one way.

been already said on the misapplication of emphasis, from a misapprehension of sense. The remedy for this is more close and careful analysis. Some persons produce monotony by always emphasising their words in The most common is that of the rise of a third, or of a fifth, or of an unequal wave. The frequent use of quantity, of mere percussion without elevation of pitch, changes of the quality of the voice, and the antagonist application of the rising and falling slide, and of alternate rises and falls in radical pitch, upon recurrent words, will give all necessary variety both for sense and beauty of utterance.

Monotony at the pausal sections.

This defect as respects the sense and the ear has been fully treated.

Defects of enunciation.

This subject has been also amply discussed.

Violation of measure.

Measure as a fundamental point in delivery occupies a large space in this grammar.

Defects as to force.

This arises principally, from the want of radical stress. An excess of force constitutes ranting. The improper use of the vanishing stress, is not a very unfrequent fault in delivery. The circumstances which ought to limit its use, have been fully explained elsewhere. The pronunciation of the Irish, will exhibit the fault of an unnecessary vanishing stress, in the highest degree. The general current of discourse is sometimes too feebly

marked by the combined and antagonist effects of force

and quantity.

Mouthing.

This is a very common fault among young persons, and deserves their serious attention and efforts, to correct it. Its causes have been already explained, page

106.

RECITATION EIGHTEENTH.

PREVALENT CIRCUMSTANCES IN ELEGANT SPEECH.

ELEGANT Speech is marked by a proper distribution of stress and time. It employs exclusively, the simple melody for plain thought, grafting upon it other upward and downward movements, for purposes of interrogation, emphasis, and emotion. The slides are distinguished by a clear and full opening, and those susceptible of quantity, by a distinct vanish, at their termination. In dignified subjects, the utterance assumes, and maintains, upon words of long quantity, the equal wave of the second, joining with it median stress, for purposes of emphasis. In ordinary discourse, the temporal and percussive emphasis, are blended in due variety, with the alternation of the higher and rising falling movements. The semitone is restricted to the expression of the plaintive feelings, and tremor is employed on proper occasions, to mark grief and exultation. The intermixture of high intervals in the current melody is avoided, unless for a reason assignable upon an analysis of the sense.

CIRCUMSTANCES TO BE BORNE IN MIND, IN CRITICISING A PUBLIC SPEAKER.

1. Is his voice full, strong, and agreeable?

2. Is his enunciation exact and audible, without affected preciseness; and are his syllables pronounced according to sound usage?

3. Is his simple melody free from monotony?

4. Is he without what is usually called a tone, consisting (according to a more techinical phraseology,) in a recurrent melody?

5. Is there the monotony of a high note, or circumflex, in his speaking upon emphatic words, or in the general current of his discourse?

6. Are his emphases so varied by time, percussion, and a properly alternated rise and fall in pitch, as to prevent monotony from a perceptible recurrence of the same kinds?

7. Do his emphases of pitch, consist of a direct rise and fall, and not of the pulling unequal circumflex? 8. Does he employ radical stress with effect?

9. Is his speech marked by an agreeable use of quantity free from drawl, or any mixture of song?

10. Are his consonant elements free from improper quantity?

11. Has he full command over the downward slides of the voice, and over the downward radical pitch, for expressing the positive emotions, and those of surprise, and for marking exclusive emphasis ?

12. Does he avoid the monotony, of the vanishing stress?

13. Does he employ the cadence in proper places? 14. Does he mark his parentheses, paragraphs, and changes of subjects by transitions of pitch, time, force, and quality of voice.

15. Are the vocal powers so employed, as to delineate the sense in a vivid manner?

16. Is the semitone at his command, for purposes of pathos?

17. Can he employ the tremor with effect, to heighten the language of sorrow and exultation?

The beauties of delivery above enumerated, are all of easy attainment, if sought for upon a well devised and persevering plan of elementary instruction.