where I have endeavored, visibly to illustrate the audible character of the forms of stress on the concrete, to be described in the six following sections. The reader is however to observe, that for the Radical stress, the initial opening should be represented fuller and more abrupt than here shown by the symbol of the Natural concrete.

the comprehension of their final causes; for the author can tell us the narrow purpose of their parts. But the great circle of accommodated final causes in nature, will be unfolded, only in the last recapitulating chapter of her infinite revelation.

We defer for the present, the subject of force or stress on single words and syllables, constituting Accent and Emphasis, to consider that remarkable application of stress, to different parts of the concrete syllable itself. Experiment shows that the varied effects of stress, are severally perceptible, on the beginning, the middle, and the end of the concrete movement, or when heard in immediate succession at its two extremes: that the same force may be so continued throughout the concrete, as to alter the characteristic feebleness of the vanish: and that while the relative structure of the simple radical and vanish, remains the same, force may magnify proportionally the whole of the concrete.

These functions are severally denominated, the Radical, the Median, the Vanishing, and the Compound, the Thorough stress, and the Loud concrete, as in the following diagram:

SECTION XXXV.

Of the Radical Stress.

THE Radical stress consists in an Abrupt and forcible utterance at the beginning of the concrete movement.

The natural concrete, described in the second section, and here called natural, to distinguish it from its stressful forms, is indeed represented in the above diagram, as having an initial fulness; but the function now under consideration, is characterized by a more sudden explosion, at the first opening of the voice; while the subsequent vanish is carried on in the diminishing structure of the natural concrete. There are so few speakers, able to give a radical stress, with this momentary burst, and therefore so few who may comprehend the mere description of it, that I must draw an illustration from the effort of coughing. A single impulse of coughing, is not in all points exactly like the abrupt voice on syllables; for that single impulse is a forcing out of almost all the breath; which is not the case in syllabic utterance: yet if the tonic element a-we be employed as the vocality of coughing, its abrupt opening will truly represent the function of radical stress, when used in discourse.

The clear and energetic radical stress must be preceded by an interruption of the voice. There seems to be a momentary occlusion in the larynx,-or, somewhere, to speak with caution, -by which the breath is barred and accumulated for the purpose of a full and sudden discharge. This occlusion is more under command, and the explosion is more powerful, on syllables beginning with a tonic element; or with an abrupt one, preceding a tonic for in this last instance, the articulative, if there is any difference in the cases, is combined with the vocal occlusion. When a syllable begins with a subtonic, or with an atonic which is not abrupt, the full degree of explosion is not practicable, as

in manful, foster. If such words are pronounced with vehement stress, there is always an interruption of the voice after the initial element, as m or f, in the examples, to allow the succeeding tonic the full force of a radical explosion. This account may explain more particularly the part performed in intonation, by subtonic elements at the beginning of syllables. It was said in treating of syllabication, that the subtonic does not always make a part of the concrete movement: for should it have more than a momentary quantity, it is continued upon the same line of pitch, till the succeeding tonic opens with a proper radical, and then finishes the concrete. This occurs on most occasions; for though it is possible to open a tonic with so feeble a radical, that it may seem absolutely to join itself with a subtonic, which has previously risen partly through the concrete, still there is so much of the abrupt fulness in the usual utterance of a tonic element, that it generally assumes to itself the first point in the interval.

When an immutable syllable, beginning with a subtonic, is prolonged by oratorical license, it can be effected only in two ways. By continuing the subtonic on a level line of pitch, in the radical place, till the tonic opens with its radical, and with its vanish completes the syllable. Or by prolonging the short tonic, as the note of song. Of these, the first changes least, the character of the syllable; but in each, there is a disagreeable drawling pronunciation. This may be exemplified on the words let and pluck, when so prolonged. We had some years ago, a Player, from abroad, with so many shocking faults, that the Town, in unconcious irony, was all in an uproar about his extraordinary powers; and who, when quantity was required on an immutable syllable, always made it in this affected drawl on a subtonic element. I remember, the whole philosophy of this Actor's Histrionism was included in what he and his School called 'Identity:' the meaning, or rather the empty mysticism of which will be noticed hereafter.

The power of giving a strong, full, and clear radical stress to a tonic element, is not a common accomplishment among speakers; yet the free and proper management of this function

is highly important in elocution. Its two principal purposes are, to contribute to the clearness of articulation; and to form the distinguishing accent and emphasis on immutable syllables. These syllables not allowing the slow concrete, and being incapable, as will be shown hereafter, of bearing the other forms of stress, the abrupt or explosive enforcement of the radical, apart from intonation and quality, is their only means for emphatic distinction.

Having pointed out the instrumentality of the radical stress, in articulation, this is perhaps the place to consider the, means for insuring the distinct audibility, and elegance of syllabic pronunciation.

The

This subject has three divisions: the First embraces a consideration of the specific sounds, which the changeable degrees of human convention give to the alphabetic elements. Second regards the subject of radical stress: and the Third, an appropriation of the several constituent elements of a syllable, to the concrete movement.

The First of these matters is as yet under the rule of any body and until some extraordinary revolution with every body, is therefore very properly to be excluded from the discussions of a philosophy that desires to be exact and effectual in its instruction. How can we hope to establish a system of elemental pronunciation in a language, when Great Masters in Criticism, and their whole School, condemn at once, every attempt in so simple and useful a labor as the correction of its orthography.

Supposing then the sound of the elements to be precisely what temporary authority has determined, the clearness of pronunciation will depend,

Secondly, on the effective execution of the radical stress. Although every element should be heard in the syllabic impulse, yet the tonic, from its very nature, is generally the most remarkable in the compound. The characteristic of the syllable, therefore, lies, in a great measure, within this element; and a full explosive radical stress upon it, contributes much to distinct enunciation. It is this which draws the cutting edge of words across the ear, and startles even stupor into attention: this, which lessens the fatigue of listening, and out-voices the mur

mur, and unruly stir of an assembly: and a sensibility to this, through a general instinct of the animal ear which gives authority to the groom, and makes the horse submissive to his angry accent. Besides the fulness, loudness, and abruptness of the radical stress, when employed for distinct articulation, the tonic sound itself should be a pure vocality. When mixed with aspiration, it loses the brilliancy, that serves to increase the impressive effect of the explosive force.

Third. The doctrine of syllabication, set forth in this essay, suggests additional means for effecting what is called distinct articulation. In order to insure a clear and striking utterance, the whole syllable should not only be sufficiently loud, but each elementary constituent, rejecting redundant elements, should be so distinct, as to prevent the possibility of confounding syllables, having the same tonic element, but differing partially or universally in their subtonics. Now this is effected, by distributing the time and movement of the concrete, properly among the elements of the given syllable. This will be best explained by particular instances. I once heard an Actor of great celebrity, pronounce the word plain, by prolonging the voice on l, and then terminating the syllable, by a momentary transit on ain. And though in this case, I was clearly audible, yet the rapid flight and blending of a and n rendered the characteristic effect of the whole syllable both faint and confused. One of the consequences of this pronunciation, and it was a common fault with the popular Actor to whom I allude, was, that on turning his face from the audience while speaking, many of his words, though forcible enough in mere sound, were unintelligible to an attentive ear, at medium distances in the theatre. A practice like this obstructs the equable flow of the concrete, and overrules the proper apportionment of time to the constituents of a syllable. For when each element of the word plain has its due portion of time and of the concrete, the pronunciation will at once be distinct.

The principles of articulate utterance under this third head, may be exemplified in the following sentence:

Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more.