Examples. He had not been there, (as I was informed by those who lived in his neighborhood, and who were acquainted with him,) since the year 1796. Should liberty continue to be abused in this country, as it has been for some time past, (and though demagogues may not admit, yet sensible and observing men will not deny that it has been,) the people will seek relief in despotism or in emigration. The power of such characters in nature, says Mr. Whately, (from whom I am happy to borrow the following observations, not only from the beauty of their expression, but from their singular coincidence in the illustration of the fact I have been endeavoring to establish,) the power of such characters is not confined to the ideas which the objects themselves immediately suggest. No such claimant being found, (I mean none who knew the contents; for many declared that they expected just such a packet, and believed it to be their property,) Mr. Blenner very coolly resolved to apply the money to his own use. I had often heard of my friend S―'s charming place, his excellent house, his every thing, in short, that great wealth (for he is a man of very large estate) could bestow, and taste, (for everybody talked of his and Mrs. L-'s taste,) could adorn. I pictured his groves, his lawns, and his waterfalls, with somewhat of that enthusiasm for country scenery which you seem to feel; and I thought of his daughters, (two elegant girls, whom I had just seen for a few moments in the way from New York,) as the wood-nymphs of the scene. On the other hand; by what I had almost called an accidental circumstance, but one which ought rather to be considered as a leading incident in the great train of events connected with the establishment of constitutional freedom in this country, it came to pass, that nearly all the colonies (founded as they were on the charters granted to corporate institutions in England, which had for their object the pursuit of the branches of trade pertinent to a new plantation,) adopted a regular representative system. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us ;) that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? Is it, (permit me to ask,) because this affords no immediate profit, that you refuse to pursue it? Could he possibly have committed this crime, (I am sure he could not,) which, as all will acknowledge, is at variance with the character he has borne, and the whole tenor of his life? And what now, (I ask you,) is to save us from the abuse of all this power! What is to prevent our free democracy, (especially when our country becomes crowded with people, as it will be byand-by, even though our woods and prairies, and our cities are choked with men, almost stifling each other with their hot breath,) from following its natural bent, and launching us all, or those who come after us, in a wild and lawless anarchy She had managed this matter so well, (oh! she was the most artful of women!) that my father's heart was gone before I suspected it was in danger. It was represented by an analogy, (oh! how inadequate!) which was borrowed from the religion of paganism. Shall we continue (alas! that I should be constrained to ask the question!) in a course so dangerous to health, so enfeebling to mind, so destructive to character? I wished (why should I deny it ) that it had been my case instead of my sister's. Him I am to leave here, being first cleansed of the deep dye with which, by my art, (and what art is it I am not familiar with ?) I have stained his skin to the darkest hue of the African. Sir, to borrow the words of one of your own poets, whose academic sojourn was in the next college to that in which we are now assembled, (and in what language but that of Milton, can I hope to do justice to Bacon and Newton ) if their star should ever for a period go down, it must be to rise again with new splendor. Then went the captain with the officers and brought them without violence; (for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned;) and when they had brought them, they set them before the council. Let the bishop be one that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection: (for if a man know not how to 1ule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God f) not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into condemnation of the devil. I will therefore chastise him and release him. (For of necessity, he must release one of them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once: saying, Away with this man and release unto us Barab bas; (who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Brethren! be ye followers together of me, and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an example. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction; whose god is their belly; and whose glory is in their shame: who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven. God hath a special indignation against pride above all other sins; and he will cross our endeavors, not because they are evil, (what hurt could there be in laying one brick upon another; or in rearing a Babel more than any other edifice) but because this business is proudly undertaken. Let me earnestly impress it on every one who wishes to be saved, (and if we do not, why approach the sanctuary of God: why hear the words of this book: why lift up a prayer to the throne of heaven in the name of the great Redeemer )-if you wish to be saved, go not into such society; or if you enter it unawares, remain not in it. CHAPTER VII. EXERCISES ON PARAGRAPHS, OR SENTENCES IN CONTINUOUS DISCOURSE. In the portion of this work on which we are about to enter, the student is gradually left, after the first three sections, to which I have appended copious notes, to his own resources in the analysis of sentential structure, and the application of preceding principles and rules. If, as is here supposed, he has carefully committed to memory and thoroughly digested those principles and rules, he will meet with no difficulty on the succeeding pages, which he cannot easily surmount: without such preliminary preparation he will probably stumble over the simplest passages; and his progress, if he make any progress, will be slow, embarrassed and extremely discouraging. As elsewhere, the diligent student will find here his merited reward: the indolent and heedless, his appropriate punishment. In the notes succeeding each of the first three sections I have indicated the manner in which exercises in reading, or rehearsals before speaking, should be conducted: barely indicated; for I have confined my attention to structure, emphasis and the rules of delivery. Of articulation, accent, and much under the head of modulation, especially key, force and rate, I have said nothing. What I have omitted will be supplied, I suppose, by the student himself, or his intelligent instructor: leaving nothing, in short, hitherto advanced, without pertinent use. For a distinct enumeration of the different topics to which attention should be given at a recitation, I refer to the beginning of Ch. VIth. 1 SEC. I. HAMLET'S INSTRUCTION TO THE PLAYERS. Speak the speech, I pray you', as I pronounced it to you': trippingly on the tongue'; but if you mouth it, as many of our 2 players do', I had as lief the town-crier spake my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, (as I may say,) whirlwind of your passion', you must acquire and beget 3 a temperance, that may give it smoothness'. O, it offends me to the soul, to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings; who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inex4 plicable dumb shows and noise. I would have such a fellow 5 whipped for o'erdoing Termagant`: it out-herods Herod. Pray 6 you, avoid it. Be not too tame neither', but let your own 7 discretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the word'; the word to the action': with this special observance`: that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature'; for any thing so over-done is from the purpose of playing'; whose end, both at the first and now, was, and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature: to show virtue her own feature`; scorn her own image'; and 8 the very age and body of the time', his form and pressure. Now this, overdone or come tardy off', though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve'; the censure of which one, must, in your allowance, o'erweigh a whole theatre 9 of others. O, there be players, that I have seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly, (not to speak it profanely,) that, neither having the accent of Christians, nor the gait of Christian, pagan, or man, have so strutted and bellowed, that I have thought some of nature's journeymen had made men, and not made them well: they imitated humanity so abominably. HAMLET'S INSTRUCTION TO THE PLAYERS, RHETORICALLY PARSED. 1st Sentence. Question 1. What is the nature of this sentence? Answer. It is a compound declarative perfect loose sentence with two parts. Q. 2. What do you mean by a compound sentence? A. A sentence which contains either a single proposition, having two or more subjects and verbs, or two or more propositions, having indifferently one subject and verb, or two or more subjects and verbs. (See Classifica tion: Compound Sent.) Q. 3. What, by a declarative sentence? A. A sentence which states or declares something in some one of the various relations of time, &c. (See Classif. Decl. Sent.) Q. 4. What, by a loose sentence? A. A sentence which contains two or more distinct though related propositions, connected by conjunctions, adverbs or relative pronouns expressed or understood. (See Classif. Loose Sent.) Q. 5. What, by a perfect loose! A. A sentence which has the construction of all its parts complete. (See Classif. ibid.) Q. 6. You say this perfect loose sentence consists of two parts: what is the nature of the sentence in the first part? A. It is a compound declarative imperfect loe, with two subparts: the first ending with you, and the second with tongue. Q. 7. What do you mean by an imperfect loose! A. A loose sentence whica has its first part complete, but the succeeding part or parts fragmentary: requiring a portion of the first part (understood) to complete their construction. (See Classif., as above.) Q. 8. What is the nature of the sub-parts! A. The first ending with you, is a declarative single compact of the second form. Q. 9. What do you mean by a compact sentence A. A sentence always consisting of two parts: each of which begins with a word which relates to another word at the beginning of the other. (See Classif. Compact Sent.) Q. 10. What, by the second form A. Compact sentences have these correlative words, sometimes both expressed; sometimes, only one of them; and sometimes both are understood. If both are expressed, the compact belongs to the first form: if only one, to the second: if neither is expressed, to the third. (See Classif., as above.) Q. 11. What is the nature of the second sub-part! A. It is a simple declarative sentence: having the clause, speak the speech, understood before trippingly. Q. 12. What is a simple sentence ! A. A sentence having but one subject and one verb. (See Classif. Simple Sent.) Q. 13. We have now analyzed one of the parts of the perfect loose sentence; what is the nature of the second? A. It is a mixed sentence. Q. 14. What do you mean by a mixed sentence? A. A sentence consisting of two or more sentences of the same kind, or of different kinds combined. (See Classif. Mixed Sent.) Q. 15. Are the sentences combined here of the same, or different species A. Of the same: both being single compacts of the second form: the greater comprehending, having the relative words if-then, and the less comprehended, the relative words so-as. Q. 16. What is the proper punctuation between the principal parts of this sentence; that is, before but! A. The semicolon; because the connective but is expressed. (See Punctua tion, Semicolon.) Q. 17. What is the proper punctuation between the sub-parts of the first principal part; that is, before trippingly A. The colon; because the connective amely or that is, is under stood. Q. 18. In the first sub-part you have the clause, I pray you: what is the rhetorical name of it! A. A circumstance. . 19. What is the nature of a circumstance! A. It is a part of a sentence necessary to the sense, but not the construction. (See Classif. Circumstance.) Q. 20. Is it necessary to the sense in this place? A. Yes; for if it were not inserted, the request of Hamlet would be a command. Q. 21. How is a circumstance always punctuated! A. At the beginning of perfect sense it is always followed, in the middle, preceded and followed, and at the end preceded, by a comma: at the end, it is of course followed by one of the pauses of perfect sense. (See Classif., as above.) Q. 22. What is the proper punctuation of the second principal part? A. As it makes imperfect sense until completed, the comma only can be inserted, as in the text, between the parts of the less and greater compacts. (See Punctuation, Comma, and Classif. Sing. Compact.) Q. 23. What is meant by the general delivery of a sentence ! A. Its delivery apart from the consideration of emphasis; that is, its characteristic delivery. Q. 25. Q. 26. Q. 24. What is the general delivery of the whole perfect loose sentence? A. (See Rule IX.) Q. 27. Q. 28. town-crier. Q. 29. What is the effect of emphasis on each A. On pronounced and town-crior, being in the same short division of sense with close, the lower sweep is converted into the falling slido to close: (See Emph., Sec. II. 2. 5:) on mouth and many, emphasis has a full develop |