in addresses from supernatural beings, in descriptive pieces, relative to subjects of pomp or solemnity, and where the mind is in a state of rest and placidity; Ironical passages also, sometimes derive great effect from being delivered in a monotonous tone of voice. Monotone is in direct opposition to climax.

THE GHOST TO HAMLET.

But that I am forbid

To tell the secrets of my prison-house,

I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood:
Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,
Thy knotted and combined locks to part,

And each particular hair to stand on-end
Like quills upon the fretful porcupine
But this eternal blazon must not be
To ears of flesh and blood.-

List! list! O, list!—

POMPOUS DESCRIPTION.

High on a throne of royal state, which 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.

No ceremony that to great ones 'longs,

Nor the king's crown, nor the deputed sword,
The marshal's truncheon, nor the judge's robe,
Become them with one half so good a grace
As mercy does.

SOLEMN DESCRIPTION.
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

-Two nights together, had these gentlemen,

Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch
In the dead waist and middle of the night
Been thus encounter'd-A figure like your father,
Armed at point, exactly, cap à pié,

Appears before them, and with solemn march
Goes slow and stately by them. Thrice he walk'd
By their oppress'd and fear-surprised eyes,

Within his truncheon's length; whilst they distill'd
Almost to a jelly with the act of fear,

Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me
In dreadful secrecy impart they did,

And I with them the third night kept the watch,
Where as they delivered both in time

Form of the thing each word made true and good,
The apparition comes!

'Tis list'ning fear and dumb amazement all,
When to the startled eye the sudden flash
Appears far south, eruptive through the clouds;
And following slower, with explosion vast,
The thunder raises his tremendous voice.

QUALITIES AND COMMAND OF SPEECH.

The first object to the speaker is the knowledge of Articulation and Pronunciation, by which every sound in his own language is ascertained, and the organs of speech taught their proper application in the formation of each letter. The next is Modulation, which includes energy, grace, melody, and pathos, and without which, although the public speaker pronounces with exact purity of tone, with distinct articulation, and with the most grammatical accuracy, he is only the picture of an orator, lifeless and unsubstantial. To obtain the noble purposes of eloquence, the following principal points must be attended to:EXERCISE OF THE BREATH.

To obtain a due command of the powers of respiration-
Observe to speak always in an erect attitude.
Practice frequently in the open fields.

Keep the passages of the throat and nostrils as clear as
possible.

Learn to acquire the command either of expelling the breath with the utmost force, or retaining it in the lungs at pleasure.

STRENGTH OF VOICE.

In vehement speaking

Let every muscle in the limbs and body, be strained to their utmost pitch; and let the sides, chest, and lungs, have free and vigorous play.

Practice the utterance of tones in low keys. These can be made much stronger than in high ones; because by depressing the larynx, the vocal passage is lengthened, and the reverberation augmented.

Strengthen the vocal powers, by the constant and vigorous use of them.

Practice passages in which every sound ought to be alike strong, and where you must attend both to loudness of sound, and nervousness of pronunciation. For instance, the following

"See the conquering hero comes!

Sound the trumpets, beat the drums."

In speaking this, let your particular attention be employed

to the just and forcible action of the organs engaged. For instance; in the m, b, and P, let your lips be closely pressed together, else the sound of the first will be too obscure, and the explosion of the two last, too feeble. For the same reason, let the top of the tongue be applied with all your strength, to the fore part of the palate, in n, d, and t, and the root of it to the hinder part in ng, g, and q. Thus, and thus alone, can you give these articulations their genuine and graceful tone.

In the same manner, in passages where they occur, let the spirited sound of r be produced with the most rapid and rough vibration of which the tongue is capable. The sound of will likewise be clear and liquid in proportion to the firm position of the tongue. Let the breath be expelled with the utmost force, between the teeth and the tongue, in the two sounds of th, and likewise between the teeth and lips in the ƒ and v. Let the aspirates of s and sh be as rustling as possible, while their kindred vocals of z, and zh, are emitted with the clearest energy. In short, learn to acquire that closeness and compression in pronouncing the consonants, which alone can constitute the beauty and spirit of public speaking.

To give another example of the necessity of strength of articulation, and that it affords ease to the speaker as well as pleasure to the hearer, suppose the following lines are to be pronounced

"These are thy glorious works, parent of good,
Almighty! thine, this universal frame,

Thus wond'rous fair, thyself how wond'rous then!"

If the whole force of the breath is allowed to escape on the vowels e, a, y, o, iou, &c., and the close application of the consonants neglected, what is the consequence? The breath being thus allowed to flow outward without much obstruction, immediately exhausts the lungs. A fresh draught of air is necessary; it is expelled by the same indistinct vociferation, and the speaker is quite fatigued in much less time than he would have been, by the practice of a firm and just pronunciation. But in pronouncing the consonants, the lips being often shut, and the tongue frequently applied close to the palate, the stream of air is either retarded or totally intercepted; in which case the lungs must be longer in discharging themselves, and the speaker thereby have less occasion for frequent supplies of breath.

GRACEFUL PRONUNCIATION.

The two great objects being obtained of a powerful and commanding utterance, or strength of vocal tone, and strength of

articulate speech, the next thing to be studied is to render the delivery of a discourse agreeable: to do this,

Endeavour to acquire a ROUNDNESS and openness in your speech; and carefully avoid every thing shrill or squeaking in it.

Accustom the voice to a smooth and ready transition from one word to another, so that there may appear no difficulty in passing from sound to sound, by dwelling on any one too long. This can only be gained by the quick and easy practice of uttering the simple sounds in their almost infinitely varied combinations.

Roundness of voice may be acquired by depressing the tongue and jaw, and enlarging the cavity of the mouth in the pronunciation of the vowels. This is particularly necessary in the four broad vowels heard in the words fall, shore, moon, sun. These when well pronounced, give a boldness and fulness to the voice, which is peculiarly graceful in public speaking. For instance, in these lines

O thou, that with surpassing glory crown'd,
Look'st from thy sole dominion, like the God
Of this new world; at whose sight all the stars
Hide their diminished heads; to thee I call.

Here the vowels o, and in thou, glo, crown'd, look'st, sole, God, new, world, whose, all, call, are distinguished from all the rest by their deepness of tone; and form a pleasing contrast to those that are more slender and acute.

Pronounce the vowels of any passage WITHOUT the conso

nants, in the very same manner as when joined to them. This may at first appear difficult, because it is hardly ever attempted. But the advantages of it will soon appear. Suppose that there are ten syllables in one line, and that in each of these syllables there are one or two vowels, why may not the vowels be pronounced by their own separate independent quality, as well as when they are combined into words? A little attention will make this useful exercise quite easy.

As every syllable, (except the last of nettle, sceptre, and some others,) contains a vowel or dipthong, always retain these sounds in pronunciation.

Our language now seems to be loaded with too many consonants; we have almost banished the vowel in ed, eth, est, &c. Nay, custom has gone so far, as to leave out the sound of i in the syllable ion, ious, ial, &c. Instead of pronouncing passion,

spacious, substantial, as if they were written pashyon, spashyous, substanshyal, our grammarians have directed us to sound the last syllable of these words shun, shus, shall, leaving out entirely the vowel i or y, which tends greatly to soften and melodize the pronunciation. In short, make it a general rule to

Admit all the vocal sounds, in speaking, that can with propriety be introduced, and pronounce them with all the openness, clearness, and freedom, of which the organs are capable.

Having acquired the just pronunciation of sounds themselves, the next step is to consider them when united into SYLLABLES. Here that great essential of graceful pronunciation, the beautiful variation of quantity, or knowledge of long and short syllables, presents itself, which is the most excellent and most neglected quality in the whole art of speaking. English quantity may be divided into LONG, SHORT, and COMMON :

Syllables ending in vowels, such as mo in harmonious, sole
in console, &c., are LONG, when accented, but when the
seat of the accent is removed, their quantity becomes
varied; as in the words harmony, consolation.
SHORT syllables, are such as end in any of the six mutes,
as cut, stop, rapid, lock, &c., and in which the sound
cannot be lengthened, because the close position of the
organs intercepts both the breath and the voice. Where
another consonant intervenes between the vowel and
mute, as send, soft, flask, the syllable is rendered some-
what longer. Monosyllables ending in vowels, when
unemphatic, are always short, but when emphasized,
always long; as is exemplified in he, we, me, you, they,
who, to, do, &c., when those words are used in asking,
affirming, or bearing any forcible signification in a sen-

tence.

COMMON Syllables, are such as terminate in a vowel or aspi

rate; as in the words run, swim, crush, purl; and in which the concluding sound can be continued or shortened at pleasure.

Another variation in the quantity of syllables, arises from
the IDEA which the words convey. For instance, in that
eager address of Hamlet to the ghost:

Haste me to know it, that I with wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love,

May sweep to my revenge.