command, and the declaration of the sentiment of astonishment.

Thirdly; there is a large number of sentiments which have no natural vocal sign, but which depend, for their expression, altogether on the descriptive language in which they are conveyed: thus there are no vocal signs by which a speaker can inform us, even if he would, of his avarice, his vanity, his envy, or his remorse. They must be shown in action, or be confessed by the syntax of his words. There are indeed resources enough in the possible combinations of all the vocal signs, to furnish an expressive symbol for every thought and feeling; but this full ordination has never been made.

SECTION XLVIII.

Of the Mode of Instruction in Elocution.

WE HAVE thus far set before the eye of philosophy a copy of the designs of nature, in the construction of human speech. It is necessary, if we may still carry on the figure, to furnish at the same time a 'working plan,' to him who may wish to build up for himself a fame in Elocution.

If the reader is one of those, who from disappointment in higher hopes, have at last resolved to receive their station in life, through the suffrages of ignorance; and who in their accomplishments are careless of rising above the discernment of their constituents, let him pass by this section. A little will serve his purposes; and the instinct of his ambition, without the wise designs of human assiduity, will enable

him to be, easily, the file-leader of his herd. But if he believes in that fine induction of the Greeks, that good things are difficult;' if he sees the successful pretender, still restless and dissatisfied, in having made captives only of the ignorant; if he desires to work for high and hard masters, and to take his ultimate repose by the side of their everduring approbation, he may receive from the following pages, some assistance towards the accomplishment of his resolution, to acquire the art of Reading Well.

Can Elocution be taught? This question has heretofore been asked through ignorance. It shall hereafter be asked only through folly.

The sceptics on the subject of the practicability of teaching elocution, appear under three classes. To the first belong those, who knowing that the ways of the voice have never been traced, believe they never can be reduced to assignable forms. This opinion is grounded on the idea that the expressive effects of speech proceed from some occult quality; which however, is neither high nor low, loud nor soft; nor in short, any of the known and appreciable modes of sound. They who thus confuse the plain revelation of nature, seem to have just such an idea of vocal expression, as school girls have of the expression of the countenance,That it is not a palpable effect of the physical form of the face, in its state of rest, and in its various motions; but-a kind of immaterialism, which darts from the eye, and breathes from the lips; a 'soul,' as it were in the face, which is yet, in the words of the song, neither shape nor feature.'

The scepticism of the second class promulgates the idea, that accomplishments in elocution are the result of certain indescribable powers of genius, and that the happy possessor of them is the production of one of nature's 'moments of enthusiasm.' Such sleight of tongue, to hide the plain agency of natural causes, is not disdained even by some who possess attributes sufficient to set them far above all stale-grown tricks for reputation. He who has great powers in an art, knows well that he is

distinguished from the thousands that surround him, by his industry, and his singleness in purpose and zeal: nor does he withhold instruction, in the fear of creating rivals, since he persuades himself that, if necessary afterwards, he can always excel them.

Those who constitute the third class are too intelligent to believe in this mystical doctrine of the inspiration of genius; yet they hold that the art of reading well can be taught only by imitation. Elocution may indeed have furnished instances of some great ends being attained, without a knowledge of all the nicety of means; and this may prove that it is less important and practical to direct another what he should do, than to give him an example of it. But the analysis which has been made, will now enable a teacher to give the memorable description of what is to be done; and thereby to furnish the pupil with the durability and comprehensive purposes of precept, as well as with the necessary but transient benefit of example.

These are some of the objections, made against an attempt to teach the uses of the voice, by systematic and communicable principles. We will not confer importance on them by refutation. In so doing we should only record some vain opinions of this age, which a future one need not know. At the present time let us not be concerned if the analysis in this essay, and the scheme of instruction founded upon it, should be to the old school of mystagogues and imitators, either a stumbling-block or foolishness."

The preceding history furnishes materials for raising elocution to the condition of a science: and we must look to the comparisons, and conclusions of taste, for rules to direct the use of these materials. Our analysis will not only afford the means of reducing the arbitrary fashion of the voice, to something like that standard of general principles, to which the other fine arts have been already brought: but it opens a new field on the subject of instruction. All arts which have been separated into their elements, have been recomposed into grammatical schemes for teaching by those elements:

and it now becomes us to try what may be the advantages, as to economy of time, and precision of means, from following an elementary plan, in communicating a knowledge of the nature and uses of speech.

Language was long ago resolved into its alphabetic elements. Wherever that analysis is known, the art of grammar is with the best success, conducted upon the rudimental method. Now, if the expressive uses of the voice should be taught by this manner of resolution, the benefit to instruction would be no less, than that which has resulted from the alphabetic analysis. We teach a child in this way, in order to make him acquaintod with the simple sounds of speech, and to give him a facility in the pronunciation of them; surely there is no reason why a clear perception of the varieties of stress, of time, and of intonation, and the power of consciously employing them in current utterance, should not be acquired in a similar elementary manner.

The art of reading consists in having all the vocal constituents, whether alphabetic, or expressive, under complete command, that they may be properly applied, for the vivid and elegant delineation of the sense and sentiment of dis course. I shall not in this section, consider the modes of the voice as expressive of feeling or thought: but shall describe the means for providing the material of speech, whenever thought or feeling may require its use.

If I were a teacher of elocution, I would form into a didactic system, the mode of practice by which the analysis contained in this work was accomplished; and would assign to my pupil a task under the following heads.

Of Practice on the Alphabetic Elements. Notwithstanding we are all taught the alphabet, we are not taught the true elements of speech: I would therefore require the pupil, -to exercise his voice on the real constituents, as they are sounded in a strict analysis of words. In the present schoolsystem of the alphabet, many vowels have no peculiar symbol, and nearly all the consonants are heard as syllables, not as elements. If b and k and 7, (and what is here said

will apply to all the consonants,) be sounded as respectively heard in b-ay, and k-ing, and l-ove, that is, if we pause after these several initial sounds have escaped the organs, we shall have the real elemental constituents of the syllables, instead of the compounds be, kay, and ell, as they are universally taught.

Let the first lesson then consist of a separate, an exact, and a repeated pronunciation of each of the thirty-five elements, in order to ensure a true and easy execution of their unmixed sounds. But the pupil must be careful to pronounce, not the alphabetic syllable of the schools, but the pure and indivisible vocal element; however unusual, and uncouth, that sound may, in some cases, be to his ear. It may be asked,-whether a careful pronunciation of words in which these elements, though combined, must still be heard, would not give the required exactness and facility? I believe it would not. When the elements are pronounced singly, they may receive a concentration of the organic effort, which gives them a clearness of sound and a definite outline, if I may so speak, at their extremes, that makes a fine preparative for distinct and forcible pronunciation in the compounds of speech. And perhaps, no one who has neglected this mode of elementary practice, is able to give the guttural murmur of b, d, and g, with that force, and fulness, and duration, which are required on occasions that call for the higher powers and graces of elocution.

But there is one element, which may, by separate utterance, be improved to a degree that cannot be reached in the conjoined mode of pronunciation. It is the sound of r.

The element r is a modification of the vocality of the subtonics; and denotes two different articulations. One is made by a simple contact of the tongue with the roof of the mouth; the other by its quick percussion against that part. Ther produced by the first organic combination, differs very little from the short tonic e-rr, and is called-the Smooth r. That formed by the percussion may be calledthe Vibrant r. It has a distinctness of character and a body