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event? till forced by some necessity? what, then, are we to think of your present condition? To free men, the disgrace attending on misconduct is, in my opinion, the most urgent necessity. Or say, is it your sole ambition to wander through the public places, each inquiring of the other, What new advices?" Can anything be more new than that a man of Macedon should conquer the Athenians, and give law to Greece? "Is Philip dead?" "No-but he is sick." Pray, what is it to you whether Philip is sick or not? Supposing he should die, you would raise up another Philip, if you continue thus regardless of your interest.

It is not surely necessary to warn you, that votes alone can be of no consequence. Proceed, then, Athenians, to support your deliberations with vigour. What time so proper for action? what occasion so happy? and when can you hope for such another, if this be neglected? Has not Philip, contrary to all treaties, insulted you in Thrace? Does he not, at this instant, straiten and invade your confederates, whom you have solemnly sworn to protect? Is he not an implacable enemy? a faithless ally?—the usurper of provinces, to which he has no title or pretence?-a stranger, a barbarian, a tyrant?

7. Truth.

Attend, ye sons of men; attend and say,
Does not enough of my refulgent ray
Break through the veil of your mortality?
Say, does not reason in this form descry
Unnumber'd, nameless glories, that surpass

The angel's floating pomp, the seraph's glowing grace?
Shall, then, your earth-born daughters vie
With me? Shall she, whose brightest eye

But emulates the diamond's blaze,

Whose cheek, but mocks the peach's bloom,

Whose breath, the hyacinth's perfume,

Whose melting voice, the warbling woodlark's lays,

Shall she be deem'd my rival? Shall form
Of elemental dross, of mouldering clay,

Vie with these charms imperial? The poor worm Shall prove her contest vain. Life's little day while I appear

Shall

pass,

and she is

gone;

Flush'd with the bloom of youth, through

Heaven's eternal year.

8. British Energy.

No, ye soft sons of Ganges, and of Ind,
Ye feebly delicate, life little needs

Mason.

Your feminine toys, nor asks your nerveless arms
To cast the strong-flung shuttle, or the spear.
Can ye defend your country from the storm
Of strong invasion? Can ye want endure,
In the besieged fort, with courage firm?
Can ye the weather-beaten vessel steer,
Climb the tall mast, direct the stubborn helm,
Mid wild discordant waves, with steady course?
Can ye lead out, to distant colonies,

Th' o'erflowings of a people,

And arm their breasts with fortitude to try
New regions; clime, though barren, yet beyond
The baneful power of tyrants? These are deeds
To which their hardy labours well prepare
The sinewy arm of Albion's sons.

9. Virtue remaining after Death. Will the stork, intending rest,

On the billow build her nest?

Will the bee demand his store
From the bleak and bladeless shore?
Man alone, intent to stray,

Ever turns from wisdom's

way;

Lays up wealth in foreign land,

Sows the sea, and ploughs the sand.

Dyer.

Soon this elemental mass,
Soon th' incumb'ring world shall pass,
Form be wrapt in wasting fire,
Time be spent, and life expire.

Then, ye boasted works of men,
Where is your asylum then?
Sons of pleasure, sons of care,
Tell me, mortals, tell me where?
Gone, like traces in the deep,
Like a sceptre grasp'd in sleep,
Dews, exhaled from morning glades,
Melting snows, and gliding shades.

Pass the world, and what's behind?
Virtue's gold,--by fire refined;
From a universe depraved,

From the wreck of nature, saved.

E. Moore.

XV.-Pause and Inflections, with marked Change of

Voice.

PARENTHESIS.

A parenthesis is an explanatory clause, introduced between two members of a sentence. It is usually included between brackets () or []; but when the explanation does not occasion an obvious interruption in the construction, it is sometimes marked only by commas.*

The words constituting the parenthesis must be read generally in a lower tone than that of the separated members; the voice being dropped to about the ordinary pitch in reading the parenthesis, but raised again to that from which it was lowered, as soon as the parenthesis is completed.

In long parentheses, the reading is a little quickened,

* In the following Exercises, such cases are denoted by commas in a larger type.

the monotone predominating, but not so as to exclude proper regard to expression and intonation.

When an explanatory clause is introduced, parenthetically, between a nominative case and the verb, it is usual to mark the commencement and conclusion by a slightly perceptible pause.

SIMULTANEOUS EXERCISES.

1. I will restore thy daughter to life' (said the Eastern sage' to a prince, who grieved immoderately for the loss of a beloved child') - provided' - thou can'st engrave' upon her tomb' - the names of three persons', who have never' mourned'.

2. If envious people' were to ask themselves - whether they would exchange their entire situation with the persons envied' (I mean their minds'

notions';

passions' as well as their persons'; - fortunes' - and dignities) I presume the self-love', human' nature', would generally make them prefer their own' condition'.

common to

3. It is a common conviction' - that the world', - at least this lower' world', with its various appurtenances', was intended purely for man'; that it is appropriated to him'; - and that he' - (in subordination to God's glory') - is the end of its creation'.

4. Let us suppose', - that all your plans of avarice` and ambition are accomplished', - and your most sanguine wishes' - gratified in the fear`, as well as the hatred', of the people',-can age itself forget that you are now in the last act of life'? can grey hairs' make folly' venerable'? and is there no period' to be reserved' for meditation' and retirement'?

5. I am well', and have been so' in mind and body (uneasiness on your account' excepted') - ever since I wrote to you last'.

6. I should recommend to you therefore', - (but after all' - you must judge' for yourself') to allot the two next years of so young' a boy's scholarship' to writing

and arithmetic; together with which',- for variety's sake', - and because it is capable of being formed into an amusement', I would mingle geography`.

7. Peace be to those' - (such peace' as earth' can give') Who live in pleasure' - dead' even while they live'. Cowper.

8. But her humility' - is well content'

With one wild floweret' - (call it not forlorn) -
Flower' of the winds', - beneath her bosom' worn' -
Yet more for love' than ornament`.

Wordsworth.

9. What' if our numbers' barely could defy`
The arithmetic of babes',-must foreign hordes',
Slaves', - vile' as ever were befooled by words
Striking through English' breasts' - the anarchy'
Of Terror bear' us to the ground', - and tie`
Our hands behind our backs' - with felon' cords'?
YIELDS everything to discipline of swords'?

Wordsworth.

10. Say first', (for Heaven' hides nothing from thy

view',

Nor the deep' tract' of hell',)- say first' - what cause'-
Mov'd our grand parents', in that happy state', -
Favour'd' of Heaven so highly', - to fall off`
From their Creator', - and transgress his will',
For one restraint', - lords' of the world besides'?
WHо first' seduced them to that foul' revolt'?

PRACTICE.

Milton.

[After reading the following mixed Examples, it will be useful to make the pupils point out in them such figures of speech as they have learned to distinguish; viz., Enumeration, Antithesis, Interrogation, and Parenthesis. The teacher may in some cases draw their attention to these figures by suitable questions.]