1. Privilege of the House of Commons. I am not bound to prove a negative, but I appeal to the English History, when I affirm that, with the exceptions already stated (which yet I might safely relinquish), there is no precedent, from the year 1265 to the death of Queen Elizabeth, of the House of Commons having imprisoned any man (not a member of their house) for contempt or breach of privilege. In the most flagrant cases, and when their acknowledged privileges were most grossly violated, the poor Commons, as they styled themselves, never took the power of punishment into their own hands They either sought redress by petition to the king, or, what is more remarkable, applied for justice to the House of Lords; and when satisfaction was denied them or delayed, their only remedy was to refuse proceeding with the king's business.-Junius. 2. The Good Effects of Rational Education. Tell me, I said to the excellent old man, what particular steps you took in your daughter's early days to lay the foundation of her noble and delightful character. "In care, reproof, correction, and encouragement," he replied, "my wife and myself (as all parents should) resolved to act, and ever acted, in perfect concert. We early taught our child submission to ourselves, assured that otherwise we should be able to teach her nothing. We endeavoured always to understand ourselves, what we wished our child to understand; to be ourselves what we would have her be; to do ourselves what we would have her practice. We were especially careful that with all religious instruction (you know my own sentiments) she should imbibe a spirit of universal candour, goodness, and charity; as far from the wildness of enthusiasm as from the narrowness of superstition and bigotry. We always addressed her understanding, and treated her as a rational creature ; we encouraged her inquiries, and used her betimes to think and to reason. We represented vice in its true colours, which are the most odious, and virtue in her proper form of beauty and loveliness. We were espe cially diligent to give her a deep sense of truth and integrity; and an abhorrence of all manner of falsehood, fraud, craft, subterfuge, and dissimulation, as base, dishonourable, and highly displeasing to the Allwise; and, convinced of the countless evils which attend the female sex, from their passion for dress and show, we never deceived her into a wrong opinion of herself by gaudy external ornaments; for if we had, how could we have excused ourselves?"-Dodd. 3. The Mistress of the Dame's School. Pleas'd with our gay disports, the dame was wont When tir'd with play, we'd set us by her side 4. Zetland Isles. H. Kirke White. In vain,- -no Isleman now can use the tongue Loved for its own delight the strife of swords; (Such was the mien, as Scald or minstrel sings 5. Appeal to British Loyalty. Come ye,-who, if (which Heaven avert) the land Come ye-whate'er your creed ;-O waken all, 6. Foolish Extravagance in Dress. The rural lass, Whom once her virgin modesty and grace, Cowper. 7. The Storm. The brooklet rav'd, for on the hills De Vaux, within his mountain cave Each faculty of soul, Till, lull'd by distant sound, And the sad winds that whistled round, 'Twas then was heard a heavy sound Walter Scott. XVI.-Pause and Inflections, with Modulation of Voice, requiring some degree of Force. EXCLAMATION, COMMAND, AND APOSTROPHE. I.-Exclamation denotes those emotions of the mind which are commonly connected with surprise or strongly excited feeling. The sign of Exclamation is (!). The repetition of a subject in an exclamatory form is usually termed its Echo; it not unfrequently gives a kind of exclamatory character to an Interrogation. Exclamations, expressive of the lighter and more pleasing emotions, are accompanied with the rising inflection, and such degree of force as the subject naturally requires. Echo also takes the rising inflection, and heightens the tone of voice. Exclamations of the graver and more deeply emotional character, take the falling inflection. II.-Command, particularly when expressed with energy, raises the voice, and always requires some degree of force. Generally, the word most strongly emphasized takes the rising inflection; but there are many exceptions to this rule. III.-Apostrophe is either one of the flights of poetry, or an expression of strongly excited feeling. It addresses an absent person as if present, or an inanimate thing as if living. It breaks off, sometimes abruptly, from the direct tenour of the discourse, and when judiciously introduced, gives great effect to eloquence. It is read with such modulation and force of voice, and such pauses and inflections, as the address would require, if spoken to a living person; but always in such manner as to indicate a greater intensity of feeling. SIMULTANEOUS EXERCISES. Exclamation. 1. How many clear marks of benevolent intention' appear' everywhere around' us! What a profusion of beauty' and ornament' is poured forth on the face of nature'! What a magnificent' spectacle' is presented to the view of man'! what a variety of objects' set before him, to gratify his senses - to employ his understanding', to entertain his imagination', to cheer and gladden' his heart'! Indeed', - the very existence of the universe is a standing' memorial' of the goodness of the Creator'! 2. What a piece of work' is man'! How noble' in reason'! how infinite' in faculties'! in form' and moving', how express and admirable'! in action', how like an angel'! in apprehension', how like God'!" |