66 124. "If they rule, it shall be over our ashes and graves; But we've smote them already with fire on the waves, And new triumphs on land are before us. To the charge! Heaven's banner is o'er us." 125. The combat deepens. On, ye brave, "Wave Mu 126. The expressions, "On, ye brave," nich," -"And charge," denote feelings of triumphant exultation; and the utterance of these feelings requires a due degree of loudness, an elevated pitch, extended quantity, median stress, and a well-regulated, 'tremulous movement. The tremulous movement should be applied mainly to the words "on" and "charge." This will enable the reader to impress the sentiment much more vividly than he could by omitting the tremulous movement. 127. Many sentiments depend entirely on loudness for their character; such as anger, danger, ferocity, and revenge; and others again depend chiefly upon it as they assume its character; such as joy, laughter, and astonish ment, as in the following extracts: 128. "And longer had she sung - but, with a frown, He threw his blood-stained sword in thunder down, The war-denouncing trumpet took, And blew a blast so loud and dread, Were ne'er prophetic sounds so full of woe. 129. "Tubal. Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa, Shylock. What, what, what? Il luck? ill luck? Tub. Shy. hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis. Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal Good new good news! Ha, 130. "But hark! - That heavy sound breaks in once more, As if the clouds its echo would repeat; And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before ! Arm! arm! It is it is the cannons' opening roar." FEEBLENESS OF VOICE. 131. Feebleness of voice is an element the reverse of the last. There are some states of the mind that are properly portrayed by feebleness of voice; and there are other conditions of the mind, akin to these, which are always manifested . by feebleness or softness of voice. Of this class are modesty, caution, doubt, irresolution, resignation, and despondency, as may be seen in the following extracts: 132. "Wolsey. Why, how now, Cromwell? At my misfortunes? Can thy spirit wonder A great man should decline? Nay, ar.' you weep, Crom. How does your grace? Wol. Why, well; Never so truly happy, my good Cromwell. 1 know myself now; and I feel within me A peace above all earthly dignities, — A still and quiet conscience. The king has cured me, A load would sink a navy - O, 'tis a burden, Cromwell, 'tis a burden, Too heavy for a man that hopes for heaven. Crom. I am glad your grace has made that right use of it. Out of a fortitude of soul I feel, To endure more miseries, and greater far, Than my weak hearted enemies dare offer. 133. "Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear In all my miseries; but thou hast forced me, And sleep in dull cold marble, where no mention By that sin fell the angels: how can man, then, The image of his Maker, hope to win by't? Love thyself last. Cherish those hearts that hate the To silence envious tongues. Be just and fear not Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's, Thy God's, and truth's. Then, if thou fall'st, O Cromwell, Thou fall'st a blessed martyr! And - Pr'ythee, lead me in. Serve the king; There take an inventory of all I have, To the last penny. 'tis the king's. My robe, I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell, Cromwell, 134. "Would I had never trod this English earth, That once was mistress of the field, and flourished, 135. "She looked down to blush, and she looked up to sign, With a smile on her lip, and a tear in her eye; And the bride-maidens whispered, "Twere better by far 2 SUPPRESSED FORCE. 136. There are some conditions of the mind demanding a highly intensive degree of force; and there are some emotions occasioned by alarm, terror, or fearful apprehensions, which at once excite the voice, and suppress the loudness of utterance 137. When the force of feeling is such as to get the entire control of the speaker; when he would imbody and unbosom that which is most within him; when he would "wreak his thoughts upon expression," and throw his whole soul, heart, mind, passions, all that he seeks, knows, bears, and feels, into a few words; when his mind is in a state of perturbation, confusion, and perplexity, arising from the sudden conflict of violent passions; when his soul is overwhelmed in violent, tumultuous, and conflicting emotions; then his language will necessarily partake of the perturbation of his mind, and incoherent hints, precipitate sallies, vehement exclamations, bold figures, laconic, abrupt, desultory expressions, will then be thrown out with such explosive energy, that the degree of aspiration must necessarily destroy that pure vocality, and partially suppress that intonation, which are the accompaniments of ordinary degrees of force, and the usual constituents of loudness. This may be fully exempli fied in the reading of the following extracts. 138. "Banished from Rome! What's banished, but set free From daily contact of the things I loathe? Tried and convicted traitor!'-Who says this? Who'll prove it, at his peril, on my head? Banished! I thank you for't. It breaks my chain But now my sword's my own. this hour; Smile on, my lords. To leave you in your lazy dignities. here I fling Your consul's merciful. For this all thanks, This trial! Here I devote your senate! I've had wrongs Or make the infant's sinews strong as steel." 139. Every one must perceive that there is but one prevailing sentiment which runs through the whole of the above extract. The drift of the voice must accommodate itself to this reigning sentiment, and be identical during its preva lence. Almost every word is shaded, in a greater or less degree, by suppressed force; but there are some phrases which require an intensive application of this element; such as the following; "Banished from Rome!"-"Tried and convicted traitor!" But what movement, drift, or force of the voice, will best express the sentiments in the line "Traitor! I go- but I return. This-trial!" presents a question which perhaps cannot be satisfactorily decided, even at the tribunal where criticism, judgment, and good taste preside. It may not, however, be amiss to observe, in regard to the words and phrases in this line, that such abrupt exclamations, such incoherent hints, such vehement sallies, are the natural expressions of a mind in a state of violent perturbation, and overwhelmed with conflicting emotions; emotions struggling for utterance at the same moment; it being a principle founded in nature, that whatever most strongly operates on the passions will first seek utterance by the lips. In conformity to this state of things, the writer has so arranged the words as to occasion some obscurity, or a species of darkness. But it may be said with truth, that this darkness was necessary to paint the character as it was; and to one skilled in reading nature, there will arise a light out of this darkness, which will enable him to penetrate much farther into the condition of a mind thus agitated than he could possibly do by the most just, perspicuous, and elaborate description. 140. "Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; |