McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader Part 3

Begone', Run' to your houses, fall' upon your knees, Pray' to the G.o.ds to intermit the plagues.

0, save' me, Hubert' save' me I My eyes are out Even with the fierce looks of these b.l.o.o.d.y men.

2. Exclamation, especially when indicating strong emotion; as,

0, ye G.o.ds'! ye G.o.ds'! 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 repet.i.tion 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 circ.u.mflex, but it would he the rising circ.u.mflex, 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 n.o.ble bloods!

Exception.--Where a word which, according to this rule, requires the rising inflection, becomes emphatic, it generally has the falling inflec-tion; as, when a child addresses his father, he first says, Father'! but if he repeats it emphatically, he changes the inflection, and says, Father'! Father'! The falling inflection is also used in formal address; as, Fellow--citizens', Mr. President', etc.

EXAMPLES.

When we aim at a high standard, if we do not attain' it, we shall secure a high degree of excellence.

Those who mingle with the vicious, if they do not become depraved', will lose all delicacy of feeling.

RULE X.--Questions which may be answered by yes or no, generally require the rising, and their answers the falling inflection.