McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader. William Holmes McGuffey
EXAMPLES.
You ask, who would venture' in such a cause! Who would venture'? Rather say, who would not' venture all things for such an object!
He is called the friend' of virtue. The friend'! ay! the enthusiastic lover' the devoted protector' rather.
So, also, when one receives unexpected information he exclaims, Ah'! indeed'!
REMARK.—In the above examples the words "venture," "friend," "ah," etc., may be considered as interrogatory exclamations, because if the sense were carried out it would be in the form of question; as, "Do you ask who would venture'?" "Do you say that he is the friend' of virtue?" "Is it possible'?" and thus they would receive the rising inflection according to this rule.
RISING AND FALLING INFLECTIONS.
RULE XI.—The different members of a sentence expressing comparison, or contrast, or negation and affirmation, or where the parts are united by or used disjunctively, require different inflections; generally the rising inflection in the first member, and the falling inflection in the second member. This order is, however, sometimes inverted.
1. Comparison and contrast. This is also called antithesis.
EXAMPLES.
In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God; by honor', and dishonor'; by evil' report, and good' report; as deceivers', and yet true'; as unknown', and yet well' known; as dying', and behold we live'; as chastened', and not killed'; as sorrowful', yet always rejoicing'; as poor', yet making many rich'; as having nothing', yet possessing all' things.
Europe was one great battlefield, where the weak struggled for freedom', and the strong for dominion'. The king was without power', and the nobles without principle', They were tyrants at home', and robbers abroad'.
2. Negation and affirmation.
EXAMPLES.
He desired not to injure' his friend, but to protect' him.
We desire not your money', but yourselves'.
I did not say a better' soldier, but, an elder'.
If the affirmative clause comes first, the order of the inflections is inverted.
EXAMPLES.
He desired to protect' his friend, not to injure' him.
We desire yourselves', not your money'.
I said an elder' soldier, not a better'.
The affirmative clause is sometimes understood.
We desire not your money'.
I did not say a better' soldier.
The region beyond the grave is not a solitary' land.
In most negative sentences standing alone, the corresponding affirmative is understood; hence the following.
REMARK.—Negative sentences, whether alone or connected with an affirmative clause, generally end with the rising inflection.
If such sentences are repeated emphatically, they take the falling inflection according to Rule VI.
EXAMPLES.
We do not' desire your money.
I did not' say a. better soldier.
3. Or used disjunctively.
Did he behave properly', or improperly'?
Are they living/, or dead'?
Is he rich', or poor'?
Does God, having made his creatures, take no further' care of them, or
does he preserve and guide them'?
REMARK.—Where or is used conjunctively, this rule does not apply; as,
Will the law of kindness' or of justice' justify such conduct'?
CIRCUMFLEX.
The circumflex is a union of the rising and falling inflections. Properly speaking, there are two of these, the one called the rising circumflex, in which the voice slides down and then up; and the other, the falling circumflex, in which the voice slides upward and then downward on the same vowel. They may both be denoted by the same mark, thus, (^). The circumflex is used chiefly to indicate the emphasis of irony, of contrast, or of hypothesis.
EXAMPLES.
1. Queen. Hamlet, you have your father much offended.
Hamlet. Madam, you have my father much offended.
2. They offer us their protec'tion. Yes', such protection as vultures give
to lambs, covering and devouring them.
3. I knew when seven justices could not make up a quarrel; but when the parties met themselves, one of them thought but of an if; as, If you said so, then I said so; O ho! did you say so! So they shook hands and were sworn brothers.
REMARKS.—In the first example, the emphasis is that of contrast. The queen had poisoned her husband, of which she incorrectly supposed her son ignorant, and she blames him for treating his father-in-law with disrespect. In his reply, Hamlet contrasts her deep crime with his own slight offense, and the circumflex upon "you" becomes proper.
In the second example the emphasis is ironical. The Spaniards pretended that they would protect the Peruvians if they would submit to them, whereas it was evident that they merely desired to plunder and destroy them. Thus their protection is ironically called "such protection as vultures give to lambs," etc.
In the third example, the word "so" is used hypothetically; that is, it implies a condition or supposition. It will be observed that the rising circumflex is used in the first "so," and the falling, in the second, because the first "so" must end with the rising inflection and the second with the falling inflection, according to previous rules.
MONOTONE.
When no word in a sentence receives an inflection, it is said to be read in a monotone; that is, in nearly the same tone throughout. This uniformity of tone is occa-sionally adopted, and is fitted to express solemnity or sublimity of idea, and sometimes intensity of feeling. It is used, also, when the whole sentence or phrase is emphatic. In books of elocution, when it is marked at all, it is generally marked thus (—), as in the lines following.
EXAMPLES.
Hence! loathed melancholy!
Where brooding darkness spreads her jealous wings,
And the night raven sings;
There, under ebon shades and low-browed rocks,
As ragged as thy locks,
In deep Cimmerian darkness ever dwell.
IV. ACCENT.
In every word which contains more than one syllable, one of the syllables is pronounced with a