concessive tone, approaching to a monotone; this monotone must continue till near the end of the fifth line, when the voice is to adopt the rising inflexion in a somewhat higher tone at the end; and to commence the sixth line in as till higher tone, pause with the rising inflexion at distance, and finish the line with the voice going gradually lower to the end.

Synchorésis.

SYNCHORESIS, or Concession, is a figure by which we grant or yield up something, in order to gain a point, which we could not so well se cure without it.

This figure, with respect to its pronunciation, seems the reverse of the former. For in that, as we must commence in an open elevated tone, and drop into a low and firm one, so in this, we must pronounce the concessive part of the figure in a low, light tone, as if what we allowed our adversary was of no great importance, and then assume the argument in a strong elevated tone, as if we had acquired a double force from the concession we had made. Thus Cicero, pleading for Flaccus, in order to invalidate the testimony of the Greeks, who were witnesses against his client, allows them every quality but that which was necessary to make them credited.

This, however, I say concerning all the Greeks; -I grant them learning, the knowledge of many sciences; I do not deny that they have wit, fine genius, and eloquence: nay, if they lay claim to many other excellencies, I shall not contest their title: but this I must say, that nation never paid a proper regard to the religious sanctity of public evidence, and are total strangers to the obligation, authority, and importance of truth.

The first part of this passage, which forms the concession, should be spoken in a slight easy manner, and in a tone rather below that of common conversation; but the assertion in the latter part should rise into a somewhat higher tone, and assume a strength and firmness expressive of the force of the argument. It may not be improper to remark to those who understand the two inflexions of the voice, that the several members of the concession seem to require the rising inflexion.

Nothing more confounds an adversary than to grant him his whole argument, and at the same time either to show that it is nothing to the purpose, or to offer something else that may invalidate it, as in the following example :

I allow that nobody was more nearly related to the deceased than you; I grant that he was under some obligations to you; nay, that you have always been in friendly correspondence with each other: but what is all this to the last will and testament?

The concession in this passage must be pronounced in a moderate, conciliating tone of voice; but the question at the end must rise into a higher, louder, and more forcible tone.

There is an uncommon force in a passage of Cato's speech concerning the punishment of the traitors in Catiline's conspiracy, which mani festly arises from the figure upon which we are treating.

Let them, since our manners are so corrupted, be liberal out of the fortunes of our allies; let them be compassionate to the robbers of the public treasury: but let them not throw away our blood, and, by sparing a few abandoned villains, make way for the destruction of all good men.

In this example the tone of voice, with respect

to height, is nearly the same throughout: but the second member assumes a much stronger and firmer, though rather lower tone, and necessarily ends with the rising inflexion.

Epanorthosis.

EPANORTHOSIS, or Correction, is a figure by which we retract or recall what he have spoken, for the sake of substituting something stronger or more suitable in its place.

The use of this figure lies in the unexpected interruption it gives to the current of our discourse, by turning the stream as it were back upon itself, and then returning it upon the auditor with redoubled force and precision. The nature of this figure dictates its pronunciation; it is somewhat akin to the parenthesis. What we correct should be so pronounced as to seem the immediate effusion of the moment; for which purpose it does not only require a separation from the rest of the sentence, by an alteration of the voice into a lower tone, but an abrupt discontinuance of the member immediately preceding. This, however, is one of the most difficult things to execute in the whole art of speaking, and must be managed nicely, not to have the appearace of affectation: for which reason it would be better for the generality of readers to consider this figure merely as a parenthesis, and to pronounce it accordingly. Cicero makes use of this figure in his oration for Milo:

Can you be ignorant, among the conversation of this city, what laws if they are to be called laws, and not rather the firebrands of Rome and the plagues of the commonwealththis Clodius designed to fasten and fix upon us?

The figure in this passage may be read likė parenthesis: the voice should break short at laws; at if it should assume a lower, swifter, and more indignant tone; at commonwealth it should slide upwards into what is called a suspension; and at this assume the tone with which the sentence commenced. The same directions may be applied to the interjected member, in the following passage of Cicero, in his defence of Plancius:

For what greater blow could those judges if they are to be called judges, and not rather parricides of their countryhave given to the state, than when they banished that very man, who, when prætor, delivered the republic from a neighbouring, and who, when consul, saved it from a civil war.

Sometimes this figure comes after the sense is completed, and then the preceding member closes without the break; but in this case we may make a pause after the first words of the correction, as if to demur and to correct ourselves, in order to rectify an over-sight. This may be exemplified in the following passage of Cicero's Third Philippic.

Octavius Cæsar, though but a youth, nay, rather a boy, inspired with an incredible and divine spirit and courage, at that very time when the fury of Anthony was at its height, and when his cruel and pernicious return was so much dreaded, when we neither solicited nor imagined nor desired it, because it seemed utterly impracticable, raised a most powerful army of invincible veterans; for which service he threw away his own estate; but I have used an improper word he did not throw it away, he bestowed it for the salvation of the commonwealth.

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A pause at but and word, in the latter part of the sentence, will mark, the correction more strongly. It may be remarked also, that though this figure must be pronounced in a lower tone of voice than the former part of the sentence, it ought to have much more force and dignity.

Anástrophe.

ANASTROPHE, or Inversion, is a figure by which we place last, and perhaps at a great distance from the beginning of the sentence, what, according to the common order, should have been placed first.

Milton begins his Paradise Lost by a beautiful example of this figure.

Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater man
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat;
Sing, heavenly Muse! that on the secret top
Of Oreb or of Sinai didst inspire
That shepherd who first taught the chosen seed
In the beginning how the heav'ns and earth
Rose out of Chaos.

The natural order of the words in this passage would have been, Heav'nly Muse, sing of man's first disobedience, &c. and in this arrangement of the words no pause is necessary between the verb sing and its object, of man's first disobedience, &c.; but when the object of the verb, with all its concomitants, are placed before the verb, as in the example, we then find the pause preceding the verb sing increase in proportion to its distance from the beginning of its object, of man's first disobedience, &c.

It may be laid down as a good general rule, that, whenever the natural order of the words is changed, there must be a pause between those portions that are disarranged, though no pause

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