Imatges de pàgina
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Melancholy is a feeble and passive affection; it is attended by a total relaxation of the nerves, with a mute and tranquil resignation, unaccompanied by opposition either to the cause or the sensibility of the evil. The character externally is languor without motion; the head hanging at the side next the heart;" the eyes turned upon its object, if that is absent, fixed on the ground; the hands hanging down by their own weight without effort, and joined loosely together. (See Fig. 92.)

Fig. 92.

Fig. 93.

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Anxiety is of a different character; it is restless and active, and manifest by the extension of the muscles; the eye is filled with fire, the breathing is quick, the motion is hurried, the head is thrown back, and the whole body is extended. The sufferer is like a sick man who tosses incessantly, and finds himself uneasy in every situation. (See Fig. 93.)

I shall close this part of the subject and the work, by presenting the learner with some of the attitudes of Mrs. Siddons, copied from the plates of the Chironomia, from which all the illustrations of this section have been taken.

These present both boldness and magnificence-qualities of gesture which, as we have elsewhere remarked, are ́rarely exhibited but in the theatre. They belong to the Epic style of gesture; and the passages are given, in the pronunciation of which they were employed.

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See Fig. 95.

Fair Penitent, act 5, sc. 1. "This arm shall vindicate a father's cause."

Grecian Daughter, act 1, sc. last.

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See Fig. 96.

See Fig. 97.

"A widow cries, Be husband to me, heaven." King John, act 3, sc. 1. "Scorned by the women, pitied by the men,

"Oh! insupportable!"

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ADDENDA.

TABLE I.*

EXHIBITING ALL THE ALPHABETIC CHARACTERS AND COMBINATIONS, WHICH IN ENGLISH REPRESENT THE VOWEL SOUNDS OF THE LANGUAGE.

Represent

ed by

a,

aa,

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in A-ble, sa-vor, brava-do; Ba-al, a-orist, a-eronaut; radiant, range, change, an-gel, &c.

Bare, care, dare, beware, declare, &c.t

(Unaccented,) in dedicate, calculate, regulate, speculate, &c.

in Demesne [demane,] tete-a-tete, &c.

Ere, there, where.†

in Haak. [Better written hake.]

*These Tables are intended, first, to afford additional practice to those whose defective articulation may require it; and, second, to correct peculiarities of pronunciation which may have had their origin in colloquial carelessness, or an erroneous local usage. An unvarying standard of perfection in pronouncing a living language can never perhaps be attained; but no public speaker, certainly no one who would be considered an English scholar, should neglect to cultivate himself with the greatest care in this branch of an English education.

† Whenever any of the long vowel sounds, except perhaps a and ä, are followed by r, in the same syllable, from the peculiar nature of this letter, the single syllable sounds as though there were two: thus, hire is identical in sound with higher, flour with flower, &c. This Smart pronounces to be "the distinguishing mark of an English pronunciation of such words."-In common usage, the proper sound of a is never heard in this situation; but one resembling the short sound of the same letter, only lengthened and rendered more open. Worcester expressly sanctions this pronunciation. It is recognised by Perry, one of the English orthoëpists; and is rather supported than otherwise by the analogy of the language, from the effect which this consonant produces on the sound of several of the other vowel elements.

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Represent

ed by

A. (Continued.)

ai, in Ail, bail, gain, wait, plait,* plain-tiff, rai-sin,* &c.
Air, fair, pair, chair, affair, debonnair, &c.t
(Unaccented,) in Adonai, Sinai, Tolmai, &c.

ao, in Gaol; [more properly written jail.]

au, in Gauge.

ay, in Bay, day, hay, way, bewray, &c. Prayer.†

(Unaccented,) in roundelay, gainsay, nosegay, &c.

aye, in Aye (ever,) [d.]

ea,

ee,

ei,

in Great, steak, break.

Bear, pear, rear [not well cooked], swear, to tear, &c.†

in E'er, ne'er. [Contractions of ever and never.]

in Deign, vein, skein, weigh, freight, &c.

Their, heir, heir-ess.t

ey, in Bey, dey, hey, they, trey, grey, prey, whey, obey, convey,

purvey, survey, &c.

Eyre, Ey-rey.t

oei, in Coup d'oeil, [koodal.]

ue, in Bouquet, [bookā.]

Represented by

a,

0,

A.

in Call, hall; instal, inthral; talk, walk; bald, scald; wa

ter, warm; quar-ter, quart, &c.

(Unaccented,) in al-beit, al-together.

in Or, or-phan, orb, absorb, gorge, horse, fork, stork, &c. (Unaccented,) in calor, sapor, stupor, fetor, motor.

ao, in Extraor-dinary.

*These words are sometimes erroneously pronounced plēt, resin, and cher. The same error is heard in the vulgar pronunciation of Jemes for James, and ker for care.

†See the second note on the preceding page.

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