352. The circumflexes are always used to express irony, contempt, reproach, sneer, raillery, scornful compliment, or strong emphasis. - EXAMPLES. 353. Yes they will give enlightened freedom to our minds, who are themselves the slaves of passion, avarice, and pride! 354. Most courteous tyrants! Romans! rare patterns of huinanity! 355. So, then, you are the author of this conspiracy against me? It is to you, then, that I am indebted for all the mischief that has befallen me. 356. I know you, sir - I know you, sir. You, sir, are below contempt! 357. So, then, Mr. Gil Blas, this piece is not to your taste? 358. The circumflex may be used with good effect when a speaker takes up his own words, and puts them in a different form; or in dialogues, when the words of one speaker are repeated in a sneering, contradictory manner by another. 359. Conscript fathers! I do not rise to waste the night in words. But here I stand for right. Let him show proofs 360. Brave peers of England! pillars of the state! To you Duke Humphrey must unload his grief, Your grief, the common grief of all the land. 361. Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed; and I was afraid, and went and hid thy money in the earth. Lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant! thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed? Thou oughtest, therefore, to have put my money to the exchangers, and then, at my coming, I should have received mine own with usury. 362. REMARK. If the word "knewest," in the above passage, received only the rising inflection, instead of the rising circumflex, it would convey an acknowledgment, on the part of the speaker, that he really did reap where he sowed not. But he only means to say, "You say that you knew," or "you profess to believe, though I allow no such thing.” 363. Who's he that wishes more men from England? My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin; If we are marked to die, we are enough To do our country loss, and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honor. No, no, my lord; wish not a mân from England. 364. REMARK. If the word " man," in the above passage, were uttered with emphatic force, either on the rising or falling inflection, instead of the falling circumflex, the sense would be entirely perverted; for the rising or falling inflection would suggest an antithetical term, and the inferential meaning would be, that, although he might not wish a man, yet he might wish a boy, a woman, or a horse. 76 DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS. EACH piece is preceded by directions for the distinct articulation of words occurring in it, which are very often mispronounced. These words should be carefully enunciated by the class, before the piece is read, that the attention of the pupil may not be withdrawn from the sentiment by verbal corrections during the process of reading. In the preceding Readers of this Series, the Exercises in Articulation, and the Gradual Speller, the teacher will find a Complete System of Articulation, highly recommended in the "School and Schoolmaster," by Mr. G. B. Emerson and Bishop Potter. At the end of each selection will be found a partial vocabulary of the more difficult words, with their particular meaning in the sentences where they are used. Of some words several definitions are given, that the pupil's judgment may be exercised in discriminating and selecting that which is best adapted to develop the meaning of the author. Pupils should be required to substitute these synonymes for the individual words in their respective sentences. This will be found the most effectual method for enabling the pupil to understand and retain the meaning of words, and for teaching the correct use of the same. This course will obviously impart to the pupil a knowledge of language, — a knowledge generally overlooked, and often entirely neglected, in the too common manner of teaching reading. In each piece references are made at particular words or phrases to the several principles of elocution developed, in the preceding pages. The teacher and pupil are left to make such others as they may consider important. In order to make a correct application of the principles of Stress, Inflection, Emphasis, Pause, or other expressive agencies of speech, they must study the piece so as fully to comprehend the intended meaning of the writer; also every degree and shade of thought, sentiment, and feeling. This will call for such a degree of intellectual effort as cannot fail to develop and strengthen the mental powers. NORTH AMERICAN SECOND CLASS Ꭱ Ꭼ Ꭺ Ꭰ Ꭼ Ꭱ . THE INTELLECTUAL SUPERIOR TO THE PHYSICAL. MEMBERS; ers as in hers, not uz. STRENGTH; give n its ringing sound. ATTAINMENTS; ents, not unce. FITNESS; ess, not iss. OUTWARD; werd, not wud. WORLD; sound rld. RATHER; ath, not uth. ENLARGED; Sound r. OBJECTS; ekts, not iks. PARTICULARS; be careful to sound u. MERELY to preserve our being-to possess our members entire to have our senses perfect- to be free from pain -to enjoy health, strength, beauty, are but low aims for human creatures. The most perfect state of animal life can never becomingly engross the concern of a rational creature. Fitted for much nobler, and worthier attainments, we are by that fitness for them called to pursue them. Ask those of either sex, who rate highest the recommendations of features, complexion, and shape who are most intent on adorning their persons who study most the accomplishments of an outward appearance; ask them, I say, what they think their chief endowments, and what it is that does them the chief honor. You will find them with one With their little sense, consent pronouncing it their reason. they will prefer that little to their every other fancied perfection. The finest woman in the world would rather make deformity her choice than idiocy, would rather have ugliness than incapacity her reproach. Thus, likewise, whom do we perceive so fond of life, so desirous of reaching its longest term, that he would be willing to survive his understanding, that he would choose to live after he had ceased to reason? The health and ease, the vigor and cheerfulness, that are often the lunatic's portion, would not induce the most infirm, sickly, and complaining amongst us to wish himself in his stead to wish an exchange of his own distempered body for the other's disordered mind. * Nor does the mind only claim our chief regard, as it is thus universally acknowledged, and as it really is the principal, the most excellent, the presiding part of us, but as our well-being is necessarily connected with giving it this preference, with bestowing the most of our care and pains upon it. What is best for the whole body, what is best for the whole man, can only be discovered and provided for by our rational faculties - by these assiduously cultivated, diligently exerted, and thence strengthened and enlarged. Our wellbeing wholly depends upon our understanding, upon the light in which we see things, upon the knowledge we have how far they can profit or hurt us, how the benefit intended for us can be derived from them, and how the hurt they can do us may be avoided. -- If I think that to be good, or that to be evil, which is not such or if I know not that to be good, or that to be evil, which is really such or if I think there is more or less good, or more or less evil, in any thing than there really is— or if what, by proper application, might be made of very great use to me, I am ignorant how to make as much of, as it would yield me, my ignorance must greatly abate the satisfaction of my life, and heighten its uneasiness. The source of all our motions, the design of all our endeavors, is to better ourselves, to remove from us that * An Italicized letter in a word refers to numbers at the bottom of the page, which indicate the Elocutionary Principles to be consulted in reading the phrase in which the word so designated occurs. |