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Ah! must I dwell in infinite despair
As many years as atoms in the air"?
When these expire, as many yet in store

As grains of sand that crowd the ebbing shore"?
When these are gone, as many to ensue
As blades of grass on hills or dales that grew"?
When these pass o'er, as many left behind
As leaves of forests shaken by the wind"?
When these run out, as many on the march
As brilliant lamps which gild yon azure arch"?
When these are past, as many many more
As moments in the millions past before"-
When all these dreadful years are spent in pain,
And multiplied by myriads again,

suppose

Till numbers drown the thought; could I
That these my wretched years were at a close,
This would afford some ease; but, ah! I shiver
To think upon the dreadful words, "for ever:"-
The burning gulf where I blaspheming lie,
Is Time no more, but vast Eternity!

"Ah! what, Israel! Sit down, and tell me when you came to town, and how affairs go on at home." honour, for the magpie is dead."

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"Bad enough, your Poor mag! so he is gone the way of all flesh. What occasioned his death?" himself, sir." Gluttonous bird! Why, what did he get he liked so well?" Horseflesh, sir: he died gorging horseflesh." "How came the silly bird to get so much carrion?" "Your father's horses, sir." "What! has he lost any?" "Yes, sir, five died last Thursday by overwork." "And why were they worked so hard, Israel?" "Conveying water, sir, to quench the fire." "Fire! what fire?" The

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fire at your father's house, sir, which is now a heap of ashes." 'My father's house burned to the ground! how came it on fire?" "It is generally supposed by the torches, sir." "Torches what torches?" 66 Why, sir, the torches used at your mother's funeral." "What! my mother dead?" "Yes, madam is no more." "Of course you have brought a letter from my father?" "Why, sir, he took to his bed and died yesterday, about two hours after the bad news." "What afflictive intelligence! What news do you allude to that affected the old gentleman so deeply?" The run upon his bank, sir, which has stopped payment. The credit of the Heartwells is gone, and you are not worth a shilling."

187. In Anti-Climax there is a gradual decrease of importance, which should be signified by a progressive and expressive decrease of voice.

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What must the king do now? Must he submit?
The king shall do it: Must he be deposed?
The king shall be contented: Must he lose
The name of king? Why, let it go.
I'll give my jewels, for a set of beads;
My gorgeous palace, for a hermitage;
My gay apparel, for an almsman's gown;
My figured goblets, for a dish of wood;
My sceptre, for a palmer's walking staff;
My subjects, for a pair of carved saints;
And my large kingdom, for a little grave-
A little, little grave-an obscure grave!

188. Sometimes a sentence that makes perfect sense is followed by another which has no direct dependence on it; yet, it may be desirable to form a connexion to the mind, which has no existence in grammatical structure. This conjunctive effect is best expressed by a Rising Inflexion.

No object is more pleasing to the eye, than the sight of a man whom you have obli"ged; nor any music so agreeable to the ear, as the voice of one that owns you for his benefactor.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps, in this petty pace, from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time";
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusky death!

189. RULE III.-Words in apposition take the same inflexions; but these may be disturbed either by a Modulative Inflexion on the penultimate member, or by emphasis.

Solomon-the son of Da"vid, and the builder of the temple at Jeru'salem-was the wisest man that the world ever saw. Na"ture, the great precep"tress, has annexed to the passion of grief a more forcible character than that of any o'ther, that of tears`.

190. RULE IV.-Clauses or sentences that are negative, appealing, doubtful, or contingent, require a Rising Inflexion.

You are not left alone to climb the arduous ascent to heav"en: God is with you.

The hope, the courage of assailants is al'ways great'er than of those who act' on the defensive.

It is not to small portions of time, a few years, a few generations, a few ages, that our speculations are here lim"ited; they embrace eternity.

Hark how I'll bribe thee:

Not with fond shekels of the tested gold,
Or stones, whose rate is either rich or poor,
As fǎncy values them; but with true prayers,
That shall be up at heaven, and enter there,
Ere the sun rise.

Virtue is of intrinsic value, and good desert: not the creature of will", but necessary and immutable; not lo`cal or temporary, but of equal extent and antiq'uity with the divine mind; not a mode of sensation, but everlasting truth; not depen"dent on power, but the guide" of all power.

191. When sentences, negative in construction, express conviction or certainty, or are affirmative in their nature, they should be read with a Falling Inflexion.

Thou shalt do no murder.

Thou shalt not steal".

He shall not touch a hâir of Catiline.

Though I should die wîth thee, yet will I not deny thee. The hope, the courage of assâilants, is always great`er than of those who act on the defensive.

192. RULE V.-Words or clauses that convey opposition in sense require opposition of inflexion.* In unemphatic composition, the first member may be read with a Rising, and the second with a Falling Inflexion. In emphatic sentences, the absolute or positive member should be read with a Falling, and the negative or relative member with a Rising, Circumflex.

Prosperity gains" friends, and adver"sity tries" them.

A friend" cannot be known in prosperity, and an en``emy cannot be hidden in adversity.

Why beholdest thou the mote" that is in thy broth"er's eye, but perceivest not the beam" that is in thine own" eye? We seek not peace", but war"; and we shall fight", not pray"; for we had rather die", than live".

Many men mistake the love", for the practice, of virtue; and are not so much good" men, as the friends" of goodness. It is easy, in the world", to live after the world's" opinion; it is easy, in solitude, to live after our own";-but the great man is he, who, in the midst of the crowd", keeps the independence of solitude.

*The Inflexions must be so arranged that the first division of the sentence shall be terminated, according to Rule I., page 49, with a Rising Inflexion. The inflexions of unemphatic antithesis may be thus represented

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Extended empire, like expanded gold", exchanges sol'id strength" for fee'ble splendour.

We should esteem" virtue, though in a foe"; and abhor`` vice", though in a friend“.

Virtuous and vicious every man must be;
Few in the extreme", but all" in the degree".
The rogue and fool" by fits are fair" and wise,
And even the bêst, by fits, what they despise :
'Tis but by pârts we follow good" or ill";"
For, vice or virtue, Sêlf directs it still.

The less we cop"y the renowned Ancients, we shall the more resemble them.

193. Indirect antithesis, contrast, and comparison, require opposite inflexions.

Rational lib"erty is opposed to the wild"ness of anarchy. Bended knees", while you are clothed with pride"; heavenly petitions, while you are hoarding up treasures upon earth"; ho"ly devotions, while you live in the follies of the world"; prayers of meek'ness and charity, while your heart is the seat of spite and resent"ment; hours" of prayer, while you give up days' and years to idle diversion, impertinent visits, and foolish pleasure;-are as absurd, unacceptable services to God, as forms of thanks"giving from a person that lives in repi'ning and discontent".

All that's worth a wish or thought,

Fair Virtue gives,-unbribed, unbôught!
Cease, then, on trash" thy hopes to bind,
Let nobler views engage thy mind.

194. Frequently, the antithesis is not formally expressed, but implied. In sentences of this nature, the omitted member must be suggested by the forcible inflexion of the one which is expressed. The positive member requires a Falling, the negative a Rising Circumflex.

I'll be, in men's despîte, a monarch! They are only the fragments of enemies.

How beautiful is Nature in her wildest scenes!

I have thought some of Nature's joûrneymen had made

men.

He requires a vôluntary service.

We shudder at the thought of dissolution.
He could not treat a dôg ill.

They that are whôle, need not a physician.

I'm tortured, even to mâdness, when I think
Of the proud victor.

A fiery deluge, and without an ark.

Were I Brutus,

And Brutus Autony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cæsar, that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny!

Your friend is better: or, Your friend is better.
You were not paid to rail against Alexander.

We are not left alone to climb the arduous ascent to heaven.
It is not enough to speak kindly.

Here is nothing studied; here are no flights of fǎncy; no embellishments of oratory.

The quality of mercy is not străined.

Man cannot war successfully against the truth of God.
The region beyond the grave is not a solitary land.

195. Frequently, a portion of the antithetic member is expressed with one word, and understood, or only expressed pronominally, with the other. The member so omitted is called elliptical, and follows the inflexion of that which is expressed, but in a weaker voice, to mark its enclitic nature.

Shall we, in your person, crown" the author of the public calamities, or shall we destroy“ him?

Shall we, in your person, crown", or shall we destroy the

author of the public calamities?

A good man will love himself too well to lose", and his neighbour too well to win", an estate by gaming.

A good man will love himself too well to lose" an estate by gaming, and his neigh"bour too well to win" one.

We too often judge men by the splen"dour, not by the me``rit,

of their actions.

We too often judge men by the splendour of their actions, not by the mêrit of them.

Is he the protect"or, or the betrayer of his country?

Is he the protector of his country, or the betrayer?

196. RULE VI.-Questions that are indeterminate in their signification require a Rising Inflexion. (Such questions are generally, but not necessarily, asked by verbs, and answerable by yes or no.)

Would an infinitely wise Being create man for a mean" purpose? Can He delight in the production of abortive

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