Of Faults in the Intonation at Pauses. Under the preceding head, we described the nature and effect of false intonation, at the final close of a sentence. There are besides, certain subpauses within the limits of a sentence, variously dividing it into members or portions, called in our account of rythmus, pausal sections. To the eye, these are separated by the common marks of punctuation, representing the duration of the pause. But the temporal rest alone is not sufficient, in all cases, to prevent misapprehension of the meaning in discourse. The comma and the period denote respectively, the least and the greatest degree of separation: and that is the whole function of the temporal pause. Intonation however, performs an important part at these subdivisions. For the several pausal sections are variously related to each other: and these relations, in the degrees of connection and separation, are shown by the united means of the temporal rest, and the phrases of melody. In the twelfth section, we learned what phrases are proper for thus connecting and separating the subdivided meaning of a sentence. Those who, with the light of our principles, hereafter look into this subject, will perceive the fitness of the appropriation there made; and will moreover be struck by the violations of sense and of the rule of variety, so commonly heard among speakers: some of whom set a rising third or fifth at most of the sub-pauses, and even at the period itself. These improprieties, must necessarily be frequent, from the character of the phrases of melody, and consequently of the manner of applying them being unknown. The reader, I would fain believe, can now foresee the several faults that might occur under this head; for certainly the sense will frequently be obscured, if a falling ditone or tritone should be applied to that pause, where a continuative sense calls for the very reverse of these downward phrases.

Of Faults in the Third. The third is properly employed in the moderate forms of interrogation, and in conditional phrases. Some readers however, execute the whole current melody in the rise of this interval. To those who recognize and feel the grave dignity of the diatonic melody, there is a sharpness in this current of the third, that prevents its being the Ground of

speech, and while its improper use as a Drift makes it monotonous, its impressive character weakens by comparison, the emphasis of wider intervals, when required in its course. Although sharper in pitch than the diatonic melody, it wants the force derived from a contrast of higher intervals with the simple second. I have heard persons with this fault try to read Milton, and Shakspeare, and the declaratory parts of the Church-service, and always, as appeared to me, without success. The current of dignified utterance must always consist of the wave of the second, on long quantities. No simple upward concrete can effect it: though the rise of a wide interval may be occasionally employed for emphasis, in the gravest drift of the diatonic wave.

It is a fault in the third, even when the whole current is not made by that interval, to form all the emphases with it. This likewise gives a sharpness and monotony to speech; for one of its proprieties as well as beauties, consists in a variation of emphasis and we pointed out, in its proper place, the abundant means for this variety.

The substitution of the third for the second, in melody, is principally offensive by its monotony: for the wider intervals, as we learned in the section on drift, will not bear continued repetition.

Of Faults in the Fifth. The interval of the fifth is sometimes improperly made the current concrete of melody: the peculiar effect of the intonation being most conspicuous in the emphatic places. It is a less frequent fault than the last, and is more commonly heard in women. Its monotony has a still greater sharpness than that of the third: the whole melody having to a critical ear, the effect of an interrogative sentence.

It is a less remarkable fault when, not the current, but all the emphases of a diatonic melody, are made by the fifth. This too has its sharpness and monotony; and I am sure the reader will be sufficiently guarded against this fault, by keeping in mind the ample resources of the voice, for a varied emphasis.

Those who thus misplace the third, and fifth, are apt to carry them into the cadence: such readers end many of their plain declarative sentences with the characteristic intonation of a question.

I might point out a similar error of place in the Octave: but it is of rare occurrence, and only heard in the piercing treble of Some persons cannot ask a question in the subdued and dignified form of the third or fifth, but do it always in the sharp intonation of the octave.

women.

Of Faults in the Downward Movement. Faults of the downward concrete, consist in not giving the emphasis of falling intervals with just extent; in their misapplication to exclamatory sentences; and to certain questions that we have shown, require a downward intonation. An improper use of the downward intervals, is sometimes the characteristic of a morose and saturnine temper, in persons who having no comfort within themselves, have no voice of complaisance for others.

Of Faults in the Discrete Movement. Of defects in the management of the radical change of the second, in the diatonic melody, we have already spoken. Precipitate falls of the third, fifth, and octave, sometimes occur in the cadence of very bad readers. Others again are unable to make those upward and downward radical transitions, by which accomplished readers produce the most striking effects of emphasis.

Of Faults in the Wave. The wave of the second, both in its direct and inverted form, is dignified but plain in its character, and therefore admissible into the diatonic melody as a drift. But it is not so with the waves of wider intervals. They have their proper occasions as solitary emphasis; whereas the continued repetition of them becomes a disgusting fault. The wave, commonly affected by a certain puling class of readers, is the inverted-unequal; the voice descending through the second, and rising through the third, or fifth. This fault is most remarkable in reading metrical composition; arising perhaps, from our familiarity with the union of song and verse, and from an association of the ear, in reading, with the wide and vivid intervals of its tune. Persons who read in this way, give a set melody to their lines; certain parts of each line, as far as the emphatic words permit, having a prominent intonation of the wave.

There is much of every form of the wave in conversation: and the general spirit of daily dialogue often makes it appropriate there. But I have heard the colloquial twirl even exaggerated,

by an Actress of great temporary reputation. Her style consisted of a continual recurrence of identical sections of melody, composed principally of the wider forms of the equal and unequal wave; showing indeed a vocal pertness, and a sort of vivid familiarity, by some called spirit, but wanting the brilliant dignity of execution, due from a performer of High Comedy to the Author.

Some actors are prone to the use of the double wave. They make it the emphasis of every feeling; thereby denoting that they themselves have none. It is an impressive vocal agent, and is therefore with an erroneous idea both of its purpose and place, often introduced to give prominent effect, and variety to melody. It has however, restrictively, its proper occasions: and let it be remembered, there is a sneering petulance in its character, totally inconsistent with dignity.

Nothing is better calculated to show the importance of the plain ground of the diatonic melody, than this abuse of the wave. It includes the effects of faults in the third, and fifth, and consequently gives to discourse the most florid and impressive character. But when such striking intonation is set on every important syllable, how shall we mark emphatic words, except by the utmost excesses in quality, time, or force?*

*The distinction, so often referred to in this essay, between the diatonic ground-work of melody, and the occasional expression of wider intervals, judiciously employed upon it, is a great essential of natural, effective, and elegant speech. According to our system, this distinction was an ordination of the voice, to meet the progressive development and demands of thought and feeling. Without regard to it, no one can ever succeed in tragedy, or in any other dignified subject of elocution. For the diatonic melodg alone, has the character appropriate to awe, solemnity, reverence, and grave deliberation. And although the Art of Speech, in its almost stone-deafness to the loud facts of intonation, has never yet been aware of this distinction; still the purposes of truth and beauty in the voice, have herein never been without a witness. For he who receives the instruction designed in this work, may, by now finding occasional instances of an unconscious use of the diatonic melody, believe, that under a like unconscious use, it must have been heard in every age of cultivated speech. Its rarity in the voices of women, is one cause why so few among them, are able to rise to the dignified intonation of the stage: though a pretty face, and other pretty attractions, may serve them well enough, though not over-well, in Comedy without it. They have so accustomed an undiscerning audience, and so habit

Of Faults in Drift. The purposes both of truth and variety, in the art of Reading-Well, are effected by a delicate regard to the corespondence between sentiment and vocal expression, in individual words; and to the Drift, or continuation of a given

uated themselves, to a puling affectation, which consists in a current melody of the wider intervals and waves, the semitone, and minor third; and are so ignorant or careless of their vocal duty, that they do not perceive, and therefore will not be told, one of the real causes of their frequent failure. As far as the obscurity of histrionic description and criticism allow the inference, it is not improbable that Mrs. Siddons, in the early part of her career, may, to an impressive degree, though all-unconscious of its nature, and its rules, have employed the diatonic melody. An incident related by her biographer, Boaden, will perhaps, if elucidated by our analysis, lead us to this conclusion.

On her first interview with Garrick, Mrs. Siddons, then Miss Kemble, ‘repeated some of the speeches of Jane Shore before him. Garrick seemed highly pleased with her utterance, and her deportment;' and 'wondered how she had got rid of the Old song, and the provincial Ti-tum-ti.'

All former criticism on intonation, being, as we may say, unintelligible, we are left to discover, by the light of our analysis, what these terms, Old Song, and Ti-tum-ti mean. Now, as the construction, and the plain yet peculiar effect of the diatonic melody of speech, is far removed from the construction, and the more vivid effect of song; and as the wave, the wider concrete and discrete intervals, the semitone and minor third, with their impressive intonations, if not song itself, do more nearly resemble it, than the diatonic melody does: and further, as the trisyllabic foot, Ti-tum-ti, seems to be a rythmical fancy of the ear, suggested by a sort of regular return of emphatic, but misapplied intervals, such as described in the text, under the present head of faults, of the wave; I cannot avoid thinking that Mrs. Siddons did, at this early period, as I personally remember she did in after life, either in part, or altogether, uncon; sciously, execute the just diatonic melody: and that Garrick, with not more verbal discrimination of the intonation of speech than his call-boy, had no other means, for describing his perception of its nature and excellence, besides that of giving to a contrasted and strongly offensive style of utterance, the names of Ti-tum-ti, and Song. I am willing, also to believe, that Garrick himself, without being aware of its nature and principles, may,- though never in perfection, within the pale of such ignorance,— have employed a well marked expression of wider intervals upon the simple ground of a diatonic intonation.

Looking then to the two eminent instances now before us, I would indeed be loth to regard them under that condition, which Guido so satirically assigned to singers, unenlightened by Science; but which, may with truth be assigned, though not unkindly, to many a Roscius, even with all his so called, profound and unwearied study and practice in his art, Nam qui facit quod non sapit, definitur bestia.' For he who acts without a plan,- Resembles more the

brute than man.'