may be termed the current melody of the sentence, in quiet conversation and in unemotional reading. It is the distance in tone between C and D, or Do and Re on the scale in music.

2. The simple rise and fall of the second, and perhaps its wave," says Dr. Rush, "when used for plain narration, or for the mere statement of an unexcited idea, is the only intonated voice of man that does not spring from a passionate, or, in some degree, an earnest condition of his mind. If we listen to his ignorance, doubt, selfishness, arrogance, and injustice, we hear the vivid forms of vocal expression, proceeding from these and related passions.

3. "Thus we have the rising intervals of the fifth and octave, for interrogatives, not of wisdom but of envious curiosity; the downward third, fifth, and octave, for dogmatic or tyrannical command; waves for the surprise of ignorance, the snarling of ill-humor, and the curling voice, along with the curling lip of contempt; the piercing height of pitch for the scream of terror; the semitone, for the peevish whine of discontent, and for the puling cant of the hypocrite and the knave, who cover beneath the voice of kindness, the designs of their craft.

4. "Then listen to him on those rare occasions, when he forgets himself and his passions, and has to utter a simple idea, or plainly to narrate; and you will hear the second, the least obtrusive interval of the scale, in the admirable harmony of Nature, made the simple sign of the unexcited sentiment of her wisdom and truth."

V. INFLECTION DRILL ON THE SECOND.

1. Count, in a gentle tone, from one to twenty, with the slight rising inflection, thus-óne, twó, thrée, fóur, etc. 2. Count from one to twenty with the slight falling inflection, thus-òne, twò, etc.

3. Count with alternate rising and falling, thus-óne, twò, thrée, four, etc., to thirty.

4. Sound the long vocals, ā, ē, ī, ō, ū: (1) With the rising second. (2) With the falling second. nate rising and falling.

VI. THE SLIDE OF THE THIRD.

(3) Alter

1. The slide of the third corresponds to the interval, on the scale, between C and E, or Do and Mi.

2. When the voice rises on a word through an interval of two tones, or a major third, it expresses moderate emphasis, interrogation, contrast, or slight surprise; when the voice falls through the same interval, it expresses moderate emphasis, assertion, command, contrast, or the conclusion of a proposition.

3. The inflection of the third is the prevailing slide of animated and earnest conversation, and of the slightly emphatic words of narrative, didactic, or descriptive composition. It is the slide of antithesis in contrasted words.

VII. UNEMOTIONAL SLIDES.

The slides of the second and third are the sentential or unemotional inflections as contrasted with the fifth and the eighth, which are the slides of emotion and passion.

VIII. INFLECTION DRILL ON THE THIRD.

1. Count, with moderate force and emphasis, from one to twenty with the rising third, thus: óne, two, thrée, etc. 2. Count from one to twenty with the falling third, thus one, two, three, etc.

3. Count with alternate rising and falling third, thus: óne, two, threé, four, etc.

4. Will you go or stày?

IX. THE SLIDES OF THE FIFTH AND THE EIGHTH.

1. The slide of the fifth corresponds to the interval between C and G, or Do and Sol, and the slide of the eighth, or the octave, to the interval between C and C, or Do and Do.

2. When the voice rises through the interval of the fifth, it expresses impassioned interrogation, extreme surprise, or strong negation; when it falls through the same interval, it expresses deep conviction, strong determination, emphatic declaration, stern command, or strong emotion.

3. Under the influence of intense excitement or passion, the voice sometimes rises or falls through the whole octave. The rising octave expresses amazement, astonishment, excited interrogation, intense irony, and the falling octave expresses fierce determination, impassioned scorn, imprecation, and defiance.

4. Thus, when Douglas cries out under the influence of intense anger—

66 And dar'st thou then

To beard the lion in his dén,

The Douglas in his hall?"

And

The voice on "hall" rises through the whole octave. when Coriolanus cries out: "Measureless liar," the voice on "measureless" falls through the octave.

5. The words "ah! indeed!" uttered so as to express the greatest possible degree of astonishment, illustrate the rising octave.

X. INFLECTION DRILL.

1. Sound the long vocals, a, e, i, o, u, with the rising fifth; the falling fifth.

2. Sound the long vocals, a, e, i, o, u, with the rising eighth; with the falling octave.

3. Count from one to twenty with the rising fifth; the falling fifth.

I. THE RISING INFLECTION.

1. The rising inflection calls attention to what is to follow. It is the inflection of incomplete statement, of appeal, of inquiry, and of negative antithesis.

2. It is the prevailing inflection of sentiment, of tenderness, and of pathos.

3. It is the characteristic inflection used in stating what is comparatively unimportant, trite, questionable, doubtful, or parenthetical.

RULES FOR THE RISING INFLECTION.

Rule I. Questions requiring YES or NO for an answer have the rising inflection, except when very emphatic.

EXAMPLES.

[Rising Third.-Light Emphasis.]

1. Have you recited your lessons?

2. Is it, O mán, with such discordant nóises,
With such accurséd instruments as thése,
Thou drownest Nature's sweet and kindly voices,
And jarrest the celestial hármonies?

3. Breathes there the man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,

This is my own, my native land?
Whose heart hath ne'er within him búrned,
As home his footsteps he hath túrned,
From wandering on a foreign stránd?

[Fifth and Eighth.-Strong Emphasis.]

4. Hates any man the thing he would not kill? 5. What! wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?

6. And dar'st thou then

To beard the lion in his den,

The Douglas in his hall?

CALIFORNIA

7. Art thou a friend to Rodstick?-No.
Thou dar'st not call thyself his foo

m

8. Is it come to this? Shall an inferior mágistrate, a góvernor, who holds his whole power of the Roman people, in a Roman province, within sight of Italy, bind, scourge, torture, and put to an infamous death, a Roman citizen? Shall neither the cries of innocence expiring in agony, the tears of pitying spectators, the majesty of the Roman Cómmonwealth, nor fear of the justice of his country, restrain the merciless monster, who, in the confidence of his riches, strikes at the very root of liberty, and sets mankind at defiance? And shall this man escape? Fathers, it must not bè! It must not bè, unless you would undermine the very foundations of social safety, strangle justice, and call down anarchy, mássacre, and rùin on the Commonwealth!

CICERO.

9. Canst thou bind the únicorn with his band in the fúrrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy lábor to him?

Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the óstrich? Canst thou draw out leviathan with a hóok? or his tongue with a córd which thou lettest down? Canst thou put a hook into his nose? or bore his jáw through with a thórn? Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy máidens? Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? Book of Job.

Rule II.

Words repeated in surprise take the rising inflection, and are emphatic.

EXAMPLES.

1. Must I endure all this? All this? Ay, more.