FORCE OF QUALITY is the loudness or softness with which spoken sounds are uttered.

With respect to Pause it will probably be supposed that there is little to be learnt from any Elocutionary rules, since we have already in the grammatical points sufficient guides for all the pauses necessary in reading, but very slight observation will shew that these points are not sufficient as guides in reading. In the first place, even supposing them to be placed as accurately as possible with reference to the grammatical structure of the sentence, they do not occur half so frequently as good reading requires. This it will be easy to demonstrate. Thus with respect to the comma, Bishop Lowth, one of the most eminent of our grammarians, has told us, that a simple sentence (that is, a sentence which has but one subject and one finite verb) admits of no point by which it may be divic'ed or distinguished into parts. This he illustrates by the following example:

The passion for praise produces excellent effects in women of sense.

Here the passion for praise is the subject or nominative phrase (as it may be called) to the verb produces, and excellent effects in women of sense is the object, with its concomitant circumstances or adjuncts of specification, as Bishop Lowth very properly terms them. "This sentence," he says, "is a simple sentence, and admits of no point by which it may be distinguished into parts;" and, as

far as grammar is concerned, we will admit (for the sake of argument at least) that it does not. We will also admit that it is possible to pronounce this sentence without once drawing the breath; but every one will allow that, if a short pause be made after the word praise, not only is the sentence read more easily, but its sense is more clearly and forcibly expressed; and also that, if another pause be made after effects, the reading is still further improved. Thus,

The passion for praise, produces excellent effects, in women of sense.

But the necessity for additional pauses to those specified by the points in Grammar will be more apparent, if we take a simple sentence of greater length than the former. Thus,

A violent passion for universal admiration produces the most ridiculous effects in the general behaviour of women of little sense.

This is strictly a simple sentence, for it has but one subject and one finite verb: it does not, therefore, according to Bishop Lowth, admit of a pause between any of its parts. But it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to read this sentence without drawing the breath once at least, if not twice. Some pauses, therefore, are necessary: the most necessary would be after the words admiration and effects; and good reading requires one also after passion and behaviour: thus,

A violent passion, for universal admiration, produces

the most ridiculous effects, in the general behaviour, of women of little sense. *

The grammatical points are also insufficient as guides in reading, because their quantity, that is, their duration in point of time, does not suit all the variety of passages to which they are applied. The points used by grammarians are the Comma, the Semicolon, the Colon, and the Period. The Comma represents the shortest pause; the Semicolon a pause double that of the Comma; the Colon double that of the Semicolon; and the Period double that of the Colon; or, according to others,

The Semicolon) represents double

the time

Whichever of these ratios of relative length we assign to the grammatical pauses, it will be clear

* Mr. Murray allows that " a simple sentence, when it is a long one, and the nominative case is accompanied by inseparable adjuncts, may admit of a pause immediately before the verb." Still he lays it down as his first rule for the comma, "With respect to a simple sentence, the several words of which it consists have so near a relation to each other, that, in general, no points are requisite, except a full stop at the end of it: as, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' 'Every part of matter swarms with living creatures.” ” But in the two instances here adduced, good reading, or even the taking of breath, requires a pause after the nominative phrase.

from the following examples, that their application will not produce good reading:

Our duty to our Maker, to each other, and to ourselves, is fully answered, if we give them what we owe them.

In this sentence every one will perceive that the sense is more clearly expressed, if there is a longer pause at ourselves and at answered, than at Maker and at other, although these words are all followed by the same mark of grammatical punctuation, namely, the Comma.

The qualities of candour, fortitude, charity, and generosity, for instance, are not in their own nature virtues; and if ever they deserved the title, it is owing only to justice, which impels and directs them.

In this sentence a longer pause is required at for instance than at candour, fortitude, charity, and generosity, because the first part of the sentence ending at for instance, is less intimately connected with what follows, than the words, which constitute the first part, are with one another; yet there is only one point used, namely, the Comma.

The same thing is observable respecting the period, the time of which is constantly varying, according to the nature of the style, and the intimacy or remoteness of the connexion which subsists between the sentences. Thus in the following passage:

The bounty displayed in the earth, equals the grandeur conspicuous in the heavens. There is no region in which the volume of instruction is not unfolded. In every climate is found proper food for the support of the inhabitants, and proper medicines for the removal of their diseases. And should every age even change its food and its diseases, there would still be found in the world supplies sufficient for the inhabitants. So bountiful and provident is nature!

In this passage there is evidently a stricter connexion between the third and fourth sentences, than between the first and second, or the second and third, and the fifth is more strictly connected with the fourth than any of the preceding are with one another. There ought, therefore, in good reading, to be a shorter pause at the words diseases and inhabitants than at heavens and unfolded; yet these words are all followed by the same point, namely the period, which is a clear proof, that the grammatical points are not to be depended upon as guides in reading.

As it thus appears that the grammatical points are not sufficient, the rhetorical pauses will now be enumerated, and rules laid down for their application.

The Rhetorical pauses may be reduced to four, namely,

The first or shortest* pause, marked thus 7.

* It is difficult to give appropriate names to the pauses. The first is a short pause; the second we cannot call a

و