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This fentence, it is prefumed, will, at first fight, be pronounced with the proper inflexions of voice, by every one that can barely read ; and if the reader will but narrowly watch the founds of the words fame and blame, he will have an example of the two inflexions here fpoken of: fame will have the rifing, and blame the falling inflexion: But, to make this diftinction ftill clearer, if, inftead of pronouncing the word fame flightly, he does but give it a ftrong emphatic force, and let it drawl off the tongue for fome time before the found finishes, he will find it flide upwards, and end in a rifing tone; if he makes the fame experiment on the word blame, he will find the found flide downwards, and end in a falling tone and this drawling pronunciation, though it lengthens the founds beyond their proper duration, does not alter them effentially; the fame inflexions are preferved as in the common pronunciation; and the diftinction is as real in one mode of pronouncing as in the other, though not fo perceptible.

Every paufe, of whatever kind, must neceffarily adopt one of these two inflexions, or continue in a monotone: Thus, when we ask a queftion without the interrogative words, we naturally adopt the rifing inflexion on the last word; as,

Can Cæfar deferve blame? Impoffible!

Here blame, the laft word of the question, has the rifing inflexion, contrary to the inflexion on that word in the former inftance; and impoffible, with the note of admiration, the falling: The comma, or that fufpenfion of voice gene

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rally annexed to it, which marks a continuation of the fenfe, is moft frequently accompanied by the rifing inflexion, as in the following fen

tence:

If Cæfar deferves blame, he ought to have no fame. Here we find the word blame, marked with the comma, has exactly the fame inflexion of voice as the fame word in the interrogative fentence immediately preceding; the only difference is, that the rifing inflexion flides higher at the interrogation than at the comma, especially if it be pronounced with emphafis.

The three other points, namely, the femicolon, colon, and period, adopt either the rifing or falling inflexion as the fenfe or harmony requires, though in different degrees of elevation and depreffion. But thefe different degrees of rifing or falling on the flide which ends the word, are by no means fo effential as the kind of flide we adopt. Thus in the following sentences:

As we cannot difcern the fhadow moving along the dialplate, fo the advances we make in knowledge are only perceived by the distance gone over.

As we perceive the shadow to have moved, but did not perceive it moving; fo our advances in learning, confiiting of infenfible steps, are only perceivable by the distance.

As we perceive the fhadow to have moved along the dial, but did not perceive it moving; and it appears that the grafs has grown, though nobody ever faw it grow: fo the advances we make in knowledge, as they confift of fuch minute steps, are only perceivable by the distance.

Here, I fay, the words dial-plate, moving, and grow, marked with the comma, femicolon, and colon, muft neceffarily end with the upward flide; and provided this flide be adopted,

it is not of any very great confequence to the fense whether the flide be raised much or little; but if the downward flide be given to any of these words, though in the smallest degree, the fenfe will be materially affected.

The fame points, when the fentence is differently conftructed, adopt the other inflexion.

Thus the inflexion of voice which is adopted in a series of emphatic particulars, for the fake of force and precifion, though thefe particulars are marked by commas only, is the falling inflexion: we have an example of this in the true pronunciation of the following fentence:

I tell you, though you, though all the world, though an angel from heaven, were to affirm the truth of it, I could not believe it.

That this is the proper inflexion on each of these particulars, will more evidently appear by repeating them with the oppofite inflexion of voice, or that fufpenfion ufually given to the

comma:

I tell you though you, though all the world, though an angel from heaven were to affirm the truth of it I could not believe it.

In pronouncing this fentence, therefore, in order to give force and precifion to every portion, the falling inflexion ought to be adopted on you, world, and heaven; and for the fake of conveying what is meant by this inflexion, we may call each of these words emphatical, and print them in Italics; not that all emphafis neceffarily adopts the falling inflexion, but because this inflexion is generally annexed to emphafis, for want of a juft idea of the distinction of inflexion here laid down:

I tell you, though you, though all the world, though an angel from heaven, were to affirm the truth of it, I could not believe it.

The falling inflexion annexed to members of fentences generally marked with the femicolon and colon, may be feen in the following example:

Persons of good tafte expect to be pleased, at the fame time they are informed; and think that the best ferfe always deferves the beft language: but ftill the chief regard is to be had to perfpicuity.

In this example, the word informed is marked with the femicolon, and the word language with the colon; and from the fenfe and structure of the fentence, both require the falling inflexion, contrary to that annexed to the fame points in the preceding fentences. The period in each fentence has the falling inflexion, and in the last fentence is pronounced in a lower tone of voice than the fame inflexion on the colon and femicolon.

Thus we fee, that whatever variety of another kind, fuch as loudnefs or foftnefs, highness or lownefs, fwiftnefs or flownefs, or whatever other variety we may accompany the points with, they must neceffarily adopt either the rifing or falling inflexion, or be pronounced in a monotone. Thefe inflexions, therefore, which are the most marking differences in reading and fpeaking, perhaps, are not improperly pitched upon to ferve as guides to an accurate pronunciation; but as fo much depends upon a juft notion of this real though delicate diftinction, if the reader is not yet made fufficiently acquainted with it, he will not think it fuperfluous to peruse the following attempt to render it ftill clearer.

Another Method of explaining the Inflexions of the Voice.

Every fentence confifting of an affirmation. and negation directly oppofed to each other, has an appropriated pronunciation, which, in earnest speaking, every ear adopts without any premeditation. Thus in the following fen

tence:

Cæfar does not deferve fame, but blame.

Here the word fame has the rifing, and blame the falling inflexion; and we find all fentences conftructed in the fame manner have, like this, the rifing inflexion on the negative, and the falling inflexion on the affirmative member. The word blame, therefore, in this fentence, has not the falling inflexion on it because it is the laft word, but because affirmation, oppofed to negation, naturally adopts this inflexion.

Thus far choice has been made of words different in fenfe, though similar in found, that the fentence might appear to carry fome meaning with it, and the reader be led to annex thofe inflexions to the words which the fenfe seemed to demand; but, perhaps, the shortest method of conveying the nature of these inflexions, would be to take the fame word, and place it in the interrogative and declarative fentences, in oppofition to itself: Thus it is certain, that every speaker, upon pronouncing the following phrafes, would give the first fame in each line the rifing, and the laft fame in each line the falling inflexion:

Does he fay fame, or fame?
He does not say fame, but fame.

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