The prevalent, and most impressive elements, in the above cited example, are the downward concrete, with vanishing stress.

The downward concrete, with frequent elevation of note, strong radical stress, and a quick movement, prevail in the following.

Then, when I am thy captive, talk of chains,
Proud limitary cherub! but ere then,

Far heavier load thyself expect to feel,

From my prevailing arm, though heaven's king
Ride on thy wings.

Drift of the upward third, fifth, and octave.

Am I a dog, that thou comest against me with staves? Must I budge? Must I crouch under your tes-ty hum-or?

Am I my broth-er's keep-er?

Drift of quantity and median stress.

These go together, and are applicable to the dignified, and the solemn.

Hail, ho-ly light, offspring of heaven, first born;

Or of the e-ter-nal, co-eternal beam,

May I express thee unblamed? Since God is light,

And never, but in unapproached light,

Dwelt from eternity, dwelt then in thee,

Bright effluence of bright essence, in-create.

"We praise thee, O God. We acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

"To thee, all angels cry aloud; the Heavens, and all the powers therein.

"To thee cherubim and seraphim continually do cry, "Ho-ly, Ho-ly, Ho-ly Lord God of Sabaoth."

"O! Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage."

The wave of the second, with a median stress and a fine terminating vanish with the drift of the monotone, will give to the above cited examples the utmost degree of solemnity and supplicating earnestness. These constituents are the true elements of the grand, the solemn the dignified and the reverential; which are not expressed by mouthing and inflating syllables, but by long quantity, median swell, and the fine vanishing movement. The words subject to our remarks are italicised.

Drift of the radical stress.

All lively subjects take this drift; the animating and the angry passions under their varied modifications are marked by it; a quick time goes with it.

EXAMPLE.

And he (amid his frolic play,)

As if he would the charming air repay,
Shook thous-and od-ors from his dewy wings.

The tremor may play upon most of the syllables of the last line.

The drift of the tremor, seldom lasts beyond a few words. Sometimes, however, united with the semitone, it extends through sentences.

The drift of the monotone, prevails in solemn and plaintive subjects.

The drift of the alternate phrase is appropriate to animated description and argument; but should not be applied to such objects as are enumerated under the heads of quantity and median stress.

RECITATION SIXTEENTH.

1

FAULTS OF DELIVERY.

Defects of the voice.

Few voices are fully competent to all that is required of a public speaker in addressing large audiences. When the space to be filled is extensive, where the difficulty is increased by the structure of buildings ill adapted to public speaking, powerful and well exercised voices will not be more than sufficient to render a speaker audible and impressive.

The modes of improving the voice have been fully detailed. It remains to specify the most common defects of quality. The voice is sometimes feeble, thin, harsh, nasal, mincing, too shrill, or from some unknown cause is ill adapted to a clear and distinct utterance of the elements. In all such cases, time and labor will be required for its improvement. A voice may be created. None of our powers are more improveable than those of the voice. To be agreeable it should be full, sonorous, smooth and strong.

This

Defects of the slide in the utterance of syllables. The defect is sometimes in the opening of syllables from the want of a well marked radical stress. may be always removed by exercising the voice perseveringly in exploding the elements, and in forcible abrupt declamation. Oftener, however, it consists in the

want of the lessening volume, during the progress of the syllabic movement and of the terminating vanish. Where the vanishing property of the slide is not marked, there is generally a deficient quantity; and (the force being equal through the whole syllable) speech sounds rough and harsh. Its smoothness depends to a considerable degree on the lessening volume and vanish. These are distinctly marked in the discourse of the most cultivated speakers.

Want of quantity.

Some persons cannot lengthen their syllables and consequently cannot be deliberate. Their utterance is therefore always deficient in serious dignity and impressiveness. Such persons cannot use the emphasis of time, and generally employ instead of it, the abrupt forms of stress upon emphatic words. Their discourse therefore wants smoothness and is monotonous from the frequent recurrence of short percussive impulses.

Some give quantity improperly to their consonant sounds, and in that way, elongate syllables which will not bear extension without a change of their sanctioned pronunciation. Others give a marked quantity to words without assignable cause.

Long quantity, it should be recollected makes a syllable impressive, as compared with others, and should not therefore be applied without a manifest reason. Some in elongating their words, drawl them, or degenerate into song. This defect is popularly expressed by calling it a "disagreeable tone." It is most prevalent in the pulpit.

Defects of pitch.

Some persons always read with too low a pitch. This defect is often united with great feebleness, and often with an unvaried monotony. Persons who read in this manner, cannot conveniently increase their force without raising the pitch of their voice. "Raise your voice,” generally means, be more forcible. It is a direction often given by the teacher, when the reader is becoming inaudible. "Raise the pitch and increase the force of your voice," would be a more proper one. The fault now described, is very prevalent in the reading classes of ladies' schools.

Some public speakers, as we have before observed, adopt too high a pitch. I know a speaker, who, soon after his commencement, runs up to the highest note of his voice, and maintains this high pitch, throughout his discourse, producing of course a constant monotony. He is withall, very loud and never makes a cadence.

Another, whom I have occasionally heard, commences his sentences with a high and loud note, and, (running down through the octave,) concludes them with a low and feeble one, so as to be scarcely audible. This latter trick of the voice, catches attention at first, but it never pleases the ear long. It is sometimes the result of habit, but oftener marks the charlatan in oratory.

Defects as to transition.

Many persons give no notice to the ear, of the changes of the subject, by change of tone.

Transition has been

fully treated in a former part of this grammar.

The improper use of the semitone.

The circumstances which ought to regulate the use of