ends a sentence be emphatic. Such a sentence, therefore, as the following, is wanting in harmony: "It is a mystery which we firmly believe the truth of, and humbly adore the depth of." Harmony is secured by a slight transposition: "It is a mysterv the truth of which we firmly believe, and the depth of which we humbly adore."

In general, the musical close of a sentence requires either the last syllable, or the last but one, to be a long syllable.

It must be observed, however, that a uniform construction of sentences, according to rules just laid down, will give to our compositions an air too declamatory, and artificial, and elaborate. But short sentences must be intermingled with long ones, so as to break up a monotony that soon tires.

EXAMPLES OF HARMONIOUS WRITING:

"We shall conduct you to a hill-side," says Milton, "laborious, indeed, at the first ascent; but else, so smooth, so green, so full of goodly prospects and melodious sounds on every side, that the harp of Orpheus was not more charming." The words are all happily chosen, and their collocation cannot be improved.

Says our own Washington Irving (in the Sketch Book), describing the female sex when slighted by the object of their affection :

"How many bright eyes grow dim; how many cheeks grow pale; how many lovely forms fade away into the tomb, and none can tell the cause that blighted their loveliness! As the dove will clasp its wings to its side, and cover and conceal the arrow that is preying on its vitals, so it is the nature of woman to hide from the world the pangs of wounded affection."

RULE V.--Let the sound of the words be adapted to the ideas and sentiments which they are intended to express.

Disagreeable ideas, stern and impetuous passions should find expression in rough and harsh sounds: on the other hand, pleasing ideas and benign affections must be expressed in soft and flowing forms of speech. Gloomy, solemn, vast, and majestic subjects require the use of slow measares and long words; brisk and lively sentiments, the reverse.

LESSON XC I.

CLEAR AND HARMONIOUS CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERIODIC

SENTENCE.

During the progress of a period the reader is in constant expectation of a meaning; in being gradually brought to the close, which is to complete this meaning, there should be nothing to retard the intellect, nor even to disappoint the ear. The whole period, as one expression, should no sooner terminate than its one meaning, growing out of the meaning of its several parts, should be readily and accu rately discovered.

In the following examples, these conditions of a wellconstructed period are violated, in different ways, and in different degrees.

Ex. 1.-"Men of the best sense have been touched, more or less, with these groundless horrors, and presages of futurity, on surveying the most indifferent works of nature."

This period divides at futurity into logical verb, and logical adverbial or prepositional clause. It will be improved by making these change places, so that the adverbial clause shall be the protasis, and the verb the apodosis, giving meaning to what, without such change, is comparatively meaningless. Thus, "On surveying, &c., men of the best sense," &c.

Ex. 2.—" Whether a choice altogether unexceptionable has been made in any country, seems doubtful."

Here the logical adverb, in any country, terminates the protasis with lagging effect: it would be better placed between the parts of the grammatical verb; thus, "has, in any country been made;" and, better still, before the whole of the logical verb contained in the protasis; thus, "Whether, in any country, a choice," &c.

Ex. 3.-" Gentleness ought to diffuse itself over our whole behavior, w form our address, and to regulate our speech."

The apodosis of this period, if we esteem it to begin after the word behavior, is a failure; for the last two clauses contain no meaning which was not included in the protasis, and they disappoint even the ear by their abruptness, as compared with the more flowing drift of what precedes. Recast, thus:

"Gentleness ought to form our address, to regulate our speech, and to diffuse itself over our whole behavior."

Ex. 4.-"Charity breathes long-suffering to our enemies, courtesy to atrangers, habitual kindness towards friends."

This example offends in the same way as the last; the natural order of circumstances will give the following arrangement:

"Charity breathes habitual kindness towards friends, courtesy to strangers, long-suffering to enemies."

It is true we miss, in this example, the flowing close, but we must not sacrifice a climax in sense for a climax in sound only. A better way of pronouncing the example than that indicated by the italics, will be to pause suspensively at charity, so as to make that single word the protasis, and all that follows, the apodosis.

Ex. 5.-"It is impossible continually to be at work."

Continually is so placed as to prevent the protasis from coming to a suspension with good effect, and the apodosis from being strong and pointed as a conclusion. Rhetoric, not grammar, teaches the following arrangement:

"It is impossible to be at work continually."

We say that grammar does not teach this arrangement, or how is it that the following example fails?

Ex. 6. "The heavenly bodies are in motion perpetually."

To obtain for this period a suitable protasis, the suspensive pause should be at bodies:

"The heavenly bodies are perpetually in motion."

The apodosis is now a logical verb, among the parts of which the adverb perpetually takes the place where we expect to find it. Ex. 7.-"It was a practice which no one knew the origin of."

"The happy message will, I hope, be applied to us, in all virtue, strength, and comfort of it."

The strong repugnance which writers of the last century had to closing a sentence with monosyllables, has, of late years, much

given way, the fact being that a monosyllabic preposition, or pronoun, so placed, reaches the ear and the understanding as a syllable of the word it follows, and not as a distinct word. Yet the taste generated by the old practice is still so strong that we must yield to it in examples like the foregoing, whenever the style is intended to be at all raised above the colloquial. Alter the apodosis, therefore, as follows: "of which no one knew the origin," "in all its virtue, strength, and comfort."

Ex. 8.-"Tranquillity, regularity, and magnanimity, reside with the religious and the resigned man."

To avoid these similar consecutive terminations in the protasis, change regularity for the equivalent word order; and to prevent two adjectives which begin with the same syllable from coming together in the apodosis, change religious into the equivalent word pious. These changes are sacrifices to the ear; and changes on the same account will often be proper when words, from whatever cause, join with inharmonious effect. Thus, it is more flowing to say, "sloth, ease, and prosperity," than "sloth, ease, and success;' and perhaps still better to avoid the consecutive monosyllables by saying, “idleness, ease, and prosperity." On a similar principle. it may be better, in the cadence or close of a period, to say, a strong, magnificent, Gothic edifice," than "a strong, grand, Gothic house." The point, however, is doubtful: to some persons the latter may appear much more expressive of the thing described; nor is it possible to oppose such a judgment by any plea except inere difference of taste.

LESSON XCII.

CLEAR AND HARMONIOUS STRUCTURE OF THE PERIODIC

SENTENCE.

EXERCISES ON THE PRECEDING LESSON.

Improve the following periods:

By redistributing, or changing the parts which obscure or injure the division into protasis or apodosis;

Or, by establishing a proper correspondence of one to the other;

Or, by placing in natural order the circumstances they should exhibit;

Or, by securing the harmonious flow or the forceful point, demanded for their perfection.

Let us endeavor to establish to ourselves an interest in Him, who holds the reins of the whole creation in his hands.

Philip the Fourth was obliged, at last, to conclude a peace, on terms repugnant to his inclination, to that of his people, to the interests of Spain, and to that of all Europe, in the Pyrenean treaty.

Some years afterwards, being released from prison, by reason of his consummate knowledge of civil law, and of military affairs, he was exalted to the supreme power.

It appears that there are, by a late calculation, nearly twenty-five mil lion of inhabitants in Great Britain and Ireland.

Were instruction an essential circumstance in epic poetry, it may be doubted whether a single instance could be given of this species of composition, in any language.

We came to our journey's end at last, with no small difficulty, after much fatigue, through deep roads and bad weather.

Virgil has justly contested with Homer the praise of judgment; but his invention remains yet unrivalled.

Let us employ our criticism on ourselves, instead of being critics on others. Let us implore superior assistance for enabling us to act our own part well, leaving others to be judged by Him who searcheth the heart.

The vehemence of passion, after it has exercised its tyrannical sway for a while, may subside by degrees.

For all your actions you must hereafter give an account, and particularly for the employments of youth.

Though religion will indeed bring us under some restraints, they are very tolerable; and not only so, but desirable on the whole.

This morning, when one of the gay females was looking over some hoods and ribbons brought by her tirewoman, with great care and diligence, I employed no less in examining the box that contained them.

He was taking a view, from a window of the cathedral, at Lichfield, where a party of royalists had fortified themselves.

Ambition creates seditions, wars, discord, hatred, and shyness.

Sloth pours upon us a deluge of crimes and other evils, and saps the foundation of every virtue.

He did every thing in his power to serve his benefactor, and had a grateful sense of the benefits received.

As the guilt of an officer will be greater than that of a common servant, if he prove negligent, so the reward of his fidelity will be greater proporionably.

The regular tenor of a virtuous and pious life, will prove the best pr paration for immortality, for old age, and death.