And there will I nourish thee, (for yet there are five years of famine,) lest thou and thy household, and all that thou hast come to poverty. He had not been there, (as I was informed by those who lived in his neighborhood, and who were acquainted with him,) since the year 1796. Should liberty continue to be abused in this country, as it has been for some time past, (and though demagogues may not admit, yet sensible and observing men will not deny that it has been,) the people will seek relief in despotism or in emigration. The power of such characters in nature, says Mr. Whately, (from whom I am happy to borrow the following observations, not only from the beauty of their expression, but from their singular coincidence in the illustration of the fact I have been endeavoring to establish,) the power of such characters is not confined to the ideas which the objects themselves immediately suggest. No such claimant being found, (I mean none who knew the contents; for many declared that they expected just such a packet, and believed it to be their property,) Mr. Blenner very coolly resolved to apply the money to his own use. I had often heard of my friend S―'s charming place, his excellent house, his every thing, in short, that great wealth (for he is a man of very large estate) could bestow, and taste, (for everybody talked of his and Mrs. L's taste,) could adorn. I pictured his groves, his lawns, and his waterfalls, with somewhat of that enthusiasm for country scenery which you seem to feel; and I thought of his daughters, (two elegant girls, whom I had just seen for a few moments in the way from New York,) as the wood-nymphs of the scene. On the other hand, by what I had almost called an accidental circumstance, but one which ought rather to be considered as a leading incident in the great train of events connected with the establishment of constitutional freedom in this country, it came to pass, that nearly all the colonies (founded as they were on the charters granted to corporate institutions in England, which had for their object the pursuit of the branches of trade pertinent to a new plantation,) adopted a regular representative system. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us ;) that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the indicated the manner in which exercises in reading, or rehearsals before speaking, should be conducted: barely indicated; for I have confined my attention to structure, emphasis and the rules of delivery. Of articulation, accent, and much under the head of modulation, especially key, force and rate, I have said nothing. What I have omitted will be supplied, I suppose, by the student himself, or his intelligent instructor: leaving nothing, in short, hitherto advanced, without pertinent use. For a distinct enumeration of the different topics to which attention should be given at a recitation, I refer to the beginning of Ch. VIth. SEC. I. HAMLET'S INSTRUCTION TO THE PLAYERS. 1 Speak the speech, I pray you', as I pronounced it to you': trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of our 2 players do', I had as lief the town-crier spake my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, (as I may say,) whirlwind of your passion', you must acquire, and beget 3 a temperance, that may give it smoothness'. O, it offends me to the soul, to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings; who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inex4 plicable dumb shows, and noise. I would have such a fellow 5 whipped for o'erdoing Termagant`: it out-herods Herod. Pray 6 you, avoid it. Be not too tame neither', but let your own 7 discretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the word'; the word to the action': with this special observance': that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature'; for any thing so over-done is from the purpose of playing'; whose end, both at the first, and now, was, and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature`: to show virtue her own feature; scorn her own image`; and 8 the very age and body of the time', his form, and pressure. Now this, overdone, or come tardy off', though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve'; the censure of which one, must, in your allowance, o'erweigh a whole theatre 9 of others. O, there be players, that I have seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly, (not to speak it profanely,) that, neither having the accent of Christians, nor the gait of Christian, pagan, or man, have so strutted and bellowed, that I have thought some of nature's journeymen had made men, and not made them well: they imitated humanity so abominably. HAMLET'S INSTRUCTION TO THE PLAYERS, RHETORICALLY PARSED. 1st Sentence. Question 1. What is the nature of this sentence? Answer. It is a compound declarative perfect loose sentence with two parts. Q. 2. What do you mean by a compound sentence? A. A sentence which contains either a single proposition, having two or more subjects and verbs, or two or more propositions. having indifferently one subject and verb, or two or more subjects and verbs. (See Classifica tion: Compound Sent.) Q. 3. What, by a declarative sentence? A. A sentence which states or declares some thing in some one of the various relations of time, &c. (See Classif. Decl. Sent.) Q. 4. What, by a loose sentence ! A. A sentence which contains two or more distinct though related propositions, connected by conjunctions, adverbs or relative pronouns expressed or understood. (See Classif. Loose Sent.) Q. 5. What, by a perfect loose! A. A sentence which has the construction of all its parts complete. (See Classif. ibid.) Q. 6. You say this perfect loose sentence consists of two parts: what is the nature of the sentence in the first part A. It is a compound declarative imperfect loose, with two subparts: the first ending with you, and the second with tongue. Q. 7. What do you mean by an imperfect loose A. A loose sentence which has its first part complete, but the succeeding part or parts fragmentary: requiring a portion of the first part (understood) to complete their construction. (See Classif., as above.) Q. 8. What is the nature of the sub-parts! A. The first ending with you, is a declarative single compact of the second form. Q. 9. What do you mean by a compact sentence? A. A sentence always consisting of two parts: each of which begins with a word which relates to another word at the beginning of the other. (See Classif. Compact Sent.) Q. 10. What, by the second form! A. Compact sentences have these correlative words, sometimes both expressed; sometimes, only one of them; and sometimes both are understood. If both are expressed, the compact belongs to the first form: if only one, to the second: if neither is expressed, to the third. (See Classif., as above.) Q. 11. What is the nature of the second sub-part? A. It is a simple declarative sentence: having the clause, speak the speech, understood before trippingly. Q. 12. What is a simple sentence ! A. A sentence having but one subject and one verb. (See Classif. Simple Sent.) Q. 13. We have now analyzed one of the parts of the perfect loose sentence; what is the nature of the second? A. It is a mixed sentence. Q. 14. What do you mean by a mixed sentence? A. A sentence consisting of two or more sentences of the same kind, or of different kinds combined. (See Classif. Mixed Sent.) Q. 15. Are the sentences combined here of the same, or different species A. Of the same: both being single compacts of the second form: the greater comprehending, having the relative words if-then, and the less comprehended, the relative words so-as. Q. 16. What is the proper punctuation between the principal parts of this sentence; that is, before but A. The semicolon; because the connective but is expressed. (See Punctua tion, Semicolon.) Q. 17. What is the proper punctuation between the sub-parts of the first principal part; that is, before trippingly A. The colon; because the connective, namely or that is, is understood. Q. 18. In the first sub-part you have the clause, I pray you: what is the rhetorical name of it! A. A circumstance. Q. 19. What is the nature of a circumstance! A. It is a part of a sentence necessary to the sense, but not the construction. (See Classif. Circumstance.) Q. 20. Is it necessary to the sense in this place? A. Yes; for if it were not inserted, the request of Hamlet would be a command. Q. 21. How is a circumstance always punctuated! A. At the beginning of perfect sense it is always followed, in the middle, preceded and followed, and at the end preceded, by a comma: at the end, it is of course followed by one of the pauses of perfect sense. (See Classif as above.) Q. 22. What is the proper punctuation of the second principal part! A. As it makes imperfect sense until completed, the comma only can be inserted, as in the text, between the parts of the less and greater compacts. (See Punctuation, Comma, and Classif. Sing. Compact.) Q. 23. What is meant by the general delivery of a sentence? A. Its delivery apart from the consideration of emphasis; that is, its characteristic delivery. Q. 24. What is the general delivery of the whole perfect loose sentence? A. (See Rule IX.) Q. 26. Q. 27. Q. 28. town-crier. Q. 29. What is the effect of emphasis on each! A. On pronounced and town-crier, being in the same short division of sense with close, the lower sweep is converted into the falling slide to close: (See Emph., Sec. II. 2. 5:) on mouth and many, emphasis has a full develop ment of both sweeps: there being ample room for it between these words and the pause on either hand. (See Emph., Sec. II. 1.) 30. Now deliver the sentence. 2d Sentence. Q. 1. What kind of sentence is this! A. Before I answer this question, I must make an observation or two on the use of nor and for in this place. Nor is used here precisely as if preceded by another negative member of the same sentence, beginning with neither or not as if, instead of the sentence already analyzed, the author had written as follows: "Neither speak the speech differently from the manner in which I pronounced it, nor saw the air too much with your hand thus; but," &c., or as follows: "Do not speak the speech differently from the manner I pronounced it, nor saw the air with your hand thus; but," &c. Should we adopt the first construction, the whole sentence will be a compound declarative perfect loose, consisting of three parts: the first terminating with thus, and comprising a single compact with neither-nor, for correlative words; the second, a simple declarative; and the third a compound declarative close. Should we adopt the second construction, the whole sentence will be a double compact with the first and third part expressed: the first or negative part comprising two members, and the third, forming a perfect loose, consisting of two parts. The word for is here used as the equivalent of and. In its proper force, it should introduce a reason for something going before; but this is not the case: it simply repeats the preceding sentiment in another form. The propriety of substituting and, will readily be perceived by employing it. I should add, perhaps, that if for was here used in its proper sense, that is, as the equivalent of because, the whole sentence would be a double compact with three of its parts expressed: the first, third and fourth; that is, the negative with two members, the affirmative opposed to the negative, and the reason for this affirmative. On the whole, of the two methods of construction noticed above, I prefer the second; namely, that which makes the whole sentence a declarative double compact with the first and third part expressed. Q. 2. What is a double compact sentence? A. It is a sentence consisting of two single compacts: each having the correlative words therefore-because or for, and the two together comprising four parts: the first, a negative, the second, an affirmative or negative assigning a reason for the preceding negative, the third an affirmative opposed to the first, and the fourth an affirmative or negative assigning a reason for the third. (See Classif. Double Compact.) Q. 3. You have said the third proposition, in the present instance, beginning with but, contains a perfect loose sentence in two parts: what is the nature of the sentence in each part f A. The first, ending with gently, is a simple declarative sentence: (see Sentence 1st, 11, 12 and Reference :) the second is a compound declarative close. Q. 4. Will you define a close sentence? A. It is one which contains a single proposition, comprising two or more subjects and verbs. (See Classif. Compound Close.) Q5. What unusual appendage has this sentence ! A. It includes a parenthesis; by which is meant a sentence or part of a sentence, included in another sentence or part of a sentence, and neither necessary to the sense nor construction. (See Classif. Parenthesis.) Q. 6. What is the proper punctuation between the first and third part of the double compact; that is, between thus and but! A. The comma. (See Classif. Double Compact.) Q. 7. What, between the parts of the third; that is, between gently and for A. The semicolon. (See Sentence 1. 16.) Q. 8. What should be the punctuation of the parenthesis A. The parenthesis must always have the same pause after it, as before it. As it is inserted here after imperfect sense, the comma, if any, should be inserted before and therefore after it. I say if any, because strictly speaking none should be inserted; for if the parenthesis were absent, and and whirlwind could not be separated by any pause. (See Classif. Parenthesis.) Q. 9. What is the general delivery of a double compact! A. The first part, if consisting of a single member, is delivered with the waving slide; that is, the slide formed by the sweeps of emphasis more or less fully developed: if comprising two or more members, each of these should be delivered in the same manner except the last; which may either be delivered in the same manner or with partial close. (See Rule VIII.) In the present instance, we have this choice; for the effect of nor (see above) is precisely the same as if the member implied by it was really expressed. The succeeding propositions or parts of a double compact are delivered relatively like parts of a perfect loose sentence. (Sec 1st Sentence, 24, and Kule IX.) Q. 10. What are the emphatic words! A. Thus, gently, whirlwind, temperance and smoothness. Q. 11. Is emphasis on each of these words of the same kind! A. No: that on whirlwind is deferred emphasis. Q. 12. What do you mean by deferred emphasis A. In theory torrent, tempest and whirlwind, are equally emphatic; but in practice, the emphasis is deferred to the last, to avoid the recurrence of similar sounds. (See Emphasis, Sec 1.3.) Q. 13. What is the effect of emphasis on each! A. If the negative part should be de livered with the waving slide, the emphasis on thus will have its lower sweep limited to the word: if it terminates with partial close, the emphasis will coincide with it. (See Emph., Sec. 1.3.4.) On gently and smoothness, emphasis coincides with partial and perfect close: on temperance, the lower sweep is confined to the word: (See Emph., Sec. II.2:) on whirlwind & full development of the sweeps. (See Emph., Sec. I. 1.) 14. Deliver the sentence. 3d Sentence. Q. 1. What kind of sentence is this? A. A compound declarative perfect loose with two parts. (See 1st Sentence, 1-5.) Q. 2. What is the sentence in the first of these parts! A. A compound declarative close. (see 2d Sentence, 4,) preceded by the variable exclamation O; which is here a mere key-note to what follows. (See Ch. VI. Simple Spontaneous Exclamations, 2. 5.) Q. 3. What, in the second part! A. Also a compound declarative close: it includes a circumstance; namely, for the most part. (See Sent. 1st, 18-21.) Q. 4. What is the proper punctuation between the parts! A. The semicolon; for the connective who is expressed. (See Sent. 1st, 16.) Q. 5. What is the proper punctuation of the parts separately considered. A. The comma should be inserted between its principal members. (See Sent. 2d, 4.) Q. 6. What is the general delivery of the whole (See Sent. 1st, 24.) Q. 7. What of each part! (See Rule VI.) Q. 8. Which are the emphatic words! A. Soul, rags, groundlings, most and noise. Rags and noise, deferred emphasis. (See 2d Sentence, 12.) Q. 9. What is the effect in each case! On soul and rags, circumflex: on most, full development: on groundlings and noise, it coincides with partial close. (See Sent. 1st, 29, 2d, 13.) 10. Deliver the sentence. 4th Sentence. Q. 1. What is the name of this sentence? A. It is a compound declarative perfect loose with two parts like the preceding sentence; which see. Q. 2. What, of the parts! A. They are both simple declarative sentences. (See Sent. 2d, 3.) Q. 3. What pause should separate them! A. A colon. (See Classification, Loose Sentence; and Punctuation, Colon.) Q. 4. What is the general delivery of the whole sentence? A. (See Sent. 3d, 6.) Q. 5. Are there any emphatic words A. Yes: Termagant and Herod; on both of which emphasis coincides with close. 6. Deliver the sentence. 5th Sentence. Q. 1. What is the nature of this sentence? A. A compound declarative close: including the circumstance, "Pray you." (See. Sent. 1st, 18-21: see also Sent. 3d, 2.) Q. 2. What is the general delivery of a close sentence? A. (See Rule VI.) Q. 3. What are the emphatic words! A. Pray and avoid. Q. 4. What is the effect! A. The emphasis on pray, has the upper sweep cut off in consequence of falling on the first word in the sentence; (see Emph., Sec. II.2;) and on avoid, it has the lower sweep converted into the falling slide. (See Emphasis, Sec. II. 5.) Deliver it. 5. 6th Sentence. Q. 1. What name do you give this sentence? A. It is a double compact, with the 1st and 3d part expressed. (See Sent. 2d, 2.) Q. 2. How should it be punctuated A. With a comma between the parts. (See 2d Sent., 6.) Q. 3. What is the general delivery? A. (See 2d Sent., 9, and also Rule VIII.) Q. 4. What are the emphatic words! A. Tame and tutor. Q. 5. fect close. The effect? A. On tame, full development: on tutor, emphasis coincides with per 6. Deliver it. 7th Sentence. Q. 1. What . A compound declarative perfect loose in five parts: ending respectively with the words, action, observance, nature, playing, and pressure. Q. 2. What is the sentence in the first part A. A declarative single compact of the third form: the correlative words understood, so-as. (See Class., Sing. Comp. 3d form.) Q. 3. In the second part! A. Simple declarative with the clause "but do it," going before, understood. (See Sent. 1st, 11, 12, and Reference.) Q. 4. In third part! A. Simple declarative as in the preceding. Q. 5. In fourth part A. A mixed sentence, so-as this would be. (See Sent. 1.14.) Q. 7. Having how many parts; and what is the nature of these parts! A. It comprises two parts: the first, including the circumstance "as 'twere," being a compound declarative close, and the second, either close or imperfect loose, as it may be treated. I treat it as imperfect loose. |