It is, in fact, this pitch that lends the scornful expression to the words.

You see, then, that the upward and downward fifth is in these cases the expression of arbitrary emphasis. But it has also use in strong antithesis, to give increased point to the antithesis; and these fifths follow each other sometimes so closely, that the voice is kept in a continual wave of ascent and descent, by alternate fifths rising and falling with determinate or emphatic effect.

Examples.

If you said so, then I said so.

Let the gall'd jade wince, our withers are unwrung!

In all the above examples there is a certain degree of jeering or irony conveyed, and the ironical expression is thus intensified. An exceedingly good practice is Marc Antony's speech to the populace, over the dead body of Cæsar; in which it will be perceived what effect may be added to the oft-repeated epithet honourable men' (which the orator ironically applies to Brutus and the rest) by the adoption of these fifths. But, in the practice of this speech, remark that the irony is not immediately displayed by Marc Antony. He dares not, in the first instance, cast a doubt, by ironical expres

sion, upon the motives of Brutus and the rest; and it is only when he feels that he is making a favourable impression on the multitude, and 'stealing away their hearts,' that he ventures to unveil his thoughts, and to speak with irony, and finally in utter contempt, of the honourable men who have stabb'd Cæsar.' Bearing this hint in mind the student may, at this point of his progress, exercise himself with advantage on that celebrated piece of oratory.

MARK. When the determinate fifth in the closing phrase of a sentence is followed by other final words, the closing cadence on those final words is enfeebled and subdued by the predominance of the preceding determinate emphasis, and the closing cadence becomes a minor, or subdued cadence.

THE MINOR OR SUBDUED CADENCE.

This is a cadence in which the closing word or words of the sentence lose their full cadence by the dominance of some strongly emphatic word immediately preceding them, on which the whole force is expended, and the closing word or words, which would otherwise have the cadence of repose, are subdued in force and pitch by the preceding emphasis; and fall only a di-tone.

Thus, if a speaker wished to impress his hearers with an idea of the multitude of an opposing or invading force, using the words, It was an innumerable army, he would put a strong emphasis with downward fifth on the adjective, and the noun following would merely fall from his tongue on a tone below, audible indeed and distinct, but not marked.

It is just on the same principle that two accented or heavy syllables cannot be pronounced in succession without intermission: so two words in succession cannot be made emphatic without a rest between them and a considerable effort. In the case, therefore, of this emphatic adjective, the noun which follows loses its force, and is a mere adjunct, finishing the cadence

feebly by the descent of a di-tone; thus marked musically:

An in . nu

merable

ar - my.

and in elocution:

An innumerable army.

So such phrases as the following, given emphatically, would come under the law of emphatic fifth on the adjective, and cause a subdued or minor cadence on the noun.

He made a tremendous effort.
It was an unparalleled proceeding.
He made a triumphant entry.

It was a loathsome herd.

He made a most elaborate argument.

It was an atrocious crime!

This same emphasis and subdued or minor cadence of the di-tone has place in the repetition of a phrase with a new governing word attached to it, as:

If you show mercy you shall receive mercy.

The repeated phrase, viz., mercy, is called the pronominal phrase, because a pronoun (it) might have been used instead of the repeated

noun; and such pronominal phrase having no force receives the same subdued or minor cadence that the pronoun, if used, would have; thus: If you show mercy you shall receive it.

So take as a

Rule.

Pronominal phrase has the subdued or minor cadence of the di-tone only: the force is exhausted on the emphatic verb or other word that precedes it.

And the emphasis is to be known as the emphasis with pronominal or minor phrase.

Examples.

I put the pronominal or minor phrases in brackets because they have no weight or importance.

Your unexampled kindess merits [kindness].
Your cruelty provokes [cruelty].

God said, Let there be light; and there was [light].

Genesis i.

MINOR PHRASES READ AS PRONOMINAL.

He spoke wisely and [he spoke] truly.

It was truly said, and wisely [said].

If we live in the spirit let us also walk [in the spirit].