particularly directed to the sound of y. Then repeat, in the same deliberate and natural manner, that portion of the sentence which closes with try, without the remaining part of it— with precisely the intonation that would be employed were the whole sentence to be pronounced, and the letter y will be found "to have the rising slide of a second," or a tone: thus, "I will try In the second place, let the following sentence be uttered as a simple inquiry, or as it naturally would be if the answer yes or no were expected to it, and they will take the rising slide of a third, or, in other words, its lessening vanish will rise two tones before it terminates: "Did he say he would try—to do better?" Again, if the question be pronounced under the emotion of surprise, and with a strong emphasis on the word try, the y will have the rising, concrete slide of a fifth; that is, from the radical portion of its sound to the terminating point of its vanish, the stream of voice will ascend four tones: Did he say he would TRY?" 66 Lastly, if the question be asked under a still stronger excitement of surprise, with a proportionable increase of the emphasis, the sound of y will stream through the rising octave: "Did he say he would TRY?" "Children and women whose emotions are particularly lively, frequently ask a question with the intense, piercing slide of the octave." FALLING INFLECTION. Let the sentence, "I saw Mr. Pry," be uttered in a natural manner, without the least emphasis or expression of emotion on the last word, and closed with the ordinary fall of the voice given to simple, affirmative sentences, and the letter y will take the falling slide of a second: thus, "I saw Mr. Pry." If, in pronouncing the sentence, such a degree of emphasis be given to the last word as merely to contrast it with the name of some one understood, it will display the falling slide of a third: "I saw Mr. Pry. 11 If, in uttering the sentence, we increase the emphasis on Pry so much as to express an earnest degree of positiveness, the stream of sound will fall through a concrete fifth: “It was Mr. PRY-I tell you." But let the highest degree of dictatorial positiveness be given to the word as if uttered in anger, and the slide will reach the downward octave: "You provoke me: I said it was Mr. PRY." For the foregoing illustration of the upward and the down ward slides of the voice, the author is mainly indebted to Dr. Rush's "Philosophy of the Human Voice," and to Dr. Barber's "Grammar of Elocution," to which works they who wish to see a more extensive development of this subject, are respectfully referred. EXAMPLES of the Rising Inflection. Did he say I'? Did he say o'? Did he say ocean'? Remarks.-Let the reader who is not in the habit of attending to the inflections of the voice, pronounce the foregoing sentences deliberately and in a natural tone, and he will readily perceive, that the voice slides upward in its vanish at the close of each. If he protract the sound of the last syllable, the peculiar characteristick of the inflection will be rendered still more obvious. EXAMPLES of both the Rising and the Falling Inflections. Did he say man', or man'? Did he say holy', or holy'? Should we say humour', or umour`? Should we say supplemunt', or supplement? Ought we to say advertise'munt', or advertisement' ? Does he talk rationally', or irrationally'? Does he speak grammatically', or ungrammatically'? He said man', not man'. He said holy', not holy'. We should say umour', not humour'. We should say supplement', not supplemunt. We ought to say adver'tisement', not advertise'munt'. We ought to say coadju'tur', not coaj'etor'. He talks rationally', not irrationally'. He speaks grammatically', not ungrammatically. He did not say man', but man'. We should not say supplemunt', but supplement'. He does not speak ungrammatically', but grammatically. Can Cesar deserve both fame' and blame'? Impossible'. Can Bonaparte be compared with Washington'? Not justly'. With whom may Napoleon be compared? In acuteness of intellect', with Diogenes'; in ambition', with Cesar'; in arms', with Alexander'. Was Bonaparte greater than Alexander'? Let posterity determine. Though a great original', he sometimes took Ålexander as his model'. Does Napoleon merit praise', or censure, for not committing suicide when banished to St. Helena'? Praise', unquestionably'. Was it an act of moral courage', or of cowardice', for Cato to fall on his sword'? Undoubtedly the latter'. Was it ambition that induced Regulus to return to Carthage'? No; but love of country', and respect for truth'- -an act of the moral sublime', arising out of the firmest integrity'. With whom may Washington be compared? With Cincinnatus', with Manco Capack', and with Alfred'. Wherein did Mason surpass Chalmers'? Not in argument', nor in the sublimity of his thoughts', nor yet', in the richness and splendour of his diction'; but'... in elocution'. Can high attainments in elocution', immortalize a man'? In the common acceptation of the term', they can'. * For a correct list of those words often misspelled by good writers, and another of those most frequently mispronounced by good readers, sce, "English Grammar in Lectures," pages 199 and 207, inclusive. Whose fame will blaze along down the track of time with Newton's'? Doctor Franklin's'. Whose fame in lexicography', is identified with the English language', along with Johnson and Walker's'? That of Webster and Cobb'. Who rank among the American', classical prose-writers and poets of the present day? Irving', Cooper', Flint', Paulding', and Wirt', Channing, Marshall', Ramsay', Kennedy', Adams', Walsh', Waldo', Mason', and Verplanck', Nott', Everett', Carter', Madison', Jefferson', Silliman', Sands', Sprague', Sparks', Neale', Howe, Dennie`, Griffin', Willis', Buckingham, Leggett, Rush', and Griscom', Webster', Abbott', Gallaudet', Goodrich', Bird', Simms', and Hoffman', Slidell', Knapp', Hall', Prentiss', Fay', and Crafts', Beck', Francis', Hosack', Chapman', Godman', and Dewees', Miss Sedgwick', Miss Gould, Mrs. Willard', Mrs. Hale', and Mrs. Sigourney-Coffin', Halleck', Percival', and Pierpont', Hillhouse', Wilcox', Waldo', Whittier, Bryant, Brooks', and Brainard', Drake', Mellen', Dana', Tappan, Ware', and Eastburn', and many others'.* These exercises are presented mainly for the young tyro in elocution, as preliminary to the application of the following rules. Let him, therefore, in the first place, read them several times over, observing carefully to apply the inflections of the voice according to the prescribed marks. But in order to enforce upon his mind the great importance of a strict attention to the upward and downward slides of the voice, after having learned to pronounce these examples correctly, let him reverse the process: that is, let him make the falling inflection, where the voice ought to rise, and the rising, where it should fall, and he will readily perceive, that the performance will be difficult and unnatural, and, also, that the meaning and the melody of the sentences will thereby be impaired. This procedure will qualify him more readily to detect the proper inflections wherever they occur, as well as more easily to understand the illustrations and the application of the rules when he comes to enter upon the succeeding exercises. It will not, perhaps, be deemed impertinent to suggest to the eacher of classes in reading, the importance of frequently requiring several members of the class to pronounce. successively, The Anthor is not unaware that his own want of information on this interesting and delicate point, excludes many a worthy name from its legitimate place in this list. He also fears that when time shall have drawn his correcting pencil over it, some of ho names now included in it, will be blotted out. the same sentence, and of occasionally causing the whole class to repeat the same sentence at one and the same time. Such procedures will prove, not only a saving of much time and labour, by instructing and exercising many at once, but also have a tendency to excite in their minds a high degree of emulation -the grand secret of able teaching. Let the instructer first read each sentence to the pupil in a distinct and eloquent manner, and then require him to pronounce it exactly in the same manner. When the following rules are brought before the learner, no faithful teacher will neglect to explain them clearly, and to enforce them practically. No faithful instructer will lose sight of the important maxim, that the juvenile mind ought to be led along the path of science; not driven. Principles should be developed; rules, illustrated; intricacies, unfolded; obstacles, removed; and, indeed, whatever branch of science a youth is pursuing, should be made plain, easy, and inviting. From the lips of an eloquent teacher, instructions drop like honey from the comb. They flow as clear as the pebbled brook. They fall like sweet musick on the listening ear. QUESTIONS. Of what does chapter 3, treat? What is meant by the inflections of the voice? In the pronunciation of what words are they most apparent? How is it indicated? What is the downward slide of the voice denominated? By what sign is it sometimes represented? What constitutes a circumflex or wave of the voice? Describe the protracted sound of y. Pronounce the letters o, a, e, and u, and the words name, song, &c. in a very deliberate manner, and notice the vanish of the voice at the close of each as it dies away into silence. What two circumstances in regard to this delicate vanish of the voice at the close of a sound, demand particular attention? What part of an elementary sound is denoted by each of the terms radical and vanishing movement ? What name is given to the whole movement of the voice in exploding an elementary sound? What is meant by the rising slide of a second ?-Please to illustrate it by experiment. Please to illustrate the rising slide of a third, of a fifth, and of an octave; and explain each of these terms. Illustrate the falling slide of a second, of a third, of a fifth, and of an octave; and explain each of these terms. Now have the goodness to read, several times over, the examples on pages 70, 71, and 72, and describe the inflections adopted. |