Then some leaped overboard, with dreadful yell,
As eager to anticipate their grave:

And the sea yawned around her "in its swell,"
And down she sucked with her the whirling wave,
Like one who grapples with his enemy,

And strives to strangle him before he dies.

And first one universal shriek there rushed,
Louder than the loud ocean, like a crash
Of echoing thunder; and then... all was hushed,
Save the wild wind and the remorseless dash
Of billows: but at intervals there gushed,

Accompanied with a convulsive splash,

A solitary shriek, the bubbling cry

Of some strong swimmer in his agony.

In these examples, those letters most liable to an indistinct or perverted articulation, are designated by Italick characters. However imperfect such helps may be, it is hoped that they will afford some assistance to the ambitious student, and serve to direct the attention of the teacher to this particular subject: and to both teacher and learner, the author begs leave to suggest the propriety of frequently referring the corrections made in reading the exercises, back to the principles that are violated.

The unpractised student may deem a scientifick and an analytical development of the elementary principles of vocal sounds, a procedure more curious than useful; but so erroneous would such a conclusion be, that, on the contrary, he ought to consider investigations of this description, of paramount importance in the study of elocution. These elementary principles form the only proper basis of the science; and the want of a knowledge of them, is the principal cause of multitudinous errours in reading and speaking. It is, therefore, incumbent on him who would excel in the science of elocution, to obtain a perfect mastery of these elementary and primary principles, before he proceeds to general reading:-and of the truth of these remarks, the author trusts that enough has been displayed in the foregoing, imperfect development of the subject now under consideration, to convince even the most skeptical.

The prescribed limits of this essay, render it impracticable to

pursue, to any great extent, investigations on this branch of elocution. If enough has been presented to arrest the attention of the learner, and excite in him a spirit of inquiry, the design of the writer is accomplished: and he will now take leave of this subject by urging him to push his investigations in this department by his own individual efforts, and by an attentive perusal (if he can procure them) of "The Philosophy of the Human Voice," by Dr. Rush, and of Dr. Barber's "Grammar of Elocution."

As the pronunciation of single letters and single words, is a subject which comes within the province of the lexicographer, rather than that of the elocutionist, the student is respectfully referred for the best available information on this point, to "Cobb's edition of Walker's Pronouncing Dictionary." See, also, "English Grammar in Lectures," pages 21 and 22, and 201 to 206 inclusive.

In an age like this, when science is taking her eagle flight, and spreading her broad wings over the world—when the genius of education is walking forth on the western continent with a grace and majesty which promise soon to surpass her movements in the Old World, it cannot but be a source of regret to witness the apathy, and the indifference, and the neglect with which this most elegant, most useful, most important branch of science-the science of ELOCUTION—is still treated in our country. Could the crimes of those readers and speakers who, without remorse or shame, do not scruple to trample under foot the most salutary laws of articulation, ever reach the higher world, the spirit of Cadmus would look down and weep at the cruelties which are inflicted upon his ill-fated offspring.

QUESTIONS

To be answered by the learner.

What are the six general divisions of elocution?

Of what does chapter I, treat?

In what does a good articulation consist?
What forms the basis of good delivery?

Is articulation a primary beauty in elocution?
How may one convince himself of this fact?

What speakers can you name as illustrative of it?

Which of these are remarkable for their perseverance in overcoming, by oratorical culture, the obstacles of nature?

Are artificial tones or sentiments admissible in a speaker?

In order to fill a large space with the voice, is it requisite to raise its pitch, or increase its volume and force?

What, then, is requisite?-(a distinct articulation.)

Can you prove this by a reference to deaf persons?

What did the ancients regard as the primary requisite in delivery? To what practices had Demosthenes recourse,

his impediments of speech?

Repeat Rule 1.

in order to overcome

How many elementary sounds are employed in pronouncing the words of the English language?

By what are these sounds represented?

Do letters ever represent any other sounds than those which denote their names?

Give some illustrations of the various sounds of a, o, e, i, u, th, ch, and the.

Give examples in which o, ew, ieu, iew, and eau, are pronounced

like u.

Please to illustrate the diphthongal character of a, by pronouncing it in such a manner as fully to display its radical and vanishing movement of sound.

Explode i, y, ou, e, o, &c. so as to illustrate the radical and vanish of each.

Why are the radical and vanishing movements of the voice so styled? What are the three general divisions of elementary sounds, as adopted by Dr. Rush?

Name the twelve tonick elements?

Why are they so called?

Wherein do the subtonick elements differ from the tonicks?-What is their number?-Name them?

What are the characteristicks of the nine atonick elements?

Name these elements?

Which of the tonick elements are called diphthongs, and which monothongs?-Illustrate the difference between them.

What constitute the essential properties of a syllable?

Why is it that each of the tonick elements may, by itself, form a syllable?—and why cannot two tonick elements be united in one syllable? Why cannot the atonicks produce separate syllables?

Illustrate this by analyzing Ohio, aörta, Eta, speaks, skates, and so

forth.

What determines the length of syllables?-Illustrate this by an analysis of face, lave, cat, pet, tik, and so forth.

How are the longest syllables produced?

How many elementary sounds are there in the word mat? Explode

them separately.

Explode the three elemental sounds contained in each of the words man, not, get, bud, far, and sap.

What is the proper method to be pursued in order to correct a bad pronunciation?

Explain the errour in consequence of which some say dinks, tinks, drift, trift, pos-ce, fores-ce, strenth, &c. instead of thinks, thrift, pos-ts, fores-ts, strength, &c.

Can you explain, by experiment, the elementary difference between th in thin, and th in This?

Repeat Note 1, to Rule 1.

Give examples both of the false and of the correct pronunciation of u in popular, secular, &c. of o in opacity, omega, &c. of e in esquire, esteem,―e in sullen, gospel, fallen, seven, and the like.

Give examples both of the correct and of the incorrect pronunciation of e in ment, nent, dent, and the like.

Is any stress allowable on such terminating syllables?

Are the sounds of e in pre, o in pro, and e in dence, lence, nence, &c. ever perverted? Give examples.

What is to be observed of long u in nature, feature, &c.?

Are the sounds of o in theorem, &c. and of a in the terminations ant, man, &c. ever perverted? Give examples.

Repeat Note 2, to Rule 1.

What is said of the consonants ts, st, dst, and so forth, at the termination of words?

Repeat Rule 2.

Is the voice ever allowed to fall so low as to render the articulation indistinct?

What is said of uniformity and of variety, in the movements of the voice?

What is said of and? Give examples of its false pronunciation, and, also, the erroneous pronunciation of his.

Is a distinct enunciation of terminating syllables, important to an impressive elocution?

Repeat Rule 3.

Should a, e, ei, ai, and ay, in fare, there, air, &c. be pronounced like a in late?

Illustrate the difference in the two sounds.

What is said of affectation in delivery?

What is the standard of accuracy in the use of letters and words?

Is there any appeal from this standard authority?

What is said of the affected sounds of e in person, mercy, &c. of y in sky, i in kind, ui in guide, &c. of y in my, and of i in wind, and ou in pour?

What more is said of affectation in the pronunciation of the vowel sounds?