McGuffeys Fifth Eclectic Reader | Page 5

a sentence often make complete sense in
themselves, and in this case, unless qualified or restrained by the
succeeding clause, or unless the contrary is indicated by some other
principle, the falling inflection takes place according to the rule.
EXAMPLES
Truth is wonderful', even more so than fiction'.
Men generally die as they live' and by their actions we must judge of
their character'.
Exception.--When a sentence concludes with a negative clause, or with
a contrast or comparison (called also antithesis), the first member of
which requires the falling inflection, it must close with the rising
inflection. (See Rule XI, and paragraph 2, Note.)
EXAMPLES.
No one desires to be thought a fool'.
I come to bury' Caesar, not to praise' him.
He lives in England' not in France'.
REMARK.--In bearing testimony to the general character of a man we
say:

He is too honorable' to be guilty of a vile' act.
But if he is accused of some act of baseness, a contrast is at once
instituted between his character and the specified act, and we change
the inflections, and say:
He is too honorable' to be guilty of such' an act.
A man may say in general terms:
I am too busy' for projects'.
But if he is urged to embark in some particular enterprise, he will
change the inflections, and say:
I am too busy' for projects'.
In such cases, as the falling inflection is required in the former part by
the principle of contrast and emphasis (as will hereafter be more fully
explained), the sentence necessarily closes with the rising inflection.
Sometimes, also, emphasis alone seems to require the rising inflection
on the concluding word. See exception to Rule VII.
(5.-2.)
STRONG EMPHASIS.
RULE VII.--Language which demands strong emphasis generally
requires the falling inflection.
EXAMPLES. 1. Command or urgent entreaty; as,
Begone', Run' to your houses, fall' upon your knees, Pray' to the Gods
to intermit the plagues.
0, save' me, Hubert' save' me I My eyes are out Even with the fierce
looks of these bloody men.
2. Exclamation, especially when indicating strong emotion; as,

0, ye Gods'! ye Gods'! must I endure all this?
Hark'! Hark'! the horrid sound Hath raised up his head.
For interrogatory exclamation, see Rule X, Remark.

SERIES OF WORDS OR MEMBERS.
3. A series of words or members, whether in the beginning or middle of
a sentence, if it does not conclude the sentence, is called a commencing
series, and usually requires the rising inflection when not emphatic.
EXAMPLES OF COMMENCING SERIES.
Wine', beauty', music', pomp', are poor expedients to heave off the load
of an hour from the heir of eternity'.
I conjure you by that which you profess, (Howe'er you came to know it,)
answer me; Though you untie the winds and let them fight Against the
churches'; though the yeasty waves Confound and swallow navigation'
up; Though bladed corn be lodged, and trees blown down'; Though
castles topple on their warders' heads'; Though palaces and pyramids do
slope Their heads to their foundations'; though the treasures Of nature's
germens tumble altogether', Even till destruction sicken'; answer me To
what I ask' you.
4. A series of words or members which concludes a sentence is called a
concluding series, and each member usually has the falling inflection.
EXAMPLE OF CONCLUDING SERIES.
They, through faith, subdued kingdoms', wrought righteousness'
obtained promises', stopped the mouths of lions', quenched the violence
of fire', escaped the edge of the sword', out of weakness were made
strong', waxed valiant in fight', turned to flight the armies of the aliens'.
REMARK.--When the emphasis on these words or members is not

marked, they take the rising inflection, according to Rule IX.
EXAMPLES.
They are the offspring of restlessness', vanity', and idleness'. Love',
hope', and joy' took possession of his breast.
5. When words which naturally take the rising inflection become
emphatic by repetition or any other cause, they often take the falling
inflection.
Exception to the Rule.--While the tendency of emphasis is decidedly to
the use of the falling inflection, sometimes a word to which the falling
inflection naturally belongs changes this, when it is emphatic, for the
rising inflection.
EXAMPLES.
Three thousand ducats': 't is a good round sum'. It is useless to point out
the beauties of nature to one who is blind'.
Here sum and blind, according to Rule VI, would take the falling
inflection, but as they are emphatic, and the object of emphasis is to
draw attention to the word emphasized, this is here accomplished in
part by giving an unusual inflection. Some speakers would give these
words the circumflex, but it would he the rising circumflex, so that the
sound would still terminate with the rising inflection.
RULE VIII.--Questions which can not be answered by yes or no,
together with