that it may not be improper to offer a few thoughts on the subject here. Almost all authors, ancient and modern, assert, that the accented syllable is pronounced in a higher tone than the rest; but Mr. Sheridan insists that it is not pronounced higher, but louder only.* Whatever may have been the nature of accent in the learned languages, certain it is, that the accented syllable in our own is always louder than the rest; and if we attend ever so little to the two kinds of inflection with which every accented word in a sentence is pronounced, we shall soon see that the accented syllable is either higher or lower than the rest, according to the inflection which it adopts.

Thus in this sentence, Plate III. No. I. p. 184:

Sooner or later virtue must meet with a reward.

Here I say the last syllable ward has the falling in. flection; and if we pronounce the word without emphasis, and merely as if we were concluding the subject, this syllable will be pronounced louder and lower than the syllable immediately preceding; but if we give emphasis to this syllable, by opposing it to something else, we shall find it pronounced both higher and louder than the preceding syllables. Thus in the following sentence, Plate III. No. II. :

Most certainly virtue will meet with a rewàrd, and not púnishment.

Here the word reward has the same inflection as in the former instance, and the word punishment ends with the rising inflection; but the syllable ward is perceptibly higher as well as louder than the syllable that precedes it. Again, if we give this

* See this erroneous opinion of Mr. Sheridan clearly refuted in the Observations on the Greek and Latin Accent and Quantity at the end of the Key to the Classical Pronunciation of Greek and Latin Proper Names,

word the rising inflection, we shall find, in this case, that without emphasis the accented syllable ward is pronounced both louder and higher than the preceding syllables. Thus No. III. :

ous.

If virtue must have a rewárd, it is our interest to be virtu

These observations compare the accented syllable with the preceding syllables only: it will in the next place be necessary to compare it with those that follow for which purpose, let us observe the pronunciation of this sentence, No. IV.

We ought to avoid blame, though we cannot be pèrfect.

Here, I say, if we give the word perfect the falling inflection, and pronounce it with emphasis, we shall find the first syllable very preceptibly higher and louder than the last; on the contrary, if we give the word perfect the rising inflection, we shall find the accented syllable louder than the last, though not so high; for the last syllable perceptibly slides into a higher tone. Thus No. V.:

If we wish to be pérfect, we must imitate Christ.

These observations will, perhaps, be still better conceived, by watching our pronunciation of a word where the accent is nearly in the middle. Thus in this passage of Shakespeare:

What earthly name to interrógatories,
Shall task the free breath of a sacred king?

King John

In this passage, I say, the syllable rog has the rising inflection, and is pronounced perceptibly louder and higher than the two first, and louder and lower than the three last: but if we give this syllable the falling inflection, as in this sentence:

He is neither mov'd by intreaties nor interrògatories.

Here, I say, the syllable rog, if pronounced with the least degree of emphasis, is both louder and higher than either the preceding or subsequent syllables.

From these observations, this general conclusion may be drawn: Whatever inflection be adopted, the accented syllable is always louder than the rest; but . if the accent be pronounced with the rising inflection, the accented syllable is higher than the preceding, and lower than the succeeding syllable; and if the accent have the falling inflection, the accented syllable is pronounced higher than any other syllable, either preceding or succeeding. The only exception to this is the sentence, No. I. where the accent is on the last syllable of a word which has no emphasis, and is pronounced as forming a cadence at the conclusion of a discourse.

Sooner or later virtue must meet with a reward.

Here the last syllable, though pronounced louder than the first, is evidently pronounced a degree

lower.

It may not, perhaps, be improper to take notice of a common usage of the word accent, which, though seemingly inaccurate, will be found, upon examination, to be a just application of the word. It is the custom, not only of England, but of other parts of the world which are seats of empire, to call those modes of pronunciation used in parts distant from the capital, by the name of accents. Thus we say, a native of Ireland speaks English with the Irish, and a native of Scotland with the Scotch accent; though both these speakers pronounce every word with the accent on the very same syllable as the English. Why then do we say, they speak with a different accent? One reason is, that speaking sounds have