Example.-"When were you there last?" (Answer not distinctly apprehended). “WHEN?” (implying, "Will you oblige me by repeating that?”) 74. But if the feeling of the questioner is not of the apologetic kind, he may throw incredulity or authority into the repeated question. Thus, “When?" (ïmplying, "Do you really make so improbable a statement?") or 66 When?” (implying, "Answer directly and without evasion.”) In all these illustrations we may trace the working of the two simple fundamental principles of inflexion,which, among many varieties of application, require no category of Exceptions. 75. In the following sentence, the ellipitical questions, "for whom?" and "for thee?" illustrate the two classes of interrogations, the former being equivalent to "for whom shall we break it?" and the latter to "shall we do so for thee?" "All this dread order break,-for whom?--for thee? Vile worm! O madness! Pride! Impiety!" 76. Questions of two parts connected by the conjunctive or disjunctive particle "or," importantly illustrate the two classes of interrogation. Thus :-"Are you going to Liverpool or Manchester?"— This, according to the mode in which it is read, will be equivalent to "Are you going to either of these places?" or "To which of these places are you going?" To convey the former meaning "Liverpool" and "Manchester," will be pronounced with one accentual inflexion, or with no accent, and to convey the latter signification they will be pronounced with separate accents and opposite inflexions. Questions of this kind, when the verb is the subject of enquiry may be resolved into, "Is it either?" and can be answered by yes or no; and those in which the verb is not called in question may always be resolved into "which is it?" and cannot be answered by yes or no. 77. The mark of interrogation (?) is, in English punctuation, placed at the end of the grammatical period, but the interrogative sentence frequently terminates with a participial, or other subordinate sentence, or with a simile, and the interrogative inflexion should not be continued in the concluding member. Thus in the two following passages, the questions virtually close at esteem," and "presence," and there the interrogative intonation must end. 66 "Would'st thou have that Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, Like the poor cat i' the adage?"—Shakespeare. "Didst thou not think, such vengeance must await Into his Maker's presence-throwing back With insolent disdain his choicest gift?"-Dr. Porteous. XV. SERIES. 78. When there are two or more words, clauses, or sentences, in apposition-subjects, predicates or circumstances they may be either compacted into a SERIESby rising inflexions, as in counting-or,pronounced with independent inflexions, as if each stood alone in the sentence. The former mode of inflexion exhibits most emphatically the aggregate value of the serial members, and the latter gives them the greatest amount of individual emphasis. Sequences of words or clauses in apposition are only to be pronounced connectedly, when they seem. to require aggregation to convey the full import of the passage. XVI. RESUME OF THE LEADING PRINCIPLES OF 79. The general principles to be attended to in reading. are briefly and simply these :— Does the clause or sentence communicate the speaker's will or knowledge? if so, fall; if not, rise. Does the clause or sentence appeal to the hearer's will or knowledge? if so rise; if not, fall. Is the clause or sentence dependent on some other to complete the sense? if so, give it connective or referential tones; if not, pronounce it irrespectively of what follows, and with tones rising or falling in accordance with its own expressiveness. Is the subordinate sentence a necessary complement of the principal? if so, give it corresponding modulative pitch, and connective or referential tones; if not, read it in a different pitch, and with independent inflexions. Are the items of the Series severally or collectively important to the sense? if the former, pronounce them with disjunctive inflexion, and subsequent pause? if the latter, aggregate them by connective inflexion and corresponding modulation. 80. Ordinary elocutionary Rules-especially those of the Series-render reading at sight impossible; but, with such guiding Principles as the above, it is perfectly and effectively practicable. We have shown that the voice has a certain definite expressiveness in every movement, which may apply to any form of construction, according as the intent of the speaker requires the vocal effect. Rules for natural reading, then, cannot be founded on the grammatical forms of periods, or complete sentences, but on the inherent expressiveness of the vocal movements, and the independent or relative value of clauses. 81. EXERCISE ON SENTENTIAL INFLEXIONS. The following Exercise, including sentences of every variety, affords a convincing illustration of the governing force of Tones, and the independence of inflexion on grammatical construction. Each of these diverse modes of delivering the very same words would, under certain circumstances, be appropriate and natural. Will you go. Will you go. Will you go. Will you go. Will you go. Will Were you there. you go. Will you go. Will you go. Were you there. Were you there. Were you there. Were you there. Were you there. Is it right. Is it right. Is it right. Is it right. Is it right. Is it right. Is it right. Is it right. Is it right. Is it possible. Is it possible. Is it possible. Is it possible. Is it possible. Is it possible. Is it possible. How do you do. Gone away. How do you do. How do you do. How do you do. How do you do. Gone away. Gone away. Gone away. Gone away. Gone away. Gone away. Gone away. No more. No more. No more. No more. No more. No more. No more. No more. No more. No more. Have patience. Have patience. Have patience. Have patience. Have patience. Have patience. Have patience. Have patience. The The Christian's hope. The Christian's hope. Christian's hope. The Christian's hope. The Christian's hope. The Christian's hope is fixed. The Christian's hope is fixed. The Christian's hope is fixed on heaven. The Christian's hope is fixed on heaven. He reads correctly. He reads correctly. He reads correctly. He reads correctly. He reads correctly when he likes. He reads correctly when he likes. He reads |