"Aloft in awful state the god-like hero sat, The lovely Thais by his side sat like a blooming Eastern bride. In such cases as "happy, happy," &c. the accents cannot be shifted, and variety must be given by change of tone. Either of the following arrangements would be effective. "happy happy happy pair;" or The former of these is perhaps the better. lent to It is equiva Happy, yes, indeed happy. unlimitedly happy. In such cases as 66 none but the brave," &c. where a clause is repeated, the accent may be shifted to a different syllable at each repetition. Thus, None but the brave, None but the brave, 66 None but the brave, Deserves the fair! In the first utterance of the clause the emphasis will be on none, because brave is implied in the "god-like hero;" in the second, the accent may be either on “but” or brave;" and in the third it will be on the word not accented in the second utterance. The notation given is 66 equivalent to "None but such a hero! No, none but such as he! None but the brave (as he is pre-eminently) IV. EXAMPLES OF EMPHASIS. 34. Subjoined are a couple of Prose Extracts, in which the leading emphases are marked, in further illustration of the Principle of Emphasis. The intelligent student should be able to discover in the context the reasons for the selection of the emphatic words, and also for the nonselection of the words which are undistinguished in the printing. A collection of short passages in Prose and Verse is added,- selected with special reference to the exercise, in which the student should mark the emphatic words as directed at par. 36. ON POETRY.- Lord Macaulay. We think that as civilization advances, Poetry almost necessarily declines. Therefore, though we fervently admire those great works of imagination which have appeared in dark ages, we do not admire them the more because they have appeared in dark ages. On the contrary, we hold that the most wonderful and splendid proof of genius is a great poem produced in a civilized age. We cannot understand why those who believe in that most orthodox article of literary faith, that the earliest poets are generally the best, should wonder at the rule. as if it were the exception. Surely the uniformity of the phenomenon indicates a corresponding uniformity in the cause. The fact is, that common observers reason from the progress of the experimental sciences to that of the imitative arts. The improvements of the former are gradual and slow. Ages are spent in collecting materials, ages more in separating and combining them. Even when a system has been formed, there is still something to add, to alter. or reject. in these pursuits. therefore, the first speculators lie under great disadvantages, and even when they fail, are entitled to praise. But it is not thus with Music, with Painting, or with Sculpture. Still less is it thus with Poetry. The progress of refinement rarely supplies these arts with better objects of imitation. It may indeed improve the instruments which are necessary to the mechanical operations of the musician, the sculptor, and the painter. But language, the machine of the poet, is best fitted for his purpose in its rudest state. Nations, like individuals, first perceive, and then abstract. They advance from particular images to general terms. Hence the vocabulary of an enlightened society is philosophical, that of a half civilized people is poetical. Perhaps no person can be a poet, or can even enjoy Poetry, without a certain unsoundness of mind, if anything which gives so much pleasure ought to be called unsoundness. By Poetry we mean not all writing in verse, nor even all good writing in verse; but we mean the art of employing words in such a manner as to produce an illusion on the imagination, the art of doing by means of words what the painter does by means of colours. As imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Truth is indeed essential to Poetry; but it is the truth of mad-' ness. The reasonings are just, but the premises are false. After the first suppositions have been made, every thing ought to be consistent, but those first suppositions require a degree of credulity which almost amounts to a partial and temporary derangement of the intellect. Hence of all people children are the most imaginative. Every image which is strongly presented to their mental eye produces on them the effect of reality. In a rude state of society men are children with a greater variety of ideas. It is therefore in such a state of society that we may expect to find the poetical temperament in its highest perfection. Poetry produces an illusion on the eye of the mind, as a magic lantern produces an illusion on the eye of the body. And, as the magic lantern acts best in a dark room, Poetry effects its purpose most completely in a dark age. As the light of knowledge breaks in upon its exhibitions, as the outlines of certainty become more definite, and the shades of probability more and more distinct, the hues and lineaments of the phantoms which the poet calls up grow fainter and fainter. We cannot unite the incompatible advantages of reality and deception, the clear discernment of truth and the exquisite enjoyment of fiction. ON REVOLUTIONARY OUTRAGES.-Lord Macaulay. If it were possible that a people brought up under an intolerant and arbitrary system could subvert that system without acts of cruelty and folly, half the objections to despotic power would be removed. We deplore the outrages which accompany revolutions. But the more violent the outrages, the more assured we feel that revolution was necessary. The violence of those outrages will always be proportioned to the ferocity and ignorance of the people, and the ferocity and ignorance of the people will be proportioned to the oppression and degradation under which they have been accustomed to live. It is the character of revolutions, that we always see the worst of them at first. Till men have been some time free, they know not how to use their freedom. The natives of wine countries are generally sober. In climates where wine is a rarity intemperance abounds. A newly liberated people may be compared to a northern army encamped on the Rhine or the Xeres. When the soldiers in such a situation first find themselves able to indulge without restraint in such a rare and expensive luxury, nothing is to be seen but intoxication. Soon however plenty teaches discretion; and after wine has been for a few months their daily fare they become more temperate than they had been in their own country. In the same manner, the final and permanent fruits of liberty are wisdom. moderation, and mercy. Its immediate effects are often atrocious crimes, conflicting errors, scepticism on points the most clear, dogmatism on points the most mysterious. It is just at this crisis that its enemies love to exhibit it. They pull down the scaffolding from the half finished edifice, and then ask in scorn where the promised splendor and comfort is to be found. If such miserable sophisms were to prevail. there would never be a good house or a good government in the world. There is only one cure for the evils which newly acquired freedom produces; and that cure is freedom. When a prisoner first leaves his cell he cannot bear the light of day. But the remedy is not to remand him into his dungeon, but to accustom him to the rays of the sun. The blaze of truth and liberty may at first dazzle and bewilder nations which have become half blind in the house of bondage. But let them gaze on, and they will soon be able to bear it. In a few years men learn to reason. The extreme violence of opinions subsides. Hostile theories correct each other. The scattered elements of truth cease to contend, and begin to coalesce. And at length a system of justice and order is educed out of the chaos. The maxim that no people ought to be free till they are fit to use their freedom, is worthy of the fool in the old story, who resolved not to go into the water till he had learnt to swim. If men are to wait for liberty till they become wise and good in slavery, they may indeed wait for ever. V. RESUME OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SENTENTIAL ACCENT OR EMPHASIS. 35. I. All words expressive of ideas new to the context, are emphatic. II. Words used in contrast to a preceding term are emphatic in a stronger degree. III. All words suggestive of unexpressed antithesis are emphatic in the strongest degree. IV. Words which are of necessity implied, or the idea conveyed by which has been included in former expressions, explanatory terms, and repeated words-not suggesting a special, in opposition to their ordinary, acceptation are unemphatic. VI. PASSAGES FOR EXERCISE IN THE SELECTION OF EMPHASIS. 36. Each of the following passages should be read three times. At the first reading insert a pencil dot below the accented syllable of the words selected for emphasis: at the second reading, draw a short line below the emphatic syllables; and at the third reading underline the whole of each emphatic word. An examination can then be made of the differences of marking at the various readings, and the reasons revolved on which words have been rejected or approved. Afterwards, but not before, compare with the Key, appended to the Extracts. I. ANECDOTE.- Fuller. The Sidonian servants agreed amongst themselves to choose him to be their king who that morning should first see the sun. Whilst all others were gazing on the east, one alone looked on the west; some admired, more mocked him, as if he looked on the feet to find the eye of the face. But he first of all discovered the light of the sun shining on the tops of the houses. God is seen sooner, easier, clearer, in his operations than in his essence; best beheld by reflection in his creatures. 2. BLINDNESS.- Milton. When I consider how my light is spent Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, My true account, lest He, returning, chide ;— That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need 3. CHEERFUL PIETY.— "Private Life." The cultivation of cheerfulness is not sufficiently considered as forming part of the duty of a Christian; but it forms a very material part. It recommends religion to the world in general, and gives a brightness and charm to domestic life. Piety, with her skull and cross-bones, her haircloth, scourges, and tearful countenance, is a very repulsive personage; but Piety with her gentle silver tones of kindness, her hand of helpfulness, her glad smile, and eyes full of grateful hope fixed on Heaven, is attractive and beautiful. Cheerfulness ought to be one of the unfailing attributes of Christian Piety. Lord North. 4. CONSOLATION IN MISFORTUNE. Voltaire gives an account of an unfortunate man, who had lost a leg and an arm in one place; had his nose cut off and his eyes put out, in another; had been hung up and cut down, in a third; had been imprisoned by the Inquisition, and condemned to be burnt, and at last found himself chained to the oar as a galleyslave; and who, nevertheless, consoled himself with saying. "Thank God for all I have suffered! I should not otherwise have known the luxury of eating orange-chips and pistachio nuts in the harbour of Constantinople.” |