by the holy flame that glows on the altar of God; A glowing and ardent writer often falls into a style of composition, in which words are employed with an intensive meaning. A reader who fails to sympathize with the deep earnestness of such composition, is apt to omit the intensive emphasis which is required. The principle of this emphasis, will be made clear by the following facts in regard to language. In every tongue, there is a class of words which have either an intense meaning in themselves, or indicate that those which they qualify, are used intensively. The most common in English, are: even, very, and self; the adverbs at all, altogether, only, solely, wholly, and universally; the pronouns whatever and whosoever, when placed after their nouns; and, occasionally, adjectives in the superlative degree. The intensive emphasis indicated by the word even, is almost always effected by a strong falling inflexion; and it will be found a useful rule to employ such an inflexion, whenever this word occurs; or whenever it would be allowable to introduce it, for the sake of setting forth the full force of a passage. Sometimes, indeed, a circumflex takes the place of a simple falling slide; but, in such cases, the first or downward slide, indicates the intensive force, and the rising, the suspension of the sense. The first example which we furnish, has its intensive emphases indicated by even, by the word whole, and by a superlative degree. will, regularly, fall to hands much more able to sustain it. The slightest glance, however, must convince us, that mechanical power, and mechanical skill, as they are now exhibited, in Europe and America, mark an epoch in human history, worthy of all admiration. WEBSTER. Our next extract owes the whole of its peculiar force and significancy to intensive words, which require a correspondent style of emphasis. |