The adoption of the rising turn on the word "cruelty," according to the Penultimate Rule, would prepare the hearer to expect and wait for the stronger word that follows; but if the voice fall on "cruelty," as if that finished the sentence, with what spontaneity and natural emphasis will the additional words be then delivered! 66 Why am I subject to his cruelty?" (nay, more; and harder still to bear) "and scorn?" NEGATIVE SENTENCES.-Negative sentences, and members of sentences, have been indiscriminately directed to be read with a rising inflexion at the end; but there is an important difference between them which this rule quite overlooks. Negative sentences and clauses are naturally divisible into two classes, 1st, Those in which the negation assumes a positive form; and, 2nd, Those in which doubt or contingency is implied, or in which the negative member is antithetic to some affirmatory member either expressed or understood. All negative sentences of the first class must have an exclusive falling inflexion, in accordance with the fundamental principle. Examples:- "Thou shalt do no murder." 66 Thou shalt not steal." "He shall not touch a hair of Catiline." And those of the second class,—equally in accordance with the fundamental principle,-demand a connective or suggestive, rising inflexion. Nothing can better show the natural force of the inflexions than the effect of a rising tone on a negative sentence. It so plainly carries an appeal to our judgment, and directs our thoughts to the antithetic affirmation, that, if that be not expressed, our minds immediately suggest it; or, if it is not sufficiently obvious, we shall not rest satisfied, or be able to withdraw our attention, until the speaker has explained it. Examples." It is not with stones or bricks that I have fortified the city. It is not from works like these that I derive my reputation." "Hark how I'll bribe thee. Not with fond shekels of the tested gold :- That shall be up at heaven, and enter there, CONCESSIVE SENTENCES. Concessive sentences, like those of the preceding class, have been indiscriminately stated to require the rising inflexion; but the fundamental principle forbids a rise, except when connexion is to be shown. Concessive sentences are naturally divisible into two classes-those which are conditional, and those which are absolute and unconditional. The former require a rising, and the latter as decidedly require a falling inflexion. Thus : "Precepts may perfect the judgment, but help little the performing power: make critics, not speakers." In this sentence the antithetic emphasis on judgment, with performing power, and critics, with speakers, must be marked by the voice at the same time that the connexion is maintained with the subsequent clauses. This is accomplished by the rising wave, the first part of which being a fall, serves to denote the emphasis, while the last part links the conditional, concessive clause with the qualifying conclusion. Remove the qualifying parts, and let the concessions stand alone: then if the rising inflexion be employed, it will suggest the conclusion; but if this is not the object of the speaker, he must use the falling inflexion, and the concession will then be unconditional." Precepts may perfect the judgment :—precepts may make critics." THE FIRST PART OF AN ANTITHESIS. This forms the subject of a rule among all Elocutionists. The principle of inflexion is thus stated by Mr Walker -"The first part of every antithesis might form a perfect sentence by itself; but the mutual relation between the former and latter parts forms as necessary a connexion between them, as if the former part formed no sense by itself, but was modified and restrained by the latter." Example." We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.” The vocal function is well exhibited in sentences of this class: the tone of utterance supplies the reference from the former to the latter part of the sentence, which the writer intended should be made, but which the words do not contain. The fundamental rule includes the special one in this case also, so that the latter is unnecessary. QUESTIONS COMMENCING WITH A VERB.-All Elocutionists and Nature agree in requiring a rising termination to sentences of this class. We have stated that the effect of the rising inflexion is primarily to connect, or appeal. It is on this principle that these questions take the rising turn. The interrogative rise appellatorily suspends the sense until it is perfected by the affirmatory or negative response: it establishes and maintains the most intimate connexion between the question and answer, as mutually necessary to the expression of sense. All questions asked by verbs are capable of being answered by a simple "yes" or 66 no." The question states a proposition—sometimes in interrogative idiom, as" Are you quite well?" and sometimes in declarative idiom, as"You are quite well?" and the rising tone of utterance asks the hearer's corroboration or denial of it. We have seen, in negative sentences, the appellatory effect of a rising inflexion: the interrogation is merely an appeal. It puts before the hearer a statement or hypothesis, and appeals to him as to its cor rectness or incorrectness. The customary transposition of the verb from its ordinary place in a declarative sentence generally gives the interrogation a distinctive form to the eye; but the declarative construction may be used interrogatively, and the interrogative construction may be employed declaratively, and that without the least confusion when the sentences are spoken; so that it is in the rising progression of voice that the interrogation really consists. So greatly does the intent of interrogation alter the utterance of a sentence throughout, and with so little certainty does the grammatical construction of a sentence indicate its interrogative nature, that it would be well if—as is not unusual in Continental printing-the mark of interrogation (?) were placed at the beginning, as well as at the end of the interrogative sentence. The general adoption of this principle in printing, especially when the interrogation is long, would be a service to the Art of Reading, seeing that the interrogation consists less in the form of words than in the expression of the voice. A peculiarity that has been often noticed with reference to verb-questions, is, that in repetition they lose the interrogative tone. If we ask a question which has not been distinctly heard or understood, and we, in consequence, have to repeat it, we immediately change the vocal progression, and pronounce the words with a falling inflexion. And this is in perfect accordance with nature, and with our fundamental rule; for what was in its first utterance interrogative, becomes, in its repetition, part of a declarative sentence. We now simply tell what we had asked; and whether we use the form of words or no, the utteranoe is equivalent to, "I said, or I asked, so and so." REPETITION, OR ECHO.-Elocutionists lay down as a rule, that words "repeated" or "echoed " should have the rising inflexion. In the examples by which they support and illustrate the rule, the rising progression is certainly appropriate but why? Not because the rule with which they agree is expressive of a natural principle, but because in all the instances the sense is progressive, and therefore, by the fundamental law, demands a progressive intonation. The rule, as generally stated, dictates a rise as necessary to the repeated utterance, without limitation. It would therefore require us to read such repetitions as the following, with rising inflexions :— 66 Happy, happy, happy pair!" "Fallen fallen! fallen! falien ! Fallen from his high estate." But who could follow the rule into such absurdity? Had some such instances as these crossed the rule-maker's mind, we should probably have found them noted under the separate head of "EXCEPTIONS.” In this, as in all the other forms of construction which we have yet examined, the fundamental principle-the rule of sense is strictly applicable, without exception. Elocutionists have generally proceeded hitherto on the principle, that Rules for the Voice should be founded on Sentences: hence the errors, inconsistencies, confusion, and complexity of their rules. We adopt the very opposite principle; and maintain, as more simple, and as perfectly consistent and natural, that RULES FOR SENTENCES MUST BE FOUNDED ON THE VOICE. The voice has a certain, definite, natural expressiveness; and this may apply to any construction of language, according as the intent of the speaker requires the vocal effects. We shall now examine those kinds of sentences for which a falling inflexion has been generally prescribed. They are Loose Sentences; Questions asked by Adverbs and Pronouns; Final Pause. FALLING INFLEXIONS. LOOSE SENTENCES.-A Loose Sentence is one which contains a member or members forming perfect sense, and not restrained or qualified by the member or members that follow in the same period. The rule given for reading such independent members is natural and correct,—namely, to detach them from those that follow by a pause and a falling inflexion. A member of this kind, as Mr Walker well observes, "must be pronounced in such a manner as to show its independence on the succeeding member, and its dependence on the period, as forming but a part of it." Here is another instance of the expressive power of the voice. A falling inflexion, however emphatic,—that is, beginning however high, and with whatever force,-may be made, and yet the exclusive effect of disjunction be avoided. The fall does not descend so low as to satisfy the ear with a perfect rest. Its effect is at the same time completive and continuative. It stops at or above the middle tone,-expressively checked in its downward progress. The student who has practised our exercises on the "Mechanism of the Inflexions" should be familiar with this range of voice, and able to execute it at will. It is common, not only on members of Loose Sentences, but in conversation, dialogue, or argument, at the conclusion of any assertion which is spoken-not as at all doubtful, neither with the tone of absolute certainty, but,- —so as to convey to the hearer a statement or opinion, which he is afforded an opportunity to answer or refute. Mr Knowles says, that "Mr Walker's rule of the loose sentence is altogether superfluous;" and the reason given is a plain statement of the natural principle of inflexion ; namely, "the inflexion is governed by the completeness of the sense; and that is all we have to take into consideration." Mr Knowles has greatly simplified Mr Walker's system by the recognition of this governing principle; but he has not allowed it absolute authority, as his rules for the SERIES testify. We would less object to this rule of the Loose Sentence as superfluous, than to many others which Mr Walker has accumulated; for though our fundamental principle includes this rule, it is not without its utility as marking the difference between a conclusive and a continuative falling inflexion. QUESTIONS ASKED BY PRONOUNS OR ADVERBS.-Mr Walker's rule states, that "when an interrogative sentence commences with any of the Elements of Elocution, p. 83. interrogative pronouns or adverbs, with respect to inflexion, elevation, or depression of voice, it is pronounced exactly like a declarative sentence." The reason of this he does not tell us, but we shall discover the principle from a consideration of the nature of these sentences. We have seen that those interrogations which commence with verbs require no more than a simple affirmative or negative to answer them; the question itself contains the terms of the answer, which we have only to accept or reject: but questions asked by interrogative pronouns or adverbs demand a new sentence in response. We ask when, how, why, where, or by whom a thing was or will be done, and the answer states the time, manner, reason, place, or agent of the action in question. The point of our inquiry is not whether the thing actually was done; we entertain no doubt about that part of the sentence depending on the verb, but take for granted that it expresses a fact; and our only doubt relates to the circumstances attending the act,—the how, when, why, &c. In questioning the reality of a fact, or the truth or correctness of an assertion, we naturally elevate the voice; but to ask the circumstances of it, unless when associated with plaintive or tender sentiments, we generally depress the voice. In the former case, we seek assurance from a state of doubt and uncertainty; in the latter, we seek information. Sentences of the latter class are imperative in their nature. They convey our request-or command it may be accompanied with any shade of feeling from imploring anxiety to angry mandate. In proportion as they are more or less peremptory will the force and extent of the downward inflexion vary. Example.- "Why sinks that caldron? and what noise is this?" But when there is in them anything of tenderness, sadness, or kindred feelings, the voice will take a more or less extended range in the opposite direction. Example." How is it with you, lady?" To say that all questions asked by interrogative pronouns or adverbs require a falling inflexion, as most of our Elocutionists do assert, is a mistake. Let any one with a correct ear, and whose habits of observation render him competent to judge, watch the movements of the conversational voice,—a very fair test,— and he will find that questions of this kind are very often pronounced with a rising inflexion, most frequently with that modified rise or fall which we have denominated Continuative; and, if we mistake not, he will also discover that the principle which we have stated-in other words, the fundamental rule-is that which governs the adaption of their inflexions. The continuative rise or fall may frequently be used indifferently on a question of this kind, which is not marked by emotional emphasis. Example.-"How do you do?" "How do you do?" " What is it o'clock ?"} } or { "What is it o'clock ?" The rising inflexion is, however, more deferential than the falling, and is that |