It may seem an exception to the consistencies of nature, that a quality of voice, which, under the form of a whisper, is the symbol of the desire of concealment, should be found united with the most forcible exertion of the organs. Such, however, is the fact; for when the aspiration is conjoined with loudness, in some of the vehement modes of stress, it becomes a sign of the highest vocal violence. Its union therefore with any rising or falling interval of the scale, gives increase to the expressive power of that interval; and if I do not mistake, adds the sentiment of eagerness, or sneer to those intonations, which, in their purely vocal form, severally convey surprise, interrogation, irony and command.

Should this aspiration be given with an abatement of voice, thereby approximating towards a whisper or a sigh, it will produce a difference of expression, according to the extent of its pitch. When a second or wider interval is employed, it becomes the eminent symbol of earnestness or of apprehension. Thus, the expression of the following lines if pronounced with a pure vocality of the elements, will fall short of the feeling of the speaker:

Hah! dost thou not see, by the moon's trembling light,
Directing his steps, where advances a knight,

His eye big with vengeance and fate?

Nor would the point be gained, if the reading should be characterized by an aspirated vociferation. But when the utterance is reduced in force, and at the same time aspirated, the earnestness of attention, and of appealing interrogation, becomes immediately obvious, in this created huskiness of voice.

Should an abated voice be aspirated on the tremulous movement of a second or wider interval, it may convey the sentiment of fear. When this abatement is aspirated in a simple rise, or a wave of the semitone, it is, as it were, a borrowing from the sigh; and thus gives intensity to the plaintiveness or distress which belongs to the simple vo cality

of the semitonic movement. But when the tremulous intonation is superadded to the aspirated semitone, the voice exerts its ultimate means, for marking the deepest sadness, without availing itself of crying and tears.

Aspiration, when combined with the different forms of stress, and with guttural vibration, to be described presently, especially expresses contempt, and the like sentiments: hence the ability to embue nearly every interval of intonation with that expression. Even the simple movements which indicate surprise, inquiry, and emphatic declaration, may, by this means, be made contemptuous: but the sentiment is more strongly marked when the aspiration is applied to the forms of the wave; the bearing of scorn being most conspicuous on its unequal structure.

SECTION XLII.

Of the Emphatic Vocule.

In that section where the elements are enumerated, we learned, that when the articulative occlusion, by which the six abrupt elements are made, is removed, there is a slight momentary issue of voice which completes the formation of these sounds. This was called the Vocule. Like all other voices, it is susceptible of force. Its higher degrees of stress constitute the function named at the head of this section. The emphatic vocule marks great energy of sentiment; and naturally follows those words which close with one of the abrupt elements.

The vocules of b, d, and g, are vocal. Those of k, p, and t, are aspirated: but are sometimes changed to vocality, in an attempt to give strong emphasis to them. Only

the most vehement feeling will justify the use of this mode of force, at the end of an emphatic word; and the most cautious management is necessary, to prevent its forcible utterance from having the effect of rant or affectation.

It was stated formerly that when an abrupt element precedes a tonic, the vocule is lost in the sound of the tonic, which in this case issues, as it were, directly from the abrupt element. Thus in the word light, the vocule is distinctly heard at its termination: but if t immediately precedes the tonic i as in tile, the vocule is lost, and t seems to be merely an abrupt commencement of the sound of i This is the natural and proper mode of coalescence, except the abrupt element terminates a word. For in this case a junction of the vocule with a following tonic may confuse pronunciation by destroying that clear limit which should give a separated individuality to every word of a sentence. This fault is sometimes even designedly assumed, in order to remedy a want of physical energy in pronunciation. Persons who are called upon to give the utmost sharpness to their accents, and who have not the practical skill to explode the voice suddenly on a tonic, avail themselves of the facility of bursting out from an abrupt element, into the tonic of a succeeding word. Thus if the phrase bad angels, should require force, either for emphasis or for a distant auditory, it would, with a view to this explosion, be pronounced bad-dangels. But as the arrangement of elements is a casual thing, it must happen that the same word will occur in discourse, both with and without a preceding abrupt element and besides, the common exertion of force does not require this coalescence. These circumstances will prevent the effect of the junction from becoming familiar to the ear, and thus passing for a proper and constant character of the word. A forcible pronunciation according to this method, will, therefore, in some cases, create mistakes with regard to the sound of words; and lead in most instances, to that momentary hesitation which is incompatible with an exact perception of oral discourse. Let the phrase music

sweet art be pronounced in this manner, and the combination will present an image both ludicrous and contradictory.

If what has been said, on the subject of distinct articulation, as effected by the full and clearly formed radical stress, is thoroughly applied, the designed purpose of this junction of tonic with abrupt elements may be accomplished without interfering with the perception of a clear outline in the boundary of words. Since this demarcation is necessary for effecting that distinct and deliberate utterance, which characterizes the dignified departments of an exalted elocution.

In the rapid energy of colloquial speech, and in the passionate haste of elevated delivery, this coalescence of the elements is more liable to occur: nor in these instances can it always be avoided.

SECTION XLIII.

Of the Guttural Vibration.

IN speaking of the mechanism of the voice, it was shown that the retraction of the root of the tongue, together with a closure of the pharynx, produces what seems to be a contact of the sides of the vocal canal above the glottis, and thus gives rise to a harsh vibration, from the gush of air through the straightened passage. This peculiar sound may be made on the tonic and subtonic elements; the varieties of which are distinguishable, notwithstanding their combination with this grating noise. I have called this function

of the voice, the Guttural Vibration, on account of its apparent formal cause.

This guttural function is practicable on all the intervals of the scale and it adds to their respective characteristics, its own peculiar expression. This expression consists in the strongest degree of contempt, disgust, aversion or execration; and these sentiments are most strongly marked on the intonations of the wave.

When the guttural vibration is given with an exploded radical stress, it makes the speaker himself feel, in its disruption from his organs, that the effect must spread widely around him and whilst it assaults the air with its percussion, that it must break through the ear, into the understanding and heart of an audience.

Having thus described the particular species into which the generic affections of Pitch and Force are subdivided; and having marked out some of the occasions for their application in speech, we are now prepared to consider the special points of these functions, comprehended under the terms Accent and Emphasis. This detail will form the subjects of the two following sections.

ACCENT is defined in philology, to be-the distinguishing of one syllable of a word from others, by the application of a greater force of voice upon it. This is a true, but limited