upon children a power of voice, in proportion to their size, ten times greater than that of an adult. In a state of nature this serves them as a defence and protection, for it is well known that infants have, by their screams, alarmed and kept off the attacks of the most furious animals. This property of musical sound in the human voice is strikingly shown in the cathedrals abroad. Here the mass is entirely performed in musical sounds, and becomes audible to every devotee, however placed in the remotest part of the church; wheras if the same service had been read, the sound would not have travelled beyond the precincts of the choir. But it is to noises that we look for those causes which so powerfully stir the imagination. Of all natural commotions, none affect us more than that of thunder, the fall of cataracts, the roar of storms, and the deep swell of the ocean. Probably the most appalling sound in nature is that of the falls of Niagara,* where the waters of the river St. Lawrence are tumbled into a deep abyss a mile in width, the roar of which may be heard at the distance of forty miles! If we can speak of similar effects by human means, we may mention the ever-memorable battle of Waterloo, where a hundred thousand combatants were furiously engaged for eight hours, with all the implements of war! Language falls short of the power of describing the horrible din of that day. The continued roll of

An Indian term for the voice of thunder.

the artillery bursting into terrific explosions; the roar of the musketry, intermingling with the yell of thousands, and the clash of arms, formed a climax of noise and sound that made the earth and spectators tremble. But though nature, in an angry mood, may powerfully alarm us at times, yet she more frequently delights us with her pleasing and softer tones, such as the murmuring of waters, the sighs of the zephyrs, and the whispers of the evening breeze. Beethoven, in his Pastoral Symphony, has given us the warm hum of the insects by the side of the babbling brook; and, as our musical enterprise enlarges, noises will be introduced with effect into the modern orchestra that will give a new feature to our grand performances.

In the drama they ought to form a concomitant part. As Macbeth says

"How is it with me, when every noise appals me?" These inharmonious sounds may form a new order of discords, more obscure than those we now possess a set of still darker shades by which we may more forcibly depict the sublime.

CHAPTER III.

THE VOICE.

THE human voice, in its tone and accent, is unquestionably the most pure and sonorous of any

which distinguish the vocal animals. In those countries where man, like a plant, may be said to grow and flourish, it expands, ripens, and comes to perfection; but in the northern and colder regions, where the mouth is more constantly closed, the voice is restricted and escapes with difficulty.*

Greece and Italy, those far-famed countries, which have been the admiration of the world for their mild and beautiful climate, have been ever famous for the vocal art. Under a sky so serene, the voice partakes of that clear and open tone that at once creates a language pure, free, and harmonious. This euphony of speech, or aria parlante, may be regarded as a natural faculty, and it is but a slight step in these countries to move into all the beauties of song. In a climate like our own, where nature has been less generous, it is a rare instance to meet with any voices that are truly excellent. Many of our words have had their origin in severer climes, and partake so much of the nasal and guttural tones as to destroy every vestige of melody.† These defects may, in a great measure, be remedied by art, and, if we commence soon enough, a voice may be made to approach the excellence of the Italians. Our method of producing vocal sounds

Captain Parry, in his polar voyage, speaks of the cold being so intense, that they dare not open their mouths in the outer air, or expose themselves without a mask.

†The Dutch and Northern languages are so guttural, that in the delivery of some of their words you might suppose the speaker were choked.

is similar to that of a wind instrument. By a slight percussion of the breath through the windpipe we produce its key-note and attendant harmonies of the 3d, 5th, and 8th. If we listen attentively, we may hear these intervals in speaking; but they are so slightly glanced upon, and pass with such rapidity, that it requires a nice ear to detect them. The cries in the streets are invariably composed of these tones, and naturally speaking, our voices are limited to these few notes. Some persons have a greater aptness for the vocal art than others, probably by a more suitable organization, but there is not a voice, however stubborn, but what may be rendered sufficiently pliant to perform with accuracy the notes of the diatonic scale. The first and most important operation is to open the mouth so completely, that the voice may meet with no obstruction in its course. To do this, the head must be thrown a little back, while standing in an erect posture, opening the mouth so as to admit three fingers set edgewise between the teeth, then by gently putting forth the voice with the organs steadily kept in this position, you will produce the first vocal sound of Au,* as in the word awful. Another quality of tone may be acquired by admitting but two fingers between the teeth, and drawing the

* This broad A occurs constantly in the Doric dialect of the Greek, and its broad pronunciation was sometimes a subject of discussion amongst that people, not knowing that it was adapted for musical purposes.-Chatillon.

corners of the mouth alike backward as in the act of smiling this position will give the sound of the vowel Ah! as in the word art, less broad, and more attenuated than the former. This is the best mode of modelling the voice for singing, and should be constantly resorted to, till every note from C below the line, to G above it, can be evenly sustained in the ascending and descending scales, while you moderately count four.

&

Ah !

DAILY LESSON.

A more slender tone may be produced by contracting the mouth so as to admit but one finger between the teeth, and which will give the sound of the diphthong Ea, as in the word earth.

For notes of rapid execution in the upper octave it will be necessary to contract the organs still more, poking out the chin a little, which will produce the still more slender sound of E as in the word eel. All these positions may be practised upon the daily lesson, and great attention should be paid to the manner in which any one good tone is made, so that you may adopt a similar method in the others.

In harsh and disagreeable voices the organs are too much contracted, so that the voice has not a