To speed to-day, to be put back to-morrow, 10. Death-bed Teaching. Spenser. "Men may live fools, but fools they cannot die." Much hast thou seen, fair youth, much heard; but thou Hast never seen a death-bed, never heard A dying groan: men saw it often; And thus it spoke to him who ghastly lay, And struggled for another breath :-Earth's cup Her gold, seem as it may, is really dust; Her titles, slanderous names; her praise, reproach; Pollok. XIII.-Suspension of the Voice, with Inflections and Emphasis. Words in italics are emphatic. ANTITHESIS. Antithesis is the opposition or contrast of subjects, for the purpose of bringing their difference or distinction into stronger light. In reading, the words or subjects contrasted should be pronounced emphatically; and, in general, the first member of the sentence takes the rising inflection, followed by a suspending pause, slightly longer than the ordinary pause; the second concludes with the falling inflection. There are, however, exceptions to this rule; as, when the parts are positive and negative, the positive takes the falling inflection, and the negative the rising; also when, in the same sentence, series of subjects are brought into contrast, the inflection depends on the nature of the subjects; except that the word on which the suspending pause occurs, not being negative, commonly takes the rising inflection. In commencing the second member of the antithesis, the voice should be at the ordinary pitch, or the effect of the contrast will be lost; and in all cases, where the ordinary pitch is used at the commencement, the emphasis requires the voice to assume a slight degree of force before the rising inflection is attained. SIMULTANEOUS EXERCISES. 1. With the talents of an angel' - man may be a foot. 2. An angry man, who suppresses his passions' thinks - worse than he speaks;'-but an angry man that will chide- speaks' worse than he thinks`. 3. If you regulate your desires' according to the standard of nature - you will never be poor';—if according to the standard of opinion', - you will never be rich`. 4. He that is slow to anger - is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit' than he that taketh a city'. 5. He that would writé - should read`;—not, that he may retail the observations of other men', but that, being thus refreshed and replenished' he may find himself in a condition to make and produce his own'. 6. What they know by reading' - I know by action'; -they are pleased to slight my mean birth', - I despise their mean characters`;—want of birth' and fortune' is the objection against me', want of personal worth against them. 7. Pure love' is something so divine, Description' would but make it less';'Tis what I feel', - but can't define`: 'Tis what I know', - but can't express'. 8. If, by your beard', - your wisdom` you would show',Know' - goats' have beards`, - and Plato' was a beau`. 9. All nature - is but art - unknown to thee', All chance' direction', - which thou can'st not see', - And spite of pride, in erring reason's spite', - PRACTICE. 1. I mean to state' not entirely to defend his conduct'. His views and sentiments changed with his situation'. Hardly serious, at first, he is now an enthusiast. The coldest bodies warm' with opposition', the hardest sparkle in collision`. suading others', we convince ourselves`. The passions are engaged', and create a maternal affection in the mind', which forces us to love the cause' for which we suffer. 2. A soul as full of worth', as void of pride', By per Which nothing seeks to show', or needs to hide, Which, nor to guilt nor fear its caution' owes, And boasts a warmth which from no passion flows'. 3. Thus am I doubly' armed'. My death and life, My bane and antidote, are both before me`. This', in a moment', brings me to an end`; informs me I shall never die. But this The soul', secured in her existence', smiles' The wreck of matter', and the crush' of worlds'. 4. John Bull. John Bull, to all appearance, is a plain, downright, matter-of-fact fellow, with much less of poetry about him than rich prose. There is little of romance in his nature, but a vast deal of strong natural feeling. He excels in humour more than in wit; is jolly rather than gay; melancholy rather than morose; can easily be moved to a sudden tear, or surprised to a broad laugh; but he loathes sentiment, and has no turn for light pleasantry.-Washington Irving. 5. Homer and Milton compared. Perhaps few authors have been distinguished by more similar features of character than Homer and Milton. That vastness of thought which fills the imagination, and that sensibility of spirit which renders every circumstance interesting, are qualities of both; but Milton is the more sublime, and Homer the more picturesque. The perusal of Homer inspires us with an ardent sensibility; Milton with the stillness of surprise. The one fills and delights the mind with the confluence of various emotions; the other amazes with the vastness of his ideas. The movements of Milton's mind are steady and progressive; the flights of Homer are more sudden and transitory. In following Milton, we grow familiar with new worlds, we traverse the immensities of space, wandering in amazement, and finding no bounds; Homer confines the mind to a narrower circle, but that circle he brings nearer to the eye; he fills it with a quicker succession of objects, and makes it the scene of more interesting action.— R. Hall. 6. Change of Sentiment. The time hath been, when no harsh sound would fall 7. Freedom, in its noblest sense. Byron. "He was the freeman, whom the truth made free," The sword unsheathed, yet would not sell the truth; Who blushed alike to be, or have a slave; Who blushed at nought but sin, feared nought but God; |