The following extract is a note by Lord Mahon, in vol. i. p. 374. of his
edition of Lord Chesterfield's _Letters to his Son_ (Bentley, 1847). I
cannot see how the quotation from Boswell bears upon either _accent_ or
_cadence_; it appears to relate entirely to different modes of
pronunciation:
"It may be observed, however, that the questions of what are 'false
accents and cadences' in our language appear to have been far less
settled in Lord Chesterfield's time than at present. Dr. Johnson says:
'When I published the plan for my dictionary, Lord Chesterfield told me
that the word _great_ should be pronounced so as to rhyme with _state_;
and Sir William Yonge sent me word, that it should be pronounced so as
to rhyme to _seat_, and that none but an Irishman would pronounce it
_grait_. Now, here were two men of the highest rank,--the one the best
speaker in the House of Lords, the other the best speaker in the House
of Commons--differing entirely."--Boswell's _Life_, Notes of March 27,
1772.