reader apprehend a candle is brought with no alternative but to be put under either a bushel, or a bed, his precise object will be to convey that apprehension to his hearers, in making the words emphatic*. If the reader apprehend the interrogation to be a real enquiry, concerning the bushel or the bed being fit places for a candle, he will have that for his precise object. Instead of idly supposing other objects in making these words emphatic, I observe, that although the note and construction of interrogation denote this to be a question, yet there is no actual enquiry, and no information is expected in reply. It is a figurative question, which is named by Rhetoricians Erotesis. In the above example, the form of a question is used to appeal to our every-day knowledge, and thus carry so powerful a conviction, that a candle is brought for quite another purpose as to claim the hearer's assent. With this apprehension of its meaning the reader's precise object will be to enforce

* Archbishop Whately has heard this passage read as if the candle must be placed under one, or the other. Rhet. 4th Ed. p. 350. Such a misreading might arise from inattention, in giving emphasis without having a precise object in

the negative of his appeal, in giving emphasis to those two words.

The whole verse is, "Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick ?" Mark iv. 21. The word candlestick in the latter question demands an emphasis. Instead of this question seeking for information it strongly declares what is well known, viz. that a candlestick is the place intended for a candle. This also is an example of the Rhetorical figure Erotesis. But here, the reader's precise object will be to enforce the affirmative of his appeal, in giving emphasis to the word candlestick.

The purpose of reading is to convey ideas and to express feeling: hence in figurative language the rhetorical form of speech must be subservient to the spirit which dictates its use. In the above example, the spirit of assertion assumes the form of interrogation, in order to thrust itself more conspicuously on the hearer's attention. `And in reading rhetorical figures, the reader must be constantly watchful to keep the spirit in view, this being the precise object in his application of emphasis.

These illustrations and remarks shew that the precise objects in view in giving emphases have re

ference to rhetorical considerations. From what has before been said, it will be perceived, that the precise objects in making words emphatic, are also in relation to logical and grammatical considerations. Thus, to give an example in reference to logical considerations take the proposition,

Truly God is loving unto Israel.

The precise object of making the word loving emphatic, is to declare the predicate loving, to be the feeling of God unto Israel.

In some cases, the precise object of the emphasis is to question the predicate of a proposition. And it requires but little skill in reading to know, that a doubt can be thrown on the proposition,

Truly God is loving unto Israel,

by making the word loving emphatic. Thus the proposition may have its predicate either declared or questioned, by giving emphasis to the word loving. This example will suffice to shew that the precise objects of emphases have reference to logical considerations.

The precise objects of emphases must also be considered in reference to grammatical considerations.

In the sentence, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," the precise object in view in making the word if emphatic is to enhance its grammatical function of expressing a condition. Take another example, the prefatory sentence, "When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive." The precise object in view in making the first word when emphatic, is to enhance its grammatical function. It is an adverb of time whose correlative then is understood as "when

the wicked man, &c. then he shall save his soul

...

alive." The object of the emphasis is to attract attention to the time at which he leaves his wickedness to do rightly, and thus to mark it to be the important time of saving his soul.

These examples are sufficient to shew that the precise objects of emphases have reference to grammatical considerations. Thus Rhetoric, Logic, and Grammar, are intimately connected with good reading, in considering the precise object to be kept in view in the application of emphases. Their connexion was before shewn in apprehending the occasions for emphases.

course.

The study of the occasions for emphases led to that of the precise objects in giving emphases, and this leads to the study of the material of emphases. Accent or stress of voice, is commonly thought to be the only existing means of emphases. The means however are not so limited, but extend to the employment of every vocal property which can distinguish one syllable from its fellows in disThe material is the voice, and every variety of Pitch, Loudness, Quality, and Duration, can be employed for that purpose. Thus take the vocal pitch; the path of the voice in the gamut during reading and speaking is both by sliding through and by skipping over its intervals. Now any deviation from the general course of intervals attracts attention, and thus gives emphasis to the syllable on which the deviation is made. When the speechmelody is in the diatonic scale the progression both of slide and skip is made by intervals of a tone: then the occurrence of wider intervals, as thirds, fourths, fifths, &c. whether slide or skip, produce emphases. And the occurrence of lesser intervals, as the semitone, will also confer emphases. Thus it is evident that the varieties under the distinctions of pitch, alone supply a vast fund of material