Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

Chain'd on the burning lake, that sure was worse.. What, if the breath, that kindled those grim fires, Awak'd, should blow them into sev❜nfold rage, And plunge us in the flames or from above 15 Should intermitted vengeance arm again

His red right-hand to plàgue us what if all
Her stores were open'd, and this firmament
Of Hell should spout her cataracts of fire,
Impendent horrors, threat'ning hideous fall
20 One day upon our heads; while we perhaps,
Designing or exhorting glorious war,

Caught in a fiery tempest, shall be hurl'd,
Each on his rock transfix'd, the sport and prey
Of wracking whirlwinds; or forever sunk
25 Under yon boiling ocean, wrapt in chàins;
There to converse with everlasting groans,
Unrèspited, unpìtied, unrepríev'd,

Ages of hopeless end! This would be worse.

6. But, first, whom shall we send

Milton.

In search of the new world whom shall we find

Sufficient who shall tempt with wand'ring feet
The dark unbottom'd infinite abyss,

5 And through the palpable obscure find out
His uncouth way, or spread his airy flight,
Upborne with indefatigable wings,

Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive

The happy isle & what strength, what art, can then

10 Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe

Through the strict senteries and stations thick
Of Angels watching round Here he had need
All circumspection, and we now no less
Choice in our suffrage; for on whom we send,
15 The weight of àll, and our last hòpe, relies.

Milton.

EXERCISE 8.

Page 34. Language of authority, of surprise, and of distress, commonly requires the falling inflection.

Denun

ciation, reprehension, &c. come under this head.

1. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and

be wise:—which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arìse out of thy sleep?-Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:-So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy wànt as an armed man.

2. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man that had not on a wedding-garment:—And he saith unto him, friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless.-Then said the king to the servants, bìnd him, hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

-3. Then he which had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed:—And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo there thou hast that is thine.-His lord answered and said unto him, thou wicked and slòthful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed nòt,* and gather where I have not strèwed:-Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.—-And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of

teeth.

4. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.— Wò unto thee, Chorazin! wò unto thee Bethsaida! for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon,† they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.-But I say unto you, It shall be more tòlerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgement than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in

*This clause uttered with a high note and the falling slide, expresses censure better with the common punctuation, than if it were marked with the interrogation.

Even in Tyre and Sidon, is the paraphrase of the emphasis,

[ocr errors]

Sòdom it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tòlerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement, than for thee.

5. Such, sir, was once the disposition of a people, who now surround your throne with reproaches and complaints. Do justice to yourself. Banish from your mind those unworthy opinions, with which some interested persons have labored to possèss you. Distrust the men who tell you that the English are naturally light and incònstant; that they complain without a caùse. Withdraw your confidence equally from all parties; from ministers, favorites, and relations; and let there be one moment in your life, in which you have consulted your own understanding.

6. You have done that, you should be
sorry for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;
For I am arm'd so strong in honesty,
That they pass by me as the idle wind,
5 Which I respect not. I did send to you

For certain sums of gòld, which you denied me,-
For I can raise no money by vile means;

-I had rather coin my heart,

And drop my bloòd for drachmas, than to wring 10 From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash, By any indirection. I did send

To you for gold to pay my lègions,
Which you denied me:

Was that done like Cassius? Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius só? 15 When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, To lock such rascal counters from his friends, * Be ready, gōds, with all your thunderbolts, Dash him to pieces!

7. The war, that for a space did fail,
Now trebly thundering swell'd the gale,
And-Stanley! was the cry;-

A light on Marmion's visage spread.
And fired his glazing eye:

Shakspeare.

*The reader will observe, that the notation is more various, as the examples become longer, including more variety of rhetorical principles.

With dying hand, above his head,

He shook the fragment of his blade,
And shouted "Victory!

Chàrge, Chester, Chàrge! òn, Stanly, òn!”
Were the last words of Marmion!

8. So judge thou still, presumptuous!-till the wrath, Which thou incurr'st by flying, meet thy flight, Sev'nfold, and scourge that wisdom back to Hell, Which taught thee yet no better, that no pain 5 Can equal anger infinite provok'd.

But wherefore thou alone? wherefore with thee
Came not all Hèll broke loose? is pain to them
Less pain, less to be fléd? or thou than they
Less hardy to endure? Courageous Chief!
10 The first in flight from pain!-hadst thou allèg'd
To thy deserted host this cause of flight,
Thou surely hadst not come sòle fugitive.

9. To whom the warrior Angel soon reply'd.
To say, and straight unsay, pretending first
Wise to fly pain, professing next the spy,
Argues no léader, but a liar, trac'd,

Milton.

5 Satan!—and couldst thou faithful add? O name,
O sacred name of faithfulness profan'd!
Faithful to whom? to thy rebellious créw?
Army of Fiends!-fit body to fit head!
Was this your discipline and faith engag'd,
10 Your military obedience, to dissolve

Allegiance to th' acknowledg'd Pow'r supreme?
And thou, sly hypocrite, who now wouldst seem
Patron of liberty, who more than thou

Once fawn'd, and cring'd, and servilely ador'd
15 Heav'n's awful Monarch? wherefore, but in hope
To dispossess him, and thyself to reign.

But mark what I arreed thee now;-Avaùnt:
Fly thither whence thou flèd'st: if from this hour,
Within these hallow'd limits thou appear,
20 Back to th' infernal pīt I drag thee chained.
And seal thee so, as henceforth not to scorn
The facile gates of Hell, too slightly barr'd.

Milton.

Apostrophe and exclamation, as well as the imperative mode, when accompanied by emphasis, incline the voice to the falling inflec tion.

10. Oh! deep-enchanting prelude to repose,
The dawn of bliss, the twilight of our wòes!
Yet half I hear the panting spirit sigh,
It is a dread and awful thing to die!

5 Mystèrious worlds! untravell❜d by the sun,
Where Time's far wandering tide has never run,
From your unfathom'd shades, and viewless spheres,
A warning comes, unheard by other ears-
"Tis heaven's commanding trumpet, long and loud,
10 Like Sinai's thùnder, pealing from the cloud!
Daughter of Faith, awake! arise! illume

The dread unknown, the chàos of the tomb!
Melt, and dispel, ye spectre doubts, that roll
Cimmerian darkness on the parting soul!
15 Fly, like the moon-eyed herald of dismay,
Chased on his night-steed, by the star of day!
The strife is o'er!-the pangs of nature close,
And life's last rapture triumphs o'er her woes!
Hark! as the spirit eyes, with eagle gaze,
20 The noon of heaven, undazzled by the blaze,
On heavenly winds that waft her to the sky,
Float the sweet tones of star-born mèlody;
Wild as the hallow'd anthem sent to hail
Bethlehem's shepherds in the lonly vale,

25 When Jordan hush'd his waves, and midnight still
Watch'd on the holy towers of Zion hill!

11.

-Piety has found

Campbell.

Friends in the Friends of science, and true prayer
Has flow'd from lips wet with Castalian dews.
Such was thy wisdom, Newton, child-like sage!
5 Sagacious reader of the Works of God,

And in his Word sagacious. Such too thine,
Milton, whose genius had angelic wings,
And fed on manna. And such thine, in whom
Our British THEMIS gloried with just cause,
10 Immortal Hàle! for deep discernment prais'd,
And sound integrity, not more, than fam'd
For sanctity of manners undefil'd.

« ForrigeFortsett »