PARENTHESIS AND PARENTHETICAL CLAUSES.
A parenthesis is an explanatory clause introduced into a sentence. Parenthesis might be omitted in reading without injuring the grammatical construction of the sentence. The tone employed in reading parenthetical clauses, should, generally, be lower than that in which the other parts of the sentence are read. The monotone is most suitable for parenthesis, but when inflections are used, as they sometimes are in short clauses, the inflection should be the same as that used at the pause immediately preceding the parenthesis, which is generally the rising inflection.
EXAMPLES.
1. Rememˊber (continued she with a sighˊ) your dearˊ absent friendˋ.
2. Know then, this truthˊ, (enough for man to knowˊ,)
Virtue aloneˋ is happiness belowˋ.
3. Nothing can be greatˊ the contemplation of which is not greatˋ (says Longinusˋ).
4. On the one handˊ, are the divine approbaˊtion and immorˋtal honˋor; on the othˊer, (remember and bewareˊ,) are the stings of conˋscience and endless inˋfamy.
5. Genˊtlemen, if I make out this case by evˊidence, (and if I do not, forget every thing you have heard, and reproach me for having abused your honest feelˊings,) I have established a claim for damˊages that has no parallel in the annals of fashionable intrigueˋ.
The expressions said I, continued he, so to speak, then, except, nevertheless, therefore, yet, notwithstanding, etc., are read in a lower tone, like parenthesis, and with the falling inflection, as:
Justice, said heˋ, will carry it.
Though he was rich, yetˋ, for our sakes he became poor.
Though deep, yet clearˋ; though gentle, yetˋ not dull.
I love every one of them, exceptˋ the old crone.
He was, so to speakˋ, the lion of the tribe.