8. If I could stand for a moment upon one of your high mountain tóps, far above all the kingdoms of the civilized world, and there might sée, coming úp, one after another, the bravest and wisest of the ancient wárriors, and státesmen, and kíngs, and monárchs, and priésts; and if, as they came úp, I might be permitted to ask from them an expression of opinion upon such a case as this, with a common vòice and in thunder tones, reverberating through a thousand válleys, and echoing down the ages, they would crý: "Liberty, Freedom, the Universal Brotherhood of Màn!" I join that shòut; I swell that anthem; I echo that praise forever, and for evermore. 11. THE WAR INEVITABLE. They tell us, sir, that we are weak-unable to còpe with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disármed, and when a British guárd shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and ináction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sír, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our pòwer. It is in vain, sir, to extènuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry péace, péace!—but there is no peace. The war is actually begûn! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of cháins and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! PATRICK HENRY. VI. RECAPITULATION OF FORCE. 1. Force must be regulated by the thought or feeling to be expressed. 2. Soft force prevails in the expression of peaceful thought, of sentiment, of tranquillity, and of suppressed emotion. 3. Moderate force is the natural tone of conversation and of narrative, descriptive, and didactic composition. 4. Loud force prevails in the expression of anger, passion, sublimity, command, and strong feeling. 5. Very loud force prevails in calling and shouting; in cries of alarm, fear, and terror; and in intense dramatic expression. EXAMPLES OF FORCE. VERY SOFT. Low, low, breathe and blow, wind of the western sea. Hear the loud alarum bells-brazen bells! How they clang, and clash, and roar. VERY LOUD. Liberty! freedom! Tyranny is dead. Require each pupil to select, write out, and read in the class, a similar set of quoted illustrations. SECTION II. STRESS OF VOICE. Stress denotes the manner of applying volume of voice to single words or sounds. The elocutionary divisions The radical and the median stress are the most important and the most used of these divisions; and to these the attention of school readers should be chiefly directed. The other forms of stress mainly concern the special elocutionist or the actor; and may, therefore, be treated very briefly. I. RADICAL STRESS. 1. In radical stress, the force strikes abruptly upon the radix, or beginning of a word or a sound. It corresponds to the diminuendo in music. 2. It may be illustrated by exploding the full force of the voice upon the initial vowel in the following words: (1) ale, ärm, all, ōld, ooze. (2) ǎt, end, în, on, up. 3. Of this stress, Dr. Rush says: "There are so few speakers able to give a radical stress with this momentary burst, and therefore so few who may comprehend the mere description of it, that I must draw an illustration from the effort of coughing A single impulse of coughing is not in all points exactly like the abrupt voice on syllables, for that single impulse is a forcing out of almost all the breath, which is not the case in syllabic utterance; yet if the tonic element be employed as the vocality of coughing, its abrupt opening will truly represent the function of radical stress, when used in discourse. 4. "It is this stress which draws the cutting edge of words across the ear, and startles even stupor into attention; this, which lessens the fatigue of listening, and out-voices the murmur and unruly stir of an assembly; and a sensibility to this, through a general instinct of the animal ear, which gives authority to the groom, and makes the horse submissive to his angry accent. 5. "Besides the fullness, loudness, and abruptness of the radical stress, when employed for distinct articulation, the tonic sound itself should be a pure vocality. When mixed with aspiration, it loses the brilliancy that serves to increase the impressive effect of the explosive force." DISTINCTIONS OF RADICAL STRESS. 1. Radical stress may be distinguished as unimpassioned and impassioned. 2. The unimpassioned radical is used in narrative, descriptive, and didactic reading, to give a clear, distinct, energetic style of expression. The impassioned radical is the strong, full, abrupt utterance which characterizes the voice when under the influence of strong passions, such as anger, hatred, etc. It is the stress of authoritative command, of strength, and of power. I. THE UNIMPASSIONED RADICAL. This form of the radical stress is generally combined with moderate force and middle pitch. In the unimpassioned radical the vowel and liquid sounds are cut short as in the staccato movement in music. This stress is characteristic of vivacity, gayety, humor, and of clear, distinct, and definite statement. UNIMPASSIONED RADICAL DRILL. 1. Repeat rapidly four times, with the falling inflec tion, the short vowel sounds, ă, ě, Ĭ, Ŏ, ŭ; the long vocals, ā, ē, i, ō, ū. 2. Count from one to twenty with moderate force and falling inflection, cutting short the words as in staccato movement. 3. Is this a time to be gloomy and sad, When our mother nature laughs around? When even the deep blue heavens look glad, And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground? 4. Hear the sledges, with the bells-silver bells, What a world of merriment their melody foretells; How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! EXAMPLES OF UNIMPASSIONED RADICAL. 1. Bob-o'link, bob-o'-link, Chee! chee! chee! 2. Sometimes, with secure delight, 3. HUDIBRAS. 3. In mathematics he was greater Could take the size of pots of ale; |