McGuffeys Fifth Eclectic Reader | Page 5

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 their answers, generally require the falling inflection.
EXAMPLES.
Where has he gone'? Ans. To New York'. What has he done'? Ans. Nothing'. Who did this'? Ans. I know not'. When did he go'? Ans. Yesterday'.
REMARK.--It these questions are repeated, the inflection is changed according to the principle stated under the Exception to Rule VII.
RISING INFLECTION.
RULE IX.--Where a pause is rendered proper by the meaning, and the sense is incomplete, the rising inflection is generally required.
EXAMPLES.
To endure slander and abuse with meekness' requires no ordinary degree of self-command',
Night coming on', both armies retired from the field of battle'.
As a dog returneth to his vomit', so a fool returneth to his folly'.
REMARK.--The person or object addressed, in ordinary conversation, comes under this head.
EXAMPLES.
Fathers'! we once again are met in council.
My lords'! and gentlemen'! we have arrived at an awful crisis.
Age'! thou art shamed.
Rome'! thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
Exception.--Where a word which, according to this