Problem LV.

Practise selections with simple conversational flexibility, also practise the same extract in a variety of ways, with changes in point of view, situation, and purpose.

234 TWIST ye, twine ye! even so, mingle shades of joy and woe, Hope and fear and peace and strife, in the thread of human life. From "Guy Mannering."

235. A MODEST WIT.

A SUPERCILIOUS nabob of the east, haughty, being great, purse-proud, being rich, a governor, or general, at the least, I have forgotten which, had in his family a humble youth, who went from England in his patron's suite, an unassuming boy, and in truth a lad of decent parts and good repute. This youth had sense and spirit; but yet, with all his sense, excessive diffidence obscured his merit.

One day at table, flushed with pride and wine, his honor, proudly free, severely merry, conceived it would be vastly fine to crack a joke upon his secretary. "Young man," he said, “by what art, craft, or trade did your father gain a livelihood?" "He was a saddler, sir," Modestus said, "and in his time was reckoned good." "A saddler, eh! and taught you Greek instead of teaching you to sew! Pray why did your father not make a saddler of you?"

Each parasite then, as in duty bound, the joke applauded, and the laugh went round. At length Modestus, bowing low, said (craving pardon if too free he made), "Sir, by your leave, I fain would know your father's trade." "My father's trade! By heaven, that's too bad! My father's trade? Why, blockhead, are you mad? My father, sir, did never stoop so low, he was a gentleman, I'd have you know." "Excuse the liberty I take," Modestus said, with archness on his brow, "Pray, why did not your father make a gentleman of you?"

236 Hamlet. O THAT this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!

Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd

His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!

Fie on't! O fie! 'tis an unweeded garden

That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
But two months dead! nay, not so much, not two;
So excellent a king; that was, to this,

Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother,
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown

By what it fed on; and yet, within a month,

Let me not think on 't, — Frailty, thy name is woman!—

A little month! or ere those shoes were old

With which she follow'd my poor father's body,

Like Niobe, all tears;-why she, even she,

O God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mourned longer,—married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father

Than I to Hercules; within a month,

Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good!—

But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue!
Enter HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and BERNARDO.
Horatio. Hail to your lordship!
Hamlet.

Horatio, or I do forget myself.

I am glad to see you well;

Horatio. The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever. Hamlet. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name with you; And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?

Hamlet. I am very glad to see you. (To Bernardo.) Good even, sir.

But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg?

Horatio. A truant disposition, good my lord.
Hamlet. I would not hear your enemy say so,

Nor shall you do mine ear that violence,
To make it truster of your own report
Against yourself; I know you are no truant.

But what is your affair in Elsinore?

We'll teach you to drink deep ere you depart.

Horatio. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral.

Hamlet. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student;

I think it was to see my mother's wedding.

Horatio. Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.

Hamlet. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral baked-meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven

Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio:

My father, methinks I see my father.

Horatio.

Where, my lord?

Hamlet. In my mind's eye, Horatio.

Horatio. I saw nim-once, he was a goodly king.
Hamlet. He was a man, take him for all in all,

I shall not look upon his like again.

Horatio. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.
Hamlet. Saw! who?

Horatio. My lord, the king, your father.

Hamlet.

The king my father!

Horatio. Season your admiration for a while

With an attent ear, till I may deliver,

Upon the witness of these gentlemen,

This marvel to you.

Horatio. Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch,

In the dead vast and middle of the night,

Been thus encounter'd. A figure like your father,

Armed at point exactly, càp-a-pé,

Appears before them, and with solemn march

Goes slow and stately by them; thrice he walk'd
By their oppress'd and fear-surprised eyes,

Within his truncheon's length; whilst they, distill'd
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,

Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me

In dreadful secrecy impart they did;

And I with them the third night kept the watch;

Where, as they had deliver'd, both in time,
Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
The apparition comes: I knew your father;

These hands are not more like.

Hamlet.

But where was this?

Marcellus. My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd. Hamlet. Did you not speak to it?

Horatio.

My lord, I did;

But answer made it none; yet once methought
It lifted up its head, and did address

Itself to motion, like as it would speak:

But even then the morning cock crew loud,
And at the sound it shrunk in haste away,

And vanish'd from our sight.

Hamlet.

'Tis very strange.

Horatio. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true; And we did think it writ down in our duty

To let you know of it.

Hamlet. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me.

Hold you the watch to-night?

Marcellus and Bernardo. We do, my lord.

Hamlet. Arm'd, say you?

Marcellus and Bernardo. Arm'd, my lord.

Hamlet.

From top to toe?

Marcellus and Bernardo. My lord, from head to foot.

Hamlet. Then saw you not his face?

Horatio. O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up.

Hamlet. What, look'd he frowningly?

Horatio.

In sorrow than in anger.

Hamlet.

A countenance more

Pale, or red?

And fix'd his eyes upon you?

I would I had been there.

Horatio. Nay, very pale.
Hamlet.

Horatio. Most constantly.
Hamlet.

Horatio. It would have much amazed you.

Hamlet. Very like, very like. Stay'd it long?

Horatio. While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.

Marcellus and Bernardo. Longer, longer.

Horatio. Not when I saw't.

Hamlet.

His beard was grizzled! no?

Horatio. It was as I have seen it in his life, A sable silver'd.

Hamlet. If it assume my noble father's person,
I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape
And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all,
If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight,
Let it be tenable in your silence still;
And whatsoever else shall hap to-night,
Give it an understanding, but no tongue,
I will requite your loves. So fare you well;
Upon the platform 'twixt eleven and twelve
I'll visit you.

Hamlet. Your loves, as mine to you; farewell.
My father's spirit in arms! all is not well;

I doubt some foul play; would the night were come!
Till then sit still, my soul; foul deeds will rise,

Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes.

[Exeunt.

[Exit.

Shakespeare.

XXIX. INTERVALS OF PITCH.

ANOTHER element of conversational form which is less often

recognized, but which is very important, is changes of pitch between words or phrases. Intervals are the most variable and free element of delivery, and hence their function or meaning is the most difficult to define.

Probably the first meaning observed is that which has already been found; it simply shows a change or departure of the mind from conception to conception. It shows also animation or exultation of any kind; it reveals, too, a change of feeling, or point of view, or degree of control.

Note, for example, in the following extract how 'bower,' 'sky,' 'winter,' and the objects of attention are by joyous exultation put in different parts of the voice.

237 SWEET bird! thy bower is ever green, thy sky is ever clear;

Thou hast no sorrow in thy song, no winter in thy year!

Oh! could I fly, I'd fly with thee! we'd make, with joyful wing, Our annual visit o'er the globe, attendants on the spring. "To the Cuckoo."

Logan.