the third part of the work. Each will there be briefly described under the style of delivery of which it is the characteristic.

ANIMATED UTTERANCE AND SPIRITED ACCENT.

Animation of voice and accent are here considered, in opposition to the faults of sluggishness and languor of tone. These faults proceed from want of what is called by Dr. Rush, the "radical stress," i. e. stress at the very commencement of each vowel. In lively moods of mind, the syllables of discourse issue suddenly. This suddenness gives spirit and animation to the voice. It is of course most striking on accented syllables.

Animation of voice thus depends on a quick and sudden impulse given to the enunciation of the vowel of each syllable, and on the strong and decided accent which naturally accompanies it.

At the moment of beginning the vowel of each syllable, there takes place a slight check in the flow of the breath, and a sudden and instantaneous action of the vocal organs in the throat.

This description will enable any one to exemplify the quality under consideration; but in practising according to it, care must be taken to make the sounds perfectly natural, or else if the utterance is quite loud, it will resemble the barking of a dog rather than human speech.

The very highest degree of this quality is what is called exploding in speech, and the explosive tone in singing. In rapid speech, in which the syllables are not prolonged, this stress is the same thing as what is called staccato stress in music. As in music the staccato stress may be given to the commencement of notes that are somewhat prolonged, so in speech the utterance may be slow and the syllables not shortened, yet at the same time each may be sent forth with a sudden and stri

king effect, that awakens attention and arouses the spirits of the audience.

This is one of the principal qualities of delivery, in consequence of which the mere sound of the voice, independently of the ideas offered, secures attention from the hearers.

The very highest degrees of earnestness, however, as will presently be described, cause the voice to proceed in prolonged tones; and in these, the swell of the voice often takes the place of the suddenly expulsive accent now under consideration.

Great care likewise must be taken, that not only this, but all other qualities of voice be so managed when we cultivate elocution, as to be perfectly natural and agreeable. The suddenness of utterance which has just been described, should be conjoined with graceful ease and fluency.

A very high degree of the vocal action we are now considering, is exhibited in the natural utterance of various interjections which express surprise, alarm, caution, command, or cheerful willingness. These interjections and imperative phrases are such as, Ah! Oh! Take care! Who! (to horses,) Come, come! Look out! Ay, ay!

EXAMPLE FOR PRACTICE.

The following harangue from Shakespeare, requires an extremely high degree of this utterance. It will be useful to practise the declamation of such passages with great force, and even with violence. It must be remembered, however, that in ordinary delivery it should be impossible for common auditors to detect this peculiar vocal action, even when it decidedly characterizes the speaking. It must be so managed as to give spirit and attractive interest to the whole run of the voice, and yet with such ease and fluency, as to make the delivery even more graceful. It is not for any one a new use of the voice. The reason why it must be carefully cultivated, is that the necessary slowness of

public speaking is apt to prevent its natural use, and substitute for it some sort of drawl. After declaiming the following passage with the energy of a harangue, it will be well to practise repeating it again in the more rapid and familiar manner of reading or of conversation. By so doing, the student will be able to distinguish that the same suddenly expulsive utterance which in its highest degree represents the excitement of the military harangue, in a less degree and with a subdued loudness gives spirit and animation.

To secure the confidence and cordial cooperation of intellectual young men, in such declamatory exercises as this which follows, it will be well to remark that they are of no value except for gymnastic vocal training. A man may excel in them, and yet have neither skill, taste, nor judgment, in the ordinary delivery of practical life. As an intellectual accomplishment, the ability to execute them need not be considered of higher rank than skill in playing ball. Many shrink from them in consequence of supposing, that they are considered by a teacher as evidences of talent or mental cultivation; whereas they in fact task the body more than the mind. Sensitive young men must however remember, that audiences cannot very well discriminate between faults of delivery that proceed from the mind, and those that result from natural weakness or infelicitous habits of the bodily organs. We have occasionally observed that an auditor has accused a speaker of not having his feelings interested in his subject, when the fact happened to be, that he was both earnest and enthusiastic, but had merely a bad habit of not taking breath with sufficient frequency and fullness to render his voice flexible and significant. Such declamation as the following confers also free habits of respiration in speaking, as well as a voice habitually spirited.

7

HARANGUE OF HENRY FIFTH TO HIS TROOPS BEFORE HAR

FLEUR.

dear friends!

once more;

Once more unto the breach,

Or close the wall up with our English dead.

O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,

Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.

Whose blood is fetch'd

you NOBLE English,

from fathers of war proof!

Fathers that like so many Alexanders,

The mettle of your pasture!

I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,

Straining upon the start.

THE GAME'S AFOOT!

FOLLOW YOUR SPIRIT:

and upon this charge,

Cry- STRIKE FOR HARRY! ENGLAND! and ST. GEORGE.

IMPRESSIVE UTTERANCE, OR PROLONGED

TONES.

Impressiveness depends principally upon prolongation. Before attempting the regular declamation of extracts, the voice ought to be disciplined in the power of prolonging syllables and words, for purposes of emphasis and expression. Prolongation is the most universal form of emphasis, and characterizes all earnest delivery.

It takes place however, only on syllables that have what is called in prosody, long quantity.

The English language is remarkable for abounding in monosyllabic words, generally of Saxon origin, which have great strength and energy, in consequence of their length.