EXERCISES IN "INFLECTION."* Empassioned Inflection. Interrogation. (Admitting of a positive or a negative Answer.) Indignation and Astonishment. [Highest accent of Rising Inflection, or Upward Slide.]† "Shall the work say of him that made it, He made me nót? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?" "Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy way pérfect? Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into júdgment?” "Jesus! and shall it ever be -- A mortal man ashamed of thée ? Ashamed of thée, — whom ángels praise? Whose glories shine through endless days?” Apostrophe. [Lowest descent of Falling Inflection, or Downward Slide.]‡ "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lòrd hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. -`Ah! sìnful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil dòers, children that are corrupters!" Vehement Denunciation. "Wò unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put *The analysis of inflection may, at the option of individuals, be studied in practical forms, as laid down in the Elocutionist, or scientifically, as in the Orthophony. The exercises in the present volume, are restricted to the application of prominent principles. "Upward Concrete" of an Octave, - on the system of Dr. Rush. "Downward Concrete" of an Octave, - on the system of Dr. Rush. ELEMENTARY bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Wò unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Wò unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink!" Remonstrance and Expostulation. [Example of boldest Upward and Downward Slides.] “Is it súch a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a búlrush, and to spread sackcloth and áshes under him? wilt thou call thís a fast and an acceptable day unto the Lord? - Is it not this* the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickednes, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yòke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hùngry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou còver him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flèsh?” Vivid or Earnest Inflection. High ascent of Rising Inflection, or Upward Slide.† 'Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? "What then? shall we sín, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whóm ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” * Interrogation, in the form of remonstrance or expostulation, adopts the downward slide, as do all other emphatic forms of language. "Upward Concrete" of a "Fifth,”—in the nomenclature of Dr. Rush. Exclamation. Admiration. [Low descent of Falling Inflections, or Downward Slide.]* Or Oh! the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Gòd! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor? who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For òf him, and through him, and tò him are all things: to whom be glory forèver. Amèn!” Hortatory Injunction or Command. Earnest and Authoritative Address. [Inflection as in the preceding examples.] "If it be pòssible, as much as lieth ìn you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avènge not yourselves, but rather give plàce unto wrath: for it is written Vengeance is mìne: 'I will repay, saith the Lord. There fore, if thine enemy hunger, fèed him; if he thirst, give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Let every soul be subject unto the higher' powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers: that be are ordained of God." Assurance. Emphatic Assertion. [Inflection as before.] "I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor pòwers, nor things present, nor things to còme, nor height nor dèpth, nor any other crèature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God' which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." *"Downward Concrete" of a "Fifth." Exclamation. - Gratitude. [Inflection as before.] "Father of mercies, in thy word Here may the wretched sons of want Riches beyond what earth can grant, Exclamation.- Exultation. [Inflection as before.] Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shòut, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O fòrest, and every trèe therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glòrified himself in Israel!" Scorn. Extract from Isaiah XLIV. V. 9. " They that make a graven image are all of them vànity; and their delectable things shall not pròfit; and they are their own witnesses they see not, nor know, that they may be ashamed. 10. Who hath formed a gòd, or molten a graven image, that is profitable for nòthing? 11. Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of mèn: let them all be gathered together, let them stand ùp; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. 12. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hàmmers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hùngry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13. The carpenter stretcheth out his rùle : he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it out with planes, and he marketh it out with a còmpass, and maketh it af ter the figure of a màn, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. 14. He heweth him down cèdars, and taketh the cypress and the òak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an òak, and the rain doth nourish it: 15. Then shall it be for a man to bùrn: for he will take thereof, and wàrm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a gòd, and wòrshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16. He burneth part thereof in the fìre; with part thereof he eateth flèsh; he roasteth roast, and is sàtisfied; yea, he wàrmeth himself, and saith, Ahà! I am wàrm, I have seen the fire: 17. And the residue thereof he maketh a gòd, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me, for thou art my gòd. 18. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowl. edge nor understanding to say, I have bùrned part of it in the fìre; yea, also, I have baked bread upon the còals thereof; I have roasted flèsh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abominátion? shall I fall down to the stock of a trée? 20. He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lìe* in my right hand?" 66 Contrasted Interrogation. [Inflections exemplifying both Slides.] And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of Gód? Or despiseth thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" * Downward slide of emphatic expression. |