Presumptuous man! the Gods take care of Cato! (Implying, “more immediately than of other men.”) THE APPOSITION OF ANTITHESIS. Words in antithesis to each other, may form an antithetical member in apposition with a succeeding antithesis; in which case both the preceding rules of inflection apply: that is, RULE. The words in antithesis have opposite inflections; the antithetical members in apposition have respectively the same inflections. EXAMPLE. Fire and waterTM are not more opposed than vice and virtue (Here, fire and water are in antithesis,-so are vice and virtue; but the antithetical phrase fire and water is clearly in apposition with the phrase vice and virtue; the above rule applies.) EMPHASIS OF ANTITHESIS. (See ante, EMPHASIS OF SENSE.) Words and members in antithesis are (as a general rule) marked by the emphasis of sense; that is, the inflections are marked with additional weight;-this emphasis may be designated as Antithetical Emphasis. But the emphasis of force is sometimes used in one member of the antithesis to give additional strength to it. The antithesis is so frequent, and at the same time so powerful a form of Rhetoric, that it deserves the best attention of the Elocutionist; and he should therefore make himself thoroughly master of this branch of our subject. (See SERIES-Antithetical Series.) INVERTED SENTENCES. RULE. In an inverted sentence, the inverted members take the inflections respectively proper, in the direct sentence, to the members in whose place they stand. EXAMPLE. Direct. He strictly enforces both by precept and exampleTM the laws of religion and morality inculcated in the Gospel. Inverted. The laws of religion and moralityTM inculcated in the Gospel he strictly enforces both by precept and example. EXCEPTION. The only exception to this rule is made by the Emphasis of force, the inflection of which is paramount, and never changes, however much the position of the word on which it falls, may be changed by inversion. EXAMPLE. Direct. Our sight is the most perfect of all our senses. Or, Inverted. Of all our senses our sight is the most perfect. The most perfect of all our senses is our sight. Here, by throwing the Emphasis of force upon the word sight, we mark it strongly on the hearer's mind; and supposing that to be the speaker's object, no transposition of the word will relieve it from that Emphasis. But if it be merely an indifferent and abstract remark, it would be subject to the above rule as to inversion, and be thus marked: Our sight is the most perfect of all our senses. Of all our senses, our sight is the most perfect. The most perfect of all our senses is our sight. CONDITIONAL SENTENCES. The addition of a condition to an affirmative, requires the rising inflection; which marks the uncertainty raised by the condition attached, as— He said he would call if you would consent to see him. He shall live, if I have power to save him. Doctrines must be embodied, before they can excite strong public feeling. Observe that the simple affirmative in this form of sentence retains the falling inflection; it is the condition that receives the rise. EXCLAMATION. INTERJECTIONAL PHRASES Of Exclamation-as: Oh Rome! how art thou fallen! Apostrophe-as: Sweet sleep! how have I frighted thee! Daughter of Jove! relentless power! Pity and sorrow—as: Alas! my friend! woe is me! and the like-are marked with the rising inflection. But Entire EXCLAMATORY SENTENCES are closed with the falling inflection. EXAMPLES. Oh! Rome! how art thou fallen! Thanks to the Gods! my boy has done his duty! Woe is me! my heart is broken! Alas, my friend! how much I pity you! How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! PARENTHESIS.-PARENTHETICAL MEMBERS. Strictly speaking, a parenthesis is an interruption E* or suspension of the sense of the main sentence, (as is manifest from the derivation-aga-sv-Tinu); and therefore members which are added to the sentence after the sense is completed, are not parenthetical (although they may be marked in parenthesis), but rather cata-thetical-if such a word may be used The very sentence I have just written furnishes an illustration of the distinction I wish to make; in which, the first passage marked in parenthesis is not (strictly) a parenthesis, for it does not suspend or interrupt--though it confirms and explains the preceding part of the main sentence; but the second passage marked in parenthesis is correctly so marked, for it interrupts and suspends the sense of the main sentence. Again, the last phrase in the same sentencemarked between two dashes-occurring at the close of the main sense, is not parenthetical (though it might be marked ordinarily in parenthesis), but rather cata-thetical—that is, tacked to the main sentence. But in common use and acceptation, all the above phrases would be called parenthetical,—without reference to their being an interruption of, or merely an addition to, the sense; and therefore I shall arrange the Elocutionary rules for reading parenthesis according to the common and popular definition of the term. Hence the following RULES. 1. A parenthesis must have its commencement and continuance indicated by a change to a somewhat lower tone of voice |