viii ELEMENTS OF ELOCUTION. A little practice, it is believed, will give the reader a perfect command of his voice in all the degrees of tone from the lowest to the highest notes to which the voice can be raised. ACCENT. Accent is a stress of voice given to a particular syllable to distinguish it from others in the same word; as in the word a-tone'-ment, the stress is laid on the second syllable. Accent is, in a measure, dependent on emphasis, and is transposed where the claims of emphasis require it; as when words occur, which have a partial sameness in form, but are contrasted in sense; as, Neither justice nor injustice. Neither hónor nor dishonor. He must increase but I must decrease. He that ascended is the same as be that descended Neither worthy nor unworthy. EMPHASIS. Emphasis is a stress of voice laid on particular words in a sentence, tc distinguish them from others, and convey their meaning in the best manner; as, "You were not sent here to play, but to study." The learner will perceive that the words play and study are pronounced with more force than the rest of the sentence, and are therefore termed the emphatical words. A word, on which the meaning of a sentence is suspended, or placed in contrast, or in opposition to other words, is always emphatical. As to the degree or intensity of force that the reader or speaker should give to important words in a sentence, no particular rules can be given. He must enter into the spirit of what he reads-feel the sentiment expressed, and he will seldom fail in giving each word its proper force, or emphatic stress. Emphasis is ever associated with thought and emotion; and he who would become eminent as a reader, or speaker, must remember that the "soul of eloquence is feeling." EXAMPLES FOR EXERCISE. I do not request your attention, but demand it. A METHOD OF MARKING THE DIFFERENT FORCES OF WORDS. Various methods have been devised to mark the different forces of words in sentences, in such a manner as to convey a clear idea of the pronunciation. The most simple and practical method is to unite the unaccented words to those that are accented, as if they were syllables of them. This classification naturally divides a sentence into just so many portions, as it contains accents; as in the following sentence: Prosperity gains friends | and adversity | tries them. When there is no uncommon emphasis in a sentence, we can pronounce it with more or fewer accents, without materially affecting the sense. The following sentence may be pronounced in four portions, or in ten, without Pitchuponthatcourseoflife | whichisthemostéxcellent | andcustom | will Pitch | uponthát course | oflife | whichisthemòst | éxcellent | andcus- J Some place the bliss in action | some | in ease. And is the son of Semo fallen? | Mournful are Tura's walls. | Sorrow dwells at Dunscai. | Thy spouse is left alone in her youth. The son of thy love is alone! | He shall come to Bragela, | and ask why she weeps 2 He shall lift his eyes to the wall, | and see his father's sword. | Whose sword is that? | he will say. The soul of his mother is sad. | Who is 29. Biographical Sketch of Major Andre, 30. The Miracle-a German Parable, 32. The Prudent Judge-an Eastern Tale, 38. The Gentleman and his Tenant, 44. The Revenge of a Great Soul, 55. Ingratitude-Story of Inkle and Yarico, 60. Story of the Siege of Calais, 61. Examples of Decision of Character, 62. Ortogrul: or, the Vanity of Riches, 90. The Folly of Inconsistent Expectations, 91. On the Beauties of the Psalms, 115 On Sincerity, 116 Story of Le Fevre, Tillotson. 228 119 Speech of a Scythian Ambassador to Alexander, Q. Curtius. 244 120 Diogenes at the Isthmian Games, 126 The Perfect Orator, 127. Rolla's Address to the Peruvians, 134. Character of Washington, 245 D. Webster. 254 Sheridan. 254 138. Address to the Patriots of the Revolution, 139. Specimen of the Eloquence of James Otis, 267 Edinburgh Review. 268 Phillips. 271 Burke. 141. Speech on the Question of War with England, Patrick Henry. 147. Scipio's Reply to Hannibal, 149. Brutus Speech on the Death of Cesar, 277 278 280 290 Shakspeare. 293 LESSONS IN POETRY. 121. Diversity in the Human Character, 122. On the Pursuits of Mankind, 150. Antony's Speech over the Body of Cesar, 151. Othello's Apology for his Marriage, 152. Soliloquy of Hamlet on Death, 153. Cato's Soliloquy on the Immortality of the Soul, Trag. of Cato. 154. Speech of Catiline before the Roman Senate, Croly's Catiline. 300 159. The Cuckoo, 160. The Star of Bethlehem, 161. The Last Man, 162. Picture of a Good Man, 163. Hymn on a Review of the Seasons, 165. On the death of Mrs. Mason, 166. Ode from the 19th Psalm, 167. Rest in Heaven, 168. The Star of Bethlehem, 169. Address to Time, 170. Absalom, 171. The Miami Mounds, 172. On Time, 173. Jugurtha in Prison, 174. Rienzi's Address to the Romans, 175. Battle of Waterloo, 176. Power of Eloquence, |