I not say,

Hath a dog money? Is it possible

A cur can lend three thousand ducats?

Derision and Exultation are heightened by the combination of the Tremor with these symbols.

The inquiry of Apprehension or Suspicion is characterized by the Aspiration. Examples:

1. Horatio. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.

Is not your father grown incapable

Of reasonable affairs? Is he not stupid

With age and altering rheums? Can he speak, hear,
Know man from man, dispute his own estate?

Lies he not bed-rid, and again does nothing

But what he did being childish?

Angry or Authoritative Inquiry employs Loudness of voice, and the Radical or Compound Emphasis, according to the degree of emotion and the quantity of the emphatic syllable. Example:

'Zounds, show me what thou'lt do?

Woul't weep? woul't fight? woul't fast? woul't tear thyself?
Woul't drink up Esil? eat a crocodile ?
I'll do't.-Dost thou come here to whine?
To outface me by leaping in her grave?
Be buried quick with her, and so will I.

Contempt and Surprise, add to the Compound Stress the Aspiration; and Scorn, if strongly expressed, combines with these the Guttural quality of voice.

Example of Surprise :

Gone to be married, gone to swear a peace!

False blood to false blood joined! Gone to be friends'