Read Ebook: McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader by McGuffey William Holmes

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Did you walk' or ride'? walk or ride.

In the following examples, the first member has the rising and the second member the falling inflection:

EXAMPLES.

Is he sick', or is he well'? Did you say valor', or value'? Did you say statute', or statue'? Did he act properly', or improperly'?

In the following examples, the inflections are used in a contrary order, the first member terminating with the falling and the second with the rising inflection:

EXAMPLES.

He is well', not sick'. I said value', not valor'. I said statue', not statute'. He acted properly', not improperly'.

FALLING INFLECTIONS.

EXAMPLES.

REMARK.--Parts of a sentence often make complete sense in themselves, and in this case, unless qualified or restrained by the succeeding clause, or unless the contrary is indicated by some other principle, the falling inflection takes place according to the rule.

EXAMPLES

Truth is wonderful', even more so than fiction'.

Men generally die as they live' and by their actions we must judge of their character'.

Exception.--When a sentence concludes with a negative clause, or with a contrast or comparison , the first member of which requires the falling inflection, it must close with the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

No one desires to be thought a fool'.

I come to bury' Caesar, not to praise' him.

He lives in England' not in France'.

REMARK.--In bearing testimony to the general character of a man we say:

He is too honorable' to be guilty of a vile' act.

But if he is accused of some act of baseness, a contrast is at once instituted between his character and the specified act, and we change the inflections, and say:

He is too honorable' to be guilty of such' an act.

A man may say in general terms:

I am too busy' for projects'.

But if he is urged to embark in some particular enterprise, he will change the inflections, and say:

I am too busy' for projects'.

STRONG EMPHASIS.

EXAMPLES. 1. Command or urgent entreaty; as,

Begone', Run' to your houses, fall' upon your knees, Pray' to the Gods to intermit the plagues.

Hark'! Hark'! the horrid sound Hath raised up his head.

For interrogatory exclamation, see Rule X, Remark.

SERIES OF WORDS OR MEMBERS.

EXAMPLES OF COMMENCING SERIES.

Wine', beauty', music', pomp', are poor expedients to heave off the load of an hour from the heir of eternity'.

I conjure you by that which you profess, answer me; Though you untie the winds and let them fight Against the churches'; though the yeasty waves Confound and swallow navigation' up; Though bladed corn be lodged, and trees blown down'; Though castles topple on their warders' heads'; Though palaces and pyramids do slope Their heads to their foundations'; though the treasures Of nature's germens tumble altogether', Even till destruction sicken'; answer me To what I ask' you.

EXAMPLE OF CONCLUDING SERIES.

They, through faith, subdued kingdoms', wrought righteousness' obtained promises', stopped the mouths of lions', quenched the violence of fire', escaped the edge of the sword', out of weakness were made strong', waxed valiant in fight', turned to flight the armies of the aliens'.

EXAMPLES.

They are the offspring of restlessness', vanity', and idleness'. Love', hope', and joy' took possession of his breast.

Exception to the Rule.--While the tendency of emphasis is decidedly to the use of the falling inflection, sometimes a word to which the falling inflection naturally belongs changes this, when it is emphatic, for the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

Three thousand ducats': 't is a good round sum'. It is useless to point out the beauties of nature to one who is blind'.

Here sum and blind, according to Rule VI, would take the falling inflection, but as they are emphatic, and the object of emphasis is to draw attention to the word emphasized, this is here accomplished in part by giving an unusual inflection. Some speakers would give these words the circumflex, but it would he the rising circumflex, so that the sound would still terminate with the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

Where has he gone'? Ans. To New York'. What has he done'? Ans. Nothing'. Who did this'? Ans. I know not'. When did he go'? Ans. Yesterday'.

RISING INFLECTION.

EXAMPLES.

To endure slander and abuse with meekness' requires no ordinary degree of self-command',

Night coming on', both armies retired from the field of battle'.

As a dog returneth to his vomit', so a fool returneth to his folly'.

REMARK.--The person or object addressed, in ordinary conversation, comes under this head.

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