ACADEMIC SPEAKER,

SYSTEM OF ELOCUTION

DESIGNED FOR

SCHOOLS AND SELF-INSTRUCTION,

EMBRACING A SERIES OF LESSONS IN THE ART,

AND A COPIOUS SELECTION OF

EXTRACTS FROM THE BEST AUTHORS,

EACH EXTRACT ACCOMPANIED BY COMPREHENSIVE NOTES SUG-
GESTING THE PROPER MANNER OF READING OR SPEAKING IT.

Br A. M. HARTLEY,

TEACHER OF ELOCUTION: AUTHOR OF THE ORATORICAL CLASS-BOOK;
JUVENILE CLASS-BOOK; JUVENILE SKETCH-BOOK, ETC.

GLASGOW:

WILLIAM HAMILTON, 139, RENFIELD STREET,

JAMES MACLEOD, ORR AND SONS, AND LUMSDEN AND SON;
J. MENZIES, AND N. BOWACK, EDINBURGH ;

FINLAY AND CHARLTON, NEWCASTLE; A. HEYWOOD, MANCHESTER;
W. POLLOCK, BELFAST; AND

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL AND CO., LONDON.

1846.

W. Hamilton, Printer, Renfield Street, Glasgow.

PREFACE.

During many years' employment in giving instructions in Reading and Recitation, the editor of this little work has felt the want of such prefatory notation as is annexed to each of the extracts in the following compilation. After a pupil of but ordinary vivacity has made himself acquainted with the manifestations of the leading passions, as given at page 26, he will find little difficulty in adapting his tones, inflexions, emphases, &c., to any of the compositions in the volume; and, while the notations are sufficiently precise for suggesting suitable tones, gestures, inflexions, and accents, they leave abundant scope for the pupil to exercise original, varied, and emphatic conceptions. The practice of studying the pieces for himself (throwing him on his own resources, instead of trusting to imitations of his teacher) must necessarily render the pupil more original and expert.

To the teacher of a large school, this method of Instruction should be acceptable, as it will tend greatly to ease his own labour, by engaging the attention of his scholars.

In the work all such modern improvements as are really useful have been introduced; the extracts have been taken from the most eminent authors, both ancient and modern, and many of them have not hitherto appeared in any collection; the type is exceedingly clear, and the editor trusts that nothing has been overlooked that may tend to recommend the book for public and private tuition.

With respect to the matter, the editor is of opinion that dry selections from scientific and ratiocinative authors, are far less suitable for the purposes of instruction, than those from the Belles Léttres, and the works of imaginative authors. The former neither captivate the heart, nor excite the moral sympathies so for