before he told anybody else." The word you is in the oblique case, or comes after the word denoting action, but as it is emphatical by being contradistinguished from any body else, it preserves its full open sound as before. But in this sentence, "though he told you he had no right to tell you," here the pronoun you is in the oblique case, or follows the word denoting action, and, having no distinctive emphasis, invariably falls into the sound of ye, as if written, "though he told ye, he had no right to tell ye." The same observations hold good with respect to the pronoun my. If I were to say, "my pen is as bad as my paper," I should necessarily pronounce my like me, as pen and paper are the emphatic words, but if I were to say my pen is worse than yours, here my is in antithesis with yours, consequently must be pronounced full, so as to rhyme with high, nigh, &c. The word your, when emphatic, is always pronounced full and open, as ewer; for example, " the moment I had read your letter, I sat down to write mine," but when not emphatical, it sinks into yur, as the last syllable of lawyer. Example-" I had just answered your first letter as your last arrived;" on the contrary, if I were to say, I had just answered your first letter as your last arrived, with your sounded like ewer, every correct ear would be offended. Your must always be pronounced yur, when it is used to signify any particular species of persons or things. Example-"Your merchant, your tradesman, your mechanic, and your farmer, are valuable citizens and useful members of society; but your dandy is an animal of the nondescript genus, a mere excrescence upon the face of nature, and useless to all." When of, for, from and by are to have a long, and when a short sound. A distinction seems to have taken place in the pronunciation of the preposition of. The consonant of this word is almost invariably pronounced like the consonant V, and when the word does not come before some of the 6* pronouns at the end of a sentence, or member of a sentence, we sometimes permit the vowel o to slide into the sound of the vowel u; and the word may be said to rhyme with love, dove, &c. &c. Thus in the couplet in the tragedy of the Fair Penitent, "Of all the various wretches love has made, The two ofs in this couplet we see, may, without departure from propriety, be pronounced as if written uv, rhyming with dove, &c. &c.; but when it, him, her or them, or any other personal pronoun follows of, either in the middle or at the end of a sentence, it must be pronounced as when rhyming with the first syllable of nov-el, hov-el. How to pronounce the possessive pronoun-thy. If the language be elevated, the word thy, should have its full sound, rhyming, with high, as in Milton's Paradise Lost, Book 1st. "Say first, for heav'n hides nothing from thy view, Here pronouncing the pronoun thy, like the word thee, would familiarize the language and destroy the dignity of the subject. On the contrary, if the subject be familiar and void of dignity, the personal pronoun should be pronounced like thee. Example-as if addressing a friend: "Give me thee hand." How to pronounce the adjective possessive pronoun-mine. This word may be called an adjective, possessive. when used before a substantive, as it constantly is in Scripture when the substantive begins with a vowel, as, "Mine eyes have seen thy salvation," and a substantive possessive, when it stands alone, as "This book is mine." In Scripture, the i in this word should have its long sound as in the substantive. In authors where dignity and sublimity do not occur, the full sound would appear stiff and pedantic. Example" Me thought close at mine ear one called me forth to walk." Here mine should be pronounced min. Again, in the Tragedy of Hamlet : "Sleeping within mine orchard, And in the porches of mine ears did pour the leprous distil ment." Here also the word mine, should be pronounced min. The pronunciation of the English language has undergone great changes, and much for the better, since the days of Shakspeare and of Milton. Therefore, modern language should substitute the word my, pronounced me, instead of the mincing word, min. The indistinct sound of the word-not. This word ought never be pronounced in the slight and slovenly manner, as if we said nut, instead of not. Although the word not should never be emphasized, but when antithetical, yet it should always have the distinct sound of not-as, "I am not well." The contraction of negative phrases, "can't, shan't, don't, should never appear in print, or even in correct conversation. How to pronounce the participial termination-ing. The termination ing, should never be sounded with the omission of the g, but always fully; for instance, singing, bringing and swinging, ought never to be pronounced singin, bringin, and swingin; nor writing, reading, and speaking, as, writin, readin, and speakin. None but imperfect speak-. ers neglect the observance of the above termination indeed, the neglect of it is a mark of vulgarity. On the pronunciation of the word-to. The word to, in loose and frivolous conversation is frequently suffered to dwindle into te, as, "I spoke to you about it long ago." This pronunciation is incorrect; the word to, should invariably have its full sound, as if written two. The other dandified method, if I may be allowed the expression, used by the higher order of young fashionables in England, has done much to injure the pronunciation of our language. ELOQUENCE OF RELIGION. THE SAVIOUR'S SERMON ON THE MOUNT. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. |