sion, upon the motives of Brutus and the rest; and it is only when he feels that he is making a favourable impression on the multitude, and 'stealing away their hearts,' that he ventures to unveil his thoughts, and to speak with irony, and finally in utter contempt, of the honourable men who have stabb'd Cæsar.' Bearing this hint in mind the student may, at this point of his progress, exercise himself with advantage on that celebrated piece of oratory.

MARK. When the determinate fifth in the closing phrase of a sentence is followed by other final words, the closing cadence on those final words is enfeebled and subdued by the predominance of the preceding determinate emphasis, and the closing cadence becomes a minor, or subdued cadence.

THE MINOR OR SUBDUED CADENCE.

This is a cadence in which the closing word or words of the sentence lose their full cadence by the dominance of some strongly emphatic word immediately preceding them, on which the whole force is expended, and the closing word or words, which would otherwise have the cadence of repose, are subdued in force and pitch by the preceding emphasis; and fall only a di-tone.

Thus, if a speaker wished to impress his hearers with an idea of the multitude of an opposing or invading force, using the words, It was an innumerable army, he would put a strong emphasis with downward fifth on the adjective, and the noun following would merely fall from his tongue on a tone below, audible indeed and distinct, but not marked.

It is just on the same principle that two accented or heavy syllables cannot be pronounced in succession without intermission: so two words in succession cannot be made emphatic without a rest between them and a considerable effort. In the case, therefore, of this emphatic adjective, the noun which follows loses its force, and is a mere adjunct, finishing the cadence

feebly by the descent of a di-tone; thus marked

So such phrases as the following, given emphatically, would come under the law of emphatic fifth on the adjective, and cause a subdued or minor cadence on the noun.

He made a tremendous effort.
It was an unparalleled proceeding.
He made a triumphant entry.

It was a loathsome herd.

He made a most elaborate argument.
It was an atrocious crime!

This same emphasis and subdued or minor cadence of the di-tone has place in the repetition of a phrase with a new governing word attached to it, as:

If you show mercy you shall receive mercy.

The repeated phrase, viz., mercy, is called the pronominal phrase, because a pronoun (it) might have been used instead of the repeated

noun; and such pronominal phrase having no force receives the same subdued or minor cadence that the pronoun, if used, would have; thus: If you show mercy you shall receive it.

So take as a

Rule.

Pronominal phrase has the subdued or minor cadence of the di-tone only: the force is exhausted on the emphatic verb or other word that precedes it.

And the emphasis is to be known as the emphasis with pronominal or minor phrase.

Examples.

I put the pronominal or minor phrases in brackets because they have no weight or importance.

Your unexampled kindess merits [kindness].
Your cruelty provokes [cruelty].

God said, Let there be light; and there was [light].

Genesis i.

MINOR PHRASES READ AS PRONOMINAL.

He spoke wisely and [he spoke] truly.

It was truly said, and wisely [said].

If we live in the spirit let us also walk [in the spirit].

In the case of a question, such as:

Is that your firm opinion?

your answer being :

It is [my-firm-opinion],

the pronominal phrase would be subdued and di-tonic in cadence; but if you wished to impress the hearer with the force of your settled opinion, you would emphasise the adjective thus :

It is my firm [opinion].

Now I would have you fully understand and appreciate this emphasis precedent and this subdued cadence of the minor or pronominal phrase. Practise with that view the following

Exercise.

What course shall we adopt and what likelihood is there that our constituents will approve that course?

Macbeth. If we should fail?

Lady Macbeth. But screw your courage to the sticking point,

And we'll not fail.

We do pray for mercy :

SHAKSPEARE, Act i.

And that same prayer doth teach us all

To render the deeds of mercy.

SHAKSPEARE.

If your weakness is such that you cannot resist temptation, you must take care not to expose your weakness to temptation.

He that loves the sword shall perish by the sword.