' other causes expose them. The Germans are sel'dom afflicted with consumption, nor have I ever 'known more than one instance of spitting of blood

amongst them. This I believe is, in part, occa'sioned by the strength which their lungs acquire 'by exercising them frequently in vocal music, 'which constitutes an essential branch of their edu'cation.' The music-master of our academy has furnished me with an observation still more in favor of this opinion; he informs me that he had known several instances of persons strongly disposed to consumption, restored to health by the exercise of the lungs in singing.* Dean Bayley, of the Chapel Royal, many years back, advised persons who were learning to sing, as a means of strengthening the lungs and acquiring a retentive breath, 'to often 'run up some ascent, especially in the morning, 'leisurely at first, and accelerating the motion near 'the top, without suffering the lungs to play quick ' in the manner of panting.' Having quoted this judicious writer, we are tempted to add the following remarks addressed to professional singers.

In the new establishment of infant schools for children of three and four years of age, every thing is taught by the aid of song. Their little lessons, their recitations, their arithmetical countings, are all chanted; and as they feel the importance of their own voices when joined together, they emulate each other in the power of vociferating. This exercise is found to be very beneficial to the health. Many instances have occurred of weakly children of two or three years of age that could scarcely support themselves, having become robust and healthy by this constant exercise of the lungs.

เ

Next to this, he says, 'temperance, particularly in 'the use of malt liquors, is beneficial, avoiding all 'occasions of heats and sudden cooling, either by a 'cessation of motion, or drinking anything cold, in an overheated state of the body, which brings on 'hoarseness, coughs, and other impediments of sing'ing and health. He, therefore, that would be pre'pared with a voice and capacity of singing well, 'besides being in constant practice, must avoid all excess, as it is said, "he that striveth for the mas'tery must be temperate in all things, keeping nature 'cheerful, and in constant good humor, which will 'sweeten life, and extend its span." Persons may 'indulge with more safety at forty, than at eighteen, 'where nature is in a state of growth and immatu'rity; though, indeed, we are assured from religion, 'from reason, and experience, that we can at no 'time yield to excess and indulgences, with any 'safety to the health of the body and mind; and 'that to live soberly, with the passions and appetites 'under due subjection, opens the best prospect of 'living in the present world as well as in the next. 'Let it be thought right in me, to step forth with these 'warnings, presenting, as it were, a chart of the 'coast, who have for many years traversed the 'ocean; who have seen, and do daily see, not with'out concern and admonition, many young profi'cients in music make a shameful and speedy end, 'who have promised fair in the beginning, and

'might have proceeded happily, but setting off 'with overmuch sail and too strong a tide, suffered shipwreck in the channel before they could well 'get out to sea.'

CHAPTER XLVIII.

ANALYSIS OF UTTERANCE.

THERE is a charm, a tasteful manner of pronouncing our language, never heard but in the conversation of educated women. Perhaps this excellence may be attributed to their knowledge of Italian, and their acquaintance with music, but, more than all, to the dexterity and neatness of articulation which they possess. It may be remarked, that of late years we have been discarding the rougher tones of our language, for those more soft and flexible; and, as society improves, the English probably will acquire a polish that may vie with the languages of the East. If we consult the unalloyed expressions of nature, we find them nearly devoid of harsh consonantal sounds. Every traveller, who has listened to the conversation of savages, has made this remark. It is only in languages, contrived and extended by art, that we meet with the less natural

expressions.* The speaking voice is a more complicated machine than the singing voice, and capable of an infinite variety of effects; yet we may soon discover that words and syllables are often arranged in a succession which the mouth is incompetent to perform. In the Chapter upon Speaking, the different movements have been alluded to; and it will be readily conceived, that language should be so constructed as to fall in with the natural evolutions of the mouth.

The English tongue, so remarkable for its grammatical simplicity, is loaded with a great variety of dull unmeaning terminations. Mr. Sheridan attributes this defect 'to an utter inattention to what is easy to the organs of speech and agreeable to the 'ear;' and further adds, 'that the French having 'been adopted as the language of the court, no 'notice was taken of the spelling or pronunciation

The different dialects in the South Sea Islands abound in vowel sounds, perhaps above any other language. They have also another striking peculiarity, that of rejecting all double consonants, possessing invariably vowel terminations, both of their syllables and their words; every vowel, therefore, is distinctly sounded. Several consonants used in the English, do not exist in those of the Georgian and Society Islands: there is no sibilant, or hissing sound; S, C, and the corresponding letters are therefore unnecessary. We copy a few of these words, the A sounded as in ah!

'of our words until the reign of queen Anne.'* Our language is made up of a mixture of others, and though deficient in symmetry, is copious and powerful. The great obstacle to a correct pronunciation has been the want of a more accurate knowledge of the power and use of the consonants; which perplexity has been much increased by the circumstance, that the words derived from foreign languages retain their original spelling.

As words have also been constructed without any regard to facility of utterance, the ordinary operation of the mouth has, in many instances, converted the sound of one letter into that of another.

It has been previously remarked, that in musical accents a strong sound is invariably followed by a weak one, and a broad expression by one that is pointed. Similar effects take place in language and in words; it matters not of what letters they may be formed. In the word Catalani, for instance, though the three first syllables are precisely alike as to their vowels, they comply with this law, and fashion themselves into the following musical

phrase, Ka-te lah-ne; so that wherever the weaker accent falls, the vowel, though naturally broad, will contract itself into a narrow and diminished sound.

* So little was spelling attended to in the time of Elizabeth, that Dr. Johnson informs us, that on referring to Shakspeare's will, to determine how his name was spelt, he was found to have written it himself no less than three different ways.