William Holmes McGuffey

McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader


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I serve with my spirit, in the gospel of his Son'), that, without ceasing, I make mention of you always in my prayers; making request' (if, by any means, now at length, I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God'), to come unto you.

      2. When he had entered the room three paces, he stood still; and laying his left hand upon his breast' (a slender, white staff with which he journeyed being in his right'), he introduced himself with a little story of his convent.

      3. If you, AEschines, in particular, were persuaded' (and it was no particular affection for me, that prompted you to give up the hopes, the appliances, the honors, which attended the course I then advised; but the superior force of truth, and your utter inability to point any course more eligible') if this was the case, I say, is it not highly cruel and unjust to arraign these measures now, when you could not then propose a better?

      4. As the hour of conflict drew near' (and this was a conflict to be dreaded even by him'), he began to waver, and to abate much of his boasting.

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      RULE XII.—The circumflex is used to express irony, sarcasm, hypothesis, or contrast.

      NOTE.—For the reason that the circumflex always suggests a double or doubtful meaning, it is appropriate for the purposes expressed in the rule. It is, also, frequently used in sportive language; jokes and puns are commonly given with this inflection.

      EXAMPLES. (31)

      1. Man never is, but always to be, blest.

      2. They follow an adventurer whom they fear; we serve a monarch whom we love. They boast, they come but to improve our state, enlarge our thoughts, and free us from the yoke of error. Yes, they will give enlightened freedom to our minds, who are themselves the slaves of passion, avarice, and pride. They offer us their protection: yes, such protection as vultures give to lambs, covering and devouring them.

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      RULE XIII.—The use of the monotone is confined chiefly to grave and solemn subjects. When carefully and properly employed, it gives great dignity to delivery.

      EXAMPLES. (32)

      1. The unbeliever! one who can gaze upon the sun, and moon, and stars, and upon the unfading and imperishable sky, spread out so magnificently above him, and say, "All this is the work of chance!"

      2. God walketh upon the ocean. Brilliantly

       The glassy waters mirror back his smiles;

       The surging billows, and the gamboling storms

       Come crouching to his feet.

      3. I hail thee, as in gorgeous robes,

       Blooming thou leav'st the chambers of the east,

       Crowned with a gemmed tiara thick embossed

       With studs of living light.

      4. High on a throne of royal state, which far

       Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,

       Or where the gorgeous east, with richest hand

       Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,

       Satan exalted sat.

      5. His broad expanded wings

       Lay calm and motionless upon the air,

       As if he floated there without their aid,

       By the sole act of his unlorded will.

      6. In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds

       On half the nations, and with fear of change

       Perplexes monarchs.

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      ACCENT.

      That syllable in a word which is uttered more forcibly than the others, is said to be accented, and is marked thus, ('); as the italicized syllables in the following words:

      morn'ing. pos'si-ble. ty'rant. re-cum'bent. pro-cure'. ex-or'bi-tant, de-bate'. com-pre-hen'sive.

      Common usage alone determines upon what syllable the accent should be placed, and to the lexicographer it belongs, to ascertain and record its decision on this point.

      In some few cases, we can trace the reasons for common usage in this respect. In words which are used as different parts of speech, or which have different meanings, the distinction is sometimes denoted by changing the accent.

      EXAMPLES. (33)

      sub'ject sub-ject' pres'ent pre-sent' ab'sent ab-sent' cem'ent ce-ment' con'jure con-jure'

      There is another case, in which we discover the reason for changing the accent, and that is, when it is required by emphasis, as in the following:

      EXAMPLES. (33)

      1. His abil'ity or in'ability to perform the act materially varies the case. 2. This corrup'tion must put on in'corruption.

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      In words of more than two syllables, there is often a second accent given, but more slight than the principal one, and this is called the secondary accent; as, em"igra'tion, rep"artee', where the principal accent is marked ('), and the secondary, ("); so, also, this accent is obvious, in nav"iga'tion, com"prehen'sion, plau"sibil'ity, etc. The whole subject, however, properly belongs to dictionaries and spelling books.

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      Emphasis consists in uttering a word or phrase in such a manner as to give it force and energy, and to draw the attention of the hearer particularly to the idea expressed.

      This is most frequently accomplished by an increased stress of voice laid upon the word or phrase. Sometimes, though more rarely, the same object is effected by an unusual lowering of the voice, even to a whisper, and not unfrequently by a pause before the emphatic word.

      The inflections are often made subsidiary to this object. To give emphasis to a word, the inflection is changed or increased in force or extent. When the rising inflection is ordinarily used, the word, when emphatic, frequently takes the falling inflection; and sometimes, also, the falling inflection is changed into the rising inflection, for the same purpose.

      Emphatic words are often denoted by being written in italics, in SMALL

       CAPITALS, or in CAPITALS.

      Much care is necessary to train the pupil to give clear and expressive emphasis, and at the same time to avoid an unpleasant "jerky" movement of the voice.

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      Where