"Partakers in every peril, in the glory shall we not be permitted to participate? And shall we be told as a requital that we are estranged from the noble country for whose salvation our life-blood was poured out!" CONTRASTED SLIDES. When ideas are contrasted in couples, the rising and falling slides must be contrasted in reading them. Contrasted slides may also sometimes be used for greater variety or melody. my EXAMPLE. 1. "Sínk or swim, líve or die, survive or pèrish, I give hand and heart to this vote." "But, whatever may be our fate, be assured, be assured that this declaration will stand. It may cost treasure, and it may cost blood; but it will stand, and it will richly compensate for both.” 66 Suppose that you see, at once, all the hours of the day and all the seasons of the year, a morning of spring, and a morning of autumn, a night brilliant with stars, and a night obscure with clouds; - you will then have a more just notion of the spectacle of the universe. Is it not wondrous, that while you are admiring the sun plunging beneath the vault of the west, another observer is beholding him as he quits the region of the east, in the same instant reposing, weary, from the dust of the evening, and awaking fresh and youthful, in the dews of morn!" CIRCUMFLEX SLIDES. Straight means right, crooked means wrong: hence right ideas demand the right or straight slides, while wrong or crooked ideas demand the crooked or circum flex slides!' PRINCIPLE. All sincere and earnest, or, in other words, all upright and downright ideas demand the straight, or upright and downright slides. All ideas which are not sincere or earnest, but are used in jest, or irony, in ridicule, sarcasm, or mockery, in insinuation or double meaning, demand the crooked or circumflex slides.' เ The last part of the circumflex is usually the longer, and always the more characteristic part. Hence when the last part of this double slide rises it is called the rising circumflex; when the last part falls, it is called the 'falling circumflex. The rising circumflex' should be given to the negative, the falling circumflex' to the positive ideas of jest, irony, &c. When these ideas are coupled in contrast, the circumflex slides must be in contrast also to express them. Example of jest. MARULLUS. You, sir; what trade are you? 2D CITIZEN. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a côbbler. MAR. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly. 2D CIT. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a měnder of bad sôles. MAR. What trade, thou knàve? thou naughty knave, what trade? 2D CIT. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you bê out, sir, I can měnd you. MAR. What mean'st thou by that? Ménd me, thou saucy fellow? 2D CIT. Why, sir, côbble you. FLAVIUS. Thou art a còbbler, árt thou? 2D CIT. Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl. FLAV. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 2D CIT. Truly, sir, to wear out their shôes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday, to see Ca'sar, and to rejoice in his triumph. In the last sentence, the citizen drops his jesting, and speaks in earnest; and therefore with the straight slides. Examples of sarcasm and irony. 2. "Now, sir, what was the conduct of your own allies to Poland? Is there a single atrocity of the French in Italy, in Switzerland, in Egypt if you please, more unprincipled and inhuman than that of Russia, Austria, and Prussia, in Poland ? "O, but you 'regretted the partition of Poland!' Yês, regrêtted!you regrêtted the violence, and that is àll you did." 3. "They boast they come but to improve our state, enlarge our thoughts, and frêe us from the yoke of êrror! Yês, they will give enlightened freedom to our minds, who are themselves the slaves of passion, avarice, and pride! They offer us protêction! yês, sûch protection as vûltures give to lambs covering and devouring them! Tell your and least of all such change invaders we seek nò change as they would bring us!" 4. “Good Lord! when one man dies who wears a crown, In the grim cell, or on the groaning gibbet, Drop not one tear from your indifferent eyes!" 5. CASSIUS. Urge me no more! I shall forget myself; Have mind upon your health; tempt me no further. BRUTUS. Away, slight man! CAS. Is't possible? BRU. Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? CAS. O ye gods! ye gods! break; Must I endure all this? Fret till your proud heart Go show your slaves how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble! Must I budge? You shall digest the venom of your spleen, CAS. Is it come to this! BRU. You say you are a better soldier: Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, And it shall please me well. For mine own part, LENGTH OF SLIDES. The length of the slides depends on the 'general spirit' or 'kind' of what is read. PRINCIPLE. If the general spirit is unemotional,' the slides are 'moderate.' If the general spirit is 'bold,' 'joyous,' or 'noble,' the slides are long.' If the general spirit is 'subdued or pathetic' or 'grave,' the slides are short.' 6 Examples for the moderate' slide, or in the definite language of music, the "Third." "Can I speak with you a móment?" "Certainly." "The ancient Spartans were not less remarkable for their bravery in the field of battle, than for brevity and wit in their answers. We have a memorable instance of their national spirit, in the reply of the old wàrrior who was told that the arrows of the Persian host flew so thick as to darken the sun. So much the better,' was his answer; 'we shall enjoy the advantage of fighting in the shade.'” Examples for the 'long' slide, or the “Fifth." Through the famed course of thirteen hundred yèars, The harvest of a thousand years of glóry? Leave not a lìmb o'er which a Dàne can triumph!" "True courage but from opposition grows, "Ye men of Sweden, wherefore are ye come? |