sometimes, considerable portions of sentences, are pronounced with so little force and precision, that the mind is constantly confused in its attempts to apprehend the meaning.

Conversation partakes of the defect in question. But faults of articulation, which do not strike the ear in conversation, become not only apparent in public speaking, and reading aloud, but, sometimes, confound the sense to such a degree, that it is difficult to collect the general meaning, much more the precise ideas, contained in what is read or spoken.

If a person would have a more impressive conviction of the truth of these remarks than mere assertion can produce, let him direct his attention to the single circumstance of the articulation, in a series of recitations at any school examination-in the declamations of students at a college commencement-in public readings and recitations, even by professed readers and reciters-in ordinary discourses delivered from the pulpit, at the bar, in halls of assembly, at public meetings, or on the floor of Congress. Indeed, a faulty articulation is so extensively and generally prevalent, that I have scarcely ever attended an exhibition of public speaking, by young persons, without hearing the language literally murdered. The defects carried from schools and colleges are but very partially remedied in the world.

Now, a speaker may be sure that an audience will never give him their attention long, if his articulation is such as to disappoint the ear and thus to confuse the mind. Thus the very purpose for which he rises from his seat is frustrated.

Distinctness of articulation is not only necessary, in order to be heard and understood, it is a positive beauty of delivery. The elementary sounds of speech, when properly uttered, are in themselves agreeable. But to render them so, the following directions of a modern writer must be observed. "In just articulation, the words are not to be hurried over, nor precipitated syllable over syllable; nor, as it were, melted together into a mass of confusion. They should neither be abridged nor prolonged, nor swallowed, nor forced; they should not be trailed nor drawled, nor let to slip out carelessly. They are to be delivered out from the lips as beautiful coins, newly issued from the mint; deeply and accurately impressed, perfectly finished, neatly struck by the proper organs, distinct, in due succession and of due weight."* A good articulation is an affair altogether mechanical. It requires nothing more than attention and continued elementary practice. It depends upon a few certain definite positions of the organs of speech, and the power of varying those positions with rapidity, precision and energy. Now though every body admits this, scarcely any one attends to it. Experience shows, that in order to insure a good articulation to persons in general, some methods must be adopted not at present in use. What should those methods be? I answer, the only sure means are a SERIES OF PRACTICAL ELEMENTARY EXERCISES, which shall constitute a sort of gymnastics of the voice. These must be practiced-and persevered in. If the training, the methods of which will be pointed out

*Austin's Choronomia.

in this recitation, is steadily enforced, our experience enables us to say, it will be successful in ensuring to young persons a distinct, forcible, and an impressive articulation if it be not adopted and steadily pursued, as a preparatory exercise, and for such a length of time as the deficiencies of individuals may require, the usual defects will continue. Reading books on elocution, and receiving directions in lectures, have been already tried long enough, and tried in vain. PRACTICE, practice upon a series of elementary tables of the primitive sounds of speech and of their varied combinations is the only remedy. We therefore advise that no pupil be ever permitted to proceed to reading or declamation, until distinctness of utterance is insured by repeated exercises upon the sounds contained in the following tables.

Before we proceed to exhibit them, a few preparatory observations are necessary, in order to render the nature of the analysis, upon which we propose to found our instruction, better understood.

A good articulation consists in the precise, forcible and sufficiently prolonged utterance of syllables, according to an approved standard of pronunciation. Now a syllable is sometimes a single indivisible sound : but sometimes it consists of several simple distinguishable sounds, into which it can be divided by the voice. If I pronounce the word MAN, it appears to a hearer unaccustomed to a scientific consideration of speech, to be one sound, not capable of division. It is evident to such person that an effort of the organs of utterance has been made, and that such effort is intentional, that it is in its nature, like that which I make with my arm, when I intentionally

put it forth to lay hold of any object within my reach : that the pronunciation of the word MAN is the effect of voluntary muscular action; that the inner part of the mouth, the tongue, and the lips, have undergone an alteration during the pronunciation, in obedience to the will. But, it is hardly to be supposed he would proceed farther than this in his inquiries. The word MAN comes upon his ear as a single impulse, and is contemplated as a single and indivisible sound. It is not at all to be expected that the person in question, should perceive that there are in this single word three distinct sounds. But the real order of things may be thus explained. In pronouncing the word MAN the lips are first intentionally brought together, and pressed in a certain way against each other, and air being, at the same time, forcibly impelled from the throat, a sound is heard which somewhat resembles the lowing of an ox. This sound is the one represented by the letter M. The lips, which before were held in scmewhat forcible contact, are now separated, the mouth is opened, its cavity assumes a particular form, and air being again impelled from the throat during this position of the mouth the sound of A is heard, as that letter is pronounced in the word a-t. Finally, this last sound being completed, the trip of the tongue is carried upwards from the lower part of the mouth, and pressed against the upper gums, and roof of the mouth, and, air issuing from the throat in a forcible manner during this state of the parts, the peculiar sound appropriate to the letter N, is heard. In order to obtain a demonstration of the particulars of this description, let the word MAN be pronounced in a drawling manner, and let the process

ance.

of articulation be carefully attended to during its continuLet the position which the lips first adopt be maintained for sometime, while the murmur by which the sound of M is produced, is continued from the throat; avoiding at the same time to proceed to the sound of the A: then ceasing to sound the M, let the A be next sounded alone, observing the particular shape which the mouth assumes during the sound, as well as the character of the sound itself: after this stop again, and whilst the tip of the tongue is pressed against the roof of the mouth and the upper gums, let the N be, slowly, murmured through the organs. After the three sounds of the word have thus been separately pronounced, let MAN be slowly uttered, so that each separate sound and the coalescence of them with each other, may be distinctly perceived at the same time.

Now, for the purposes of science we call the three sounds, heard in the word MAN, elements; because they are the simplest possible sounds into which the word can be resolved. An element is the simplest known form of a thing: for instance, water appears to be perfectly simple; but it can be divided into two airs, called hydrogen and oxygen. The first of these is highly inflammable, and if set fire to, burns with a bright bluish flame : the other will consume a piece of burning charcoal, if plunged into it with extraordinary rapidity, and with greater heat and brightness than are produced when the charcoal is burned in common air. We therefore say that the chemical elements of water, are hydrogen and oxygen.

A vocal element is a simple sound of the voice, or a sound not capable of being farther divided. The vocal