This ascent of the voice, or rising inflection, varies in its range from one tone to three. The pitch increases as the force of the speaker increases. In ordinary speech, where no particular force is given,—in a perfectly indifferent question, for example, the rise would not be more than of one tone: as,

"Will my brother come?

asked quite indifferently, would receive an ascent of one tone asked with interest, would receive an ascent of three tones; asked eagerly, would rise five tones; and asked with a passionate expression, or of surprise, would rise even an octave; but, in reading or speaking with any degree of force, the simple rising inflection is usually over an interval of three tones, (a third); and the descent of the falling inflection is over the same interval. And the change of pitch is discrete; that is, the voice leaps directly and abruptly from tone to tone; whereas, in the greater ascent of a fifth, and an octave, it is concrete; that is, it slides over the interval, slurring the intermediate tones: this distinction will be more fully explained under the head of compound inflections.

To facilitate and familiarise to the pupil's ear and voice the distinction between the rising and falling inflection, let him practise the tonic sounds, upon the following plan, of rising and falling on each.

This practice will be of great service in improving the pitch of the voice, and giving it facility and pliability. The student should therefore practise it till he can strike the third, rising and falling, clearly, forcibly, and with certainty.

INFLECTIONS TO MARK THE SENSE.

The popular or common direction-drop your voice at the end of a sentence-is illogical and false; and is the cause of a very general bad habit with young readers, and one which they seldom shake off in afterlife except under good instruction,-that of letting the voice sink in pitch and tone and fulness on the concluding word or words of every sentence; the effect of which is, that the last words of a sentence which are essential to complete the whole sense,-and without which the auditor can only guess at the speaker's meaning,—are not heard at all; or, if even heard, are deprived of all force, by the listless manner in which they fall from the mouth. This is, of all things, to be avoided. The last words of a sentence are as important as the first,-indeed, they are generally more so: therefore let them have always full enunciation and weight in delivery; or your meaning will be imperfect and uncertain.

The inflection proper to the close of a sentence depends upon the form or nature of that sentence: whether it be affirmative,-negative, or interrogative; or whether the full sense be complete or suspended; for, as a principle, the rising inflection is the mark of incomplete sense, as the falling inflection denotes the close or completion of the sense of a sentence; and the inflection required is regulated by the condition of the sense.

1. AFFIRMATIVE sense.

RULES.

Sentences containing a simple unqualified affirmative are marked with the falling inflection: as,

I wrote because it amused me. I corrected, because it

was as pleasant to correct as to write.

2. NEGATIVE sense

is marked with the rising inflection: as,

The quality of mercy is not strained.

It is not a book I want.

Note that in this form of sentence the rising inflection is to be placed on the word or thing negatived; the negative particle not has usually a falling inflection, for force.

From the above rules it follows, that

In a sentence containing an affirmative in one branch of it, and a negative or denial in the other,

3. The affirmative part of the sentence receives the falling inflection, the negative part the rising inflection; whatever may be the construction of the sentence as to the precedence of the one branch or the other: as,

I said good, not bad: virtuous, not vicious.

This book is not mine, but yours.

This letter is yours, not mine.

You said you were coming home.

No; I did not.

4. The IMPERATIVE sense

requires the falling inflection.

Hence horrible shadow,

Unreal mockery, hence!

Let me hear no more!

5. INTERROGATIVE sense

is marked by the rising inflection: as,

Did he say he would come?

Will he be here to-day?

Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed.* (Mark iv., 21.)

Except:

Questions asked with an interrogative pronoun or adverb→ who, which, what, when, where, &c., as,

Who said he would come? Why so?

The alternative part of a question, as,

And

Will he live or die?

Did he say he would come or did he say he would not?

A stated or quoted question, occurring in an affirmative sentence, as,

The question is,-shall we proceed.

* See Introduction to this work, in reply to the Rt. Rev. Dr. Whateley's Elements of Rhetoric, Part IV., c. ii., § 12.

D*