RULE XI. Words or phrases in apposition, or when the latter only explains the former, have a short pause between them. EXAMPLE. Goddess of the lyre, Which rules the accents of the moving spheres, Wilt thou, eternal Harmony, descend And join this festive train? RULE XII. When two substantives come together, and the latter, which is in the genitive case, consists of several words closely united with each other, a pause is admissible between the two principal substantives. EXAMPLES. We may observe, that any single circumstance of what we have formerly seen often raises up a whole scene of imagery, and awakens numberless ideas that before slept in the imagination. Spect. N° 417. I do not know whether I am singular in my opinion, but for my own part I would rather look upon a tree in all its luxuriancy, and diffusion of boughs and branches, than when it is cut and trimmed into a mathematical figure. Ib. N° 415. Correct reading would admit of a pause in the first example at circumstance, and, in the last, rather at diffusion than at luxuriancy. RULE XIII. Who and which, when relative pronouns, and that, when it stands for who and which, always admit of a pause before them. EXAMPLES. A man can never be obliged to submit to any power, unless he can be satisfied, who is the person, who has a right to exercise it. Locke. To which we may add, their want of judging abilities, and also their want of opportunity to apply such a serious consideration as may let them into the true goodness and evil of things, which are qualities, which seldom display themselves to the first view. South. Vanity is the foundation of the most ridiculous and con temptible vices, the vices of affectation and common lying; follies which, if experience did not teach us how common they are, one should imagine the least spark of common sense would save us from. Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments. The word which, in the last example, that ought to have a pause before it, has one after it; this latter pause is certainly proper, as a member intervenes between which and the governing words, and printers never fail placing this last pause, but almost as uniformly neglect a pause before the relative in this situation, though the pause before will be acknowledged by every judicious ear to be as necessary in the one case as in the other. A pause before these relatives ought never to be omitted, as we are certain by this pause never to hurt the sense, and are sure to gain time, breath, and foresight to proceed. The uncertainty of printers in this essential pause may be guessed at, from the punctuation of a passage which follows that which I have just quoted. The foolish liar, who endeavours to excite the admiration of the company by the relation of adventures which never had any existence, the important coxcomb, who gives himself airs of rank and distinction which he well knows he has no just pretensions to, are both of them no doubt pleased with the applause which they fancy they meet with. Ib. p. 192. In this passage we only see a pause before the first relative; but why that is distinguished it is not very easy to guess. This rule is of greater extent than at first appears; for there are several words usually called adverbs, which include in them the power of the relative pronoun *, and will therefore admit of a pause before them: such as when, why, wherefore, how, where, whither, whether, whence, while, till, or until: for when is equivalent to the time at which; why or wherefore is equivalent to the reason for which; and so of the rest. It must, however, be noted, that when a preposition comes before one of these relatives, the pause is before the preposition; and that if any of these words are the last word of the sentence, or clause of a sentence, that no pause is admitted before them; as, I have read the book, of which I have heard so much commendation, but I know not the reason why. I have heard one of the books much commended, but I cannot tell which, &c. It must likewise be observed, that, if the substantive which governs the relative, and makes it assume the genitive case, comes before it, no pause is to be placed either before which, or the preposition that governs it. EXAMPLE. The passage of the Jordan is a figure of baptism, by the grace of which, the new-born Christian passes from the slavery of sin into a state of freedom peculiar to the chosen sons of God. Abridgement of the Bible. RULE XIV. When that is used as a causal conjunction, it ought always to be preceded by a short pause. EXAMPLES. The custom and familiarity of these tongues do sometimes so far influence the expressions in these epistles, that one may observe the force of the Hebrew conjugations. Locke. * See Ward's English Grammar, 4to. There is the greater necessity for attending to this rule, as we so frequently find it neglected in printing. For fear of crowding the line with points, and appearing to clog the sense to the eye, the ear is often defrauded of her unquestionable rights. I shall give two instances, among a thousand, that might be brought to show where this is the case. I must therefore desire the reader to remember that, by the pleasures of the imagination, I mean only such pleasures as arise originally from sight. Spect. N° 411. It is true, the higher nature still advances, and, by that means, preserves his distance and superiority in the scale of being; but he knows that, how high soever the station is of which he stands possessed at present, the inferior nature will at length mount up to it, and shine forth in the same degree of glory. Spect. N° 111. In these examples, we find the incidental member succeeding the conjunction that is separated from it by a pause; but the pause which ought to precede this conjunction is omitted: this punctuation runs through our whole typоgraphy, and is the more culpable, as the insertion of the pause after that, where it is less wanted than before, is more apt to mislead the reader than if he saw no pause at all. RULE XV. When the adjective follows the substantive, and is succeeded either by another adjective, or words equivalent to it, which form what may be called a descriptive phrase, it must be separated from the substantive by a short pause. EXAMPLES. He was a man, learned and polite. It is a book, exquisite in its kind. It was a calculation, accurate to the last degree. 1 That no pause is to be admitted between the substantive and the adjective in the inverted order, when the adjective is single, or unaccompanied by adjuncts, is evident by the following example from Pope : Of these the chief the care of nations own, And guard with arms divine the British throne. For the reason of this, see Elements of Elocution, page 23. Those who have not considered this subject very attentively, will, I doubt not, imagine, that I have inserted above twice the number of points that are necessary; but those who are better acquainted with the art, will, I flatter myself, agree with me that a distinct, a deliberate, and easy pronunciation, will find employment for every one of them. Much undoubtedly will depend upon the turn of voice, with which we accompany these points; and, if this is but properly adapted, the sense will be so far from suffering by so many pauses, that it will be greatly improved and enforced. And this leads us to a consideration of one of the most important parts of delivery; which is, the slide or inflexion of voice with which every sentence, member of a sentence, and even every word, is necessarily pronounced; without a knowledge of this it will be impossible to speak intelligibly of the interrogation, exclamation, and parenthesis, which seem distinguished from other sentences more by a peculiar inflexion of voice than by pausing; nor can accent and emphasis be completely understood without considering them as connected with a certain turn or inflexion of voice; and this must be the next object of our inquiry. |