propriate inflections are reversed; pauses are either perverted or trampled under foot; melody is put upon the rack, and harmony expires; all rules are set at defiance; correct taste is put out of countenance; the meaning of the author takes the alarm and escapes from view; the modesty of nature is put to the blush; and the whole group of proprieties is sent jibbering down to chaos.

To see a piece of elegant composition tattered and torn, and mutilated and mangled, by such a reader, is severer torture than to listen to the jarring notes of a discordant choir, to an untuned organ, or to a cracked fiddle. I would rather ride post over a hubby road in December; walk barefoot over a sandy plain in July; or be compelled to live a fortnight in a smoky house; or to devour a Ratcliffe novel at one meal; or to read a chapter in Basil Hall's Travels, or a page in Emmons' Fredoniad, or a critique on an American writer in the London Quarterly, than to have my nerves agitated, my understanding stultified, and my patience exhausted, by listening to such a vile performer on the grand harmonicon of human language. I would rather listen to the croaking of frogs in the winter-I would sooner hear an owl hoot on a Sunday, or a simpering dandy chat with a belle-I would sooner listen to the buzzing of a moscheto of a hot summer's night, or to a patent-jenny-spun speech in Congress on the Tariff Bill, or to the thrumming of a dandyzette at her piano, or to a band of musicians playing upon baseviols and bassoons-I would rather hear the jingling of broken glass upon a pavement, or the trampling of feet through crusted snow, or a group of madcap boys bellowing after a fire-engine, or the refusal of a friend to lend me money-I would sooner hear a woman scold, or a child squall, than be compelled to listen to an affected speaker, or a bad reader.

To urge upon this community the importance of this science, may, nevertheless, be considered, by many, like attempting to prove the correctness of the plainest, self-evident proposition; but when we reflect, that in our seminaries of learning, the study of elocution meets with greater neglect than any other of equal importance, and that the consequent ignorance of its principles, often betrayed by tutors and learned professors in the presence of their pupils, by students in their recitations and declamations, by publick speakers in the pulpit, at the bar, in publick assemblies, and in our legislative halls; ignorance which, were it evinced by the same individuals, in any other equally important branch of learning, would inevitably expose them to the pity, if not to the contempt, of their auditory;-when we bring these

facts into 'consideration, is it not clear, that every argument should be adduced, every honourable motive urged, and every passion addressed, which is calculated to awaken the attention of the young, and direct it to the momentous advantages resulting from the proper cultivation of this science? To say nothing of the arguments which might be drawn from the devotion of the ancients to this subject, there is one of sufficient weight nearer at hand, arising out of the mortification experienced by every person of correct taste who is compelled frequently to listen to a bad reader: for, indeed, how few there are that can take up a book, and enunciate even an ordinary passage, without causing the words to blush at the indignity cast upon them, and the sentiments to tremble for their safety!

QUESTIONS

To be answered by the learner.

Of what does Elocution treat?

What is the difference between Elocution and Orthoepy?

What is effected by Elocution, taken in its most comprehensive sense?
What is the first, second, third, and last object of Elocution?
Does the meaning of a sentence ever depend on its Elocution?

The first four of these divisions, are merely the names of properties or qualities belonging to the human voice; the fifth is a circumstance accompanying its movements; and the sixth, a concomitant of good delivery.

CHAPTER I.

OF ARTICULATION.

A good ARTICULATION consists in a clear, full, and distinct utterance of words, in accordance with the best standard of pronunciation.

Importance of Articulation.

A distinct and an accurate articulation forms the groundwork of good delivery. So important a quality is this to a reader or a speaker, that, without possessing it, in some tolerable degree, he will never be listened to with attention or in

terest.

A clear and distinct ARTICULATION, so far from constituting, as is too often supposed, merely an incidental and indifferent characteristick of a good reader or speaker, is, in fact, a primary BEAUTY,—indeed, the GRAND BASIS upon which all other beauties and excellences of enunciation rest. The learner must not, therefore, be either discouraged or disgusted with the dryness and tediousness of the following explanations

and exercises upon the elementary sounds of the language; but he ought resolutely to persevere until he gains a complete mastery over them. When he has at command a clear and distinct articulation, he will be prepared to prosecute, to advan tage, those higher and more interesting parts of elocution.

The most important directions for acquiring a good articulation, will doubtless be found most convenient if presented in the form of Rules.

RULE I.

Particular regard should be paid to a clear and distinct pronunciation of the elementary sounds employed in vocal utterance.

OF THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

There are thirty-five elementary sounds* employed and combined by the voice in pronouncing. the various words of our language. Some of these sounds are represented by the twenty-six letters which constitute the English Alphabet; and others, by combinations of two or more of these letters.

A perfect Alphabet would consist of a separate symbol for every elementary sound; but the letters of our alphabet, being imperfect in this respect, are employed to represent the sounds which denote their names, and, also, other elementary sounds employed in the utterance of syllables. Hence, there is often a material difference between the elementary sounds heard in pronouncing syllables, and represented by particular letters, and those sounds which constitute merely the names of the same letters. A few examples may serve to point out this difference, which ought to be specially attended to in practising upon the elementary sounds of the human voice.

In the words a-pe, a-che, a-te, the sound of the element a, corresponds with the sound given to the name of that letter; but a different elementary sound is represented by the same letter in the words a-ll, b-a-ll, f-a-ll; and a sound still different in a-t, h-a-t, th-a-t; and yet another sound in b-a-r, m-a-r, a-rbour. In the word n-o-te, the letter o, represents the sound given to its name; but in the word n-o-t, it is the representative of quite

* Dr. Rush.

a different elementary sound; and of a sound slightly different again in the word n-o-r; to which may be added a fourth elementary sound in m-o-ve. Similar remarks might be extended to e in m-e, imp-e-rative, m-e-t, to i in p-i-ne, p-i-n, to u in l-u-te, h-u-t, f-u-ll; but these variations in the sounds of the vowels, are familiar to every one, although every one has not noticed, that these five vowels are employed, without combining them, as the representatives of fifteen, distinct, elementary sounds of the voice. Th in th-ink, has a different sound from th in wi-th, th-is. Ch in ar-ch-angel, represents the elementary sound commonly denoted by k, but quite a different sound in ar-ch-er. As these graphick characters called letters, then, are employed to represent, not only the sounds which denote their names, but, also, other elementary sounds which enter into the pronunciation of syllables, the aspirant for excellence in elocution, should deem no attention too minute-no course of labours too arduous, which may be found requisite in order to obtain a complete mastery of all their elementary sounds.

There are many elementary sounds for the representation of which we have no single letters. To make up this deficiency in our alphabet, these sounds are represented by two or more letters combined. By pronouncing the words th-ump, brea-th, brea-the, so-ng, sh-ut, wh-at, ch-ur-ch, ou-t, in a slow and drawling manner, it will readily be perceived by those who have not heretofore attended to the subject, that the combinations th, the, ng, sh, wh, ch, and ou, express each an elementary sound which is not represented by any single letter in the alphabet.

The same letter is not only employed to represent different elementary sounds, but the same elementary sound is often expressed by various letters, or by various combinations of letters. In the words s-o-n, d-o-th, d-o-es, the letter o, is employed as the representative of an elementary sound commonly expressed by u, as in s-u-n, d-u-th, d-u-z. In the words p-u-pil, n-ew, l-ieu, v-iew, b-eau-ty, the letters u, ew, ieu, iew, and eau, are employed to represent one and the same elementary sound, a sound commonly denoted by u. The e in th-e-re, ei in th-ei-r, and ai in ai-r, have the same sound as a in sn-a-re.

QUESTIONS

To be answered by the learner.

What are the six general divisions of elocution?

Of what does chapter I, treat?

In what does a good articulation consist?
What forms the basis of good delivery?

Is articulation a primary beauty in elocution?