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Wit.

("Pure tone," laughing voice: "Radical and median stress :" "High pitch :" "Equal wave of the third.")

BEATRICE, SPEAKING OF BENEDICK.—Shakspeare.

"In our last conflict, fôur of his five wits went halting off; and now is the whole man governed with ône: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself wårm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wit that he hath lêft, to be known a reasonable crêature."

Raillery.

("Pure tone:""Animated" force: "Median stress :" "High pitch :" "Equal wave of the third.")

MENENIUS, TO THE TRIBUNES BRUTUS AND SICINIUS.—Shakspeare. "You blame Marcius for being prôud?

Brutus. We do it not alone, sir. Men. I know you can do very little alône; for your hělps are mâny; or else your âctions would grow wondrous sîngle your abilities are too infant-like for doing much alône. You talk of prîde: Oh! that you could turn your eyes towards the napes of your necks, and make but an interior survey of your good sêlves!"

II.-The Unequal Wave.

Irony and Derision..

("Pure tone:" "Animated" force: "Stress" varying from "radical" to "median:" "High pitch :" Unequal wave of the "third" and "fifth.")

THE CRITIC.-Sterne.

"How did Garrick speak the soliloquy, last night?"-"Oh! against all rule, my lord, most ungrammatically! Betwixt the substantive and the adjective, which should agree together in number, case, and gender, he made a breach thus-stopping, as if the point wanted settling; and betwixt the nominative case, which, your lordship knows, should govern the verb, he suspended his voice in the epilogue, a dozen times, three seconds and three fifths by a stopwatch, my lord, each time." Admirable grammarian! — But, in

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suspending his voice, was the sense suspended? - Did no expression of attitude or countenance fill up the chasm?-Was the eye silent? Did you narrowly look?"—"I looked only at the stopwatch, my lord!". "Excellent observer!

Contempt and Derision.

("Aspirated quality:" "Impassioned" force: "Median stress :" "High pitch :" "Unequal waves.")

NORVAL, IN THE QUARREL WITH GLENALVON.-Home.

"And who is Norval in Glenalvon's eyes? Glenalvon. A peasant's son, [3. & 5.]1 a wândering beggar bôy! [3. & 8.]

[3. & 5.]

[5. & 3.]

At bêst no more,- —even if he speaks the truth. [3. & 5.]

“Hear him, my lord: he's wondrous condescending! [5. & 3.]

Mark the humility of shepherd Nôrval!" [3. & 8.]

Scorn and Derision.

("Aspirated pectoral and guttural quality :" "Impassioned" force: "Vanishing stress :" "High pitch :” « Unequal wave.”)

CORIOLANUS, TO THE SENATORS, WHEN HIS ELECTION TO THE CONSULATE IS CONTRAVENED BY THE TRIBUNES BRUTUS AND SICINIUS; THE LATTER HAVING USED THE WORD "SHALL IN HIS VETO.-Shakspeare.

"Shall! ["semitone and octave."]

They chose their magistrate;

And such a one as he, who puts his shall, [as before.]
His popular shall, against a graver bench, [as before.]
Than ever frowned in Greece!"

""
THE MONOTONE."

This designation, like many others used in the technical language of elocution, is not strictly applicable to the fact of voice which it is

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1 The figures indicate the "unequal wave of the "third" and "fifth," &c. In these exemplifications it is not intended that either a weaker or a stronger expression," an inferior or a greater "wave," may not be appropriately used, if it be not out of proportion to the context. In the stronger expressions, there might even be a prolonged and repeated, or "double" "wave," in highly animated reading.

"radical 99 and " concrete pitch,"

used to denote. The word "monotone " should import a strict musical sameness of sound; but, in actual usage, it applies, rather, to successive repetitions of the same in the common form of the latter, as in the "radical" and "vanish" of unimpassioned or inexpressive utterance.

Two causes have contributed to the license of language, in the vague use of this term: first, the fact that what is termed monotone, as differing from mere monotony, (the one being an intentional and impressive effect; the other, an accidental fault of the ear and habit,) is, usually, the utterance of a long, and even protracted, vowel sound, with a peculiarly full "median stress," which absorbs the attention, and occupies the ear, to the exclusion of the differential sounds of the "radical" and the "vanish." The style in "monotone" approaches comparatively near to that of music, as contradistinguished from speech by more or less of the "swell." Hence the middle point of each sound will be most impressive to the ear, and obliterate the effect of the extremes. An apparent absolute monotone, is thus produced.- Another cause of error in the designation of " monotone,' is the effect of the close and frequent recurrence of apparently the same note, in the repetition of the same "radical" and "concrete pitch," on successive words; as what is termed " monotone" usually a partial sameness of voice on several, or on many words, in succession.

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The term "monotone," then, when used in the language of elocution, must be understood as conventional, and employed merely to avoid circumlocution. It implies the successive repetition of the same radical" and "concrete" pitch, with the addition of a full and prolonged "median stress," so executed as to occupy the ear to the exclusion, nearly, of the "radical" and "vanish" of the sounds to which it is applied. The partial sameness of voice, thus produced, has been, not inaptly compared, as mentioned before, to the repeated sounds of a deep-toned bell; as the "monotone" is usually the expression of low-pitched, solemn utterance, analogous in effect, to the bell's perpetually recurring low note. The "monotone" is, in the true, natural, and unstudied use of the voice,— the invariable standard of elocution, the style of awe, reverence, solemnity, sublimity, grandeur, majesty, power, splendor, and all other modes of feeling which imply vastness and force, particularly when associated with the idea of supernatural influence or agency. It expresses, also, the feelings of amazement, terror, and horror, or whatever emotion arises from the contemplation of preternatural effects.

The reason why this peculiar form of utterance is associated with the extremes of emotion, seems to be the same that we observe when we hear a person who has been an eye-witness of an awful event, relating what he has seen the excess of feeling denies him the power of varied utterance; and his perpetually low, husky note,

which seems to come from the depths of his inmost frame, thrills the hearer with a feeling from which a varied intonation would be an instantaneous relief. The same principle divested of the associations of horror, applies, in degree, to scenes and objects of overpowering majesty and splendor. The impression is, in such instances, too powerful to allow the varied and free play of ordinary

utterance.

The "monotone," therefore, as the indication of vastness and power, pervades the style of all the noblest and most impressive forms of human language in poetry, and, not unfrequently, in prose of a high-wrought style. It abounds, particularly, in the reading of the sacred Scriptures; and it is indispensable in the devotional language of hymns. It is used likewise in verse, and in poetic prose, for melody of effect, instead of the "downward slide of complete sense."

The "monotone" does not, it is true, occur so frequently as most other modifications of voice. But, from its special office, it acquires peculiar importance. Without it, the tones of a devotional exercise, or the reading of many parts of the Scriptures, are unavoidably associated with irreverence, or utter absence of appropriate feeling. The language of Milton or of Young,, becomes parody to the ear, when divested of the due effect of this impressive element of voice.

A great error, however, to be carefully avoided in actual reading and speaking, is the prevalent use of this mode of voice, without distinction of circumstances. The wearisome sameness of school reading, and of the style of many professional speakers, arises from the habitual unintentional use of this element. The monotony thus produced can be tolerated only in a law paper, a state document, a bill of lading, or an invoice, in the reading of which, the mere distinct enunciation of the words, is deemed sufficient. In other circumstances it kills, with inevitable certainty, everything like feeling or expression.

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The student of elocution will derive great benefit, in his practice on monotone," from a repetition of the elements and of words, on the recurring identical successive "radical and concrete," with full prolongation and ample "median stress."

The following examples will serve to suggest others of similar character.

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("Effusive orotund quality:" "Subdued" force: "Median stress:" "Very low pitch.")

[EXTRACTS FROM THE SCRIPTURES.]

"Hōly! hōly! hōly! Lōrd Gōd of Sabaoth!"

1 The "monotone" is usually distinguished by this horizontal mark.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!"

"Unto Thee 1 lift up mine eyes, Ŏ Thōu that dwellest in the

heavens!"

Awe, Sublimity, Majesty, Power, Horror.

("Quality," force, "stress," and pitch, as before.)

"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo! there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree căsteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scrōll when it is rōlled together; and ēvery moūntain and island were moved out of their plàces. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bōnd-man, and every free-man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Làmb: 1 for the great day of his wrath is cōme; and who shall be able to stand?'"'

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Amazement and Terror.

1

("Aspirated pectoral quality :" "Suppressed force :" "Median 'stress :" "Very low pitch.")

1

"In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, 1 fear cāme upōn mē and trembling, which made all my bōnes to shake. Then a spirit passed befōre my face; 'the hair of my flesh stood up. — It stōod still; but I could not discern the förm thereof. An image was befōre mine eyes; 'there was silence; and I heard a voice saying, 1 Shall mōrtal man be mōre jūst than Gōd? Shall a man be mōre pūre than his Maker?'"'

Majesty and Grandeur.

("Orotund quality:" "Moderate" force: "Median stress:" "Low pitch.")

[DESCRIPTION OF SATAN.]-Milton.

"His form had not yet lost

All her original brightness, nor appeared

1 A deeper note commences at each of the places thus marked. The whole passage is a succession of "monotones."

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