A long syllable generally requires double the time of a short one in pronouncing it; thus, Māte and note, should be pronounced as slowly again as, Măt and not.

Section 3.-Of Emphasis.

BY EMPHASIS is meant a stronger and fuller sound of voice, by which we distinguish some word or words on which we design to lay a particular stress, and to show how they affect the rest of the sentence.. Sometimes the emphatic words must be distinguished by a particular tone of voice, as well as by a greater stress.

Section 4.-Of Pauses.

PAUSES OF RESTS in speaking and reading, are a total cessation of the voice, during a perceptible, and in many cases, a measurable space of time,

Section 5.-Of Tones.

TONES are different both from emphasis and pauses, consisting in the modulation of the voice, the notes or variations which we employ in the expression of our sentiments.

OF VERSIFICATION. VERSIFICATION is the arrangement of a certain number and variety of syllables according to certain laws.

RHYME is the correspondence of the last sound of one verse, to the last sound of another.

OF POETICAL FEET.

A certain number of syllables connected, form a foot. They are called feet, because it is by their aid, that the voice as it were, steps along through the verse in a measured pace.

All feet used in poetry, consist either of two, or of three syllables; and

are reducible to eight kinds; four of two syllables, and four of three, as

A Trochee has the first syllable accented, and the last unaccented; as, Hateful péttish.

An Iambus has the first syllable unaccented, and the latter accented; as, Bětray, consist.

A Spondee has both the words or syllables accented; as, The pale

moon.

A Pyrrhic has both the words or syllables unaccented; as, on the tall

tree.

A Dactyl has the first syllable accented, and the two latter, unaccented ; as, Lāboŭrĕr, póssiblě.

An Amphibrach has the first and last syllables unaccented, and the middle one accented; as, Dělightful, do

méstic.

An Anapæst has the two first syllables unaccented, and the last accented; as, Contrăvēne, acquiésce..

A.Tribrach has all its syllables unaccented; as, Numerable, cónquerable.

Some of these may be denominated: principal feet; as pieces of poetry may be wholly or chiefly formed of any of them. Such are the Iambus, Trochee, Dactyl, and Anapæst. The others may be termed secondary feet; because their chief use is to diversify the numbers and to improve the verse.

PUNCTUATION.

PUNCTUATION is the art of dividing a written composition into sentences, by points or stops, for the purpose of making the different pauses which the sense, and an accurate pronunciation require.

The Comma represents the shortest pause; the Semicolon, a pause double that of the comma; the Colon double that of the semicolon; and the Period double that of the colon.

OF THE COMMA,

The Comma usually separates those parts of a sentence, which, though very closely connected in sense and construction, require a pause between