Strike-till the last armed foe expires! Long years have passed,—and I behold But ah! the scenes which fancy drew, Hesp. Shall man, the possessor of so many noble faculties, with all the benefits of learning and experience, have less memory, less gratitude, less sensibility to danger than the beasts? Shall man, bearing the image of his Creator, sink thus low? Thomas H. Benton. (pp.) The thunders hushed, The trembling lightning fled away in fear,- There was a calm! Hark! a brazen voice Swells from the valley, like the clarion That calls to battle. Skirting all the hills (=) Speeds the blithe tone, and wakes an answer up Of the far dingle, (p.) faint and (pp.) fainter heard, (>) Dies the last sullen echo. He said, and on the rampart hights arrayed His trusty warriors, few, but undisnıayed; (sl.) Firm-paced and slow, a horrid front they form, (pp.) Still as the breeze, (oo) but dreadful as the storm! (P.) Low, murmuring sounds along their banners fly, (f) REVENGE, or DEATH!—the watchword and reply; (0°) Then pealed the notes, omnipotent to charm, (f.) And the loud tocsin tolled their last alarm! Campbell. Ho! sound the tocsin from the tower,- Bid each retainer arm with speed,- Up with my banner on the wall,- And bring my armor there! A. G. Greene. The combat deepens! ON! YE BRAVE! And CHARGE with all thy CHIVALRY! Shall be a soldier's sepulcher! Campbell. (sl.) At length, o'er Columbus slow consciousness breaks, (0°) "LAND! LAND!" cry the sailors; (f.) "LAND! LAND!"— he awakes, ('') He runs,-yes! behold it! it blesseth his sight! The land! O, dear spectacle! transport! delight! (d) His speech was at first low-toned and slow. Sometimes his voice would deepen, (。。) like the sound of distant thunder; and anon, ( ́ ́) his flashes of wit and enthusiasm would light up the anxious faces of his hearers, like the far-off lightning of a coming storm. (0°) () He woke to hear his sentry's shriek, TO ARMS! they come, (f.) the GREEK! the GREEK! Huzza for the sea! the all glorious sea! Its might is so wondrous, its spirit so free! ('') And its billows beat time to each pulse of my soul, Which, impatient, like them, can not yield to control. ('') Away! away! o'er the sheeted ice, Away! away! we go; On our steel-bound feet we move as fleet SECTION V. THE RHETORICAL PAUSE. RHETORICAL PAUSES are those which are frequently required by the voice in reading and speaking, although the construction of the passage admits of no grammatical pause. These pauses are as manifest to the ear, as those which are made by the comma, semicolon, or other grammatical pauses, though not commonly denoted in like manner by any visible sign. In the following examples they are denoted thus, (II) EXAMPLES. 1. And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide, This pause is generally made before or after the utterance of some important word or clause, on which it is especially desired to fix the attention. In such cases it is usually denoted by the use of the dash (—). EXAMPLES. 1. Earth's highest station ends in—“ HERE HE LIES!” 2. And lo! the rose, in crimson dressed, Leaned sweetly on the lily's breast, 3 The path of wisdom is—THE will of God. 4. There, in his dark, carved oaken chair Old Rudiger sat—DEAD! A. G. Greene. QUESTIONS.-What are Rhetorical Pauses? What is said of this pause? Give an example. When is the Rhetorical Pause generally made? Give examples. No definite rule can be given with reference to the length of the rhetorical or grammatical pauses. The correct taste of the reader or speaker must determine it. For the voice should sometimes be suspended much longer at the same pause in one situation than in another; as in the two following EXAMPLES. LONG PAUSE. Pause a moment. I heard a footstep. Listen now. I heard it again; but it is going from us. It sounds fainter,-still fainter. It is gone. SHORT PAUSE. John, be quick. Get some water. Throw the powder overboard. "It can not be reached." Jump into the boat, then. Shove off. There goes the powder. Thank Heaven. We are safe. QUESTIONS.-Are the Rhetorical or Grammatical Pauses always of the same length? Give examples of a Long Pause. Of a Short Pause. REMARK TO TEACHERS. It is of the utmost importance, in order to secure an easy and elegant style of utterance in reading, to refer the pupil often to the more important principles involved in a just elocution. To this end, it will be found very advantageous, occasionally to review the rules and directions given in the preceding pages, and thus early accustom him to apply them in the subsequent reading lessons. SCHOOL READER. -FOURTH BOOK. PART SECOND. LESSON I. WORDS FOR SPELLING AND DEFINING. AP PLI CATION, close attention. DIS TILL ED, extracted. COM PRE HEN SIVE, capacious. PER TUR BATIONS, disquietudes. KNOWLEDGE BETTER THAN WEALTH. MRS. BARBAULD. 1. Is knowledge the pearl of price? That, too, may be purchased by steady application, and long solitary hours of study and reflection. Bestow these, and you shall be wise. "But," says the man of letters, "what a hardship is it, that many an illiterate person, who can not construe the motto of the arms on his coach, shall raise a fortune, and make a display in the world, while I have little more than the common conveniences of life." 2. Was it in order to raise a fortune, that you consumed the sprightly hours of youth in study and retirement? Was it to be rich that you grew pale over the midnight lamp, and distilled the sweetness from the Greek and Roman springs? You have, then, mistaken your path, and ill employed your industry. "What reward have I, then, for all my labors?" (45) |