UBRARV OF CONGRESS 00017464205 jptnpp V^u - J biij J ^ (ITXITED ^TAT£ S OF AMERICA. ^> ^IMfl^ -pMV ^OS/yr ^vvc ^ W U ^ IVWy iUWi A A >\A - j UUUVV . ,C/M^ -'v.. ^JUJWUJ^yww , WUi^Vv ywwwwwv w g RUSSELL'S AMERICAN ELOCUTIONIST. THE AMERICAN ELOCUTIONIST; COMPRISING « LESSONS IN ENUNCIATION', < EXERCISES IN ELO- CUTION', AND 'RUDIMENTS OF GESTURE'; WITH A SELECTION OF NEW PIECES FOR PRACTICE IN READING AND DECLAMATION; AND ENGRAVED ILLUSTRATIONS IN ATTITUDE AND ACTION. DESIGNED FOR COLLEGES, PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS, ACADEMIES, AND COMMON SCHOOLS. BY WILLIAM RUSSELL, ED. 'AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION,' (FIRST SERIES,) INSTRUCTOR IN ELOCUTION AT ABBOT FEMALE ACADEMY, PHILLIPS ACADEMY, AND THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, ANDOVER, MASS. ; AND AT THE THEOL. INSTITUTE, E. WINDSOR, CONN. BOSTON: JENKS AND PALMER 1844. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1844, BY WILLIAM RUSSELL, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. ADVERTISEMENT. The book now offered, under the title of The American Elocutionist, comprises the author's course of instruction, formerly presented in the three distinct works mentioned in the title-page of this. The change thus made in the form of publication, enables the pub- lishers to afford the whole matter of the original series, at a price very much reduced, with a large addition of pieces for practice, in reading and declamation. Andover, Mass., Feb., 1844. separate form, for the convenience of schools for the younger class of learners. NOTICES OF THE SEVERAL WORKS COMPRISED IN THE PRESENT VOLUME. From the Phil. U. S. Gazette. — "Those who take an interest in the important part of Elocution to which this book, (Lessons in Enunciation,) refers, will find in its pages much to elucidate the subject, and insure to the scholar valuable attainments. The book should find its way into all our schools." From the Boston Courier. — " This little book, (Lessons in Enunciation,) is one of great value. No schoolmaster, no man who ever ventures to read or speak in public, no professor, no student in any college, should be without it." "We recommend Mr. Russell's 'Elocution' to the favour of instructors, parents, and pupils. Let those who would read easily and agreeably to themselves, and for tha gratification and improvement of others, study it well and faithfully." From the Massachusetts Common School Journal, Dec. \5th, 1843. — "We have used Mr. Russell's Lessons in Enunciation, ever since their first appearance, and never have seen any thing better adapted to their purpose. Ed. p. t." From the same. — " Lessons in Enunciation; a little work which ought to be in tha hands of every teacher in the United States ; as being the best book, for its purposes, that can be found in the language." Mr. George B. Emerson, of Boston, speaking of the author's Exercises in Elocu- tion, says, " I doubt not, — from the great excellence of your Lessons in Enunciation, which I have used constantly, with all my classes, ever since I first saw the book, — that it must be a valuable addition to our means of instruction." From the Boston Christian Register. — " The number is not small, we trust, of those who have studied with profit the excellent books entitled Lessons in Enunciation, and Rudiments of Gesture. The volume before us, (referring to the Exercises in Elocu- tion.) we have read with great satisfaction ; and we strongly recommend it to all who are in search of the best helps in the art of reading and speaking." From Mr. J. E. Murdoch, Elocutionist, Boston. — "I have used Mr. Russell's Lessons in Enunciation, Exercises in Elocution, and Rudiments of Gesture, with my classes, and consider them the best books of any that I have found, in their respective departments; especially as regards systematic instruction in the theory of the art, and the practical application of the principles of the science which are exhibited in Dr. Rush's Philosophy of the Voice."— Boston, April 22d, 1844. CONTENTS. PAGE Advertisement 3 Preface. ...... 5 Enunciation 9 Introductory Observations. . 9 Elementary Exercises. . .10 Table of the Elementary Sounds of the English Language. . 10 Exercises embracing the Ele- ments of Articulation, and the Rules of Pronunciation. . 13 Errors in Articulation. . . 29 Common Errors exemplified in Phrases. 37 Pronunciation. . " .'. . .43 Words in which the current pronunciation of theXJnited States deviates from that of England. . . .52 Mode of Enunciation required for Public Reading and Speak- ing 55 Force 61 Pitch. ..... 64 Time 66 Exercises on Force of Utterance. 67 Exercises on Pitch. ... 70 Exercises on Time. . . 71 Inflection. ..... 73 Simple Rising and Falling In- flections 74 Circumflex. ..... 76 Monotone 76 Rules on the Falling Inflection. 77 Rules on the Rising Inflection. 84 General Rule on Parenthesis. . 90 Rule on the Circumflex. . .91 Rule on the Monotone. . . 92 Errors in Inflection. . . .93 Suggestions for Practice. . . 95 Concluding Remarks on the Theory of Inflection. . . 98 Exercises on Inflection. . .100 Exercises on the Falling Inflec- tion. . . . . . .102 Exercises on the Rising Inflec- tion. . . . . . .113 Emphasis 118 Definition 118 Rule 120 Errors 121 Suggestions for Practice. . .122 Exercises 123 Pauses 126 PAGE Definition. . . . . .127 Rules ,130 Errors. ...... 133 Suggestions for Practice. . .134 Tones and Modulation. . .135 Definition 136 Single Tones 137 Examples 138 Successive Tones. . . .139 Examples. ... . . 141 Errors 148 Rules 149 Suggestions for Practice. . .150 Exercises. . . . . .153 Successive Tones. . . .160 Cadence 166 Definition 167 Rules. . . . „ . .168 Errors. . . . . . .169 Suggestions for Practice. . 175 Reading of Poetry. . . .176 Definition 177 Prosodial Pauses. . . .180 Metre 183 Errors 188 Rule. . . . . . .193 Suggestions for Practice. . .193 Rudiments of Gesture. . . .199 Introductory Observations. . 199 Attitude 202 Preparatory Movements. . . 202 Position of the Feet. . . .203 Errors 204 Rule 205 Movement of the Feet. . . .206 Errors 207 Rule 208 Position and Movement of the Limbs 210 Errors. 211 Rule. 212 Position and Movement of the Trunk 212 Errors 213 Rule 215 Position and Movement of the Head and Countenance. .215 Errors 216 Rule 216 Gesture. . . . . . .217 Position and Movement of the Hand 217 Errors. 218 IV CONTENTS PAGE Rule 221 Position and Movement of the Arm 222 Errors 223 Rules 232 Pieces for Practice In Reading and Declamation. Legend of the Seven Sleepers. Lyell. 249 Evening on the Ocean. . . • Montgomery. 250 The West. - . . Anonymous. 252 Reconciliation between Great Bri- tain and the United States. . Chatham. 254 Bunker-Hill Monument. Webster. 255 Death of De Argentine. . Scott. 257 Speech against Writs of Assist- ance Otis. 260 Bernardo and King Alphonso. . Translated by Lockhart. 261 Value of Decision and Intre- pidity Walsh. 263 Election Anecdote. . . Anon. 266 Oregon. . Knickerbocker Mag. 263 The Gladiator. . . Jones. 270 Address to the people of Meath. Henry Grattan. 272 The Leper. . . . Willis. 273 American Freedom. . Dewey. 276 Conversation. . . Coxcper. 277 Sand Storm in the Desert. Frazer. 278 Night in Venice. . . Byron. 280 Incapability of the British Minis- try of 1782. . Lord Holland. 281 Character of Washington. . Webster. 283 Cataract of Lodore. . Southey. 284 The British Constitution. . Sir Robert Peel. 236 King Edward's Address to his Army Bvlwer. 288 Warwick's Address to his Troops. lb. 289 Night among the Alps. Montgomery. 290 Death of the Last Constantine. Mrs. Hemans. 292 Genius and Method. . Diderot. 295 Ode to an ancient Sycamore on the Ohio. . . Dr. Bird. 297 Address before the Society of St. Patrick. . . Earl Moira. 299 Dialogue from the Lady of the Lake Scott. 300 Speech on the Government of India Fox. 304 PAGE Lines to the Clock at Hampton Court. . G. P. R. James. 306 Unsuccessful Attempt to ' Raise the Wind.' . . Dickens. 307 Niagara Falls. . . . Anon. 311 South Carolina. . Haynes. 314 New England. . . Gushing. 315 Noon Bryant. 316 Success in Life. . . Anon. 313 The Past. . . . Sprague. 320 The Lawyer and the Politician, (Dialogue.) . . Murphy. 321 Sonnet to an aged Beggar. . Coleridge. 324 Sonnet to Lafayette in the Dun- geon of Olmutz. . . . lb. 324 National Greatness. Charming. 325 Manufactures and Commerce con- trasted with Chivalry. St. Leger. 326 Animal Happiness. . Coivper. 327 Dialogue from the Triumph of Lucca. . . Miss Landon. 329 Eulogy of Washington. Lord Brougham. 332 Reform in Parliament. . Lord Grey. 334 False Eloquence. . . Anon. 336 Scene from the Lord of the Isles. Scott. 337 Fate of McGregor. . . Hogg. 343 Speech on the Irish Disturbance Bill O'ConneU. 346 Former Condition of Ireland. . Shiel. 349 Marseillese Hymn. Translation. 350 Heroism of the Pilgrims. Choate. 352 Address to the Swedes. i Gustavus Vasa.' 354 The Point of Honour. . Shakspeare. 355 The Liberty of Americans. . Hillard. 356 Death of Lafayette. . Everett. 358 Milton's Lines to his Father. Cowper. 360 Appeal for the Reform Bill. Brougham. 361 Scene from the Rose of Arragon. Knowles. 363 Speech on the Revenue Bill of 1833 Clay. 367 Memorials of Washington and Franklin. . . J. Q. Adams. 370 Prince Henry's Challenge to Hot- spur. . . . Shakspeare. 372 Washington's Preparatory Train- ing for Public Station. . C. W. Upham. 375 Hotspur's Reply to Walter Blunt. Shakspeare. 377 PREFACE. The question has often been asked, doubtingly, whether it is possible to teach the art of reading, by the use of rules. Any art which is grounded on recognised principles, may, certainly, be taught by rules deduced from these principles. Every teacher who corrects the emphasis, the inflections, or the pauses, which his pupils use in reading, must have, in every instance, a reason for his correction. All such reasons are rules ; and these it is the duty of the teacher to impart. These, in fact, are themselves the instructions which he has to give. Every attentive teacher of reading, will endeavour to put his pupils in possession of even those less pal- pable principles which regulate the nicest modulations of the voice, in the most delicate tones of feeling. But, in the applications of inflection, emphasis, and pause, which determine the meaning of every sentence of audible language, a definite rule is indispensable to intelligible or effective instruction. The systematic practice of elocution, requires atten- tion, in the first place, to the acquisition of correctness of enunciation, volume and pliancy of voice, vigour of organ, and purity of tone, on the scale of public read- ing or speaking. The functions of the voice, — in its operations as an instrument,— having been properly regulated, the next stage of instruction and practice, regards the execution 1* D PREFACE. of those sounds which constitute the 'melody' of speech, in successive clauses and sentences, and deter- mine their character and meaning. The act of enunciating syllables, or of pronouncing words, may be performed without reference to their signification. This forms the strictly elementary part of elocution. The utterance of clauses and sentences, implies a purpose in expression, and is founded on the relations which language bears to thought. The ap- propriate utterance of meaning, is the object in view in this department of elocution ; and the attention of the learner, in this stage, is directed to the notes of the scale, to the relative degrees of force, and to the occa- sional intermissions of voice, by which reading and speaking are rendered significant. These subjects are comprehended under the technical designations of In- flections, Emphasis, and Pauses. If we regard enunciation and pronunciation as the mechanical part of elocution ; inflection, emphasis, and pausing, may be designated as its intellectual part. The former regards, chiefly, the ear, as cognizant of audible expression ; the latter regards the understand- ing, as addressed by intelligible utterance, and requir- ing the exercise of judgment, in consecutive and rational communication. This branch of the subject extends, it is true, to some of the forms of tone which give expression to feeling ; but its chief offices are strictly intellectual. A third department of elocution, embraces the con- sideration of tone, as adapted to the utterance of pas- sion, or the strongest forms of emotion, and is designated by the technical name of Modidation. Under this term are comprehended all those modifi- cations of voice which are appropriate to empassioned expression, and the changes of tone by which the reader or speaker passes from one emotion to another. This branch of the subject includes, in detail, what- ever regards '■force? or intensity of voice, 'pitch,' or the predominating note of the scale, and { movement? or the rate of utterance, as fast or slow. Cadence, or the appropriate modulation of the voice, at the close of a sentence, would, at first sight, appear PREFACE. ' to be but a mechanical modification of voice, or, at best, no more than a recommendation to the ear of re- fined taste. But, on closer observation, it will be found to constitute a main element of effect, in the expression of sentiment. It is the predominance or the frequent recurrence of a peculiar cadence, which gives character to the melody of emotion, in successive sentences ; and it is the ju- dicious use of this turn of voice, which, most of all, deepens the impression of the feeling that pervades a composition, as a whole. The ' song ' of bad reading, is principally caused by an erroneous cadence. The modulation of the voice, in adaptation to differ- ent species of metrical composition, is indispensable to the appropriate or effective reading of verse. The purest forms of poetry, become, when deprived of this aid, nothing but awkward prose. A just and delicate observance of the effect of metre, on the other hand, is one of the surest means of imparting that inspira- tion of feeling, which it is the design of poetry to pro- duce. The subject of Gesture has too generally been re- garded as one on which no instruction can be given. It is often mentioned as one of those secrets of nature, which lie beyond rule or art ; and nothing, certainly, can be more preposterous than artificial and mechani- cal action, as an accompaniment to speech. But atten- tive observation will here, as elsewhere, detect princi- ples, and enable us to trace the rules which these involve. Pursued within the just limitations of judgment and taste, gesture becomes, perhaps, one of the most im- provable of human habits; whether we regard the eradication of error, or the acquisition of true and appropriate action. The glow of earnest feeling, in address, will always bring forth action. It is a thing which, if we obey the instincts of nature, we cannot repress. Action is, in fact, a component part of speech ; and the teacher's business, and the student's endeavour, in cultivation, are, properly, to trace those principles which ' suit the action to the word/ and to embody 8 PREFACE. these in practical rules, and disciplined habits. With a view to such results, a few brief remarks on obvious errors, and a few plain directions for the formation of manner, in attitude and action, are submitted in the following pages. LESSONS IN ENUNCIATION. INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. No branch of elementary education, is so generally neglected as that of reading. It is not necessary, in proof of this assertion, to appeal to the prevailing want of appropriate elocution at the bar, or in the pulpit. The worst defects in reading and speaking, are by no means confined to professional life, and occasions which call for eloquent address: they extend through all classes of society, and are strikingly apparent in the public exercises of colleges, the daily lessons of schools, in private reading, and in common conversation. The faults now alluded to, are all owing to the want of a distinct and correct enunciation, which, whatever may become of higher accomplishments, would seem to be alike indispensable to a proper cultivation of the human faculties, and to the useful purposes of life. It is unnecessary here to enlarge on the intellectual injuries arising from the want of early discipline in this department of education ; or to speak of the habits of inattention and inaccuracy, which are thus cherished, and by which the English language is degraded from its native force and dignity of utterance, to a low and slovenly negligence of style, by which it is rendered unfit for the best offices of speech, 10 ELOCUTIONIST. ELEMENTARY EXERCISES. The following exercises are intended to prevent, or to correct, the prevalent errors of colloquial usage : they embrace all the elementary sounds of the English lan- guage, with the most important among those that occur in combinations which are liable to mispronunciation. A correct and careful articulation of them, if practised with due frequency, and continued for a length of time sufficient to render accuracy habitual, will secure a dis- tinct and appropriate enunciation, in all exercises of reading and speaking. To attain this result, the fol- lowing points require particular attention. 1st. That the exercises be always performed with great force and clearness of articulation, so as to be- come a useful form of discipline to the organs. The aim should be, in every case, to give the utmost artic- ulate force of which the voice is capable. 2d. The sound of each element should be perfectly at command, before proceeding to the enunciation of the words in which they are exemplified. 3d. Great care must be taken to avoid a formal and fastidious prominence of sound, on unaccented sylla- bles : every word, though uttered with the utmost energy, must retain the proportions of accented and un- accented syllables in their natural and appropriate pro- nunciation. TABLE OF THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. [The elements contained in this table should be prac- tised, with and without the words in which they are exemplified, with great attention to accuracy, and re- peated as a daily preliminary exercise.] VOWEL SOUNDS. A, as in the word Fate ; AI, as in Ail ; A Y : as in Lay. 2. A, as in Far ; A U, as in Launch. 3. A, as in Fall ; A W, as in Awe ; A U, as in Laud. * ENUNCIATION. 11 4. A, as in Fat. 5. A, as in Wash.^ 6. A, as in Rare }* AI, as in Air ; A Y, as in Prayer. 7. E, as in Me ; EE, as in Eel ; EA, as in Eat ; IE, as in Field. 8. E, as in Met ; EA, as in Head. 9. E, as in Err «* ZiM, as in Heard ; 7, as in Firm. 10. /, as in Pine ; Y, as in Rhyme. 11. I, as in Pin ; Y, as in Hymn. 12. O, as in No ; (X4, as in Oak; O U, as in Course ; O W, as in Own. 13. O, as in Move ; OO, as in Mood ; U, as in True. 14. O, as in Nor. 15. O, as in Not. 16. O, as in Done ; U, as in Tub. 17. U, as in Tube. 18. U, as in Pull ;+ O, as in Wolf. DIPHTHONGS. 19. OI, as in Oil ; O Y, as in Boy. 20. OU, as in Pound; O TTj as in Down. CONSONANTS. Labial Sounds. 21. B, as in Bulb. 22. P, as in Pulp. 23. M, as in Mime. 24. W, as in Wan. 25. F, as in Vane. 26. P, as in Fife ; PH, as in Phial ; GH, as in Laugh.' Dental Sounds. 27. Z>, as in Dead. 28. T, as in Tent. 29. TH, as in Thin. 30. TH, as in Thine. 31. J, as in Joy ; G, as in Giant. 32. CH, as in Church. 33. SU, as in Shape ; TI, as in Nation ; CI, as in Gracious ; CE, as in Ocean. 34. S, as in Hiss ; C, as in Cipher. 35. $, as in Trees ; Z, as in Haze. # See ' exercises,' on these sounds, pp. 15, 16, 17. No. 5 is, properly, the same with No. 15. f Not properly a separate sound, but rather that of No. 13, short- ened. J Properly the same with No. 13, but shortened still more. 12 ELOCUTIONIST. 36. S 7 as in Measure. Palatic Sounds. 37. Kj as in Key ; C, as in Cake ; CH, as in Chorus ; Q, as in Queen. 38. G, asm Gag. 39. 40. 41. Yj as in Ye. Aspirate. H, as in Hail. Nasal Sounds. iV, as in No. 42. NG, as in Sing; N 9 as in Finger, Sink. Lingual Sounds, 43. L : as in Lull. 44. R, as in Rude.* 45. jR, as in War.* Palatic and Dental Sounds, combined. 46. X, as in Ox ;f 47. X, as in Example.f These sounds constitute all the elements of articula- tion in the English language. The exercises which follow, are merely various examples of these rudiments, as they occur in different combinations. The exercises are also designed for lessons in pronunciation ; as this branch, not less than that of articulation, is much neg- lected in early instruction, and the practice of the one conveniently comprises that of the other. The main purpose of reading and speaking, is to communicate thought. The most important point in elocution, therefore, is a distinct and correct enuncia- tion, without which it is impossible to be rightly and clearly understood. The chief design, accordingly, of this department of education, is, by appropriate exer- cise, to cultivate the organs of speech, to strengthen and discipline the voice, and, at the same time, to eradicate incorrect habits of utterance, which may have been contracted through early neglect. Enunciation may, for the purposes of instruction, be considered in connexion, 1st, with articulation, or the management of the organs of speech ; 2dly, with pro- nunciation, or the sounds of the voice, regarded as modified by usage, or custom, in the language which is spoken. # See ' exercises,' on the letter R, p. 28. f Properly combinations formed by the union of Nos. 37 and 34, and of Nos. 38 and 35. ENUNCIATION. 13 EXERCISES, EMBRACING THE ELEMENTS OP ARTICULA- TION AND THE RULES OF PRONUNCIATION. The following exercises are chiefly a transcript from Angus's compend of Fulton's system of Orthoepy, and Smart's Practice of Elocution. The words in the tables should be read with great force and distinctness : they may thus be made a useful organic exercise, for imparting strength and pliancy of voice, as well as energy and clearness of articulation ; they may serve also for mechanical discipline on inflections, if read in successive portions as marked in a few instances. The grave accent, or falling inflection, ( v ) denotes the down- ward slide of voice, as heard at a period; the acute accent, or rising inflection, (') denotes the upward slide, usually heard at a comma. , The application of these inflections, is not necessary to practice in articulation, and, if found embarrassing, may be omitted. The early acquisition of them, however, will save much time in future lessons ; and since the words in these exercises must all be articulated with one inflection or other, the inflection actually used, may as well be regular as arbitrary. The punctuation of the examples, is intended to aid the application of inflections. SOUNDS OF THE VOWELS. A, as in the word Fate : Ai, as in Ail : Ay, as in Lay. The sound of a, mentioned above, is marked by Walker, as the ' first ' sound of this letter : it might be conveniently designated as the long name soimd, from its quantity or length, and the circumstance of its form- ing the alphabetical name of the letter. This vowel is not what it would, at first sight, ap- pear to be, — a perfectly simple sound : it consists, in reality, of two sounds, — that which, in common pronun- ciation, commences the name of the letter, (a) and that which, in a prolonged utterance, is heard at its close, and which approaches to the name sound of the vowel e. A clear and just articulation of the name sound of a, has regard to this complexity of its nature, and closes with a very slight and delicate approach to the sound of e, so slight as to be barely perceptible to a 2 14 ELOCUTIONIST. very close observation. A common fault, in very bad taste, is to give this complex sound in a manner too analytical, — in the worst style of theatrical singing; thus, Faieel, faieeth ; fox fail, faith. A v le ace age, aim day bail, dale fail say, pave tape hail, haze may gaze, late maid nay, vail make fame, tail pay lade, jade gay sail, fate faith daily, fade make gate, take mail sale. A, as in Far : Au, as in Launch. Marked as the ' second ' sound of a, in Walker's notation. There are two extremes of sound, occasionally heard, which must be avoided in the pronunciation of the fol- lowing words, — that of a too broad, and nearly like a in all; thus Fawrm, farther, smawrt, &c., for form, father, smart ; and a too short, resembling the sound of a in mat, thus : Farm for farm, &c. A v rm ah ha harm, bar car far par, tar aunt daunt gaunt, haunt jaunt taunt father, saunter gauntlet barb hark, mar garb harp dart, cart park marl snarl, barn arch harsh balm, palm calf charge charm, psalm farm alarm becalm. Same sound unaccented : Harmonious carnation incarnation singular popular regularly. A, as in Fall : Ato, as in Awe : Au, as in Laud. The ' third ' sound of a, in Walker's notation. The error to be avoided in the following class of sounds, is that of making a to resemble o ; thus, oil for all. Sometimes this error is so broad and coarse as to divide the sound into two parts ; the first of which is the above o, and the second the u in up : o £11, fdwll, for all, fall. These faults should be carefully avoided, as slovenly and vulgar. A v ll hall ball call fall, gall pall tall wall ward, warm wharf quart thwart false, warn walk chalk qualm ENUNCIATION. 15 halt, war warrior haw daw maw, jaw saw law raw draw, straw brawl drawl dawn lawn, awning yawn daub fraud gauze, vault vaunt fault aught taught, fraught sauce daughter halter lawful. A, as in Fat. The ' fourth ? sound, in Walker's notation. There are two extremes of error to be avoided in the following words, — that of a too Jlat, and divided into two sounds ; thus, mayun, for man, — and that of a too broad; thus, pawss^ for pass. Bat cat hat mat pat sat, rat vat blab sack lad staff, had mall tan dram scrap pass, have has glass class mass grass, asp grasp clasp vast past fast, last mast ash hash sash mash, waft raft graft grant craft shaft, slant gland latch dance lance glance, trance France chant branch crash slant, man can gather rather alas advance. Same sound unaccented : Abode abound f abate abash America Cuba, cabal caparison calamity traduce dia- dem calumniate. A, as in Wash. Not separately marked by Walker, but given as the same with the fourth sound of o. The common errors in the articulation of this sound, are that of making it resemble the sound of o in no ; thus, whote, or rather wot, for what, — and that of making the a resemble that of the word fat ; thus, whatt for what. Wad squad swab,{ wan was wasp, want wast swash, * a, as in parse. f The letter liable to error in pronunciation, is marked by italic type, when the word contains more than one of the same name. % The practice on inflection is now varied to the commencing series ; the voice sliding upward at the terminating word of each clause, in the manner of incomplete expression, suspended or in- terrupted sense. The application of these inflections, however, is 16 ELOCUTIONIST. quash quantity quality, squall squat swan, squash waspish qualify, what wash wand. A, Ai, and Ay, before R final, or R, followed by a vowel. The errors commonly made in the following class of sounds, are (1st,) giving a too broad a sound, or the ' fourth ' sound, instead of one nearly resembling the 1 first' sound ; thus aer, (a, as in at, nearly,) for air, — and (2d,) giving the long name sound too exactly, or too flat; thus, aer, (a, as in ale,) for air. The true sound of a, ai, or ay, situated as mentioned above, avoids these extremes; — the former, as coarse and vulgar ; the latter, as too precise and studied. The true sound approaches nearer to the latter than to the former. It cannot be expressed to the eye, and can only be generally described as the ' first ' sound of a rendered a little obscure, by deviating very slightly towards the ' fourth.' Bare care dare fare, mare pare tare ware, yare air fair lair, hair rare layer prayer, parent apparent repair stare, snare spare careful careless, rarely beware en- snare prepare, compare pair stair daring. E, as in Me : Ee, as in Eel : Ea, as in Eat : Ie, as in Field : or the ' first ' sound of e, in Walker's no- tation. The errors in the articulation of this sound, arise, chiefly, from not observing the nature of the consonant which follows it, and consequently making it too long or too short. E, as a final sound, or occurring before a liquid, is long, as in Bee, eel, seem, seen; and, before a palatic letter or consonant, it is short, as in Week, seek, sleet. Dee fee theme mete feel, supreme seem team fea- ture plea, yield wield weep seen queen, beef weed not strictly necessary, and may, as mentioned before, be omitted, if found difficult and embarrassing. ENUNCIATION. 17 sleet cheek repeat, fief shriek fiend wheel wheat, liege priest grieve year fear, rear dream glean weave heath, each heave least greet veer. Same sound unaccented: Debate estate esteem es- tablish beware, reduce seclude epitome apostrophe committee. E, as in Met : Ea, as in Head. Or the c second ' sound of e, in Walker's notation. The error to be avoided in this class of sounds, is that of allowing e to become somewhat like a in fate ; or thus, Baid, aig ; for bed, egg ; stade for stead. E N 11 elk elm else hence fence, let get yet yest yesterday kept, felled abed measure pleasure felt set, less rest guest bread ready steady, peg bell beg ten den red, generous genuine general guess protest effect, col- lect preface prelude prelate prelacy prebend, knell tell fell tent thence propel. Same sound unaccented: Recreation relaxation reputation testimonial rectangular extracting, theo- rem nutshell outlet onset blackness efface. E, as in Err : Ear, as in Heard : Ir, as in Firm. Marked in the orthoepy of Walker, as the ' second ' sound of e, but explained as not being precisely that sound, nor yet that of u in turn, as it is very common- ly but erroneously pronounced. The true sound of e before r followed by a consonant, is thus described in Smart's Practice of Elocution. " Er and ir are pro- nounced by unpolished speakers just like ur, as indeed, in some common words, such as her sir, &c. they are pronounced, even by the most cultivated : but in words of less common occurrence, there is a medium between ur and air, which elegant usage has established, as the just utterance of e and i joined to the smooth r."^ * The Practice of Elocution, &c. by D. H. Smart, London, 1826, 8vo. 2* 18 ELOCUTIONIST. There are two errors to be avoided in practising the following words, — 1st, that of making no discrimina- tion between er followed by a consonant and er follow- ed by a vowel, which leads to the fault of pronouncing the word mercy with the same sound of e as the word merit, — a fault which characterises the pronunciation of foreigners who are learning to speak the English language, and who are guided by analogy, instead of custom, in this point. This sound should be carefully avoided, as not belonging to English enunciation, or as being too analytical and pedantic. At the same time, the second error, that of substituting the sound of u in turn for that of e, should be avoided as a careless vul- garism. Herd earn, term germ, earth stern, earl fern, learn eternal, person mercy, servant firmly, confirm internal, service fervor, virginal virtue, verdure personate, fir whirl, perfect discern, concern aspersion, disperse uni- versal infirmity defer, prefer terse, pearl erst, mirth girt, girl sermon. Same sound unaccented: Certificate termination, vermicular perpendicular, postern goatherd. [The following words may be used as aids of con- trast, to illustrate one of the sounds which should be avoided in the above class of words, — Merit very merry error terror ; and the following to illustrate the other incorrect sound, which is also to be avoided, Bird first her sir.] I, as in Pine : Y", as in Rhyme. The l first ' sound of i, in Walker's notation. There are two extremes to be avoided in the enun- ciation of this vowel, — the coarse error of giving it a broad and drawling sound, dwelling on the first part of the letter, and thus making it resemble the a of fall; the too nice or flat sound, which commences with near- ly the sound of a in ale, — the result of avoiding too anxiously the errors just mentioned. The true sound of long i Walker represents as com- ENUNCIATION. 19 meriting with the sound of a in father, (properly a in at,) and diminishing to that of long e. These two sounds must be exactly proportioned, and nicely blended, I'sle time, mile vile, vine dine, life my, knife sign, mine try, light child, bind thyme, smite right, wild ice, slice tide, glide chyle, bile mind, find repine, consign resign, beguile smile, pile might, delight fire, desire concise, style chyme, lyre dryad, Same sound unaccented : Diagonal biennial, diaeresis tiara, triennial diameter, infantile camomile, gentile pantomime. I, as in Pin : Y, as in Hymn. The ' second ' sound of i, in Walker's notation. The error commonly made in this sound, is that of obscuring it by careless articulation, so that it is made to resemble in some degree the sound of a in fate, or of ai in fail ; thus, Tain for tin, faish for fish.* The true sound of i short, is very nearly, though not exactly, that of e in me, much shortened. Sin hill prim, pit wish fill, dim din skin, whim fit will, till sill since, prince wince quince, rinse wit sit, lit win bid, rid mince rill, till rip whip, sip skip tip, fib rib still, mystical symptom sympathy, mystery hypo- crite cynosure. Same sound unaccented: Historical histrionic mi- nutely, vivacity discreet disparity, bedrid outfit saw- mill. O, as in No : Oa, as in Oak : Ou, as in Course : Ow, as in Own. The ' first ' sound of o, in Walker's notation. The errors in the sound of this letter, are, substituting * It is impossible to reduce this error to an exact spelling ; and the above attempt to represent it, is unavoidably a caricature rather than a copy. A true idea of the error intended may, how- ever, be formed, by due allowance, from the notation used above. 20 ELOCUTIONIST. for it the o of nor-, as in Force for force; sorce for source, &c. shortening this sound of its proper length, as in horn for home, whol for whole, &c. This is properly the longest vowel in our language, and should receive great length of sound. "Oh ho old home, bone cone tone stone, hope hold note coat, coach source sword recourse, perforce oats oaten boat, doat moat rote towards, sloth scroll troll drollery, ford forge bronze hoarse, port fort sport torn, disown sown cloak soak, soul toll sofa soda, shoulder soldier sole wholly, solely wholesome wholesale votary. The same sound unaccented : Opinion donation do- mestic molest, protect proceed intonation desolate, melody custody eloquence innocence. O, as in Move : Oo, as in Mood : U 9 as in True. The 'second' sound of o, in Walker's notation. The errors which commonly occur in this sound, arise from a want of discrimination in the length of the sound, as affected by the consonant which follows it. Dental letters, following this sound of o, shorten it, and liquids, following it, give it length. An error in the sound of ru takes place in some words, thus ryu'm for ruin ; the ' first' sound of u being given, instead of the ' third,' or that of oo in mood. Prove mood rule lose tool, boom moon rood behoove true, broom remove fruit group bosom, boom woo druid swoon groove, imbrue canoe gamboge gloom smooth, brutal cool doom pool poor, moor boor who tomb cais- son, rude rural truant fruitless prudent. O, as in Nor. The ' third sound ' of o, in Walker's notation. The error to be avoided in this sound, is that of making it nearly the same with the o of the word no, or dividing the sound into two parts, of which the first ENUNCIATION, 21 is the o of no, and the second that of u in up : or of a in at j thus, no«r for nor. v Or orb cord sort short storm, form horn scorn corn thorn cork, fork north torch horse lord resort, remorse unhorse retort contortion distorted mortal, morsel mort- gage mortar torture forfeit formal, fortune sort torment coral born forlorn. The same sound unaccented: Forbear tormenting formality mortality sortie formation ornamental. O, as in Not The c fourth ' sound of o, in Walker's notation. * The common error in the formation of this sound, is, as in the above examples, the substituting of o in wo, or of a double sound formed by o in no, and u in up, or a in at • thus Lost or loast for lost. This sound should be carefully avoided, in this and the above classes of examples, as a striking mark of vulgarity or ■■care- lessness. There is also the opposite error of making the l fourth ' sound of o nearly like the ' fourth ' sound of a ; thus, Gat, clack, &c. for got, clock, &c Odd rob mob,* dog log bog, not rot dot, loss boss toss, cross Boston sob, prop fog croft, loft soft clod, doff costly god, goddess nod lofty, glossy dross fossil, foster hostage softness. The same sound unaccented : Obtain occur commend, documentary prostration population, mammoth tre- mor algor. O, as in Done. The same with the second sound of u, or that of u in tub, up, &c. The fault, in the formation of this sound, is the sub- stituting for it the o of smoke, that of nor, or that of not. * The inflections may now be supplied by the voice of the reader. 22 ELOCUTIONIST. Come comrade combat none, nothing love comely word, world worm wont scourge, none such worship comfit colander, colonel bombard (noun) bombast (w.) compass, demon sovereign wonted sovereignty. U, as in Tube, mute, fyc. : Eu, as in Eulogy : Ew, as in Ewe : Ui, as in Suit : lew, as in View ; and Eau, as in Beauty. The ' first ' sound of u, in Walker's notation. The errors common in this sound, are the substituting for it that of u in full or o in move ; thus, toon for tune, and commencing the sound of u with that of a, instead of*e ; thus, tayoon for twne. Use cure lure tune dupe, fume useful human humour feud, hew few dew pew mew, new due cue 'sue blue, lubricate tumid cubic stupid constitution, institution revolution student studious duke, ducal superable su- preme superior conclude, resume consume renew review beautiful, beauteous lucid luminary stupor fluid, im- portune opportunity mutual plural lurid, during dura- tion dewy lunar lunatic, lunacy endure assume astute confute. The same sound unaccented: Lucubration educate articulate stipulate stimulate, singularly regular con- fluence calculate emulate, feature nature fortune. U, as in Tub. The ' second ' sound of u, in Walker's notation. There is sometimes an error heard in this sound, which makes it seem to resemble o in on; thus, onder for wnder ; and another, which cannot be represented to the eye, but which gives this vowel a sound which is guttural, (formed too deep in the throat,) and with too wide an opening of the organs. This sound ap- proaches, though very slightly, to the o of on: it should be carefully avoided, as uncouth and vulgar. ENUNCIATION. 23 Up under tun run gun dub, cub rub dug tug mug sup, duck cluck church such clutch much, shrub glut strut nut nun hum, buzz purr cut puff gruff muff, dull mull cull clung gulf gulp, tuft trust tusk musk hurl skulk, skull unfurl churl custard bulge husky. The same sound unaccented: Uptake undo, unseal sackbut conduct log-hut. U, as in Bull, full, &>c. : O, as in Wolf, took, &c. The 'third' sound of u, in Walker's notation. An error sometimes heard in this sound, is that of obscuring it, by hastening over it, and dwelling too much on the consonant which follows it. This error cannot be exactly represented : it can only be generally described as impairing the true and clear sound of the letter. Pull bush, push puss, put bull-dog, fuller wolfish, foot wood, would could, should pulley, pulpit cushion, cuckoo woman, sugar woollen, withstood wool, hood stood good. SOUNDS OP DIPHTHONGS, Oi and Oy, as in Oil and Boy. The common errors in this sound, arise from a want of attention to the true sound of the initial letter of the diphthong, which is the o of not, and not that of no. Hence the faulty sound of oil, boy, for oil, boy. A worse error, though less frequent, is that of pronoun- cing this diphthong like the letter i ; thus, He for oil. Boil coil foil, toil soil coy, toy joy hoy, rejoice broil spoil, void doit coin, loin joint hoist, moist joist voice, oily joyful coinage, poise noise employ, embroil appoint avoid, alloy recoil turmoil. Ou, as in Pound: Ow, as in Down. The neglect of the initial letter of the diphthong, is 24 ELOCUTIONIST. also the cause of the common error in this sound, which consists in substituting the sound of a in far, or that of o in orb, for that of o in done, and prolonging unduly the first sound of the diphthong, causing a broad and drawling sound ; thus, Vawnd, taivn, for pozmd, town. The local error of New England, substitutes for the initial sound of this diphthong, that of a in at, or of e in met ; thus, Paund, tawn, for pound, town. How vow now thou, loud cloud cow gown, count house town clown, scowl fowl mouth out, our ground found sound, round souse mouse bounce, rebound re- sound astound confound, coward cowering lowering scouring, account recount surmount boundary, pound- age hourly cowl growling. CONSONANT SOUNDS. These may be conveniently arranged according to the organs with which they are articulated. Labial Letters. Mute labials, E, P ; aspirated labials, F, PH, GH 7 as in Laugh, V; liquid labial, M ; vocal labial, W. The common defect in the articulation of these sounds, is a want of force in the compression and open- ing of the lips. In practising the following words, the utmost force and clearness of sound, should be given to the labial letters. B, — Bay bad bar ball bee, bet bile bit bore bog, boon bush bust by blab, swab babe barb glebe web, imbibe bib globe rob bull, babbler bubbling double trouble un- blamed, unblameable peaceably abominable hubbub bulbous. P, — Pay pad par pall peat pet, pile pit pore pod poor push, pus pie ape pope pap harp, creep step pipe pip grope pop, pulp topple supple grappling uncropped palpably. 4 ENUNCIATION. F, PH, GH,— Fay fat, far fall, fie fee, fed file, fin fore, foss fool, fuss safe, staff wharf, fife thief, whiff oaf, off hoof, huff laugh, caliph "baffle, offing sulphur, laugh' dst fifer, chaffering quaffed, triumph draught. V, — Vane van vaunt, vie veer velvet, vile vogue volley, cave cove sleeve, helve dive live, grove love of, valve vivify revive, surviving valvular reviv'dst. M,— May mat mark malt, mien men mile mist, moan mop moon must, my aim ham harm, qualm seem hem mime, hymn home doom come, lime maim mammal mummy, roaming commencement monument humbly, murmurs maimed humm'st humm'dst W, — Wane wail way wag war, wall wad we wine, win wo wot won beware, away bewail unwed un- washed. Dental Letters. Mute, D, T; — Lisping, TH, as in Thin; TH, as in Thine; — Aspirated, J, G soft ; CH, as in Church;— SH sharp, as in Shape ; TI, as in Nation ; CI, as in Gra- cious; CE, as in Ocean ; — SHflat, or SI, S'(7, &c, as in Occasion, Division, Leisure; — Sibilant, or hissing, S sharp and C soft, as in Sauce;— S flat, as in Was ; Z, as in Haze. D, — Day daw dart dash die din, deem den dome don dub duke, laid awed hard mad lied lid, feed fed mowed rod cud denude, deduce deduct added addled oddly wedded, called adds dubb'dst doubled dared dastard. T, — Tame tar, tall tap, teeth tent, tithe twit, titter tome, top too, tutor tut, tight taught, tete-a-tete tart, tat cat, hot coat, total foot, destitute stutter, lightest tighten'dst, triturate capitulate, tittered hurt'st. TH sharp, — Thane thank thaw, theory thigh thin, thorn threw throw, thrust thirsty scath, breath thrust- 3 26 ELOCUTIONIST. eth north, youth growth worth, truths swath youths, hearths oath cloths. TH flat, — They that thy though, thee then there- fore swathe, paths seethe sithe blithe, tithe baths beneath oaths, thither underneath bathes swathes. J and G soft, — Jay genius gentle jam jar, jet jeer gesture jilt jimp, giant gibbet jolt jostle just, gymnic gyve gypsy joy age, liege edge budge judge judgedst. CH soft, — Chair chat charm chalk check chine, chin churn chirp hatch march watch, each switch scorch birchen satchel beechen, twitching touchedst. SH sharp, TI, CI, &c.— Shame shad, shark shawl y sheen shed, shine shin, show shot, shoe shrub, shroud shrink, shrive shrivel, shrine sash, marsh swash, mesh wish, brush push, splashing marshy, ration completion, discretion contrition, promotion revolution, disputa- tious — [ce and ci sounding sh :] herbaceous, ocean con- tumacious, specious delicious — [ci sounding she:] enun- ciation pronunciation, association partiality. SHflat, — Derision abrasion adhesion, explosion con- fusion roseate, azure osier vision, leisure seizure treas- ure, pleasure occasion collision. $ sharp, and C soft, — Say sad salt saunter, see cease set slice, sister cistern cider soak, sod source sorcery sue, suds system ace pass, salts farce fleece suppress, ice assistance police miss, twice jocose toss juice, sluice fuss distress mists, hosts listenest listlessly interstice, solstice sayest assassin assassinates, assassinatest as- sassinatedst sustainest designest, presidest desistedst rests seducest. $ flat, Z, — -Phases houses fantasm buzzes gales, homes dives zany breezes zebra, maze was has prizes dissolves, observes hussars dismays huzzas dismem- bers, disarms disburdens husbands philosophical dis- ease, bedizens roses daisies venison horizon. ENUNCIATION. 27 Palatic Letters. K, as in Key : C hard, as in Cue : Ch, as in Cho- rus : Q, as in Queen : Kail cane quaint keel queer key, quid cone quote cup cube cake, squeak elk pike kick sick attack, quack quake crowd crust clay cloy, dirk work bulk skulk crack cracked, cracks crackst crack' dst crackling choral archives, architecture arch- angel quicker. G hard, as in Gag: Gay gave, gap guard, gall ghost, green go, gone gulp, plague hag, bog jug, egg gargle, giggle gurgle, ogle glimpse, gray gross. Semi-palatic Letter, or initial Y, as in Ye. Yare yest yon, young yonder your, you youth yawl. Aspirated or Breathing- Letter. H, as in Hail: Hay hat harm hall, heel head high hit, home hot horse hoot, hue hut hyphen behave, behest hence when why, who where wheat what, wherefore whirl whence vehement, annihilate human behemoth vehicle. Nasal Letters. iV, as in No : Nay nap gnarl knee net, nice nib note not new, fain can barn keen ken, line sin own on hewn, grain noise now noun winnow. NG, as in Singing; N f as in Finger: N, as in Think ; N, as in Concave ; N, as in Conquest Gang king sprung length strength bank, sink being nothing writing hanging bringing, robbing singing conquer prolong concourse concubine, extinct distinc- tion thank banquet sunk ink, thinks thinkest crank angle English congress, anger congregate anguish extinguish unguent languid. 28 ELOCUTIONIST. Lingual Letters. L, as in Lidl: Lay lee, lie lo, loo law, lad lark, loll hale, all call, well weal, will wool, hull lowly, lily lullaby. R initial , or before a vowel* as in Rude. Ray rat r raw wry, pray brass, crape green, trait shrug, throw root, rust rural, around enrich, rebel Roman, roll rot r flowery contrary, library rest, rhinoceros roaring, rear- ing rushest, torrent dreary r briery priory, eruel truly,, protrude. RJinal, or before a consonant ', as in Air, far, farm.f Hare are ore, ire our ear, harm form burn, eternal fern dark, farm marl furl, hurl whirl her, formal borne born, murmur far former, horn torpor stork, fork ford hoard r lord force horse, ark dart barter, herd learn arm, pearl world servant, border merchant adore, demure expire appear. Exercise combining both Rs. Rarely rear roar error y horror roared reared warrior, terror regular irregular Brier, prior truer. These words should be articulated with great pre- cision and energy, and the distinction of sound, in the two Rs, carefully observed. Note.- — The common errors in the sounds of this letter, are the substitution of the hard for the soft r ; thus r warr for war; the entire omission of the letter, as in wattfm, for warm, the protrusion of the hard sound after a consonant ; thus, derread for dread. Nothing is more * Articulated by a forcible trill of the tongue against the npper gum, forming a harsh sound, which may be denominated 'hard ' R„ Note. — This sound should never be prolonged into a ' roll.'' f In the formation of this sound, which is much softer, the tongue- bends inward in the mouth, and the vibration is very slight. This sound may be distinguished as ' soft ' R. The pupil should be trained, first, to give the perfect sound of the hard R, then that of the soft, then to articulate the two sounds* alternately, in rapid successien^ ENUNCIATION, 29 characteristic of true and graceful articulation, than the clear and appropriate sound of this letter. Palatic and Sibilant Letter. X, as in Vex: Axe sex ox expel exile, six oxen Saxon waxedst sexton, axle excel fixture extract exhortation exorcise expect. X, as in Examine : Example exemplary exact aux- iliary exalt exhort, exhaust exhaustion exhale exhibit exordium. . ERRORS IN ARTICULATION. The common hinderances to distinct enunciation may, as far as articulation is concerned, he classed as follows : 1st. Feebleness, arising from a want of full and for- cible emission of voice, and of due energy in the action of the organs, — particularly the tongue, the teeth, and the lips. 2d. Omission, a fault occasioned by undue rapidity or hurry, and sometimes by an inadvertent compliance with incorrect custom. 3d. Obscurity, caused by the want of precision and accuracy in the funccions of the organs, and a conse- quent want of definiteness or correctness in the sounds of letters and syllables. The rule of practice, therefore, in regard to the exercises of reading and speaking, should be, Always to articulate with such energy, deliberateness, and accu- racy, that every sound of the voice may be fidly and exactly formed, distinctly heard, and perfectly under- stood. A drawling slowness, however, and a pedantic or irregular prominence of unaccented syllables, should be carefully avoided. Faults arising from slovenli- ness, and those which seem to spring from misdirected study, are equally objectionable. 3* 20 ELOCUTIONIST. Errors in articulation may be conveniently classed according to the manner in which they affect the pro- nunciation of words and syllables. 1st. Those which consist in omitting or obscuring" words. Among these are the following : In the pronunciation of the conjunction and, cut- ting off the final letter d, and obscuring or omitting the initial letter a. These errors take place frequently, and in various circumstances, but particularly when and occurs before a word beginning with a voweL Thus the word and, in the phrase ' air and exercise/ is not unfrequently pronounced in one of these three ways: c air an' exercise,' — 'airun exercise,' — 'air'n 7 exercise.' The phrase ' of the ' is also clipped of several letters 7 so as to be reduced, in some instances, to the bare sound of th. The following clause exemplifies the various degrees of this fault : ' The heat of the air was op- pressive' — ' the heat o' the air,' &c. — 'the heat o' th' air,' &c. — ' the heat th' air/ &c. The preposition to is carelessly uttered as if with the sound of o in done, or of u in but, instead of that of # in move, shortened; thus, 'He went tu see the monument' — for ''to see,' &c. 2d. Errors in the articulation of initial syllables, by omitting or obscuring the sounds of letters. The errors of omission are, chiefly, such as the following: [The letter which is apt to be omitted, is italicised.] * Belief believe benevolence benevolent delicious delight delightful delineate deliver denominate de- nominator calamity calamitous deny denial deliberate * These and all following classes of words which exemplify errors or rules, are intended to be read aloud, with great distinct- ness, and to be often repeated. ENUNCIATION. 31 denote denounce polite political, Auman * wAen wAeat wAy where wAat wAirl wAimper wAale wAarf wAeel wAich wAisper wAite. The errors of careless articulation and obscure sound in initial syllables, are chiefly exemplified in the letters e and o, which are incorrectly sounded like e in Aer and like o in come. The true sound of e and o in such syllables is that which is heard in the first syllable of the words rewrite, domain, costume. Before behind behold beware event prepare precede. O, as in Domain — Colossal, (incorrectly pronounced cullossul, &c.) Columbus proceed producing opinion domestic obey tobacco promote pronounce propose pro- vide provoke position horizon. O, as in Costume — Collect, (incorrectly pronounced culled, &c.) collision command commemorate commence commit commission committee commodious communi- cate compactly companion compare competitor com- plete comply compose component comprise compress compute conceal concede conceit concern concession conclude concur condemn conduce condense condition conductor confederate confine confirm confute congeal conjecture connect consent consider consign console constrain construct consume consult contain content contemplate contend contribute control converge convey convince convulse correct correctly correctness corrupt corrode corroborate. 3d. The errors of articulation in middle syllables, are chiefly those which arise from the omission or obscur- ing of e, o, or u, unaccented, and the letter r before a liquid. These letters, although they should never be * In words commencing with wh, the letters must be transposed in pronouncing ; thus, Hwen, Invent, hwj, &c. Except who and its compounds, with a few other words, in which the sound of w is dropped ; as, Whoever, whole, whoop. 32 ELOCUTIONIST. rendered prominent, ought always to possess their true sound, according to the nature of the combination of letters in which they occur. The faulty omission of e, takes place as follows : Several every severing tottering murderer fluttering utterance traveller gravelly deliverer deliberate despe- rate — pronounced erroneously sev'ral ev'ry, &c. The omission of o: Corroborate history rhetoric melancholy memorable memory desolate — pronounced incorrectly corrob'rate hist'ry, &c. The omission of the letter u: Articulate perpen- dicular accuracy mascwline regwlar — mispronounced artic'late, &c. The obscuring of the letter o, or changing its sound from that of o in domain to that of o in done : Com- position compromise disposition melody custody colony eloquence advocate absolute opposite obsolete crocodile philosophy philology zoology — pronounced incorrectly composition meludy eluquence, &c. The obscuring of the letter e, or giving the sound of e in her, for that of e in rewrite : Society sobriety variety contrariety satiety — erroneously pronounced sociuty, or as if divided thus : societ-y, &c. The omission of the letter r: Alarming disarming returning discerning confirming worldling reforming conformably remorsefully reverberate warrior — mis- pronounced ala'ming disa'ming, &c. 4th. The errors of articulation in final syllables are chiefly those of omitting or obscuring the sounds of vowels, — particularly that of the letter e. This letter, when it occurs in a final syllable unaccented, should have an obscure sound, which is intermediate between that of e in met and that of e in mete, resembling i short, and avoiding an exact or analytical style, bor- dering on either of these particular forms of the vowel. ENUNCIATION. 33 Omission of e: Travel gravel vessel level hovel novel model chapel parcel sudden hyphen sloven mit- tens — mispronounced trav'l, &c. Omission of a: Musical festival comical critical capital metal canonical pontifical numerical juridical ecclesiastical pharisaical paradisiacal fatal fantastical principal — mispronounced music' 1 met'l, &e. Omission of i: Certain fountain uncertain — mispro- nounced cert'n, &c. Omission of o : Horizon notion motion oraison dia- pason creation contusion explosion — mispronounced horiz'n, &c. Obscuring the sound of e, so as to make it resemble that of e in her, or of u in but. Moment confidence equipment dependence dependent silent anthem provi- dence independent prudent impudent confident parlia- ment expedient — incorrectly pronounced moment con- fidence, &c. The e in these terminations should be that of the word met, without accented force. Obscuring the sound of a, in a manner similar to that mentioned above : Ascendant descendant defend- ant perseverance jubilant expectant defiance aifiance ordinance — mispronounced ascendent defiance, &c. Obscuring the sounds of o and ow final into that of u in but: Potato tobacco motto fellow window widow meadow willow billow follow hallow — mispronounced potatu fell u , &c. Omitting the sound of g in the nasal diphthong ng : Waking- morning- running- walking- dancing- eating* drinking- sleeping- resting flying- moving- swimming* writing being- deserving- drawing* drowning- fawning*. These and many other words, are pronounced incor- rectly thus, wakin' mornin' runnin,' &c. Omitting the sound of r : War far star floor before flower more alarm return enforce recourse unhorse 34 ELOCUTIONIST. remorse unfurl concert depart departure character mutter murmur creator actor spectator nature crea- ture feature — commonly mispronounced waw, fah, stall, ala'm, retu'n, depa't, depatshu', &c. Sounding y final like e in her : City society confor- mity duty beauty — mispronounced cite, societe, &c. # Adding the sound of r to final vowels and diphthongs, when they occur before a word beginning with a vowel : thus, idear of, &c. lawr of, &c. tobaccor in, &c. drawr a plan, &c. TERMINATIONAL SOUNDS WHICH ARE OFTEN IMPERFECTLY ENUNCIATED. able and ably. The error in these terminations, is that of substitut- ing the a of the word able, the i of audible, or the u in bubble, for the a of babble, — rendered short, however, from becoming unaccented. There is a still grosser error of inserting a sound like that of u in but, between the b and the I, of the termination able ; thus, amia6wZ for amia^e. Applicable formidable commendable, peaceable agree- able palpable, perishable sociable amiable, pitiable honourable detestable, abominable formidably com- mendably, agreeably sociably amiably honourably, detestably respectably immutably tolerably. ible and ibly. Enunciated incorrectly with the u of bubble, for the i of nibble, — rendered short, as unaccented. Invincible forcible incredible audible, illegible con- * These and several other classes of errors, might have been arranged under the general head of pronunciation, and pointed out in the lesson on that subject. But it seemed preferable to trace them to their source, — a faulty articulation, or want of precision in the play of the organs. ENUNCIATION. 35 trovertible incontestible feasible, susceptible percep- tible invincibly forcibly, incredibly audibly percepti- bly contemptibly. ure. The error commonly heard in this termination, is that of substituting u in but for the short name sound, as heard in the word universal; thus, treaswr' for treasure. Pleasure measure exposure erasure composure, dis- pleasure outmeasure nature feature creature, pressure fissure leisure closure disclosure, censure tonsure liga- ture miniature portraiture, legislature imposture de- parture seizure. date and tiate. The common error is that of shortening this termin- ation into one syllable, in words in which it should form two ; thus, emsishate for emaciate, [ema-she-ate, if analyzed.] Depreciate officiate enunciate annunciate consociate associate, ingratiate expatiate dissociate excruciate. clal and tial. Commonly mispronounced as if terminating with ul instead of al ; thus, Sociz/Z for social, [so-shal.] Special judicial, beneficial artificial, superficial pro- vincial, commercial confidential, initial substantial, circumstantial credential, providential prudential. ful and fully. Sometimes carelessly enunciated with the sound of u in bulk, instead of that of u in full, — if divested of accent ; thus, dreadful for dreadful. Needful awful playful, fanciful peaceful changeful, 36 ELOCUTIONIST. gracefully revengeful guilefully, beautifully tuneful hopeful. tion and sion. Often carelessly articulated without o ; thus, Occa- zhn for occasion, [occa-#fom.] Evasion invasion confusion persuasion, adhesion cohesion decision division, provision explosion diffu- sion conclusion, impulsion compulsion dimension ex- pansion, comprehension aversion incursion compas- sion, concession profession procession constitution, so- lution institution caution option, perception addition repetition acquisition. dian, diate, dious, and eons. Mispronounced by dropping the sound of i or of e ; thus, Injan for Indian, by changing a into u, as Injun for Indian, and sometimes by dividing thus, In-de-an for Indian, [Indyan or In-dye-an.] Tedious perfidious fastidious insidious invidious, .meridian compendious odious melodious commodious, hideous lapideons comedian mediate intermediate; immediately repudiate araneous spontaneous homo- geneous, duteous plenteous bounteous beauteous quotidian. rian, rial, rious, reons, Hon and rior, Ought to make the i and e a distinct syllable ; as r does not naturally blend with the vowel which follows it. Hence the necessity of pronouncing Histo-ri-an as a word of four syllables, and not allowing the i to drop into the sound of y. Barbarian librarian agrarian valerian senatorial equestrian, various gregarious glorious victorious laborious notorious, arboreous vitreous mysterious ENUNCIATION. 37 pretorian clarion criterion, centurion superior inferior anterior material imperial, memorial armorial. sm, Im, rm. Sometimes articulated in an awkward manner, which allows a sound like that of u in up, to drop in between m and the letter which precedes it; thus, Patriotisum, for patriotism. Criticism exorcism, phantasm spasm, chasm witti- cism, fanaticism helm, whelm elm, overwhelm worm, arm alarm, harm disarm. COMMON ERRORS EXEMPLIFIED IN PHRASES. The importance of exemplifying current errors in phrases or sentences, arises from the fact, with which teachers are familiar, that a word placed separately, on a column or a list, becomes necessarily so conspicuous as to be more attentively observed and correctly pro- nounced ; while the same word," merged in the body of a phrase, is apt to escape the attention, and to be pro- nounced incorrectly. I saw (sawr)* a man who told me all things that ever I did. I have no idea of (idear of) what is meant. He will sail for Cuba (Cubar) in a few days. We were at that time speaking of (speakin') your brother. He had violated the law of (law;* of) the land. There were several (sev'ral) rare books in his col- lection. They were every (ev'ry) moment expected to appear. They were travelling (trav'llin') in great haste. The visitors were numerous (num'rous) on that day. He seemed sunk in melancholy (mehmch'ly). * The error in the above examples, is contained within the parenthesis. 4 38 ELOCUTIONIST. He was reduced almost to (tu) despair. You were then ready to (tu) depart. His political (p'litic'l) opinions were liberal (lib'ral). There was a radical (radic'l) error in his opinion (upinion). y^f It was a vessel (vess'l) of the first class. His character (cha'acte') was held in just estimation (estimash'n). He was a sincere friend to liberty (libe'ty). His notions (nosh'ns) of his own condition (con- dis'hn) were absurd. He fails in articulate (artic'late) utterance (utt'rance). A certain (sutt'n) man had two sons. His composition (compusishn) was far (fah) from being correct (currect). The grave of the Indian (injun) chief. We are not fastidious (fastijous) in our taste. He gave a conditional (cundishnul) promise. The bird was fluttermg (flutt'rin') over her nest. You had a very calamitous (c'lamitous) voyage. It was contrary to the law of (lawr of) nature. His face wore a cadaverous (cadav'rous) hue. The measure is preposterous (preposterous). You were unable to (tu) speak. She was present at the musical (music' 1) festival (festiv'l). He had been a great traveller (trav'ller). They were unwilling to leave a certainty (suttnty) for an uncertainty (unsuttnty). The measure rendered them odious (ojous). The declamation was animated and (an') chaste. Among the boughs of (o') the trees. Actuated by honor and (un') honesty. Take the rod and (an') axe and (an') make the murder (mudde) as you make the law. ENUNCIATION. 39 He spoke to (tu,) them of it before (bufore). On every (ev'ry) leaf anoJ (an') every (ev'ry) flower. The creation (creash'n) and preservation (preser- vash'n) of life. The testimony of the second witness corroborated (^rrob'rated) that of the first (fust). The benevolent (b'nev'lunt) Howard. The fruit was delicious (d'licious); the prospect was delightful (d'lightful). The stranger was remarkably polite (p'lite) to them. The dignity of human ('uman) nature (natshu). When (wen) will what (wat) he whispered (wis- pered) transpire? Where (were) wheeled (weeled) and whirled (wirl- ed) the floundering (flound'rin) whale (wale). Behold (buhold) he is before (bufore) you. Be prepared (prupared) to precede (prucede) them. His opinion (upinion^ was that we ought to obey (ubey). They committed (cummitted) the whole piece to memory (mem'ry). The communications of the competitors, were com- pared, (cummunications, &c.) You concurred in co7zdemning the confederates (con- curred, &c.) The building which was constructed of wood, and contained a vast quantity of combustible materials, was, in a short time, consumed (as above). She studies history (hist'ry) and rhetoric (rhet'ric). He had no disposition (dispusish'n) to employ him- self in composition (compusish'n). His eloquence (eluquence) set the colonies (colunies) in a flame. Natnre (natshu) and society (sucietty) are not al- ways in unison (unis'n). 40 ELOCUTIONIST. Fair (fai') Greece, sad relic of departed (depa'ted) worth (wo'th). Immortal (immo'tal) though no more (mo'). Easing their steps over (ove') the burning (bu'ning) marl (ma'l). The vessel (vess'l) was built as a model (mod'l). We travelled (trav'lled) on a level (lev'l) road of gravel (grav'l). His musical (music' 1) tone had a comical (comic' 1) effect* A specimen of the metal (met'l) was sent to the capital (capit'l). In a moment of imprudent confidence, he declared himself independent of their assistance (momunt, &c.) Looking- (lookin') out of the window on the willows in the meadow (windu, &c.) Dancing, drawing-, and singing-, being- only graceful accomplishments, are much less important than the useful ones of reading- and writing- (dancin', &c.) And the smooth stream in smoother (smoothe') numbers (numbe's) flows. Rarely does poverty overtake the diligent (as above). Faults of local usage exemplified. Inadvertent com- pliance with negligent and erroneous custom, is a great source of the defective articulation which prevails in reading. The extent to which faults of this class are sometimes carried, even in circumstances otherwise favourable to good education, may be inferred from the following specimen of the actual style of articulation, current in many schools, which are certainly well taught in other respects. Exercises similar to the fol- lowing, should be occasionally performed by the student, for his own use, with a view to the detection of current errors, which might otherwise escape his notice, and influence his own articulation. ENUNCIATION. 41 The following extract is printed, it will be observed, with a notation of the incorrect articulation, through- out. The design of this arrangement is to arrest the attention, and produce, if possible, an adequate im- pression of the consequences of hasty and careless utterance. Extract. " The young of all animals appear to re- ceive pleasure, simply from the exercise of their limbs and bodily faculties, with- out reference to any end to be attained, or any use to be answered by the exer- tion. A child, without knowing anything of the use of language, is in a high degree delighted with being able to speak. Its incessant repetition of a few articulate sounds, or perhaps of a single word, which it has learned to pro- nounce, proves this point clearly. Nor is it less pleased with its first suc- cessful endeavours to walk, or rather to run, which pre- cedes walking, although entirely ignorant of the importance of the attain- ment to its future life, and even without applying it to any present" purpose. A child is delighted with speaking, without having anything to say, and with walking, without knowing whither to go. And pre- viously to both these, it is reasonable to believe, that the waking hours of in- 4# Incorrect articulation. The young of all animals (anim'ls or animal's) ap- pear to receive playzhu, simply from the exe'cise of their limbs an' bod'ly fac'lties, without ref 'rence to any end tu be attained, or any use tu be answered by the exu'sA'rc. A child, without knowin' anything u th' use of language, is in a high d'gree d'lighted with bein' able tu speak. Its incess'nt rep'tis/m of a few artic'late sounds, or p'r'aps of a single word, which it has lunn'd tu pru- nounce, proves this point clea'ly. Nor is it less pleased with its fust suc- cessful endeavus tu walk, or rather tu run, which precedes (or pre-cedes) walkin', although entirely ignurunt u th' impo'tence u th' attainmunt to its futu' (or futshu) life, and even without applyin' it to any pres'nt pu'pose. A child is d'lighted with speakin' without havin' anything tu say, and with walkin', without knowin' whither tu go. An' pre- viously tu both these, it is 42 ELOCUTIONIST. fancy, are agreeably taken reasonabul tu b'lieve, that up with the exercise of the wakin' hours of in- vision, or perhaps, more funcy, areagree'bly taken properly speaking, with up with the exe'cise of learning to see." * vizhn, or p'r'aps, more prope'ly speakin', with lunnirt tu see. Errors of the above description, vary, of course, with the places, and even the schools, in which they exist ; and the above, or any similar example, must be con- sidered as thus limited, and not as meant to be of uni- versal application. It should farther be observed, that, in exhibiting a specimen of prevailing faults, it becomes necessary to the usefulness of the exercise, to include in the notation of a passage, all the errors usually made by a class, although the number might be much smaller for an individual. Every person who fails of articulating distinctly, has an habitual fault, in the pronunciation of one or more classes of words or syllables, and sometimes, perhaps, of letters. These should be selected and thrown into the form of sentential exercises, for daily practice, in the manner exemplified in this lesson. ' Natural impediments,' or, — as they should rather be called, — faults of early habit, must be removed by means adapted to particular cases. But there are few students who do not need, in one form or other, the full benefit of careful practice in this department of elocution. The very general neglect of this branch of elementary instruction, leaves much to be done, in the way of correction and reformation, at later stages. The faults acquired through early negligence, and confirmed into habit by subsequent practice, need rig- orous and thorough measures of cure ; and the student who is desirous of cultivating a classical accuracy of taste, in the enunciation of his native language, must be willing to go back to the careful study and practice of its elementary sounds, and discipline his organs * The above extract should be read aloud, from the incorrect articulation; the errors being rectified, when necessary, by refer- ence to the extract as correctly given. PRONUNCIATION. 43 upon these in all their various combinations, till an accurate and easy articulation is perfectly acquired. The 'exercises in articulation and pronunciation,' are arranged with a view to this object. PRONUNCIATION. This department of elocution is sometimes termed orthoepy (correct speech.) It is properly but an ex- tension and application 01 the subject of the preceding lesson. Articulation regards the functions of the organs of speech ; and pronunciation, the sound pro- duced by these functions, as conforming to, or devia- ting from, the modes of good usage. Speech being merely a collection of arbitrary sounds, used as signs of thought or feeling, it is indispensable to intelligible communication, that there be a general agreement about the signification assigned to given sounds ; as otherwise there could be no common language. It is equally important that there be a common consent and estab- lished custom, to regulate and fix the sounds used in speech, that these may have a definite character and signification, and become the current expression of thought. Hence the necessity that individuals con- form, in their habits of speech, to the rules prescribed by general usage, — or, more properly speaking, to the custom of the educated and intellectual classes of society, which is, by courtesy, generally acknowledged as the law of pronunciation. Individual opinion, when it is at variance with this important and useful prin- ciple of accommodation, gives rise to eccentricities, which neither the authority of profound learning, nor that of strict accuracy and system, can redeem from the charge of pedantry. It is a matter of great importance, to recognise the rule of authorized custom, and neither yield to the influence of those errors which, through inadvertency, 44 ELOCUTIONIST. will creep into occasional or local use, nor, on the other hand, be induced to follow innovations, or changes adopted without sufficient sanction. A cultivated taste is always perceptible in pronunciation, as in every other expression of mind ; and errors in pronouncing are unavoidably associated with a deficiency in the rudiments of good education. To obtain an undeviating standard of spoken lan- guage is impossible. The continual progress of refine- ment, and, perhaps, sometimes, an affectation of refine- ment, — and at all events irresistible custom, — are perpetually producing changes in speech, which no individual and no body of men can completely check. Neither Walker, therefore, nor any other orthoepist, can be held up as permanent authority in every case. Still, there is seldom or never an individual so happily situated, as to be necessarily exempt from local pecu- liarities which are at variance with general use. An occasional appeal to the dictionary, must therefore be useful to the majority of persons ; and, of the various dictionaries in common use, Walker's may be taken as, on the whole, the safest guide to good usage in pro- nunciation. A few allowances must, of course, be made for those cases in which a sound is noted, that cannot be exactly expressed to the eye, by any combi- nation of English letters. The chief of these instances are explained in the exercises in articulation and pro- nunciation. Persons who are desirous of perfecting their pronun- ciation would do well to read aloud, daily, a few col- umns of Walker's* dictionary, and mark with a pencil those words which they find they have been accus- tomed to mispronounce, themselves, or to hear mispro- nounced by others. This exercise, however, must be * The author would refer to Mr. J. E. Worcester's edition of Todd's combination of Johnson and Walker's Dictionaries, as, per- haps, the fullest and most accurate work of its kind. Mr. W.'s Comprehensive Dictionary presents the same matter, in a form adapted to schools. The same author's edition of Dr. Webster's Dictionary, is a book of great practical value, in the department of orthoepy, from the distinct and satisfactory manner in which it indi- cates those words which are liable to various modes of pronunciar tion, and those in which Dr. Webster's style is peculiar. PRONUNCIATION. 45 performed on the column which contains the orthoepy, and not on that which contains the orthography, as errors would otherwise escape unnoticed. The follow- ing will he found an easy way of committing to memory the words which are marked as ahove mentioned. Let the student compose a sentence comprising all the words which he has marked in one reading ; and hy repeating such a sentence several times daily, the correct pro- nunciation of the words will soon he permanently impressed on his mind. A steady course of such application will, in a few months, enable him to pronounce correctly every word in the English lan- guage, and save him from embarrassment and errors in reading or speaking in public. Errors in pronunciation may regard either the quality of sound in letters, or the placing of accent on syllables. The former may be classed alphabetically, for the con- venience of referring easily to particular letters. VOWELS. The letter A. The errors committed in obscuring the sound of this and other letters, have been already pointed out, under the head of articulation. The following errors do not necessarily imply any indistinctness in articulating, but rather a mistake regarding the particular sound to be given to this letter, in different circumstances. Errors. — The indefinite article is often pronounced with the sound of a in fate for that of a in fat ; thus, I saw a man, for I saw a man. This is merely a child- ish error, continued from the elementary schools, and should be avoided, as rendering pronunciation formal, precise, and mechanical. A in unaccented initial syllables, is mispronounced in the same way ; thus abate for abate ; — so is a final, as in Cuba for Cuba ; and, generally, a unaccented, in the following and similar syllables : honorary, obdu- racy, peaceably, for honorary, obduracy, peaceably. 46 ELOCUTIONIST. Rule. — The letter a, constituting an unaccented syllable, or occurring at the end of an unaccented syllable, has the sound of a in that, as in the words, Atone, lunacy, habitual, algebra, &c, which must not be pronounced Aytonz, lunacy, habitual, &c. ; but atone, lunacy, habitual, &e. Examples for Practice. Jlbash^ abandon abed abet abettor ability above about abode aboard abolish abominate abortion abreast abyss acclamation acute adamant adept admirable adore adorn adoption adult adrift afar afresh afloat again agree agreeable alarm alas alert alike amass amaze amend amid amuse apart apace apology are araneous aright arise arcana Asia atone Athens atro- cious avail avenge avert aver avow awake aware away bade canal cadaverous calamity cadet caliginous calumniate canine canonical canorous caparison capit- ulate caress catarrh cathedral censurable chimera commendable conversable convalescent contumacy comfortable conformable constable contrary corollary creditable curvature customary decalogue declaration demagogue despicable dictatorial dilatory dilemma diploma drama Persia privacy. In one class of words, the opposite error of giving the sound of a in fat instead of a in fate, is prevalent, as in Matron for matron. The same error is often heard in the pronunciation of words of Hebrew, Greek or Latin origin, as in Drama for drama, Achaia for Achaia, Isiah for Isaiah.f * Where two As occur in the same word, the one which is mis- pronounced is in Italic type. | Wherever local usage sanctions the broad A, in pronouncing the ancient languages, that sound may, of course, be adopted, without positive error, in reading such words, when embodied in an English sentence. But where, as in both Old and New Eng- land, the classical orthoepy is anglicised, the flat sound of A should be heard. PRONUNCIATION. 47 Examples for Practice. Patron patriot patriotism matronly satyr Saturn datum desideratum arcana transparent transparency azure stratum Diana Caius Isaiah Sinai. Note. — Patriotic patronage patronised, are exceptions. E. Errors. — The sound of e in me, for that of e in met, as in re-creant for rec-reant. Examples for practice. — Recreate recreation relaxa- tion reformation heroine heroism defalcation preface recreant. Error. — The sound of e in met, for that of e in me, as in es-tate for e-state. Examples for practice. — Esteem establish escape especially. For other errors, see lesso?i and exercises in articu- lation. I. Error. — The sound of i in pine, for that of i in pin, as in Di-rect for direct, [de-rect,] masculine for mas- culm. Examples for practice. — Diverge vivacity vicinage divert. Adamantine amaranthine bitumen digress dilate digestible digest (verb) digression dilacerate dilute diminish diminution diminutive diploma direction directors diversion divorce diversity diversify divest divinity divisible divulge feminine fertile finesse fidu- cial financier finance febrile hostile juvenile liquidity litigious mercantile minute minotaur minuteness mi- nority philosophical philosophy piano piazza pilosity reptile sinistrous. For other errors, see as above. 48 ELOCUTIONIST. o. Error. — The sound of o in no, for that of o in ?wt, as in Progress, process, produce (noun), extol; mispro- nounced Pro-gress, &c., for prog-ress, &c. The sound of o in not, for that of o in no, as in Revolt, sloth, portrait ; mispronounced Revolt, &c., for revolt, &c. The sound of o in no, for that of o in done, as in Testimony, patrimony, matrimony, nugatory, dilatory, none; mispronounced Testimony, &c., for testimony, [testimuny.] For other errors, see lesson and exercises in articu- lation. £7 and Y. For errors in the sounds of these letters, see as above. DIPHTHONGS. See, as above. CONSONANTS. D and T. Error. — These letters, when they occur before u, sounding as in tube, are mispronounced in two ways : 1st. Through carelessness or affectation, they are softened too much, as in E/ucate and nacAure, for educate and nate/mre.^ * The true sounds of these letters, when they occur as above, cannot be easily expressed to the eye. The d and the t, however, should be softened but very little. A slight softening of these let- ters in the above situation, is natural and appropriate ; as we may find by adverting to the very prevalent softening of these letters, in the current pronunciation of such phrases as ' would you r ' ' could you,' ' intreat you,' containing a similar combination of sounds. It is the excess, and not the thing itself, that is to be avoided, in pro- nouncing the words in the text above. PRONUNCIATION. 49 2d. From a fastidious care to avoid this sound, they are pronounced in a separate and analytic manner, which wants fluency and freedom; thus, Ed-u-cate and nature. Examples for practice. — Educate education creature feature arduous virtue virtuous fortune spiritual spirit- uous signature individual gradual graduate naturally. For other errors, see as before. Error. — The sounding of h, when it ought to be silent, as in Humour, Aostler, Aospital, tumble; for 'umour, &c. For other errors, see as before. The errors commonly made in the sounds of the other consonants, are mentioned in the lesson and exercises on articulation. ACCENT. Accent is the force with which we pronounce the most prominent syllable of a word, as in the syllable man, in the word manfully. Errors in accent consist in transferring it to syllables on which it is not authorized by present custom, or established usage, as in Contemplate for contemplate, contents (noun) for conten'ls ; and in giving undue force to unaccented syllables, as in affection for affec'- tion. The former class of errors, is to be corrected by refer- ence to the dictionary, in the manner already men- tioned. The following words may serve as specimens of common faults in accent. Dissyllables, erroneously accented on the first instead of the second syllable : Detail retail recess access. Polysyllables, erroneously accented on the second sylla- ble instead of the first: Acceptable commendable. The 50 ELOCUTIONIST." accent on the second syllable of these words is entirely obsolete ; and the attempt to revive it, although favour- ing harmony of sound, is in as bad taste as the intro- duction of obsolete words in writing, or the adoption of antiquated fashion in garments. Polysyllables, erroneously accented on the^rs^ sylla- ble instead of the second: Contemplate compensate extirpate. The fault of improper force on unaccented syllables, arises from prolonging the vowel in such syllables. This error is illustrated in the incorrect sound of the initial a, as in abandon for abandon. It occurs also in the following and similar words : Attract attraction detract deduce deduct deduction detraction delusive deride derision relate remit remember review addi- tion; — mispronounced att'ra'ct, detra'ct, for attra'ct, detra'ct, &c. This fault should be carefully avoided, as imparting to words, a childish or mechanical accent, in the style of early lessons at elementary schools. The English language differs from others in no point more strikingly, than in the peculiar force of its accent, which seems almost to absorb the enunciation, in read- ing or in speaking, — particularly the latter. This characteristic is, no doubt, often carried to excess through carelessness and inattention, and produces a faulty obscurity of articulation, in unaccented sounds. But the fault of this extreme, cannot justify the opposite, which tends to equalise accent, somewhat in the manner of the French language. The style of pronunciation becomes, in this way, feeble and inexpressive, by losing the appropriate native prom- inence of English accent. The words The, By, My. The, before a word beginning with a vowel, snould be pronounced with the same sound of e as in Relate : before a word beginning with a consonant, it should have the obscure sound, as in the second syllable of eternal', but never the sound of broad a. PRONUNCIATION. 51 By, in colloquial or very familiar language, may be pronounced short, with a sound of y corresponding to that of i in the word it, and not as sometimes heard, like the e of me. But, generally, the y should be long. My should always be pronounced with the short sound of i, mentioned above, unless in emphatic expression or in solemn style ; and, in the latter, only in phrases directly associated with solemnity, as in the following: 'my God.' Familiar phrases, even in seri- ous or solemn style, should retain the short y ; thus, My hand, my heart, my mouth, — not my hand, &c. — So also in phrases of address, my lords, my friends, my countrymen, &c. — not my lords, &c. The word myself should never have the long y. The termination ed. In the reading of the Scriptures, the solemnity and antiquity of the style are supposed by some to require, or at least to authorize, the sounding of e in such words. — This, however, is a matter of taste merely, and should never be extended to other reading. The preceding illustrations of errors in pronouncing, are intended rather to suggest the necessity of the dictionary exercise already prescribed, than to give a full list of mispronunciations. Many important classes of faults in pronouncing are included in the lesson and exercises in articulation, which it may be useful to repeat, before commencing the exercise from the dic- tionary. This exercise may be performed, to great advantage, by the use of the slate and pencil; the pupils in a class writing, at the dictation of the teacher, a column or more of words, and on a column opposite, the orthoepy or actual pronunciation of each. It may afford a useful variety in the form of exercise, to write occasionally the orthoepy alone, as a discipline of the ear, or rather of the mind, in quickness and accuracy of attention. — Every locality has its own peculiar errors; but the following table will, it is thought, prove generally useful. 52 , ELOCUTIONIST, * Words in which the current 'pronunciation of the United States, deviates from that of England. , AMERICAN PRONUNCIATION. ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION. Accept'able, Acceptable, Again — agayn, Again — agen, Against — agaynst, .... Against — agenst, Aggrandizement, Aggrandizement, Al'ternate, Alter'nate, Almost, Al'most, Azure — azhure, Azure — ayzhure, Bellows, (the noun,) belloze, . Bellows — bellus, Bravo — Brayvo, Bravo — bravo, Bronze — bronz, Bronze — bronze, Caprice — cay'prees, . . v . Caprice — caprees', Chamois — shammy, .... Chamois — shamo/, Chasten, Chasten, China — Chinay, China — China, Chivalry — shivalry, .... Chivalry — tshivalry, Clarion, Clarion, Combat — combat, Combat — cumbat, Commen'dable, Com'mendable, Compensate, Compensate, Comrade — comrad, .... Comrade — cumrade, Confidant, Confidant', Confiscate, Confiscate, Constitution — constitootion, . Constitution, Consummate, Consum'mate, Contemplate, Contem'plate, Con'tents, Contents', Courteous — corteous, . . . Courteous — curteous, Courtesy — cortesy, .... Courtesy — curtesy, Creek — crik, Creek, Crocodile, ....... Crocodile, Deaf — deef, Deaf — def, Dec'orous, Deco'rous, Demonstrate, Demonstrate, De'tail, Detail, * Peculiarities of pronunciation, whether they characterize the usage of Ireland, Scotland, or the United States, fall under the denomination of errors, as regards the appropriate use of the English language. They are on the same footing with the faults of provincial dialect, in England itself. The English language, spoken out of England, claims, justly, the same law of observance ,with that of the French language, spoken out of France, — to be regulated by the custom of the country in which it originated. PRONUNCIATION. 53 AMERICAN PRONUNCIATION. ENGLISH- PRONUNCIATION. Docile, ......... Docile — dossil, Dynasty, .....*. Dyn'asty, Ele'giac, Elegi'ac, En'ervate, . Ener'vate, Enuncia'tion — enunseation, . . Enunciation — enunsheation, Epicurean, Epicure'an, E'poch, Ep'och, Es'teem, E'steem, Es'tate, . E'state, Establish, Establish, Euro'pean, . . .... Europe'an, EVangelical, Ev'angelical, Ex'tirpate, Extir'pate, Eyry— iry, Eyry— ayre, Falchion, Falchion, Falcon, Falcon — fawcn, Fulsome, Fulsome, Granary, Granary, Grindstone, Grindstone, Half-penny, Half-penny — hay-penny, Horizon, Horizon, Hospital — Aospital, .... Hospital — ospital, Hostler — hosier, Hostler — osier, Housewife — house- wife, . . Housewife — hiizwif Hover — hover, Hover — huver, Humble — Aumble, .... Humble — umble, Humour — Aumour, . . . . Humour — umour, Hyssop — hisup, or hissup, . . Hyssop — hizzup, Indocile, Indocile — indossil, Institution — institootion, . . . Institution, Juvenile, Juvenile, Legend — lejend, Legend, Legislative, Legislative, Legislature, Legislature, Matron, Matron, None, None — nun, Ortho'epy, Or'thoepy, Pageant, Pageant, Pasty, Pasty, *Patent, Patent, Patron, Patron, Patriot, Patriot, Portrait, Portrait, Prebend, ...*... Prebend, Preface, Preface, Prelude, Prelude, T3 resage, (n.) Presage, Process, Process, Produce, (n.) — prodoos, . . Prod'uce — (w, as in mute,) q% * Patent-right. 54 ELOCUTIONIST. AMERICAN PRONUNCIATION. ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION. Progress, -. . Progress, Profile, Profile — profeel, Prologue, Prologue, Pronunciation — pronunseation, Pronunciation — pronunsheation, Propitiation — propissiation, . . Propitiation — propisheation, Prot'est, (n.) Protest', Provost, Provost — *prov'ust, or f pro'vo', Prowess — proiss, Prowess — (ow, as in now,) Qualify, Qualify — (a, as in wash,) Quality, Quality — (a, as in wash,) Quantity, Quantity — (a, as in wash,) Raillery — railery, Raillery — rallery, Recollect, Recollect, Recommend, Recommend, Recreation, Recreation, Reformation, Reformation, Relaxation, Relaxation, Retail, Retail', Revolt, Revolt, Route — rout, Route — root, Sewer — sooer, or sower, . . Sewer — shore, Shone — shone, Shone — shon, Sirrah — sirrah, . .... Sirrah — sarrah, Sloth, Sloth, Solder — sodder, Solder — solder, Strew — stroo, Strew — stro, Survey, (n.) Sur'vey, Sword — sword, Sword, sord, Tapestry, Tapestry, Tenet. . . _. . . . ~ . . Tenet, Therefore — tharefore, . . . Therefore — therfor, Threepence — threpence, . . Threepence — threpens, Thyme — tAyme, Thyme — tyme, Towards — toowards', . . . Towards — tords, Twopence — toopence, . . . Twopence — tuppens, Topographical, Topographical, Uten'sil, U'tensil, Vase — vace, Vase — vaze, Vizier — vizier, Vizier, Wainscot, Wainscot — wenscot, Yea — ye, ....... Yea — yay. Note.- — Some of the peculiarities noted, in the preceding list, as Americanisms, are not exclusively so. Several are common to the style of elderly persons, or of negligent usage, in England. Walker's orthoepy, though unquestionable, in most instances, is, in a few words, now become obsolete ; as the usage of the most cultivated English society daily evinces. * Magistrate. f Military officer. ENUNCIATION. 55 MODE OF ENUNCIATION REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC READING AND SPEAKING. A correct enunciation is the fundamental quality of a distinct and impressive elocution. It is an attain- ment of great value, for the ordinary purposes of communication; but it becomes doubly important, in the act of reading or speaking in public, whether we advert to the larger space which must be traversed by the voice, or the greater moment of the topics of dis- course which are usual on such occasions. The appro- priate style of modern eloquence, is that of intellectual, more than of impassioned, expression ; and enunciation being, of all the functions of the voice, that which is most important, to the conveyance of thought and meaning, it justly requires, in the course of education, more attention and practice than any other branch of elocution. A distinct articulation, regarded as a matter of taste, or the result of a well-disciplined mind, possesses, like the quality of perspicuity or clearness in writing, something more than a mere negative merit : it imparts to speech a positive propriety and gracefulness, for the want of which nothing can compensate. In the Eng- lish language, especially, it is an invaluable accom- plishment; as our frequent consonants, and difficult combinations of sound, while they render an accurate enunciation essential to intelligible expression and natural fluency of speech, tend to betray the organs into a defective and inarticulate mode of utterance, — a result which may be observed in the habits of the illiterate and the uncultivated, wherever the English language is spoken. Nor is erroneous habit, in this particular, confined to the uneducated : it extends, in consequence of defective initiation in the English lan- guage, to the business of the professions, and the exer- cises of literary institutions ; and until a change, in this respect, is effected in the modes of early instruc- tion, a good enunciation must remain to be the fruit of individual exertion and of self-cultivation. To aid such efforts is the object, in part, of this manual; and the lessons and exercises prescribed in the preceding pages, although primarily designed for 56 ELOCUTIONIST. the elementary discipline of young learners, will also, it is hoped, serve the purposes of preparatory practice for public reading and speaking, if attention is given to the following explanations and suggestions. Distinct enunciation depends, as already mentioned, on the true and forcible action of the organs of speech. Regarded in connexion with the exercise of reading or speaking in public, it requires, 1st, the preparatory act of dravnng a full supply of breath, that the lungs may be freely expanded, and a sufficient volume of air obtained for the production of strong and clear sound ;* 2d, a vigorous emission, or expulsion, of the breath, to give force and distinctness to the action of those organs which render sound articulate ; 3d, an energetic, delib- erate, and exact execution, in the functions of the tongue and the lips. It is from the combination of all these qualities of articulation, that the ear receives the true and perfect sound of every letter and syllable ; and the mind, the exact form and meaning of every word; while a failure in any of these points, is attended by a weak and inefficient voice, or a defective and indistinct utterance. The qualities requisite to distinct enunciation, nat- urally belong to all human beings in the possession of health, and under an adequate impulse of the mind : they are especially characteristic of the activity and elasticity of youth, when not perverted or depressed by arbitrary modes of education, or when uncorrupted by bad example and neglect. Instruction and practice, however, are requisite to develope and confirm these natural good tendencies ; but such aids become indis- pensable when the habits of enunciation have, through unfavourable influences, been stamped with error, or when individuals have commenced a course of study, preparatory to a profession which requires correctness and fluency in public address. * This act is naturally and unconsciously performed by persons whose organization is happily adapted to vigorous exercise of voice. It easily becomes a habit, even with the infirm, if due attention is devoted to it. It facilitates, inexpressibly, the exertion necessary to public speaking ; and the neglect of it is a great cause of internal exhaustion and injury. CULTIVATION OP THE VOICE. 57 A habit of drawing a full breath, has been men- tioned, as the first preliminary to energetic and distinct enunciation. This point will, perhaps, be more clearly- understood, and its value more distinctly perceived, by adverting to the circumstance, that many speakers, (adults, through the influence of neglected habit, and the young, from agitation or embarrassment.) begin to speak without a full supply of breath, or an entire inflation of the lungs, and that the mechanical impulse of speaking commonly carries on the action of the voice, without leaving opportunity for a full supply of breath to be drawn, in the course of a whole exercise. The lungs are thus exhausted and injured, by being required to furnish, (what they have not actually received,) a volume of air sufficient to create and sustain a strong articulate utterance. The whole style of a speaker's elocution is thus rendered feeble, indistinct, and unim- pressive. A due attention to the student's habits of breathing, will do much towards enabling him to speak or read with ease and distinctness, as well as to acquire a full and habitual energy of voice, and a permanent vigour of the organs of speech.^ The second requisite to distinct articulation, is a forcible expulsion of the breath. Animated conversa- tion, on subjects, interesting to the mind, and especially when a numerous company is addressed, furnishes an idea of what is meant by expulsive or forcible utter- ance ; and the voice of a sick person, — of an individual in health, when fatigued, — of a person overwhelmed with grief, shame, or embarrassment, — may serve to illustrate the opposite quality of speech, — a faint and ineffective mode of expression. The act of public communication by oral address, requires a vigorous exertion of the organs, — a thing equally essential to animation and interest in the speaker, and to the phy- sical possibility of his voice being heard, or his words * The exercise of reading - or speaking- in public, must necessarily be exhausting, when this point is neglected ; and it is no less capa- ble of becoming easy, salutary, and invigorating-, if this circum- stance receive due attention, and the supply of breath be frequently renewed, by advantage being taken of every slight pause, while the chest is always kept fully expanded. 58 ELOCUTIONIST. understood by his audience. To produce an energetic and distinct articulation, the breath must be forcibly expelled, as well as freely inhaled : — a full volume of air must be transmitted, with great force, to the minor organs of speech, which give a definite character to sound. Where the forcible emission of the breath is neg- lected, a grave and hollow voice, yet feeble and languid in its. execution, is unavoidably contracted, by which the speaker's internal energy is much impaired, and the natural effect of his delivery is lost. A strong and adequate utterance, on the contrary, carries the voice outward, and causes it to reach with ease, and with full effect, over a large space. Expulsive enunciation should receive full attention, as an easy and natural means of strengthening the voice, and rendering it clear and distinct. As a mode of physical exercise, it is conducive to inward vigour, and to general health ; and as an accomplishment in elocution, it is of the utmost consequence to the appropriate expression of elevated sentiment and natural emotion. This kind of vocal force, however, must be carefully distinguished from that of calling or vociferation, with which it has little in common, but which is habitually exemplified by some public speakers, who indulge an undisciplined and intemperate energy of feeling or of voice, and by children, generally, when reading in a large room. It produces the style of utterance which most people erroneously adopt in conversing with a deaf person. Contrasted with a natural and habitual tone, this mode of utterance has a false note, and an effect alto- gether peculiar to itself: it is the tone of physical effort transcending that of mental expression. True force of utterance, on the other hand, keeps the tone of meaning predominant, and preserves the whole natural voice of the individual, while it increases its energy. It differs from the tone of private conversation solely in additional force, and a more deliberate and distinct expression. It is the want of this style of utterance which creates formal and professional tones, or what is not unjustly called a school tone. CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE. 59 The third constituent of good articulation, is to be found in the proper functions of the tongue and the lips. These organs divide and modify the voice into distinct portions of sound, constituting letters and syllables, and consequently require energy and delib- erateness, or due force and slowness, along with per- fect precision, or exactness, in their action. Energy in the play of these minor organs of speech, is a quality entirely distinct from loudness, or mere force in the emission of the voice. A sound may come from the lungs and the throat with great vehe- mence, and yet be very obscure in its peculiar char- acter, because not duly modified by the tongue. The voice of a person under the excitement of inebriation, furnishes, sometimes, a striking illustration of this distinction. Strong emotion and great loudness of speech, are, from a cause somewhat similar, not fa- vourable to clear expression of meaning, but often have a contrary effect ; the violence of feeling and of utterance preventing the true and accurate formation of sound. Energy of articulation, on the other hand, consists in the force with which the constituent sounds of every word, are expressed by the exertion of their appropriate organs. It may exist with but very little of mere loudness. It sometimes gives indescribable power to a bare whisper. It is the quality which gives form and character to human speech, and con- stitutes it the appropriate vehicle of intellect ; although from languor or carelessness of habit, it is too seldom exemplified in public reading and speaking. The next point to be observed, in the action of the organs, is deliberateness or due slowness, the medium between hurry and drawling, — faults which are a great hinderance to distinctness ; the former producing a mass of crowded and confused sounds which make no distinct impression on the ear, and leave no intel- ligible trace on the mind ; and the latter causing the voice to lag lazily behind the natural movement of the mind's attention, with an unmeaning and disa- greeable prolongation of sound, which takes away the spirit and the significance of speech. The degree of slowness required for an accurate and distinct enun- 60 ELOCUTIONIST. ciation, is such as to leave sufficient time for the true and complete formation of every sound of the voice, and for the deliberate and regular succession of words and syllables ; but it is free from any approach to lan- guor and drawling. Force and slowness, however, are not the only qual- ities essential to distinct articulation. There must be, in addition to the right degree of these properties, a due attention, in every instance, to the nature of the sound to be produced, and to that exertion of the or- gans which is adapted to its exact execution. Artic- ulate utterance requires, in other words, a constant exercise of discrimination in the mind, and of precis- ion, or accuracy, in the movements of the organs of speech. A correct articulation, however, is not la- boured and artificial in its character. It results from the intuitive and habitual action of a disciplined at- tention. It is easy, fluent, and natural; but, like the skilful execution of an accomplished musician, it gives forth every sound, even in the most rapid passages, with truth and correctness. A good enunciation gives to every vowel and consonant its just proportion and character ; none being omitted, no one blending with another in such a manner as to produce confusion, and none so carelessly executed as to cause mistake in the hearer, by its resemblance to another.^ The faults most common in articulation, were men- tioned at the beginning of the first lesson. They may be briefly recapitulated as consisting in feebleness of expression, arising from deficiency in organic exertion ; omission, occasioned by rapidity ; and obscurity, by inadvertency and negligence ; — all contributing to ren- der the voice unintelligible or indistinct/ The faults opposed to these are not so prevalent, nor so objection- able, in regard to their influence on audible and clear expression, but are very unfavourable in their effect, owing to the associations inseparably connected with them : they consist in undue force and prolongation # The exercises on enunciation, in the first part of this volume, are classed with reference to the different organs which they call into action. This arrangement was adopted with a view to the cultivation of strict accuracy of habit in articulation. CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE. 61 of sound, on accented syllables ; and a fastidious pre- cision or undue prominence, in those which are unac- cented. These faults create an inexpressive, drawling, and childish utterance, or an artificial and affected style, which is repugnant to natural feeling and good taste. The former of these two classes of faults, (exem- plified in such enunciation as animal for animal, mo- mnnt for moment, &c.) strikes the ear of taste as coarse and careless; while the latter, which throws half the accent on the last syllable, and creates the Latin word animal', or the French style of momen't, destroys the natural rhythm of spoken language, and substitutes for it a languid and tedious succession of mechanical sounds. The appropriate style of English accent, is peculiarly forcible and prominent, leaving unaccented sounds very slight to the ear. The excess of this disproportion is, what may be called a natural fault ; but the least deviation from this tendency of utterance, and especially any approach to an opposite extreme, produce a foreign accent. The worst and the most prevalent of all faults, however, are those of omitting and obscuring unac- cented sounds, through rapidity and negligence of articulation, which render it impossible to receive rightly the sense of what is read or spoken; since they prevent the possibility of articulate distinctions in the voice, and of corresponding discriminations by thenar. The great object of speech, is thus, to all intents, lost ; for the reader or speaker is not under- stood. The subject of enunciation has, thus far, been re- garded chiefly as a physical exercise, or a mechanical function of the organs of speech. It will now be briefly considered in connexion with the expression of thought and feeling. Contemplated in this view, it requires attention to the following particulars, force, pitch, and time, or rate of utterance. Force. The distinction has been already made be- tween the force of vociferation, and that of energetic articulation. The former was mentioned as arising from peculiar physical circumstances, and as being 6 62 ELOCUTIONIST. inapplicable to public speaking. Another kind of force equally inappropriate, but habitually adopted by some speakers, was also alluded to, — that arising from violence of emotion. This style of utterance, from whatever kind of feeling it arises, is as unsuitable in addressing a public assembly as a private circle, or even an individual ; although it may be very natural and appropriate in poetic or dramatic recitation, which often implies an expression of the extremes of human feeling. The proper force of voice for public speaking, has been mentioned as most nearly exemplified in animated conversation, addressed to a numerous com- pany in a large room. This style of utterance possesses the energy of sentiment; embracing the mental influ- ence of thought and feeling, blended with the physical influence of space. It is by departing from this man- ner, and approaching to that first mentioned, that those faulty and unnatural tones are produced, which have become prevalent in professional and public perform- ances. Directions for practice. The 'exercises on force of utterance,' commencing at page 67, may be practised as follows. The exercises on ' shouting and calling,' should be repeated daily, with the utmost attainable force ; their purpose being to strengthen the organs, and impart volume and power of voice. The exercises on 'force of emotion,' may be man- aged in nearly the same way. Their chief use is to facilitate strength of expression, in passages marked by great vehemence. The exercises on ' declamatory force,' or the appro- priate style of public speaking on subjects of impor- tance and interest, must be carefully preserved from the violence of tone belonging to the preceding exercises, and should be strictly confined to the natural manner of earnest conversation with a distinct and impressive utterance. # * The mode of utterance which appropriately belongs to public speaking, is that to which all learners, except the very youngest, should be accustomed, for its mental, not less than its physical, advantages ; since the voice may, by early training, be formed to any desirable point of strength and pliancy, and a distinct, ener- CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE. 63 The exercise on c moderate and conversational force,' should not fall short of the energy of voice required for conversing in public, but should preserve that moderation of utterance, which distinguishes the ordi- nary occasions of conversation from those of peculiar interest. The exercise on c subdued force ' should be read in a style approaching to a whisper ; and that on ' whis- pering ' should be performed in literal correspondence to its designation. The intention of these two forms of exercise, is, to perfect the student's command of his voice, and to enable him to retain distinctness of enun- ciation, while he lays aside loudness. The most difficult of these exercises, are those on declamatory and conversational force ; the former of which is apt to become a compound of chanting and calling, and the latter to drop down into the feeble- ness of private conversation. The result, in the one case, is the common arbitrary and mechanical tone of oratorical occasions, and professional performances, a getic utterance is favourable to strong- and clear impressions on the mind of the reader or speaker himself, as well as of those who are addressed. Youth is the favourable season for the formation of habit ; and the practice of vigorous exercise of voice, in early years, lays the foundation of facility in professional effort, in after life. But, aside from these general considerations, the necessity of the case, in the size, merely, of most public school-rooms, fur- nishes an immediate reason for the assiduous cultivation of a forci- ble and natural enunciation, in school exercises. The habits which generally prevail in school reading, are a bawling or a feeble utter- ance, and a formal tone ; and these defects are necessarily trans- ferred to the higher stages of education, and to the habits of professional life. Students whose voices are fully formed, and therefore not ex- posed to injury from great exertion, would do well, in their daily practice, to carry their force of voice, not only to the utmost possi- ble limit of exercise in public buildings, but even to that required in addressing a numerous assemblage in the open air. Exercise of this sort gives great freedom of utterance, and general command of voice, in practising on a smaller scale. Students who labour under organic weakness, and learners whose voices are in the stage of transition to the grave tone of adult life, should commence the practice of such exercises with a moderate force, and proceed, by degrees, to the utmost extent of loudness. An abrupt commencement of force might, in some cases, occasion injury to health, or to the voice. 64 ELOCUTIONIST. tone prescribed by mere custom and ill-cultivated taste; the force of which adds nothing to meaning, or to genuine emotion, but serves merely to express, in a for- mal way, the misdirected excitement of the speaker. In the other case, an over familiar, or fireside tone of voice, is incurred, which is altogether at variance with the seriousness and the dignity of public address. The daily repetition of the various stages of utter- ance, exemplified in the exercises on force, will serve to maintain vigour and pliancy of voice, and preserve a disciplined strength and facility of utterance. The elementary practice of the examples should not be relinquished, till a perfect command is acquired of every degree of loudness. The succession of the exercises should occasionally be varied, by practising them in inverted order; and care should be taken to preserve, in the expression of each, that perfect dis- tinctness of articulation without which force of utter- ance becomes useless. Full impressions of the impor- tance of preparatory discipline will be needed, to induce the student to carry on this department of practice with that vigorous and persevering application which it requires. The advantages of the attainment in view, however, are of the utmost consequence to the health and vigour of the corporeal frame, the perfection of the organs of speech, the distinctness of enunciation, the adequate expression of thought, and the appropriate influence of feeling. The customary tones of public speaking are generally assumed through inadvertent imitation, or adopted by misguided taste, and are equally defective and injurious; whether we regard the speaker himself, the sentiments which he utters, or their influence on the minds of others. Pitch. Few faults in speaking have a worse effect, than the grave and hollow note of voice, into which the studious and the sedentary are peculiarly apt to fall, in public address. A deep and sepulchral solem- nity is thus imparted to all subjects, and to all occa- sions, alike. The free and natural use of the voice is lost; and formality and dulness become inseparably associated with public address on serious subjects; or the tones of bombast and affectation take the place of CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE. 65 those which should flow from earnestness and eleva- tion of mind. The young catch, hy involuntary imitation, the intonation of adults; and hence the prevalence of false and hollow utterance, in the decla- mation at schools and colleges, — a style of voice which often seems on a sudden to convert the youthful speakers into grave and formal personages, somewhat advanced in life. The false pitch now alluded to, is attended with many injurious consequences : it leads to a faint, inaudible, or indistinct utterance, an exhausting mode of emitting the voice, which impairs the action of the lungs and the vigour of health ; add to which a formal and tedious monotony of speech, preventing the natu- ral tones of the voice, and their appropriate influence. The true pitch of the voice, for every individual, is that to which he inclines in animated conversation. The prevailing seriousness of feeling which naturally belongs to the expression of the voice, in the utterance of the sentiments commonly introduced in public dis- courses, may appropriately incline the tone to a lower strain than is usually heard in conversation on ordinary subjects. But the common error is to exaggerate this tendency of voice, and to create a different mode of speech from what is natural and habitual to the speak- er ; so that the professional man and the individual are not the same being, — if we judge by the tone and expression of the voice. The opposite fault Of a high and feeble note, has a very unfavourable effect on the ear, owing to the asso- ciations with which it is accompanied. It divests a speaker's whole manner of manliness and dignity, and renders his utterance much less impressive and distinct than it would otherwise be. The various kinds and degrees of emotion, require different notes of voice, for their appropriate expres- sion. Deep feeling produces low tones ; joyful and elevated feeling inclines to a high strain; and pity, though so widely differing in force, is also expressed by the higher notes of the scale. Moderate emotion inclines to a middle pitch. 6* 66 ELOCUTIONIST. The exercises on pitch are intended to produce the effect of contrast, and to guard the ear against the undue prevalence of any note unauthorized by mean- ing or emotion, or tending to create indistinctness of utterance. The appropriate note of each class of ex- ercises, will be most correctly given in practice, by allowing full scope to the particular emotion which, in each instance, affects the pitch of the voice, and other- wise determines or modifies the prevailing tone. In this, as well as in other departments of elocution, it is the degree of mental attention and interest in what is read or spoken, that favours felicity and truth of me- chanical execution. The exercises on pitch should be attentively practised, till the power of easy transition from one class to another, in inverted, as well as regu- lar, order, is fully acquired, and the appropriate key- note of any emotion can be struck with certainty and precision ; while the natural compass of the student's voice is strictly regarded, and a strong and clear articulation carefully preserved. Time.* The utterance of successive sounds re- quires, in every form of speech, a certain rate, or proportion of time, occupied in the formation of each element of sound, and in the intervals which elapse between the elements, in their natural and proper suc- cession. A given time is necessary to distinct and intelligible utterance. Deep and solemn emotion re- quires a slow movement ; and a deliberate manner is indispensable to a serious and impressive delivery; while animation and earnestness naturally incline to a degree of quickness in utterance, without which speech is apt to become languid and dull. The extremes of drawling and rapidity are the common faults in time ; the former unavoidably asso- ciated with laziness of habit and inefficiency of voice, and the latter, with carelessness and a want of self- command, if not of a strong and clear conception of what is uttered. * The word time is sometimes used in elocution, as equivalent to movement, in music. CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE. 67 The intention of the exercises under the head of 'time', is, to enable the student to acquire a perfect command of his rate of utterance, with a view to the distinct communication of thought, and the appropriate expression of feeling. To effect this purpose, s the various classes of exercise, from the slowest to the quickest in rate, should be frequently and carefully practised, in inverted order, as well as that in which they are arranged in the book. EXERCISES ON FORCE OF UTTERANCE. Whispering. il All silent they went, for the time was approaching, The moon the blue zenith already was touching ; No foot was abroad on the forest or hill, No sound but the lullaby sung by the rill/' Subdued Force. " There is no breeze upon the fern, No ripple on the lake ; Upon her eyrie nods the erne, The deer hath sought the brake ; The small birds will not sing aloud, The springing trout lies still; So darkly glooms yon thunder cloud, That swathes, as with a purple shroud, Benledi's distant hill." " There breathed no wind their crests to shake, Or wave their flags abroad ; Scarce the frail aspen seemed to quake, That shadowed o'er their road : No cymbal clashed, no clarion rang, Still were the pipe and drum ; Save heavy tread and armour's clang, Their sullen march was dumb." 68 ELOCUTIONIST. Moderate and Conversational Force. 11 The Supreme Author of our being has made every thing that is beautiful in all other objects pleasant, or rather, has made so many objects appear beautiful, that he might render the whole creation more gay and delightful. He has given almost every thing about us the power of raising an agreeable idea in the imagina- tion ; so that it is impossible for us to behold his works with coldness or indifference, and to survey so many beauties without a secret satisfaction and complacency. We are everywhere entertained with pleasing shows and apparitions; we discover imaginary glories in the heavens, and in the earth, and see some of this vision- ary beauty poured out upon the whole creation ; but what a rough unsightly sketch of nature should we be entertained with, did all her colouring disappear, and the several distinctions of light and shade vanish ! In short, our souls are at present delightfully lost and bewildered in a pleasing delusion ; and we walk about like the enchanted hero in a romance, who sees beauti- ful castles, woods, and meadows; and at the same time hears the warbling of birds, and the purling of streams : but, upon the finishing of some secret spell, the fantastic scene breaks up; and the disconsolate knight finds himself on a barren heath, or in a solitary desert.' 7 Declamatory Force. 1. " These abominable principles, and this more abomi- nable avowal of them, demand the most decisive indignation. I call upon that right reverend and this most learned bench, to vindicate the religion of their God, to defend and support the justice of their country. I call upon the bishops to interpose the unsullied sanc- tity of their lawn, upon the judges to interpose the purity of their ermine, to save us from this pollution. I call upon the honour of your lordships, to reverence the dignity of your ancestors, and to maintain your own. I call upon the spirit and humanity of my country, to vindicate the national character," CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE. 69 2. " What's hallowed ground ? 'tis that gives birth To sacred thoughts in souls of worth. Peace, Independence, Truth ! go forth Earth's compass round, — And your high priesthood shall make earth All hallowed ground." 3. " One great clime, Whose vigorous offspring by dividing ocean Are kept apart, and nursed in the devotion Of Freedom, which their fathers fought for, and Bequeathed, — a heritage of heart and hand, And proud distinction from each other land, Whose sons must bow them at a monarch's motion, As if his senseless sceptre were a wand Full of the magic of exploded science, — Still one great clime, in full and free defiance, Yet rears her crest, unconquered and sublime, Above the far Atlantic !" Force of Emotion. 1. " On, ye brave, Who rush to glory or the grave ! Wave, Munich, all thy banners wave, And charge with all thy chivalry !" 2. " Strike till the last armed foe expires, Strike for your altars and your fires, Strike for the green graves of your sires, God, and your native land !" Shouting and Calling. 1st Example. " Liberty ! freedom ! Tyranny is dead : Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets !" 2. " Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells ! ' King John, your king and England's, doth approach : Open your gates, and give the victors way !" 70 ELOCUTIONIST. EXERCISES ON PITCH. Loio Notes. "Not a drum was heard, nor a funeral note, As his corse to the rampart we hurried ; Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot , O'er the grave where our hero we buried. We buried him darkly, at dead of night, The sod with our bayonets turning, By the struggling moonbeam's misty light, And the lantern dimly burning." Middle Notes. "My thoughts, I must confess, are turned on peace; Already have our quarrels filled the world With widows and with orphans : Scythia mourns Our guilty wars; and earth's remotest regions Lie half unpeopled by the feuds of Rome. 'Tis time to sheath the sword and spare mankind." " We took up arms, not to revenge ourselves, But free the Commonwealth. When this end fails, Arms have no further use. Our country's cause, That drew our swords, now wrests them from our hands. And bids us not delight hi Roman blood Unprofltably shed. What men could do, Is done already. Heaven and earth will witness, If Rome must fall, that we are innocent." High Notes. " But thou, O Hope ! with eyes so fair, — What was thy delighted measure ? Still it whispered promised pleasure, And bade the lovely scenes at distance hail ! Still would her touch the strain prolong; And from the roeks, the woods, the vale, She called on Echo still through all her song : And where her sweetest theme she chose, A soft responsive voice was heard at every close ; And Hope enchanted smil'd, and wav'd her golden hair." CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE. 71. EXERCISES ON TIME. Slowest Rate, w Night, sable goddess ! from her ebon throne, In rayless majesty now stretches forth Her leaden sceptre o'er a slumbering world. Silence, how dead ! and darkness how profound ! Nor eye nor listening ear an object finds : Creation sleeps. 'Tis as the general pulse Of life stood still, and Nature made a pause, — An awful pause, — prophetic of her end J' Slow. <{ Beneath those rugged elms, that yew tree's shade, Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap, Each in his narrow cell forever laid, The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." ^For^hem no % ore the blazing hearth shall burn, Or busy housewife ply her evening care ; No children run to lisp their sire's return, Or climb his knees, the envied kiss to share." Moderate. *'< If the relation of sleep to night, and, in some instances, its converse, be real, we cannot reflect with- out amazement, upon the extent to which it carries us. Day and night are things close to us: the change applies immediately to our sensations ; of all the phe- nomena of nature, it is the most obvious, and the most familiar to our experience : but, in its cause, it belongs to the great motions which are passing in the heavens. Whilst the earth glides around her axle, she ministers to the alternate necessities of the animals dwelling upon her surface, at the same time that she obeys the influence of those attractions which regulate the order of many thousand worlds. The relation, therefore, of sleep to night, is the relation of the inhabitants of the earth to the rotation of their globe : probably it. is more ; it is a relation to the system of which that globe is a part ; and still farther, to the congregation of sys- tems, of which theirs is only one. If this account be 72 ELOCUTIONIST. true, it connects the meanest individual with the uni- verse itself: a chicken, roosting upon its perch, with the spheres revolving in the firmament." Lively. " In thy right hand lead with thee The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty ; And, if I give thee honor due, Mirth, admit me of thy crew, To live with her, and live with thee, In unreproved pleasures free : To hear the lark begin his flight, And, singing, startle the dull night, From his watch-tower in the skies, Till the dapple dawn doth rise; Then to come, in spite of sorrow, And at my window bid good morrow., Through the sweet brier or the vine, Or the twisted eglantine.' 7 Quick. " Now the storm begins to lower ] (Haste, the loom of hell prepare;) Iron sleet of arrowy shower Hurtles in the darkened air. " Ere the ruddy sun be set, Pikes must shiver, javelins sing, Blade with clattering buckler meet, Hauberk crash, and helmet ring. " Sisters, hence with spurs of speed I Each her thundering falchion wield ; Each bestride her sable steed : Hurry, hurry, to the field !" The preceding exercises will be found serviceable in training the organs and forming the voice to the appro- priate style of public reading and speaking. They are not meant, however, to supersede a regular course of culture, on the plan prescribed in Dr. Rush's Philoso- phy of the Voice, — an advantage, now accessible to stu- dents in Boston and Cambridge, at the Vocal and Gym- nastic Institute of Mr. J, K Murdock. INFLECTION. Introductory Observations. The use of inflection is to give significance to speech, and constitutes that part of modulation which is addressed to the understanding. It ranks next to a distinct articulation, as the means of rendering consecutive oral expression intelligible. It has, too, a certain effect of local melody, — so to term it, — in the successive clauses of a sentence, without which aid we could not discriminate between the com- mencement and the completion of a thought addressed to the ear. Propriety of tone, even in the plainest forms of prose reading, is wholly dependent on the right use of inflections ; and the absence, or the wrong application, of these modifications of voice, indicates either a want of ear, or of right understanding as to the sense of what is read. In the reading of verse, appropriate inflections are the only means of avoiding the two great evils of monotony and chant. Reading, without inflections, becomes lifeless, as may be observed in what is usually called a { school- boy tone.' This fault not only divests language of its meaning, but substitutes a ludicrous monotony for the natural, animated, and varied expression of the voice, in actual communication. The hearer unavoidably loses all interest in what is monotonously read ; for it makes no appeal either to his feelings or to his under- standing. But it is not monotony, or the mere absence of inflection, or a formal mannerism, that is the only ground of complaint, as regards the too common style of reading. The ear undisciplined by proper early training, acquires habits of false intonation, and for the appropriate slides of the voice, substitutes, often, such 7 74 ELOCUTIONIST. as are quite at variance with the sense of what is read, or utterly repugnant to the ear of cultivated taste.* Definitions.-)- Inflection, as a term applied to elocu- tion, signifies the inclining, or sliding, of the voice, either upward or downward.} There are two simple inflections, — the upward, or rising , usually denoted hy the acute accent Q — the downward, or falling ■, marked with the grave ac- cent ( v ). The former occurs in the tone of a question which admits of being answered by yes or no, or by any other form of affirmation or negation ; and the latter in that of the answer ; thus, "Is it a difficult affair'?"— " YeV "Will you go see the order of the course!" — "Not -J." "A'rni'd, say you?" — u>, Arm , d, my lord." Note 1. In the tones of strong emotion, the rising inflection runs up to a very high note, and the falling * A striking example of this fault occurs in the prevalent use of the ' wave,' double slide, or ' circumflex,' — in the colloquial accent, and the local reading intonation of New England, — a fault which even well-educated persons often unconsciously display on the gravest occasions, although the appropriate use of the circum- flex belongs only to the language of wit, or drollery, or to sarcastic and ironical expression. This tone is strikingly exemplified in every emphatie word of what are popularly termed ' Yankee stories,' but may be traced, in a reduced form, in the current tones of New England, whether in speaking or in reading. f The importance of clear and correct ideas in the study of a sub- ject new to many learners, has induced the author to adopt as systematic and exact an arrangement as possible, though at the risk, perhaps, of apparent formality. Those parts of this work which are distinguished by leaded lines, are intended to be committed to memory. On all others, the learner should be closely examined. J Teachers and students will find here, as in all other departments of elocution, a copious source of instruction in Dr. Rush's elaborate work on the Philosophy of the Human Voice. INFLECTION. 75 descends to one very low. The space traversed by the voice, in such cases, is sometimes a • third,' some- times a 'fifth,' and sometimes an 'octave,' according to the intensity of emotion. Example 1. [The tone of indignant surprise, height- ened by question and contrast] : — "Shall we in your person crown the author of the public calamities, or shall we destroy him? " 2. " Hark ! — a deep sound strikes like a rising knell." [Earnest, agitated inquiry] : — "Did you not MaritV 1 * [Careless and contemptuous answer] : — U N6! 'twas but the wind, Or the rattling o'er the stony street." 3. [Excessive impatience] : — "Must I endure all this?" [Derisive and scornful repetition] : — u All this? " [Emphatic assertion] : — u Ay, more." Note 2. In unempassioned language, on the con- trary, the tone being comparatively moderate, the inflections rise and fall but slightly. The following examples, in which this diminution of inflection takes place, are so arranged that the inflections are to be reduced by successive stages, till they lose entirely the point and acuteness of the tone of question, from which they are supposed to com- mence, and are, at last, brought down nearly to the comparative level which they acquire in conversational expression, — the form in which they are oftenest em- ployed in a chaste and natural style of reading. Example 1. Interrogation, when not emphatic, thus, "Shall I speak to him?" 2. Contrast, when not accompanied by emotion: " They fought not for fame but freedom." 3. The expression of a condition or a supposition : "If we would be truly happy, we must be actively useful." "Your enemies may be formidable by their number and their power. But He who is with you is mightier than they." , 4. Comparison and correspondence : "As the beauty 76 ELOCUTIONIST. of the body always accompanies the health of it, so is decency of behaviour a concomitant to virtue." 5. Connexion : " He shook the fragment of his blade, And shouted, Victory ! " 6. Continuance of thought, or incomplete expres- sion, generally: "Destitute of resources, he fled in disguise." "Formed to excel in peace, as well as in war, Caesar possessed many great and noble qualities." "While dangers are at a distance, and do not immedi- ately approach us; let us not conclude that we are secure, unless we use the necessary precautions against them." " To us who dwell upon its surface, the earth is by far the most extensive orb that our eyes can any- where behold." CIRCUMFLEX. Definition. Circumflex, or wave. The two simple inflections, the rising and the falling, are superseded, in the tones of keen and ironical emotion, or peculiar significance in expression, by a double turn, or slide of voice, which unites both in one continuous sound, called the circumflex, or wave. When the double inflection thus produced, terminates with the upward slide, it is called the rising circumflex. which is marked thus (v) ; when it terminates with the downward slide, it is called the falling circumflex, — marked thus (a). These inflections occur in the following passage of ironical expression. — deriding the idea that Csesar was entitled to the credit of humane feeling, because he could not pass the Rubicon without a pause of mis- giving : " Oh! but he paused upon the brink I " MONOTONE. Definition. When no inflection is used, a monotone, or perfect level of voice, is produced, which is usually INFLECTION. " 77 marked thus (-). This tone belongs to emotions arising from sublimity and grandeur. It characterizes, also, the extremes of amazement and horror. " High on a throne of royal state, that far Outshone the wealth of Ormus or of Ind, Or where the gorgeous East, with richest hand, Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold, Satan exalted sat." * RULES ON THE FALLING INFLECTION. Rule I. Forcible expression requires the falling inflection, as in the following instances of energetic emotion : earnest calling or shouting, abrupt and vehe- ment exclamation, imperious or energetic command, indignant or reproachful address, challenge and defi- ance, swearing and adjuration, imprecation, accusa- tion, — assertion, affirmation, or declaration, — assur- ance, threatening, warning, denial, contradiction, refusal, — appeal, remonstrance, and expostulation, ear- nest intreaty, exhortation, earnest or animated invita- tion, temperate command, admiration, adoration. Examples. Calling and shouting: "Awake! arise! or be for ever fallen ! " Abrupt exclamation: "To arms! they come ! — the Greek, the Greek!" Imperious command : " Hence ! home, you idle creatures, get you home ! " Indignant address: "You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things" — Challenge and defiance: " I dare him to his proofs." Swearing and adjuration: "By all the blood that fury ever breathed, , The youth says well." * Farther examples of this inflection occur under the Rules on Monotone. 7* 78 ELOCUTIONIST, "I do beseech you, By all the battles wherein we have fought, By the blood we have shed together, by the vows We have made to endure friends, that you directly Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates." Imprecation: " Accurs'd may his memory blacken, If a coward there be that would slacken" — Accusation : " With a foul traitor's name stuff I thy throat." Assertion, affirmation, declaration: "We must fight, — I repeat it, sir, — we must fight." Assurance : " But whatever may be our fate, be assured, be assured that this Declaration will stand." Threatening: " Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further." Warning: "Lochiel, Lochiel, beware of the day." Denial : " For Gloucester's death, — I slew him not, but, to my own disgrace, Neglected my sworn duty in that case." Contradiction: " Brutus. I did send to you For certain sums of gold, which you denied me — Cassius. I denied you not. Bru. You did. Cas. I did ndt"— Refusal: "Your grace shall pardon me, I will not back." Appeal : " I appeal to all who hear me, for the truth of my assertion." Remonstrance and expostulation : "Good reverend father, make my person yours, And tell me how you would bestow yourself. This royal hand and mine are newly knit ; — The latest breath that gave the sound of words 7 Was deep-sworn faith, peace amity, true love, Between our kingdoms, and our royal selves ; And shall these hands, so lately purged of blood, So newly joined in love, so strong in both, Unyoke this seizure and this kind regret?" Earnest intreaty : " Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this ! " INFLECTION. 79 Exhortation: " Come on, then; be men." Earnest invitation : " Come forth, O ye children of gladness, come ! I 3 Temperate command : " Now launch the boat upon the waves." Admiration : " How beautiful is night ! " Adoration : " Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty ! " Rule II. The falling inflection is required in the expression of relative force of thought, as in the em- phasis of contrast, when one part of an antithesis is made preponderant, whether by affirmation opposed to negation, or merely by comparative force or promi- nence. Examples. " They fought not for fame but freedom." "Are you an actor in this busy scene, or are you but an idle spectator?" "True politeness is not a mere compliance with arbitrary custom. It is the expression of a refined benevolence."^ "You were paid to fight against Alexander, — not to rail at him." "A countenance more in sorrow than in anger." * Teachers must have felt the difficulty of imparting a clear con- ception of the effect of the falling slide, in examples like the above, in which its character is wholly dependent on a preceding or a sub- sequent rising inflection. To the ear of the pupil, the rising note at the end of the negative or less forcible sentence, seems unnatu- ral, from his habit of complying with the direction to ' let the voice uniformly fall at a period,' — a direction which, from not be- ing duly qualified, is one of the chief causes of monotonous and unmeaning tones in reading. It is not till the learner's attention has been attracted to the cir- cumstance of relative force, or preponderance, in the members of a comparison or a contrast, that his ear catches the true tone of meaning in such cases, and recognizes the falling inflection as its appropriate characteristic, and the rising as a necessary contrast, in whatever part of a sentence they occur. 80 ELOCUTIONIST. Rule III. The falling inflection terminates a forci- ble inter rogation , or any form of question which does not admit of being answered by yes or no. Examples. " What conquests brings he home?" " Who 's here so base that he would be a bondman ? " " When went there by an age since the great flood, But it was famed with more than with one man? " " Why should this worthless tegument endure, If its undying guest be lost for ever ? " " How shall we do for money for these wars ? " " Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough To mask thy monstrous visage ? " Exception. Any question repeated or echoed in the tone of genuine or affected surprise. Such questions always end with the rising inflection, as in the follow- ing instances : " Where grows ! — where grows it not? " "What news ! Can any thing be more new, than that a man of Macedonia should lord it over all Greece?" " How accomplish it? — certainly not by never at- tempting it ! " Note. The examples which follow the preceding rule, are classed under the general head of 'forcible interrogation,' as it is their comparative force which seems to require the falling inflection ; while the form of interrogation which is answered by yes or no, de- mands, on the principle of incompleteness or suspen- sion of thought, the rising inflection ; since the circuit of thought is not completed till the answer is given, as well as the question put. That there is a comparative rhetorical force in the former species of interrogation, — that which is not answered by yes or no, — will appear by changing, in one of the above examples, the form of the question ; thus, "Is any here so base that he would be a bond- INFLECTION. 81 man? " — a feeble and lifeless inquiry, compared to the original, " Who 's here so base," &c. The echoing question of surprise, assumes the rising inflection, because in it an ellipsis takes place, which would be supplied by a question demanding an affirm- ative or a negative answer; thus/ as before, "What news ! " — i. e. " What news ! (did you say?)" Rule IV. Completeness of thought and expression, is indicated by the falling inflection, whether at the end of a sentence, or of a clause which forms perfect sense, independently of the remainder of a sentence.^ Examples. " Human life is the journey of a day." " I have seen, The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind To hear him speak : matrons flung their gloves, Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchiefs, Upon him as he passed ; the nobles bended As to Jove's statue ; and the commons made A shower and thunder, with their caps and shouts : I never saw the like." Exceptions. Pathetic expression and poetic descrip- tion, whether in the form of verse or of prose, require the rising inflection, even where the sense is complete, as in the following instances* " For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn, Or busy housewife ply her evening care ; No children run to lisp their sire's return, Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share." "Are they gone? — all gone from the sunny hill? But the bird and the blue fly rove over it still, And the red deer bound in their gladness free, And the turf is bent by the singing bee, And the waters leap, and the fresh winds blow " — " The most intimate friendship, — of what brief and scattered portions of time does it consist ! We take * See Concluding Remarks on the Theory of Inflection. 82 ELOCUTIONIST. each other by the hand ; and we exchange a few words and looks of kindness ; and we rejoice together for a few short moments; and then days, months, years intervene, and we have no intercourse with each other." Application of Rule IV. to se?*ies of words and clauses. The word series, in elocution, is used to designate, a succession of words or clauses, — amounting to any number, from two upwards, — so connected in mean- ing, as to be comprehended under the same rule of syntax, by a conjunction expressed or understood. A series which is so formed that each of its mem- bers concludes, or completes, a distinct portion of the sense, — so that the sentence might terminate at any of these members, without leaving the impression of an imperfect idea or an unfinished sentence, — is called a concluding series. A series which consists of single words, connected as above, is called a simple series : one which com- prises several words, or a clause, in each of its succes- sive members, is called a compound series. The following sentence contains an example of a simple concluding series of five members : "The characteristics of chivalry, were valour, hu- manity, courtesy, justice, and honour." Example of a compound concluding series : " The characteristics of chivalry were personal courage, humane feeling, courteous deportment, a strict regard to justice, and a high sense of honour." Note 1. A concluding series is read, (as marked above,) with the falling inflection on every member except the penidtimate, which rises in preparation for the cadence at the close of the sentence.^ This rule holds in all cases, except those which contain extraordinary force of expression; and, in such instances, the falling inflection prevails through- out; thus, "Eloquence is action — noble, sublime, godlike action." * See Concluding Remarks on the Theory of Inflection. INFLECTION. 83 Note. 2. Pathetic and poetic series are excepted, throughout, from the application of Rule IV., and are read with the rising inflection on every member but the last, as in the subjoined examples. " not to me returns Day, or the sweet approach of even or morn, Or sight of vernal bloom, or summer's rose, Or flocks or herds or human face divine" — " Content thee, boy ! in my bower to dwell, — Here are sweet sounds which thou lovest well ; Flutes on the air in the stilly noon, Harps which the wandering breezes tune, And the silvery wood-note of many a bird, Whose voice was ne'er in thy mountains heard." "When we have looked on the pleasures of life, and they have vanished away ; when we have looked on the works of nature, and perceived that they were changing; on the monuments of art, and seen that they would not stand ; on our friends, and they have fled while we were gazing ; on ourselves, and felt that we were as fleeting as they ; when we have looked on every object to which we could turn our anxious eyes, and they have all told us that they could give us no hope nor support, because they were so feeble them- selves; we can look to the throne of God:^ change and decay have never reached that; the revolution of ages has never moved it; the waves of an eter- nity have been rushing past it, but it has remained unshaken; the waves of another eternity are rush- ing toward it, but it is fixed, and can never be dis- turbed." Application of Rule IV. in the answer to a ques- tion : Whatever word contains the answer to a ques- tion preceding, is pronounced with the falling in- flection ; thus, " A'rm'd, say you? " " A v rm'd my lord." Application of Rule IV. in antithesis: The falling * The remainder of the sentence falls under the exception to Note 1, on the Concluding Series. See page 82. 84 ELOCUTIONIST. inflection is used in the latter member of an antithe- sis* of equal force in its constituent parts ; thus, "In Homer, we admire the man: in Virgil, the work." " Are you toiling for fame, or labouring to heap up a fortune?" RISING INFLECTION. Rule I. Forms of speech which excite expectation of farther expression, — whether they occur in the form of question, or of incomplete thought, and suspension of sense, — raise or suspend the voice by the rising inflection. Note 1. The circumstance of incompleteness , or ex- pectation, is the turning point on which depend all the rules for the rising inflection, as far as this slide is associated with meaning addressed to the understand- ing. Feeling and harmony are the governing princi- ples embodied in all the other rules on this inflection. The extent of the slide, or, in other words, the interval which the rising inflection traverses, in these cases, is prescribed by the nature of the prevalent emotion, in each instance. But in the circumstances presumed in Rule L, the slide is more or less elevated, according to the degree of expectation excited by the phrase to which it is applied, or the length of the clause which it terminates, and consequently the length of time during which the attention is kept in suspense. Hence, in marked suspension of sense, and in the vivid expectation consequent upon it, the inflection runs high, — usually traversing an -octave' or a 1 fifth ;' thus, "Shall we then tamely yield, or bravely resist ? " In the moderate suspension of connexion, on the contrary, the inflection is much reduced; seldom rising above a ' third ; ' sometimes limited to a single note, or even a semitone ; and sometimes preserving a per- * The antithesis of unequal parts, occurs under Rule II. on the falling inflection. INFLECTION. 85 feet monotone. The annexed example, read in the tone of solemn description, allows but a very slight interval to the rising slide on the word ' falls.' " The dew of night falls, and the earth is refreshed." In the following and similar examples, the inflection rises in proportion as the clause or clauses to which it belongs, are lengthened : "As we cannot discern the shadow moving along the dial-plate, so the advances we make in knowledge, are only perceived by the distance gone over." "As we perceive the shadow to have moved, but did not perceive its moving ; so our advances in learn- ing, consisting of insensible steps, are only perceivable by the distance." , "As we perceive the shadow to have moved along the dial-plate, but did not perceive its moving ; and it appears that the grass has grown, though nobody ever saw it grow : so the advances we make in knowledge, as they consist of so minute steps, are only perceivable by the distance." Note 2. Rule I. on the rising inflection applies in the tone of a question which requires an affirmative or a negative answer; in the tone of surprise, as it intimates suspense, and is usually expressed in the form of question ; in respectful address, request, peti- tion, or apostrophe ; in the negative, or less forcible, part of an antithesis ; in the expression of a condition, a supposition, or a concession ; in the first part of a comparison, a contrast, or a correspondence; in the expression of connexion or continuance ; in any phrase which is introductory to another, and leaves the sense of a passage incomplete. Examples. Questions admitting of an affirmative or a negative answer : " Will you obey so atrocious a mandate ? " Surprise: "Ha! laughest thou, Lochiel, my vision to scorn?" " What ! surrender on terms so dishonourable ? " Address: "My lord, I think I saw him yester- night." 8 00 ELOCUTIONIST. "Can you, fellow-citizens, be misled by such argu- ments V 9 Request: "Refuse not this last request of friend- ship !" Petition: "Oh ! gently on thy suppliant's head, Dread goddess, lay thy chastening hand !" Apostrophe : O sacred Truth, thy triumphs ceased awhile," — Antithesis: "He came not with the aspect of ven- geance but of mercy." Condition or supposition : "If we attempt to num- ber the stars, we are presently bewildered and lost : if we attempt to compass the idea of eternity, we are overwhelmed by the contemplation of a theme so vast." Concession: "Science may raise you to eminence; but virtue alone can guide you to felicity." Comparison, contrast, and correspondence : "As face answereth to face in water, so the heart of man to man." "Dry den is sometimes vehement and rapid: Pope is always smooth, uniform, and gentle." Connexion and continuance: "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." Introductory phrase : "In the midst of perplexities, he was never discouraged." Application of Rule I. to series of words and clauses. The last member of a commencing series is read with the rising inflection. A commencing series is that in which the sense is merely commenced, or left incomplete, at every word or clause: the whole being introductory to a following phrase. [Compare this with the definition of the concluding series, in the application of Rule IY. on the falling in- flection.] Examples. " Valour, humanity, courtesy, justice, and honour, were the characteristics of- chivalry." "Personal courage, humane feeling, courteous de- INFLECTION. 87 pdrtment, a strict regard to justice, and a high sense of honour, were the characteristics of chivalry.^ Note 3. Exceptions to all the applications of Rule I. on the rising inflection, occur in cases of peculiar force or emphasis. In such instances, the falling in- flection supersedes the rising; as the former is the invariable indication of energetic expression, and the rule of force displaces every other, in the utterance of thought. Examples. Earnest interrogation : "He now appears before a jury of his country for redress. Will you deny him this redress." Interrogation of emphasis : " Do you think that your conditions will be accepted ? Can you even imagine they will be listened to?" Peculiar distinction in contrast: "If we have no regard for our own character, we ought to have some regard for that of others." Emphatic expression in condition and supposition : " If you did, I care not." Energetic expression, although marked by the forms of connexion and continuance of meaning : "Such, where ye find, seize fast, and hither bring." Introductory and incomplete expression, when em- phatic: "Destitute of every shadow of excuse, he shrunk abashed at the reproof." " Every day he lived, he would have repurchased the bounty of the * The falling inflection seems, notwithstanding the incomplete sense of a commencing series, to belong appropriately to all the members but the last, on the principle of enumeration, which, from its approach to completeness at every stage, naturally inclines to the falling inflection , as we may ascertain by referring to the customary tone of serious and attentive counting or reckoning. This inflec- tion, however, is of minor consequence, and, unless in emphatic language, may be superseded by the rising, without any other defect, than a comparative want of force and harmony. It is the closing inflection of the series which is essential to meaning, and indicates to the ear, whether the sense is complete or incomplete, and whether the series is a commencing or a concluding one. [See Concluding Remarks on Inflection.] 88 ELOCUTIONIST. crown, and ten times more, if ten times more he had received." The last member of a commencing series, if em- phatic : " His hopes, his happiness, his very life, hung upon the next word from those lips." Expressions of surprise, when emphatic: "It does not seem possible, even after the testimony of our senses." Forcible address: "Mr. Chairman, I call on your interference to put a stop to this uproar." Request, petition, intreaty, apostrophe : " Be husband to me, Heavens ! " Note 4. The rising inflection gives place to the falling, in the tone of an interrogatory sentence which extends to unusual length, or concludes a long para- graph or an entire piece ; thus, " The Brigantines, even under a female leader, had force enough to burn the enemy's settlements, to storm their camps, and if success had not introduced negli- gence and inactivity, would have been able entirely to throw off the yoke; and shall not we, untouched, unsubdued, and struggling not for the acquisition, but the continuance of liberty, declare, at the very first onset, what kind of men Caledonia has reserved for her defence?" Rule II. The tones of pathos, — of tenderness and of grief, — usually incline to the rising inflection. For examples turn to Note 2d, Rule IV. on the fall- ing inflection. Exception. The exclamations of excessive grief take the appropriate falling inflection of force ; thus, " Oh ! my son Absalom ! my son, my son Absalom !" Rule III. Poetic and beautiful description, — whether in the form of verse or of prose, — has the rising inflection. For examples see as above, and add the following : " When the gay and smiling aspect of things, has INFLECTION. 89 begun to leave the passages to a man's heart thus thoughtlessly unguarded ; when kind and caressing looks of every object without, that can flatter his senses, have conspired with the enemy within to be- tray him, and put him off his defence ; when music likewise hath lent her aid, and tried her power upon the passions ; when the voice of singing men, and the voice of singing women, with the sound of the viol and the lute, have broke in upon his soul, and, in some tender notes, have touched the secret springs of rapture; — that moment, let us dissect and look into his heart : see how vain, how weak,^ how empty a thing it is." f Exception. Description, when characterized by great force, requires the falling slide in poetry, as well as in prose; thus, " Now storming fury rose, And clamour, such as heard in heaven till now Was never ; arms on armour clashing brayed Horrible discord ; and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots raged : dire was the noise Of conflict ; "— Rule IV. Harmony and completeness of cadence, require the rising inflection at the close of the penul- * See Note 1 to Rule IV. on the falling- inflection. f The above example, it will be perceived, might be classed under the commencing series, and, if divested of poetic character, might be read with a prevailing downward slide. This circum- stance may suggest the general rule of reading poetic series with the rising slide on every member, except the penultimate of a com- mencing series, and the last of a concluding one ; the falling slide being required in the former, as a preparation for a distinct and prominent rising slide on the last member, and in the latter for the cadence of the sentence. The reason why the prevalence of a rising slide should charac terize poetic description, is to be found, perhaps, in the milder and softer character of that inflection, compared to the falling slide, which is always the expression of force. The calm and gentle emotions of poetic description, in general, will therefore be most appropriately given by the former. [See, as a contrast to this inflection, the Exceptions to Rule III. on the rising inflection.] 8* 90 ELOCUTIONIST. timate clause of a sentence, so as to admit of a full descent at the period. Example. "In epic poetry the English have only to boast of Spencer and Milton, who neither of them wanted either genius or learning to have been perfect poets ; and yet both of them are liable to many cen- sures." Exception. Abrupt and forcible language dispenses with this rule of harmony, and admits the falling inflection at a penultimate clause ; thus, " Uzziel ! half these draw off, and coast the south With strictest watch ; these other wheel the north ; Our circuit meets full west." So also in concise and disconnected forms of ex- pression : "But the knowledge of nature is only half the business of a pdet : he must be acquainted likewise with all the modes of life." GENERAL RULE ON PARENTHESIS. The words included in a parenthesis, or between two dashes used as a parenthesis, and any phrase corresponding in effect to a parenthesis, are read with the same inflection as the clause immediately preced- ing them. Note. A lower and less forcible tone, and a more rapid utterance, than in the other parts of a sentence, together with a degree of monotony, are required in the reading of a parenthesis. The form of parenthe- sis implies something thrown in as an interruption pf the main thought in a sentence. Hence its suppressed and hurried tone ; the voice seeming to hasten over it slightly, as if impatient to resume the principal ob- ject. The same remark applies, with more or less force, to all intervening phrases, whether in the exact form of parenthesis, or not. INFLECTION. 91 Examples. " Uprightness is a habit, and, like all other habits, gains strength by time and exercise. If then we ex- ercise upright principles, (and we cannot have them, unless we exercise them,) they must be perpetually on the increase." " Now I will come unto you, when I pass through Macedonia, (for I do pass through Macedonia;) and it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you." "And this," said he, — putting the remains of a crust into his wallet, — "and this should have been thy portion," said he, " hadst thou been alive to have shared it with me." Exceptions occur when a parenthesis closes with an emphatic word ; thus, " If you, Eschines, in particular, were thus persuaded ; (and it was no partial affection for me that prompted you to give me up the hopes, the applause, the honours, which attended the course I then advised, but the superior force of truth, and your utter inability to point out any more eligible course;) if this was the case, I say, is it not highly cruel and unjust to arraign those measures now, when you could not then propose any better ? " RULE ON THE CIRCUMFLEX. The tone of irony r , of equivocal meaning, or of peculiar significance, requires the circumflex. The falling circumflex, in such cases, takes the usual place of the simple falling inflection, and the rising circumflex that of the simple rising inflection ; the ob- ject of this peculiar double turn of voice, being to give a double value to the force of emphasis, and the effect of the slide. Examples. Irony : " Oh ! you 're well met ! The hoarded plague o' the gods requite your love ! " Equivocal meaning, or pun : " Upon this, the 92 ELOCUTIONIST. weights, who had never been accused of light con- duct, used all their influence in urging the pendulum to proceed." Peculiar significance : "Mark you his absolute shall? — They chose their magistrate : And such a one as he, who puts his shall, His popular shall, against a graver bench Than ever frown' d in Greece ! " "Let any man resolve to do right now, leaving then to do as it can ; and if he were to live to the age of Methuselah, he would never do wrong." RULE ON THE MONOTONE. The tones of sublime or grand description, of rev- erence and awe, of horror and amazement, require the monotone. Examples. Sublime description: "his form had not yet lost All her original brightness, nor appear'd Less than archangel ruin'd, and the excess Of glory obscur'd; as when the sun new risen Looks through the horizontal misty air, Shorn of his beams, or from behind the moon, In dim eclipse disastrous twilight sheds On half the nations, and with fear of change Perplexes monarchs." Reverence: "And chiefly thou, O Spirit! that dost prefer, Before all temples, the upright heart and pure, Instruct me, for thou knowest:" — Awe : " The thoughts are strange that crowd into my brain While I gaze upward to thee. — It would seem As though God pour'd thee from his hollow hand, And spake in that loud voice which seem'd to him Who dwelt In Patmos, for his Saviour's sake, The sound of many waters, and had bid Thy flood to chronicle the ages back, And notch his centuries in the eternal rock." INFLECTION. 93 Horror : " I had a dream which was not all a dream : The bright sun was extinguish' d ; and the stars Did wander darkling In the eternal space, Rayless and pathless ; and the icy earth Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;" — Amazement : " What may this mean, That thou dead corse, again, In complete steel, Revisit' st thus the glimpses of the moon, Making night hideous } " * ERRORS IN INFLECTION. The common errors in inflection, are the following : 1st, too frequent repetition of the rising inflection; thus, "As we perceive the shadow to have m6ved, but did not perceive its moving ; so our advances in learn- ing, consisting of insensible steps, are only perceiva- ble by the distance." The puerile and feeble tone thus given to the above sentence, will be corrected by substituting the falling inflection on the words l moved ' and ' learning,' which produces a natural and spirited variety of expression. 2. The opposite error is not uncommon — that of using too often the falling inflection, which gives read- ing a formal and laboured tone ; thus, "As we perceive the shadow to have moved, but did not perceive its moving ; so the advances we make in learning, consisting of insensible steps, are only per- ceivable by the distance." The heavy effect of this reading will be removed by using the rising inflection at 'moving' and 'steps.' * The principle of the monotone seems to be founded on the conviction that no mere vocal distinction, or turn of sound, is ade- quate to express the highest conceptions or the profoundest emo- tions of the soul. The monotone indicates, as it were, the tem- porary inability of the voice for its usual function. This very circumstance, however, as it ultimately associates sublimity or unwonted excitement, with the utterance of one reiterated note, gives the monotone a peculiar and indescribable power. 94 ELOCUTIONIST. 3. A third error consists in omitting the contrasts of inflection in antithesis : thus, " Life is short, and art is long." " Homer was the greater genius, Virgil the better artist." This fault destroys the spirit of the contrast; the effect of which depends entirely on giving opposite in- flections to the words 'short' and 'long,' 'genius' and ' artist.' The more sharply these inflections are pointed against each other, the more vivid becomes the contrast in the sense. 4. A fourth error is that of drawing up the voice to a note unnecessarily high, in the rising inflection, and consequently of sinking equally low, on the falling inflection. The fault thus created is that of an artificial and mechanical style of reading, constituting the chief difference between formal tones and those which are natural. This defect may be exemplified by reading the following sentences with the tones of question and answer, at the places which are designated by the rising and falling inflections. "As the beauty of the body always accompanies the health of it, (?) so is decency of behaviour a con- comitant of virtue." " Formed to excel in peace as well as in war, (?) Caesar possessed many great and noble qualities." This fault would be removed by substituting, for the excessive rising slide, the moderate inflection of sus- pended sense, which rises but little above the current level of the voice ; as may be observed by contrasting the artificial slides of what is sometime stigmatized as a 'reading' tone, with the natural and easy turns of conversation. 5. A fault still more objectionable than any that has been mentioned, is that of using the circumflex instead of the simple inflecions, especially in con- trasts. This error is exemplified in the peculiar local accent INFLECTION. 95 v of New England ; thus, Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." This faulty tone substitutes double for single inflec- tions. The true reading would be marked thus; "Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. The effect of the erroneous inflection, is peculiarly unhappy ; as it forms a tone properly associated with irony, sarcasm, burlesque, punning, and all other forms of ' equivoque,' or with the intention of imparting an unusual significance to a particular word or phrase, as when the speaker or reader is peculiarly anxious to be correctly understood in a nice distinction of sense. The morbid jerk of voice with which emphasis is thus imparted, disturbs the natural current of utterance, by a multiplicity of unnecessary and unnatural angular turnings. The true melody of speech is thus lost in a false and arbitrary intonation, which has no sanction but the accidental prevalence of a local custom. The source of the above error being an undue anxiety about emphasis, the fault in accent would be cured by adhering strictly to simplicity and directness in emphatic expression, and using the single rising and falling inflections in all cases of ordinary antithesis or simple force of utterance. SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICE.^ It is not unusual with learners to experience a diffi- culty in discriminating between the rising and the falling inflection in certain passages. The pupil may, in such cases, be required to throw the given clause into the form of a question, so as to catch more readily the distinction to be made in correct reading. In the sentence, " Life is short, and art is long," the question would run thus, "Must I say, Life is short? or Life is short?" — the slide which is wanted, occurs not in the latter, but in the former tone. — If the pupil still finds it difficult to apply the true inflection, *The remarks under this head, though primarily designed for the assistance of teachers of young pupils, may prove useful as aids to the correction of personal faults in adults. 96 ELOCUTIONIST. he may repeat the former question, "Must I say, Life is short? " and immediately say, in the same tone of voice, " Life is short." (?) When the learner is in doubt as to which inflection he has actually used in practice, the question may be, "Did I say, Life is short? or Life is short?" — If the slide which was adopted, echoes to the latter of these questions, the wrong inflection was given; and the example should be repeated with nearly the tone which would be employed in asking the question, "Must I say, Life is short?" — the interrogatory part of which the pupil may put to himself mentally, reading aloud only the words, " Life is short." This point of discrimination is very important ; and the table of contrasted inflections should be diligently practised, till every example can be readily and cor- rectly given. The fault of using one inflection uniformly, and that of overdoing both inflections, enumerated on a pre- ceding page, as the 1st, 2d, and 4th errors of common usage, may be removed by selecting a passage of familiar narrative, and requiring the pupil to shut the book occasionally, and address the language to the teacher, as using it in conversation with him. Exercises such as this become doubly important, in consequence of the mechanical methods usually adopted in teaching the elements of reading, and the utter want of adaptation to their purposes, in the books commonly employed in this department of education. Reading books, it is true, have, within a few years, undergone great improvements in this respect. But most are still quite defective in this particular, that they contain what adults wish to inculcate on children, and not what children naturally incline to express. Many current books of this description, are too formal and artificial ; and many, if not most of the pieces which they contain, actually require those forced and didactic tones which prematurely ruin the elocu- tion of boys, and prevent the possibility of a natural eloquence in men. Similar results follow the equally absurd practice of making young boys 'declaim' from political ha- INFLECTION. 97 rangues, anniversary orations, and even from didactic compositions originally delivered from the pulpit. These are the productions of mature minds, and may form very good speaking exercises for adults ; but boys can never practise them without contracting false or affected tones. The constant use of the * circumflex,' or 'wave,' seems, as already mentioned, to mark universally the local tone of emphasis in New England, as contradistin- guished from the customary mode of utterance in all other parts of the world in which the English language prevails. Accidents of local usage are necessarily entailed on the youth of a community, in the inter- course of domestic and social life. A good education, however, should always secure an exemption from local peculiarities of intonation. Hence the importance of an early formation of correct habit, in this as well as in other departments of elocution. The most efficacious practice for removing the fault complained of above, is to revert to the tones of ques- tion and answer for illustrations of simple inflection, and to repeat one or more examples, throwing the first part of each into the shape of a question; thus, "Was Abel a keeper of sheep? " and the latter into the form of an answer to a question such as "What was Cain? " — thus, " Cain was a tiller of the ground." The wrong inflection having been thus displaced, the simple inflections should be reduced from the peculiar notes of question and answer to the appro- oriate moderate slides of contrast. 9 ELOCUTIONIST Concluding Remarks on the Theory of Inflection. The work of Dr. James Rush on the Philosophy of the Yoice, gives a masterly analysis of the vocal phe- nomena denominated by him the 'slide' and the ' wave,' and by previous writers on elocution usually designated as 'inflection' and 'circumflex.' But Dr. Rush's object being an exhibition of the philosophy of the voice, and not of the practical rules of the art of reading, the teacher will still derive important aid from Mr. Walker's treatise entitled Elocution, as well as from his Rhetorical Grammar. The rules laid down in these works by that eminent authority, however, will be found, in the department of inflection, both complex and artificial. This part of Mr. Walker's system of instruction, has been justly complained of by subsequent teachers. Mr. Sheridan Knowles, in his Elocutionist, speaks of a clearer and simpler view of this subject as one of the most desir- able aids to instruction in reading; and he has himself successfully attempted a great reduction of the number of rules on the rising inflection. The late Rev. Dr. Porter of Andover, has, in his Analysis of Rhetorical Delivery, very justly indicated the unnecessary com- plexity of Walker's rules of inflection, applied to the reading of series of words and clauses, and has, in his own treatise, given to the principle of the falling inflection more prominence and simplicity of exposi- tion, than any preceding writer on the subject of elocution. The views of inflection which have been submitted in the present work, under the head of ' rules on the falling inflection' will be found, it is hoped, to place the subject in a clearer light than hitherto, by tracing rules to principles, and thus simplifying the theory of elocution, and ^facilitating the processes of instruction and practice. The student who is once put in posses- sion of a principle, soon acquires a perfect facility in applying it as a rule, and is enabled to dispense with special instruction and directions. The two great principles which seem to regulate the INFLECTION. 99 application of the falling inflection, or downward slide, of the voice, are force and completeness of expression. From these are deduced all special rules of reading, in given passages; and, with a right apprehension of these, the student will, in a short time, acquire a perfect facility, as well as precision, in ail the uses of this slide, so as to be able to read, extempore, with propriety and effect, all sentences which derive their charac er or significance from this modification of the voice. Teachers who have made themselves familiar with Walker's exposition of inflections, will perceive that the author of the present work has omitted the arbi- trary distinction enjoined in the reading of the ' sim- ple' and the 'compound series.' Walker's direction is to read the former with a certain arbitrary variety of inflection on its component members, for the sake of harmony in sound. Such a mode of reading seems to be utterly at variance with the great principle that the meaning of a passage is the key to its intona- tion. A series is a succession of particulars, grouped by close connexion in sense, and possessing a temporary correspondence and unity. Unity of inflection, there- fore, must be the natural indication of the unity of thought. Variety may, to a mechanical ear, seem, in such cases, an ornament ; but true taste would reject it as inappropriate, and as interfering with the higher claims of meaning. It is the writer, and not the reader, who is responsible, in such circumstances, for the comparative want of variety and harmony in sound. There seems to be, however, a positive objection to variety of inflection on the successive members of the series ; and it is this. To read a long series with the variety prescribed by Walker, it is necessary that the reader should know beforehand the exact number of words contained in it, that he may give the right in- flection to each, according to its numerical position. But how can this be done without stopping to count them ? If such a rule is to be observed, there can be no such thing as correct unpremeditated reading. The following may be taken as a specimen of the 100 ELOCUTIONIST. application of the arbitrary rules to which these ob- jections have been made. "Mr. Locke's definition of wit comprehends meta- phors, enigmas, mottoes, parables, fables, dreams, vis- ions, dramatic writings ; burlesque, and all the methods of allusion." Studied variety, and artificial beauty, are no part of true refinement : they spring from the pedantry of taste. Dr. Porter, in his Analysis, very justly observes : "All Walker's rules of inflection, as to a series of single words, when unemphatic, are worse than use- less. No rule of harmonic inflection that is indepen- dent of sentiment, can be established without too much risk of an artificial habit ; unless it be this one, that the voice should rise at the last pause before the ca- dence, and even this may be superseded by em- phasis." The following passage from Mr. Walker, furnishes a striking instance of the inconsistencies into which the mind is sometimes betrayed by an overweening attach- ment to system. " These rules " (on inflection) " might be carried to a much greater length ; but too nice an attention to them, in a long series, might not only be very difficult, but give an air of stiffness to the pronun- ciation, which would not be compensated by the propri- ety" But in the very next sentence — "It may be necessary, however, to observe that, in a long enumera- tion of particulars, it would not be improper to divide them into portions of three" " and this division ought to commence from the end of the series ! " EXERCISES ON INFLECTION. TABLE OF INFLECTIONS USED IN CONTRAST.^ 1. Does he mean honestly, or dishonestly? 2. Did he say humour, or humour ? * The above table is designed to facilitate the acquisition of the two principal slides. The exercise should be practised till the INFLECTION. 101 3. Was he to say amber, or amber ? 4. Ought he to say ocean, or ocean ? 5. Did you say eel, or eel 1 6. He does not mean dishonestly, but honestly. 7. He did not say humour, but humour, 8. He was not to say amber, but amber. 9. We ought not to say ocean, but ocean. 10. You did not say eel, but eel. 11. He means honestly, not dishonestly.^ 12. He said humour, not humour. 13. He was to say amber, not amber. 14. We ought to say ocean, not ocean. 15. You said eel, not eel. 16. You are not wood, you are not stones, but men. 17. Not that I loved Caesar less, but Rome more. 18. You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, But speak all good you can devise of Caesar. • 19. Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead So well as Brutus living. 20. I know no personal cause to spurn at him. But for the general. 21. It was an enemy, not a friend, who did this. 22. This is the argument of the opponents, and not of the friends, of such a measure. 23. Lady, you utter madness and not sorrow. 24. I am glad rather than sorry that it is so. 25. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. 26. 1 rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you, Than I will wrong such honourable men. student can discriminate and apply them with perfect exactness. Young learners will be aided by the practice of marking, with a pencil, those of the examples which are left unaccented, — previous to which exercise it may be useful to review Rule II. on the falling, and Rule I. on the rising inflection. * Some learners, in practising this class of examples, may need to be guarded against the fault of turning the last inflection of these sentences into a circumflex, in the mode of New-England accent. 9* 102 ELOCUTIONIST. EXERCISES ON THE FALLING INFLECTION. Rule I. Calling, shoutings exclamation) energetic command : 1. Up drawbridge, groom ! What, warder, ho ! Let the portcullis fall ! 2. Liberty ! freedom ! Tyranny is dead ! Run hence ! proclaim, cry it about the streets. 3. Follow your spirit ; and upon this charge, Cry — God for Harry !* England! and St. George! 4. Rejoice ! you men of Angiers, ring your bells : King John, your king and England's, doth ap- proach, — Open your gates, and give the victors way ! 5. Arm, arm !f it is, it is the cannon's opening roar! 6. War ! war ! no peace ! peace is to me a war. 7. The combat deepens : — On, ye brave Who rush to glory or the grave ! Wave, Munich, all thy banners wave, And charge with all thy chivalry. 8. On them, hussars ! in thunder on them wheel ! 9. To horse, you gallant princes ! straight to horse ! 10. Then let the trumpet sound The tucket-sonance, and the note to mount. Indignant or reproachfid address : 1. Thou slave, thou wretch, thou coward, Thou little valiant, great in villany P Thou ever strong upon the stronger side ! * The examples not accented in type, are meant to be marked by the learner. f The inflection on the repeated word, is on a lower note than the first ; the first has a more moderate fall ; and the pause between the exclamatory words, is very slight, as the tone is that of agita- tion, hurry, and alarm. INFLECTION. 103 Thou fortune's champion, that dost never fight But when her humorous ladyship is by To teach thee safety. 2. — But oh! What shall I say to thee, Lord Scroop, thou cruel, Ungrateful, savage, and inhuman creature ! Thou that didst bear the keys of all my counsels, That knew' st the very bottom of my soul, That almost mightst have coin'd me into gold, Wouldst thou have practis'd on me for thy use? Challenge and defiance: 1. : -Who says this? Who'll prove it, at his peril, on my head? 2. Pale, trembling coward, there I throw my gage, — By that and all the rights of knighthood else, Will I make good against thee, arm to arm, What I have spoke, or thou canst worse devise, 3. Then, Bolingbroke, as low as to thy heart, Through the false passage of thy throat, thou liest. Swearing, adjuration, imprecation: 1. Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot. 2. Seven, by these hilts, or I'm a villain else. 3. By the elements, If e'er again I meet him beard to beard, He is mine or I am his. 4. You know that you are Brutus that speak this, Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last. 5. ■ When night Closes round the ghastly fight, If the vanquish' d warrior bow, Spare him : — by our holy vow, By our prayers and many tears, By the mercy that endears Spare him : — he our love hath shar'd : — Spare him, as thou wouldst be spared ! 104 ELOCUTIONIST. 6. I conjure you by that which you profess, (Howe'er you come to know it,) answer me: Though you untie the winds, and let them fight Against the churches ; though the yesty waves Confound and swallow navigation up ; Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down ; Though castles topple on their warders' heads ; Though palaces and pyramids do slope Their heads to their foundations ; though the treasure Of nature's germins tumble all together, Even till destruction sicken, — answer me To what I ask you. 7. Ruin seize thee, ruthless king f Confusion on thy banners wait ! 8. Accursed be the faggots that blaze at his feet, Where his heart shall be thrown, ere it ceases to beat ! ■Beshrew thy very heart I did not think to be so sad to-night, As this hath made me. 10. Perish the man whose mind is backward now ! 11. And when I mount, alive may I not light, If I be a traitor or unjustly fight ! 12. Heaven bear witness ; And if I have a conscience, let it sink me, Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful I Accusation : % 1. Look, what I speak, Iny life shall prove it true: That Mowbray hath receiv'd eight thousand nobles, In name of lendings for your highness' soldiers ; The which he hath detain'd for base employments, Like a false traitor and injurious villain ; That all the treasons, for these eighteen years, Complottedmnd concocted in this land, INFLECTION. 105 Fetch from false Mowbray their chief spring and head. 2. And thou, sly hypocrite ! who now wouldst seem Patron of liberty, who more than thou Once fawn'd and cring'd, and servilely ador'd Heaven's awful monarch ? Assertion, declaration, affirmation, assurance : I. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true. 2.- Yes, Athenians, I repeat it, you yourselves are the contrivers of your own ruin. 3. I tell you though you, though all the world, though an angel from heaven, should declare the truth of it, I could not believe it. 4. When I behold those manly feelings darkened by ignorance, and inflamed by prejudice, and blinded by bigotry, I will not hesitate to assert, that no monarch ever came to the throne of these realms, in such a spirit of direct, and predetermined, and predeclared hostility to the opinions and wishes of the people. 5. And by the honourable tomb he swears, That stands upon thy royal grandsire's bones, And by the royalties of both your bloods, Currents that spring from one most gracious head, And by the buried hand of warlike Gaunt, And by the worth and honour of himself, — Comprising all that may be sworn or said ; His coming hither hath no farther scope Than for his lineal royalties, and to beg Enfranchisement immediate on his knees : Which on thy royal party granted once, His glittering arms he will commend to rust, His barbed steeds to stables, and his heart To faithful service of your majesty. 6. Be thou assur'd, if words be made of breath, And breath of life, I have no life to breathe, What thou hast said to me. 106 ELOCUTIONIST. Threatening and warning : 1. — — If thou speak' st false, Upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive Till famine cling thee. 2. But, sirrah, henceforth Let me not hear you speak of Mortimer : Send me your prisoners with the speediest means, Or you shall hear in such a kind from me As will displease you. 3. Return to thy dwelling, all lonely return ; For the blackness of ashes shall mark where it stood, And a wild mother scream o'er her famishing brood. 4. And if you crown him, let me prophesy — The blood of English shall manure the ground, And future ages groan for this foul act ; Peace shall go sleep with Turks and infidels, — Disorder, horror, fear, and mutiny, Shall here inhabit, and this land be call'd The field of Golgotha. Denial, contradiction, refusal: 1. Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou dost belie him; He never did encounter with Glendower. 2. Cassius. I am a soldier, I, Older in practice, abler than yourself To make conditions. Brutus. Go to: you're not, Cassius. Cas. I am. Bru. I say you are not. 3. No lord of thine, thou haught insulting man, Nor no man's lord : I have no name, no title, — No, not that name was given me at the font, — But 'tis usurped. -I '11 keep them all ; -he shall not have a Scot of them : No, if a Scot would save his soul, he shall not. INFLECTION. 107 Earnest intreaiy, appeal, remonstrance, expostulation: 1. O God of battles ! steel my soldiers' hearts! Not to-day. Oh ! not to-day, — think not upon the fault My father made in compassing the crown ! 2. A v rm, arm, you heavens ! against these perjur'd kings i A widow cries, be husband to me, heavens i Let not the hours of this ungodly day Wear out the day in peace ; but ere sunset, Set armed discord, 'twixt these perjur'd kings ! Hear me, oh I hear me i 3. Question your royal thoughts, make the