EXAMPLES.

Gravity.

Father thy hand

Hath reared these venerable columns; Thou

Didst weave this verdant roof; Thou didst look down
Upon the naked earth, and, forthwith, rose

All these fair ranks of trees. They in thy sun
Budded, and shook their green leaves in thy breeze,
And shot toward heaven. The century-living crow,
Whose birth was in their tops, grew old and died
Among their branches, till, at last, they stood,
As now they stand, massy and dark,

Fit shrine for humble worshiper to hold
Communion with his Maker.

Solemnity.

How shocking must thy summons be, O Death!
To him that is at ease in his possessions!
Who, counting on long years of pleasure here,
Is quite unfurnish'd for the world to come!
In that dread moment, how the frantic soul
Raves round the walls of her clay tenement;
Runs to each avenue, and shrieks for help;
But shrieks in vain! How wishfully she looks
On all she's leaving, now no longer hers!

RULE 4. Whatever partakes of grandeur, sublimity, awe, or deep reverence, should generally be read on a low note, with slow movement, and a clear voice approaching monotone.

EXAMPLES.

Grandeur.

Night, sable goddess, from her ebon throne,

In rayless majesty now stretches forth

Her leaden scepter o'er a slumbering world.

Silence how dead! and darkness how profound!

Sublimity.

The clouds now rolled, in volumes, over the mountain tops; their summits still bright and snowy, but the lower parts of an inky blackness. The rain began to patter down in broad and scattered drops; the wind freshened, and curled up the waves; at length it seemed as

QUESTIONS, What are the subjects of the Examples under Rule Third? What is Rule Fourth? Will you name the subjects illustrated? How should language of this kind generally be read?

if the bellying clouds were torn open by the mountain tops, and complete torrents of rain came rattling down. The lightning leaped from cloud to cloud, and streamed quivering against the rocks, splitting and rending the stoutest forest trees. The thunder burst in tremendous explosions; the peals were echoed from mountain to mountain; they crashed upon Dunderburg, and then rolled up the long defile of the highlands, each headland making a new echo, until old Bull Hill seemed to bellow back the storm.

Reverence and Awe.

O thou eternal one! whose presence bright
All space doth occupy; all motion guide;
Unchanged through time's all devastating flight,
Thou only God! There is no God beside.
Being above all beings! Mighty one!

Whom none can comprehend, and none explore,
Who fillest existence with thyself alone;
Embracing all, supporting all, ruling o'er —
Being whom we call God.

And what am I then?

Heaven's unnumbered host

Though multiplied by myriads, and arrayed
In all the glory of sublimest thought,
Is but an atom in the balance weighed
Against thy greatness; is a cypher brought
Against infinity! What am I then? Nought!
Nought? But the effluence of thy light divine,
Pervading all worlds, hath reached my bosom too;
Yes, in my spirit doth thy spirit shine,

As shines the sun-beam in a drop of dew.
Nought? But I live, and on hope's pinions fly,
Eager toward thy presence; for in thee

I live, and breathe, and dwell; aspiring high,
Even to the throne of thy divinity.

I am, O God, and surely thou must be.

RULE 5. The language of scorn, contempt, or threatened revenge, requires, in most instances, a deep and gutteral voice, rather slow movement, forcible utterance, and very emphatic significancy of expression.

EXAMPLES.

Scorn and Contempt.

I would that now

I could forget the wretch who stands before me;

QUESTIONS. What is Rule Fifth, or the rule for the language of scorn, &c.?

For he is like the accursed and crafty snake!

Hence from my sight! Thou Satan, get behind me!
Go from my sight! I hate and I despise thee!

These were thy pious hopes; and I, forsooth,
Was in thy hands a pipe to play upon;

And at thy music my poor soul to death
Should dance before thee !

Thou stand'st at length before me undisguised, -
Of all earth's groveling crew the most accursed.
Thou worm! thou viper! to thy native earth
Return! Away! Thou art too base for man
To tread upon. Thou scum! thou reptile!

Revenge.

If they wrong her honor,
The proudest of them shall well hear of it.
Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine,
Nor age so eat up my invention,

Nor fortune made such havoc of my means,
Nor my bad life 'reft me so much of friends,
But they shall find awaked in such a kind,
Both strength of limb and policy of mind,
Ability in means, and choice of friends,
To quit me of them thoroughly.

RULE 6. Language expressing joy, mirth, or other pleasurable emotions, should be read with a quick movement, on a key slightly elevated, and with a smooth and flowing voice.

EXAMPLES.

Joy.

Then is Orestes blest! My griefs are fled!
Fled like a dream! Methinks I tread in air!
Surprising happiness unlook'd for joy!
Never let love despair. The prize is mine!
Be smooth, ye seas! and, y propitious winds,
Blow from th' Epirus to the Spartan coast!
And darkness and doubt are now Aving away;

No longer I roam in conjecture forlorn ;-
So breaks on the traveler, faint and astray,

QUESTIONS. What are the subjects of the Examples under Rule Fifth? What is Rule Sixth, or the rule for language of joy, &c.? What are the subjects of the Examples under this rule ?

The bright and the balmy effulgence of morn.
See truth, love and mercy, in triumph descending,

And nature all glowing in Eden's first bloom!

On the cold cheek of death smiles and roses are blending,
And beauty immortal awakes from the tomb.

Gayety.

I come! I come! - ye have called me long;
I come o'er the mountains with light and song
Ye may trace my step o'er the wakening earth,
By winds which tell of the violet's birth,
By the primrose stars in the shadowy grass,
By the green leaves opening as I pass.

From the streams and founts I have loosed the chain,
They are sweeping on to the silvery main, —
They are flashing down from the mountain brows,-
They are flinging spray o'er the forest boughs,
They are bursting fresh from their sparry caves;
And the earth resounds with the joy of waves!

NOTE. When excessive joy is accompanied by strong excitement, it should be read on an elevated key and sometimes even on the shouting pitch.

EXAMPLE.

Excessive Joy.

Ye crags and peaks, I'm with you once again!
I hold to you the hands you first beheld,

To show they still are free. Methinks I hear
A spirit in your echoes answer me,

And bid your tenant welcome to his home
Again! O, sacred forms, how proud you look!
How high you lift your heads into the sky!
How huge you are! how misty and how free!
Ye are the things that tower, that shine, whose smile
Makes glad, whose frown is terrible, whose forms
Robed or unrobed, do all the impress wear

Of awe divine. Ye guards of liberty!
I'm with you once again!
I call to you

With all my voice! I hold my hands to you
To show they still are free. I rush to you,
As though I could embrace you!

QUESTIONS. What is the Note under Rule Sixth.?

RULE 7. The expression of anger is loud, high, vehement, and rapid in movement, varying, however, according to the intensity of excitement.

EXAMPLE.

Must I endure all this?

All this? ay more. Fret till your proud heart break,
Go, show your slaves how choleric you are,

And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge!
Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch
Under your testy humor? By the gods,
You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,
I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.

RULE 8. The language of authority, reproof, affirmation, denial, and defiance, generally requires a strong, full, energetic voice, deliberate utterance, and falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.
Authority.

Fight, gentlemen of England! fight, bold yeomen!

Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head;

Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood;
Amaze the welkin with your broken staves.
A thousand hearts are great within my bosom ;-
Advance our standards, set upon our foes!
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms.

Authority and Defiance.

Whence and what art thou, execrable shape,
That dar'st, though grim and terrible, advance
Thy miscreated front athwart my way
To yonder gates? through them I mean to pass!
That be assured, without leave ask'd of thee.
Retire, or taste thy folly; and learn by proof,
Hell-born, not to contend with spirits of Heaven.

To whom the goblin full of wrath repli'd ;

QUESTIONS. What is Rule Seventh? What is Rule Eighth? How should the examples under this rule be read? What are the subjects of the Examples under Rule Eighth?