words are more forcibly pronounced than the particles and and the, and even than the word conftitution: for as this word comes immediately after the emphatic word indifferent, and is, by the very import of the emphasis, in fome meafure understood, it finks into the fame degree of obfcurity with the particles, and cannot be raifed from this obfcurity without diminishing the force of the emphatic word itself.

If it should be asked what degree of force are we to give to thefe obfcure words, it may be anfwered, juft that force which we give to the unaccented fyllables of words; fo that two words, one accented and the other not, are to the ear exactly like one word; thus the words, even an indifferent conftitution, are founded like a word of eleven fyllables, with the accent on the fifth. For a full explication of the relative force of words, fee Rhetorical Grammar, p. 97.

This brings us to a threefold distinction of words with regard to the force with which they are pronounced; namely, the conjunctions, particles, and words understood, which are obfcurely and feebly pronounced; the fubftantives, verbs, and more fignificant words, which are firmly and diftinctly pronounced; and the emphatical word, which is forcibly pronounced: it is the laft of these only which can be properly styled emphafis; and it is to a difcovery of the nature and caufe of this emphasis, that all our attention ought to be directed.

And first we may observe, that if these diftinctions are juft, the common definition of emphasis is very faulty. Emphafis is faid to be a ftrefs laid on one or more words to diftinguifh them from others: but this definition, as we

have juft feen, makes almost every word in a fentence emphatical, and, at the fame time, confounds the diftinction between words which have force from a peculiarity of meaning, and those which have force from having only a general meaning, or more meaning than the particles. Here then we must endeavour to inveftigate a jufter definition; fuch a one as will enable us to diftinguish words which are really emphatical, from those which are only pronounced with common force: for, as the ingenious author above mentioned has obferved, thefe latter words may fometimes be forcibly, and sometimes feebly pronounced, without any importance to the fenfe, as has been fhown in the last example but one; but the former, that is, fuch words as are truly emphatical, must always have their juft degree of force and energy, or the fenfe will be manifeftly injured: this Emphasis of sense, therefore, ought to be the first object of inquiry.

The principal circumftance that distinguishes emphatical words from others, feems to be a meaning which points out, or distinguishes, something as diftinct or oppofite to fome other thing. When this oppofition is expreffed in words, it forms an antithefis, the oppofite parts of which are always emphatical. Thus in the following couplet from Pope:

'Tis hard to fay, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill.

The words writing and judging are opposed to each other, and are therefore the emphatical words where we may likewife obferve, that the disjunctive or, by which the antithefis is

.connected, means one of the things exclufively of the other. The fame may be observed in another couplet from the fame author; where one branch of the antithefis is not expreffed, but understood:

Get wealth and place, if poffible with grace,

If not by any means get wealth and place.

Here it appears evidently, that the words any means, which are the most emphatical, are directly opposed to the means understood by the word grace, and the last line is perfectly equivalent to this: If not by these means, by any other means, get wealth and place.

In these inftances, the oppofition suggested by the emphatical word is evident at first fight; in other cafes, perhaps, the antithefis is not quite fo obvious; but if an emphafis can be laid on any word, we may be affured that word is in antithefis with fome meaning agreeable to the general fenfe of the paffage.

To illuftrate this, let us pronounce a line of Marcus in Cato, where, expreffing his indignation at the behaviour of Cæfar, he says,

I'm tortur'd ev'n to madness, when I think

Of the proud victor

And we shall find the greatest stress fall naturally on that word, which feems oppofed to fome common or general meaning; for the young hero does not fay, in the common and unemphatic fenfe of the word think, that he is tortured even to madnefs when he thinks on Cæfar; but in the ftrong and emphatic fenfe of this word, which implies, not only when I hear or difcourfe of him, but even when I think of bim, I am tortured even to madnefs. As the word

think therefore rifes above the common level of fignification, it is pronounced above the common level of found; and as this fignification is opposed to a fignification lefs forcible, the word may be properly faid to be emphatical.

This more than ordinary meaning, or a meaning opposed to fome other meaning, feems to be the principal fource of emphasis; for if, as in the laft inftance, we find the words will bear this oppofition to their common fignification, we may be fure they are emphatical; this will be still more evident from another example:

By the faculty of a lively and picturesque imagination, a man in a dungeon is capable of entertaining himself with scenes and landskips, more beautiful than any that can be found in the whole compafs of nature. Spectator, N° 411.

If we read this paffage without that emphasis which the word dungeon requires, we enervate the meaning, and scarcely give the sense of the author; for the import plainly is, that a lively imagination, not merely abfent from beautiful fcenes, but even in a dungeon, can form Scenes more beautiful than any in nature.

This plenitude of meaning in a particular word, is not always fo prominent as to be difcernible by a common reader; but wherever it really exifts, the general meaning of the author is greatly enforced by emphatically pointing it Let us take an example:

out.

Steele begins one of his letters in the Spectator with the following fentence:

I have very often lamented, and hinted my forrow in several fpeculations, that the art of painting is fo little made use of, to the improvement of our manners. Spect. No 226.

As in this fentence, which is the firft in the

effay it is taken from, we find a new and important object introduced; fo, if we do not pronounce it with emphasis, it will not be fufficiently noticed. The word painting, as it ftands' in this fentence, may very well be fuppofed to be in contraft with other arts, which, though often used for the improvement of manners, are, perhaps, not fo conducive to that end, as this particular art: this antithefis is perfectly understood if the word painting is made emphatical, but entirely loft if it is pronounced feebly: nay, fliding it over without emphafis, will fuppofe the hearer pre-acquainted with the fubject to be treated, contrary to what is really the cafe this will be ftill more apparent by pronouncing it both ways; firft, without the proper ftrefs on the word painting, and afterwards with it.

I have very often lamented, and hinted my forrow in feveral fpeculations, that the art of painting is fo little made ufe of to the improvement of our manners.

I have very often lamented, and hinted my forrow in several fpeculations, that the art of painting is fo little made ufe of to the improvement

of

our manners.

In these instances we find every emphatical word placed in oppofition, as it were, to fome meaning which it feems to exclude.

Wherever the contrariety or oppofition is expreffed, we are at no lofs for the emphatical words; the greatest difficulty in reading, lies in a discovery of thofe words which are in oppofition to fomething not expreffed, but understood; and the best method to find the emphafis in these sentences, is to take the word we suppose to be emphatical, and try whether it will admit of those words being fupplied