XLVII. Lib. x. c. 7. 2 Suet. LECT before they became habitual. What ef fects might not juftly be expected from fuch an inftitution? Perfons trained up in this manner, with all thofe advantages, joined to a good natural genius, could not fail of making very complete orators. Tho even after they came to appear in public, they did not lay afide the custom of declaiming. For Quintilian tells us, that, Inft. orat. C. Carbo used to practise it daily in his tent1. And Auguftus is reported to have continued it during the war of Mutina 2, against M. Antony. Nor is it to be supposed, that fo conftant an attendance to this practice was only serviceable to them in their public performances; but it must neceffarily affect their whole conduct, give them a freedom of fpeech, eafiness of address and behaviour, and render them in all respects fine gentlemen, as well as excellent orators. And from hence perhaps we may fee less reason to wonder at the furprizing effects of fome of their difcourfes, when we confider, what pains they took to arrive at those abilities. Rhet. c. I. LEC LECTURE XLVIII. Of the Voice. AVING in HAVI last discourse treated my on the nature of pronunciation in general, its great ufe to an orator, and the methods taken by the antients in order to attain it; I now procede to confider the parts of it separately, which are voice and gefture, and fhall begin with the former. VOICE is one kind of founds. Now the influence of founds, either to raise or allay our paffions, is evident from mufic. And certainly the harmony of a fine difcourse, well and gracefully pronounced, is as capable to move us, if not in a way fo violent and extatic, yet no less powerful, and more agreable to our rational faculties. As my present business will be to offer some confiderations, for the just and decent management of the voice, it may not be improper in the first place to observe in general, what nature does, when free and unconstrained. As perfons are differently affected, when they speak; fo they naturally alter the tone of their voice, tho they do not attend to it. It rifes, finks, and has LECT. XLVIII. LECT has various inflections given it, according to the present state and disposition of the mind. When the mind is calm and fedate, the voice is moderate and even; when the former is dejected with forrow, the latter is languid; and when that is inflamed by paffion, this is raised and elevated. It is the orator's business therefore to follow nature, and to endeavour, that the tone of his voice appear natural and unaffected. And for this end, he must take care to fuit it to the nature of the fubject; but ftill fo as to be always grave and decent. Some persons continue a discourse in such a low and drawling manner, that they can scarce be heard by their audience. Others again hurry on in so loud and boisterous a manner, as if they imagined their hearers were deaf. But all the mufic and harmony of speech lies in the proper temperament of the voice, between thefe extremes. In order to fet this matter in a just light, it will be neceffary to confider the principal affections, or properties of the voice, and how they are to be regulated by an orator. Now these may all be refered either to quantity or quality. THE quantity of the voice confists in its highness or lowness, fwiftness or flow ness, ness, and the intermediate degrees between LECT. them. EVERY perfon who fpeaks in public, fhould endeavour, if he can, to fill the place, where he speaks. But ftill he ought to be careful not to excede the natural key of his voice. If he does, it will neither be foft, nor agreable; but either harsh and rough, or too fhrill and squeeking. Befides, he will not be able to give every fyllable its full and diftinct found, which will render what he fais obfcure, and difficult to be understood. He should therefore take care to keep his voice within reach, fo as to have it under management, that may raise, or fink it, or give it any inflection he thinks proper. Which will not be in his power to do, if he put a force upon it, and strain it beyond its natural tone. he THE like caution is to be used against the contrary extreme, that the voice be not dropt, and fuffered to fink too low. This will give the speaker pain in raifing it again to its proper pitch, and be no less offenfive to the hearers. For tho the mufic of speech confist in the variations of the voice, yet they must be gradual to render them pleasant. Such fudden and great changes XLVIII. XLVIII. Be LECT changes at once, are rather to be efteemed chafms in fpeaking, than variations. fides, as they often prevent the hearers from taking in the sense of what is said, it gives them no fmall uneafinefs, that they are obliged to stretch their attention. Many perfons are too apt to be guilty of this, especially at the end of a fentence, by droping the last word; which ought in a particular manner to be expreffed distinctly, because the meaning of the whole sentence often depends upon it. THE medium between thefe two is a moderate and even voice. But this is not the fame in all; that which is moderate in one, would be high in another. Every perfon therefore must regulate it by the natural key of his own voice. A calm and sedate voice is generally best; as a moderate found is moft pleafing to the ear, if it be clear and diftinct. But this equality of the voice muft alfo be accompanied with a variety, otherwise there can be no harmony: fince all harmony consists in variety. Nothing is lefs pleafing, than a difcourfe pronounced throughout in one continued tone of the voice, without any change or alteration. Befides, a variation of the voice is an cafe to the fpeaker; as |