"Who kill'd Cock Robin?I said the sparrow,With my bow and arrow;I kill'd Cock Robin."
Of the neglect of this rule also, the ballad lately mentioned presents an instance: as,
"Four-and-twenty brisk young fellowsClad in jackets, blue array,—And they took poor Billy TaylorFrom his true love all avay."
The only verb in these four lines is the verb took, which is governed by the pronoun they. The four-and-twenty brisk young fellows, therefore, though undeniably in the nominative, have no verb to belong to: while, at the same time, whatever may be thought of their behavior to Mr. William Taylor, they are certainly not absolute in point of case.
When a verb comes between two nouns, either of which may be taken as the subject of the affirmation, it may agree with either of them: as, "Two-and-six-pence is half-a-crown." Due regard, however, should be paid to that noun which is most naturally the subject of the verb: it would be clearly wrong to say, "Ducks and green peas is a delicacy."
"Fleas is a nuisance."
A nominative case, standing without a personal tense of a verb, and being put before a participle, independently of the rest of the sentence, is called a case absolute: as, "My brethren, to-morrow being Sunday, I shallpreach a sermon in John street; after which we shall join in a hymn, and that having been sungy Brother Biggs will address you."
The objective case is sometimes incorrectly made absolute by showmen and others: as, "Here, gentlemen and ladies, you will see that great warrior Napoleon Bonaparte, standing agin a tree with his hands in his breeches pockets, him taking good care to keep out of harm's vay. And there, on the extreme right, you will observe the Duky Vellingtdn a valking about amidst the red-hot cannon balls, him not caring von straw."
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Two or more singular nouns, joined together by a copulative conjunction, expressed, or understood are equivalentto a plural noun, and therefore require verbs, nouns, and pronouns, agreeing with them in the plural number: as, "Veal, wine, and vinegar are very good victuals I vow."
"Burke and Hare were nice men."
"A hat without a crown, a tattered coat, threadbare and out at elbows, a pair of breeches which looked like a piece of dirty patchwork diversified by various holes, and of boots which a Jew would hardly have raked from a kennel, at once proclaimed him a man who had seen better days."
This rule is not always adhered to in discourse quite so closely as a fastidious ear would require it to be: as, "And so, you know, Mary, and I, and Jane was a dusting the chairs, and in comes Missus."
When the conjunction disjunctive comes between two nouns, the verb, noun, or pronoun, is of the singular number, because it refers to each of such nouns taken separately: as, "A cold in the head, or a sore eye is a great disadvantage to a lover."
If singular pronouns, or a noun and pronoun of different persons, be disjunctively connected, the verb must agree with the person which stands nearest to it; as, "I or thou art."
"Thou or I am"
"I, thou, or he is" &c. But as this way of writing or speaking is very inelegant, and as saying, "Either I am, or thou art," and so on, will always render having recourse to it unnecessary, the rule just laid down is almost useless, except inasmuch as it suggests a moral maxim, namely, "Always be on good terms with your next door neighbor."
It also forcibly reminds us of some beautiful lines by
Moore,in which the heart, like a tendril, is said to twine round the "nearest and loveliest thing." Now the person which is placed nearest the verb is the object of choice; ergo, the most agreeable person—ergo, the loveliest person or thing.
Should a conjunction disjunctive occur between a singular noun or pronoun, and a plural one, the verb agrees with the plural noun or pronoun: as, "Neither a king nor his courtiers are averse to butter:" (particularly when thickly spread.) "Darius or the Persians were hostile to Greece."
A noun or multitude, that is, one which signifies many, can have a verb or Pronoun to agree with it either in the singular or plural number; according to the import of such noun, as conveying unity or plurality of idea: as, "The nations humbugged."
"The multitude have to pay many taxes."
"The city Council are at a loss to know what to do."
"The people is a many headed monster."
Pronouns agree with their antecedents, and with the nouns to which they belong, in gender and number: as, "This is the blow which killed Ned."
"England was once governed by a celebrated King, who was called Rufus the Red, but whose name was by no means so illustrious as that of Alfred."
"General M. and the Lieutenant had put on their boots."
"The lady appeared, and she smiled, but the smile belied her feelings."
The relative being of the same person with the antecedent,the verb always agrees with it: as,
"Thou who learnest Syntax"
"I who enlighten thy mind."
The objective case of the personal pronouns is by some, for want of better information, employed in the place of these and those: as,
"Let them things alone."
"Now then, Jemes, make haste with them chops." The adverb there, is sometimes, with additional impropriety, joined to the pronoun them: as,
"Look after them there sheep."
The objective case of a pronoun in the first person is put after the interjections Oh! and Ah! as,
"Oh! dear me," &c.
The second person, however, requires a nominative case: as,
"Oh! you good-for-nothing man!"
"Ah! thou gay Lothario!"
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Whenthere is no nominative case between the relative and the verb, the relative itself is the nominative to the verb: as, "The master who flogged us."
"The rods which were used."
But when the nominative comes between the relative and the verb, the relative exchanges, as it were, the character of sire for that of son, and becomes the governed instead of the governor; depending for its case | on some word in its own member of the sentence: as, "He who is now at the head of affairs, whom the people delight to honor, and to whom is intrusted the helm of state—is a Polk."
The relative and the verb, when the former is preceded by two nominatives of different persons, may agree in person with either, according to the sense: as,
"I am the young gentleman who do the lovers at the Chatham;" or, "who does."
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Let this maxim be borne constantly in mind. "A murderer of good characters should always be made an example of."
Every adjective, and every adjective pronoun, relates to a substantive, expressed or implied: as, "Dando was an unprincipled, as well as a voracious man."
"Few quarrel with their bread and butter;" that is, "few persons."
"This is the wonderful eagle of the sun." That is, "This eagle" &c.
Adjective pronouns agree in number with their substantives: "This muff, these muffs; that booby, these boobies; another numscull, other numsculls."
Somepeople say, "Those kind of things," or, "This four-and-twenty year," neither of which expressions they have any business to use.
Adjectives are sometimes improperly used as adverbs: as, "He behaved very bad."
"He insulted me most gross."
"He eat and drank uncommon."
"He wur beat very severe."
"It hailed tremendous" or, more commonly, "tremenjus."
The article a or an agrees with nouns in the singular number only: as, "A fool, an ass, a simpleton, a ninny,a lout—I would not give a farthing for a thousand such."
The definite article the may agree with nouns in the singular and plural number: as, "The toast, the ladies, the ducks."
The articles are often properly omitted; when used, they serve to determine or limit the thing spoken of: as, "Variety is charming."
"Familiarity doth breed contempt."
"A stitch in time saves nine."
"The heart that has truly loved never forgets."
One substantive, in the possessive or genitive case, is governed by another, of a different meaning: as, "A fiddle-stick's end."
"Monkey's allowance."
"Virtue's reward."
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Active verbs govern the objective case: as, "I kissed her."
"She scratched me"
"Virtue rewards her followers."
Forwhich reason she is like a cook.
Verbs neuter do not govern an objective case. Observe, therefore, that such phrases: as,
"She cried a good one,"
"He came the old soldier over me,"
and so forth, are highly improper in a grammatical point of view, to say nothing of other objections to them.
These verbs, however, are capable of governing words of a meaning similar to their own: as, in the affecting ballad of Giles Scroggins—
"I wont, she cried, and screamed a scream"
The verb To Be has the same case after it as that which goes before it: as, "It was I" not "It was me"
"The Grubbs were they who eat so much tripe at our last party not "The Grubbses were them."
One verb governs another that depends upon it, in the infinitive mood: as, "Cease to smoke pipes."
"Begin to wear collars."
"I advise you to shave"
"I recommend you to go to church."
"I resolved to visit the Carolinas."
"And there I learned to wheel about And jump Jim Crow."
In general the preposition to is used before the latter of two verbs; but sometimes it is more properly omitted: as, "I saw you take it, young fellow; come along with me."
"Let me get hold of you, that's all!"
"Did I hear you speak?"
"I'll let you know!"
"You dare not hit me."
"Bid me discourse"
"You need not sing"
The proposition for is sometimes unnecessarily intruded into a sentence, in addition to the preposition to, before an infinitive mood: as, How came you for to think,for to go, for to do such a thing?" Do you want me for to punch your head?"
Adjectives, substantives, and participles, often govern the infinitive mood: as, "Miss Hopkins, I shall be happy to dance the next set with you."
"Oh! Sir, it is impossible to refuse you."
"Have you an inclination to waltz?"
"I shall be delighted in endeavoring to do so."
The infinitive mood is frequently made absolute, that is, independent of the rest of the sentence: as, "To say the truth, I was rather the worse for liquor."
"Not to mince matters, Miss, I love you."
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Therelation which words and phrases bear to each other in point of time, should always be duly marked: instead of saying, "Last night I intended to have made strong love to her," we should say, "Last night I intended to make strong love to her;" because, although the intention of making strong love may have been abandoned (on reflection) this morning, and is now, therefore, a thing which is past, yet it is undoubtedly, when last night and the thoughts connected with it are brought back, again present to the mind.
Participles have the same power of government with that of the verbs from which they are derived: as,
"Oh, what an exquisite singer Rubini is! I am so fond of hearing him."
"Look at that horrid man; I declare he is quizzing us!"
"No, he is only taking snuff."
"See, how that thing opposite keeps making mouths."
"How fond they all are of wearing mustaches! Don't you like it?"
"Oh, yes! there is no resisting them."
"Heigho! I am dying to have an ice—"
Young man for a husband, Miss?For shame, Sir! don't be rude!
Participles are sometimes used as substantives: as, "The French mouth is adapted to the making of grimaces."
"The cobbler is like the parson; he lives by the mending of soles."
"The tailor reaps a good harvest from the sewing of cloth."
"Did you ever see a shoot-ing of the moon?"
Is this what the witches mean when they sing, in the acting play of Macbeth,
"We fly by night?"
Ifthey "shoot the moon," they are shooting stars. There is a mode of using the indefinite article a before a participle, for which there is no occasion, as it does not convert the participle into a substantive, and makes no alteration in the sense of what is said; in this case the article, therefore, is like a wart, a wen, or a knob at the end of the nose, neither useful nor ornamental: as, "Going out a shooting."
"Are you a coming to-morrow?"
"I was a thinking about what Jem said."
"Here you are, a going of it, as usual!" A liberty not unfrequently taken with the English Language, is the substitution of the perfect participle for the imperfect tense, and of the imperfect tense for the perfect participle: as, "He run like mad, with the great dog after him."
"Maria come and told us all about it."
"When I had wrote the Valentine, I sealed it with my thimble."
"He has rose to (be) a common* councilman."
"I was chose Lord Mayor."
"I've eat (or a eat) lots of vension in my time."
"I should have spoke if you hadn't put in your oar."
"You were mistook."
"He sent her an affecting copy of verses, which was wrote with a Perryian pen."
Adverbs are generally placed in a sentence before adjectives, after verbs active or neuter, and frequently between the auxiliary and the verb: as, "He came, Sir, and he was most exceedingly drunk; he could hardly stand upon his legs; he made a very lame discourse; he spoke incoherently and ridiculously; and was impatiently heard by the whole assembly."
"He is fashionably dressed."
"She is conspicuously ugly."
"The eye ofjealousy is proverbially sharp, and yet it is indisputiably green"
"The French Marquis was a very charming man; he danced exquisitely and nimbly, and was greatly admired by all the ladies."
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Several adverbs have been coined of late; and some of them are very remarkable for a "particular" elegance: as, "I reckon you're catawampously chawed up." In the example just given there is to be found, besides the new adverb, a word which, if not also new to theEnglish student, is rendered so both by its orthography and pronunciation; namely,chawed. This term is no other than "chewed," modified. "Chawed up" is a very strong expression, and is employed to signify the most complete state of discomfiture and defeat, when a man is as much crushed, mashed, and comminuted, morally speaking, as if he had literally and corporeally undergone the process of mastication. "Catawampously" is a concentration of "hopelessly," "tremendously," "thoroughly," and "irrevocably;" so that "catawampously chawed up," means, brought as nearly to a state of utter annihilation as anything consistently with the laws of nature can possibly be. For the metaphorical use of the word "chawed," three several reasons have been given: 1. Familiarity with the manner in which the alligator disposes of his vie-tims. 2. The cannibalism of the Aborigines. 3. The delicate practice of chewing tobacco. Each of these is supported by numerous arguments, on the consideration of which it would be quite out of the question to enter in this place.
Two English negatives (like French lovers) destroy one another,—and become equivalent to an affirmative: as, "The question before the House was not an unimportant one;" that is, "it was an important one."
"Mr. Brown was free to confess that he did not undertake to say that he would not on some future occasion give a satisfactory answer to the honorable gentleman."
Thus, at one and the same time, we teach our readers Syntax and secretiveness.
It is probable that small boys are often unacquainted withthis rule; for many of them, while undergoing personal chastisement, exclaim, for the purpose, as it would appear, of causing its duration to be shortened—"Oh pray, Sir, oh pray, Sir, oh pray, Sir! I won't do so no more!"
Prepositions govern the objective case: as, "What did the butcher say of her?"
"He said that she would never do for him; that she was too thin for a wife, and he was not fond of a spare rib."
The delicate ear is much offended by any deviation from this rule: as, in a shocking and vulgar song which it was once our misfortune to hear:—
"There I found the faithless sheFrying sausages for he."
We had occasion, in the Etymology, to remark on a certain misuse of the preposition, of. This, perhaps, is best explained by stating that of in the instances cited, is made to usurp the government of cases which are already under a rightful jurisdiction: as, "What are you got a eating of?"
"He had been a beating of his wife."
Conjunctions connect similar moods and tenses of verbs, and cases of nouns and pronouns: as, "A coat of arms suspended on a wall is like an executed traitor; it is hanged, drawn, and quartered."
"If you continue thus to drink brandy and water and to smoke cigars, you will be like Boreas the North wind, who takes 'cold without' wherever he goes, and always 'blows a cloud' when it comes in his way."
"Do you think there is anything between him and her?"
"Yes; he, and she are engaged ones."
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Note.—To ask whether there is any thing between two persons of opposite sexes, is one way of inquiring whether they are in love with each other. It is not, however, in our opinion, a very happy phrase, inasmuch as whatever intervenes between a couple of fond hearts, must tend to prevent them from coming together.
Some conjunctions govern the indicative; some the subjunctive mood. In general, it is right to use the subjunctive,when contingency or doubt is implied: as, "If I were to say that the moon is made of green cheese."
"If I were a wiseacre."
"If I were a Wilt-shire-man."
"A lady, unless, she be toasted, is never drunk."
And when she is toasted, those who are drunk are generally the gentlemen.
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Those conjunctions which have a positive and absolute signification, require the indicative mood: as, "He who fasts may be compared to a horse: for as the animal eats not a bit, so neither does the man partake of a morsel."
"The rustic is deluded by false hopes, for his daily food is gammon."
Every philosopher has his weak points, and in the Sylva Sylvarum may be found some gammon of Bacon.
When a comparison is made between two or more things, the latter noun or pronoun is not governed by theconjunction than or as, but agrees with the verb, or is governed by the verb or preposition, expressed or understood: as, "The French are a lighter people than we," (that is "than we are,") "and yet we are not so dark as they," that is, "as they are."
"I should think that they admire me more than them," that is, "than they admire them."
"It is a shame, Martha! you were thinking more of that young officer than me," that is, "of me."
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Sufficient attention is not always paid, in discourse, to this rule. Thus, a schoolboy may be often heard to exclaim,
"What did you hit me for, you great fool?"
"You're bigger than me. Hit some one of your own size!"
"Not fling farther than him? just can't I, that's all!"
"You and I have got more marbles than them,"
Anellipsis, or omission of certain words, is frequently allowed, for the sake of avoiding disagreeable repetitions, and of expressing our ideas in a few words. Instead of saying, "She was a little woman, she was a round woman, and she was an old woman," we say, making use of the figure Ellipsis, "She was a little, round, and old woman."
When, however, the omission of words is productive of obscurity, weakens the sentence, or involves a violation of some grammatical principle, the ellipsis must not be used. It is improper to say, "Puddings fill who fill them;" we should supply the word those. "A beautiful leg of mutton and turnips" is not good language: those who would deserve what they are talking about ought to say, "A beautiful leg of mutton and fine turnips."
In common discourse, in which the meaning can be eked out by gestures, signs, and inarticulate sounds variously modified, the ellipsis is much more liberally and more extensively employed than in written composition. "May I have the pleasure of—hum? ha?" may constitute an invitation to take wine. "I shall be quite—a—a—" may serve as an answer in the affirmative. "So then you see he was—eh!—you see—," is perhaps an intimation that a man has been hanged. "Well, of all the—I never!" is often tantamount to three times as many words expressive of surprise, approbation, or disapprobation, according to the tone in which it is uttered. "Will you?—ah!—will you?—ah!—ah!—ah!" will do either for "Will you be so impertinent, you scoundrel? will you dare to do so anothertime?" or, "Will you, dearest, loveliest, most adorable of your sex, will you consent to make me happy; will you be mine? speak! answer, I entreat you! One word from those sweet lips will make me the most fortunate man in existence!"
There is, however, a kind of ellipsis which those who indulge in that style of epistolary writing, wherein sentiments of a tender nature are conveyed, will do well to avoid with the greatest care. The ellipsis alluded to, is that of the first person singular of the personal pronoun, as instanced in the following model of a billet-doux:—
Camberwell,April 1, 1844.MY DEAREST FANNY,Have not enjoyed the balm of sleep all the livelong night.Encountered, last night, at the ball, the beau ideal of myheart. Never knew what love was till then. Derided thesentiment often; jested at scars, because had never felt awound. Feel at last the power of beauty—Write with atremulous hand; waver between hope and fear. Hope to bethought not altogether unworthy of regard: fear to berejected as having no pretensions to the affections of suchunparalleled loveliness. Know not in what terms to declaremy feelings. Adore you, worship you, dote on you, am wraptup in you! think but on you, live but for you, wouldwillingly die for you!—in short, love you! and imploringyou to have some compassion on one who is distracted foryour sakeRemainDevotedly yoursT. Tout.
ARegular and dependent construction should be carefully preserved throughout the whole of a sentence, and all its parts should correspond to each other. There is, therefore, an inaccuracy in the following sentence; "Greenacre was more admired, but not so much lamented, as Burke." It should be, "Greenacre was more admired than Burke, but not so much lamented."
Of these two worthies there will be a notice of the following kind in a biographical dictionary, to be published a thousand years hence in America.
Greenacre.—A celebrated critic who so cut up a blue-stocking lady of the name of Brown, that he did not leave her a leg to stand upon.
Burke.—A famous orator, whose power of stopping people's mouths was said to be prodigious. It is farther reported of him that he was only once hung up, and that on the occasion of the last speech he ever made.
Perhaps it may be said that the rule last stated comprehends all preceding rules and requires exemplification accordingly. We therefore call the attention of the reader to the following paragraph, requesting him to consider what, and how many, violations of the maxims of Syntax it contains.
"We teaches, that is, my son and me teaches, the boys English Grammar. Tom or Dick have learned something every day but Harry what is idler, whom I am sure will never come to no good, for he is always a miching and doing those kind of things (he was catch but yesterday in a skittle grounds) he only makes his book all dog's ears. I beat he, too, pretty smartish, as I ought, you will say, for to have did. I was going to havesent him away last week but he somehow got over me as he do always. I have had so much trouble with he, that between you and I, if I was not paid for il, I wouldn't have no more to do with such a boy. There never wasn't a monkey more mischievious than him; and a donkey isn't more stupider and not half so obstinate as that youngster."
The Syntax of the Interjection has been sufficiently stated under Rule V. Interjections afford more matter for consideration in a Treatise on Elocution than they do in a work on Grammar; but there is one observation which we are desirous of making respecting them, and which will not, it is hoped, be thought altogether foreign to our present subject. Almost every interjection has a great variety of meanings, adapted to particular occasions and circumstances, and indicated chiefly by the tone of the voice. Of this proposition we shall now give a few illustrations, which we would endeavor to render still clearer by the addition of musical notes, but that these would hardly express, with adequate exactness, the modulations of sound to which we allude; and besides, we hope to be sufficiently understood without such help. This part of the Grammar should be read aloud by the student; or, which is better still, the interjection, where it is possible, should be repeated with the proper intonation by a class; the sentence which gives occasion to it being read by the preceptor. We will select the interjection Oh! as the source from which our examples are to be drawn.
"I'll give it to you, you idle dog: I will!"
"Oh, pray, Sir! Oh, pray, Sir! Oh! Oh! Oh!"
"I shall ever have the highest esteem for you, Sir; but as to love, that is out of the question."
"Oh,Matilda!"
"I say, Jim, look at that chaffinch: there's a shy!"
"Oh, Crikey!"
"Miss Timms, do you admire Lord Byron?"
"Oh, yes!"
"What do you think of Rubini's singing?"
"Oh!"
"So then, you see, we popped round the corner, and caught them just in the nick of time."
"Oh!"
"Sir, your behavior has done you great credit."
"Oh!"
"Oats are looking up."
"Oh!"
"Honorable Members might say what they pleased; but he was convinced, for his part, that the New Poor Law had given great general satisfaction."
"Oh! oh!"
There being now no reason (or rule) to detain us in the Syntax, we shall forthwith advance into Prosody, where we shall have something to say, not only about rules, but also of measures.
Prosodyconsists of two parts; wherefore, although it may be a topic, a head, or subject for discussion, it can never be a point; for a point is that which hath no parts. Besides, there are a great many lines to be considered in the second part of Prosody, which treats of Versification. The first division teaches the true Pro-nunciation of Words, including Accent, Quantity, Emphasis, Pause, and Tone.
Lord Chesterfield's book about manners, which is intended to teach us the proper tone to be adopted in Society, may be termed an Ethical Prosody.
Lord Chesterfield may have been a polished gentleman, but Dr. Johnson was of the two the more shining character.
Though penetrated ourselves by the desire of imparting instruction, we are far from wishing to bore our readers; and therefore we shall: endeavor to repeat nothing here that we have said before.
Accentis the marking with a peculiar stress of the voice a particular letter or syllable in a word, in such a manner as to render it more distinct or audible than the rest. Thus, in the word théatre, the stress of the voice should be on the letter e and first syllable the; and in contrary, on the first syllable con. How shocking it is to hear people say con-trary, the-atre! The friends of education will be reminded with regret, that an error in the pronunciation of the first of these words is very early impressed on the human mind.
"Mary, Mary,Quite contrary,How does your garden grow?"
How many evils, alas! arise from juvenile associations!
Words of two syllables never have more than one of them accented, except for the sake of peculiar emphasis. Gentlemen, however, whose profession it is to drive certain public vehicles called cabs, are much accustomed to disregard this rule, and to say, "po-lite" (or "pur-lite"), "gén-téel," "con-cern," "po-lice," and so on: nay, they go so far as to convert a word of one syllable into two, for the sake of indulging in this style of pronunciation; and thus the word "queer" is pronounced by them as "ke-veer."
The word "a-men," when standing alone, should be pronounced with two accents.
The accents in which it usually is pronounced are very inelegant. Clerks, now-a-days, alas! are no scholars.
Dissyllables, formed by adding a termination, usually have the former syllable accented: as, "Foolish, block-head," &c.
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Theaccent in dissyllables, formed by prefixing a syllable to the radical word, is commonly on the latter syllable: as, "I protest, I declare, I entreat, I adore, I expire."
Protestations, declarations, entreaties, and adorations, proclaim a swain to be simply tender; but expiration (for love) proves him to be decidedly soft.
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A man who turns lover becomes a protest-ant; and his conduct at the same time generally undergoes a reformation, especially if he has previously been a rake.
The zeal, however, of a reformed rake, like that of Jack in Dean Swift's "Tale of a Tub," is sometimes apt to outrun his discretion.
When the same word, being a dissyllable, is both a nounand a verb, the verb has mostly the accent on the latter, and the noun on the former Syllable: as,
"Molly, let Hymen's gentle handCemént our hearts together,With such a cément as shall standIn spite of wind and weather."I do presage—and oft a factA présage doth foretoken—Our mutual love shall ne'er contract,Our côntract ne'er be broken."
There are many exceptions to the rule just enunciated (so that, correctly as well as familiarly speaking, it is perhapsnorule;) for though verbs seldom have an accent on the former, yet nouns frequently have it on the latter syllable: as,
"Mary Anne is my delightBoth by day and eke by night;For by day her soft contrôlSoothes my heart and calms my soul;And her image while I dozeComes to sweeten my repôse;Fortune favoring my design,Please the pigs she shall be mine!"
The former syllable of most dissyllables ending in y, our, ow, le, ish, ck, ter, age, en, èt, is accented: as "Grânny, noôdle," &c.
Except allôw, avôw, endôw, bestôw, belôw.
"Sir I cannot allôwYou your flame to avôw;Endôw yourself first with the rhino:My hand to bestôw On a fellow belôwMe!—I'd rather be—never mind—-Iknow."
"Music,"in the language of the Gods, is sometimes pronounced "mû-sic!"
Nouns of two syllables ending in er, have the accent on the former syllable: as, "Bûtcher, bâker."
It is, perhaps, a singular thing, that persons who pursue the callings denoted by the two words selected as examples, should always indicate their presence at an area by crying out, in direct defiance of Prosody, "But-chér, ba-kér;" the latter syllable being of the two the more strongly accented.
Dissyllabic verbs ending in a consonant and e final, as "Disclose," "repine," or having a dipthong in the last syllable, as, "Believe," "deceive," or ending in two consonants, as "Intend," are accented on the latter syllable.