*8. The object of every teacher and scholar shoula de an easy, flowing, and graceful enunciation. The less promi nent words and syllables should be spoken with distinctness, but not with that stress of voice as those of more importance. Much pains and practice may be requisite to acquire a good articulation, but its value will fully compensate for

the labor bestowed.

QUESTIONS.-1. From what arises the chief difficulty in giving a correct articulation? 2. Which of the consonant sounds occasion the greatest difficulty? 3. What is said of the utterance of vowel sounds? 4. How are public criers able to swell their voices to such loudness as to be heard at so great a distance? 5. What influence have the mutes on the voice in singing? 6. What is the second difficulty mentioned in giving a distinct articulation? 7. Why is n annexed to a before vowel sounds? 8. What means are recommended for improving the voice, and securing a full and clear enunciation? 9. How many elemental sounds are there in the English language? 10. How many are vowel?_11. How many are consonant? 12. Utter the vowel sounds. 13. The consonant sounds. 14. What similar exercise in articulation is recommended? 15. Pronounce the words given for practice, and point out the difficulty in distinctly articulating each. 16. Read the sentences given for practice, and point out the difficulty of uttering each distinctly. 17. What bad practice in spelling leads to a faulty enunciation? 18. In reading how should the less prominent words be spoken ?

LESSON III.

INFLECTIONS.

INFLECTIONS are turns or slides of the voice, heard in reading and speaking; as, Will you gó or stày ?

1. In this example the voice rises on go, and falls on stay. These inflections should be made in reading, the same as in speaking or conversation.

2. These modifications of the voice will be considered under the four following heads; namely, Monotone, Rising Inflection, Falling Inflection, and Circumflex. The first is marked thus (-), the second, thus (1), the third, thus (\), and the fourth, thus (~) in the notation.

3. (1.) Monotone is a uniformity of sound on a succession of syllables. Thus,

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad ;

Let the sea roar, and the illness thereof.

Literally considered, the monotone is not an inflection or turn of the voice, but rather the want of it. It resembles somewhat the continued chimes of a bell.

4. A monotonous method of reading, is one of the greatest faults, against which teachers have to contend. But still the monotone in certain cases, though it seldom amounts to perfect sameness, has a very happy effect. It is mainly employed in expressing sentiments of sublimity and awe, or in reading passages of lofty description.

EXAMPLES.

1. Righteous art Thou, O Lord

And upright are Thŷ judgments.

2. He looketh on the carth-ånd it trèmbleth,
He toucheth the hills-and they smoke.

3. He stood and measured the earth;

He beheld-and drōve asûnder the nations;
The everlasting mountains were scattered,
The perpetual hills did bōw;-

His ways are everlasting.

5. (2.) The rising inflection is an upward turn or slide of the voice, or the voice ends higher than it begins; as, Williám, are you going home?

(3.) The falling inflection is a downward turn or slide of the voice, or the voice ends lower than it begins; as, Where are you going? I am going home.

6. In the falling inflection, the voice should not sink below the general pitch, as in the case of a cadence, but rise before falling and terminate on that pitch. So also in the rising inflection, the voice should not sink below the general pitch, before rising. The two inflections may be illustrated by the following diagram:

7. It is by no means to be supposed, that the same degree of inflection is at all times used, or denoted by the notation. The due degree employed depends on the nature of what is expressed, and the attendant circumstances. For example, under much excitement, asks another, Dost thou

if a person, despise my

offer?

the degree of inflection would be much greater, than if he should calmly ask, Will you accept my

offer?

The former inflection may be called intensive, the latter, common. If a person converses with another at a distance, his inflections are intensive, but common, if near at hand.

8. (4.) The circumflex is a union of the two inflections, beginning with the falling and ending with the rising.

EXAMPLES.

1. One may be wise though he be poor.

2. I shall go, though I can not tell when.

3. Not that I loved Cèsar less, but that I loved Rome more.

9. To discern, in all cases, whether the rising or falling inflection is used in the reading of a passage, is often much more difficult, and requires much closer discrimination, than at first would have been supposed. If there be a doubt in the mind of the reader, which he has employed, he can ascer tain simply by using the word, on which the inflection falls, in a question; thus, "Did I say hónor, or honor ?" In this case both slides will be used in such immediate connection on the word, that it will be an easy matter to decide which has been employed.

10. The following sentences, with the different inflections marked, are presented for practical exercise.

1. Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise; which, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in tl. summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

2. Finally, brethren, farewell. Be pèrfect, be of good còmfort, be of one mind, live in peace.

3. Human happiness has no perfect security but freedom;-freedom, nóne but virtue;-vírtue, nóne but knowledge; and neither freedom,

nor virtue, nor knowledge, has any vigor, or immortal hope, except in the principles of the christian faith, and in the sanctions of the christian religion.

4. The faded flowers, the discolored leaf, the dilapidated tènement, the worn-out implements of husbandry, whatever shows marks cf decáy, should awaken in us thoughts of our own mortality.

5. Lò, earth receives Him from the bending skies!
Sink down, ye mountains, and ye válleys, rise!
With heads declined, ye cédars, homage pày;

Be smooth, ye rocks, ye rapid floods, give way!

6. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life; nor ángels, nor principalities, nor powers; nor things présent, nor things to come; nor hight, nor depth; nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lòrd.

7. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vàunteth not itself; is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil.

QUESTIONS.-1. What are inflections? 2. How should they be made in reading? 3. Under what four heads are these modifications of the voice classed? 4. By what mark is each denoted? 5. What is the monotone? 6. Repeat the example. 7. What is said of a monotonous mode of reading? 8. Is the monotone a perfect sameness of sound? 9. In what instances is it mainly employed? 10. What is the rising inflection? 11. What the falling? 12. Should the voice in the rising or falling inflections, sink below the general pitch? 13. Illustrate the two inflectious and the cadence by a diagram. 14. What is said of degrees of inflection? 15. By what terms are they distinguished? 16. What is the circumflex? 17. What is said of the difficulty of discerning the difference between the rising and falling inflections? 18. What rule is given to determine which is used in any instance?

LESSON IV.

INFLECTIONS--Rules for their use.

RULE I.

Direct questions, or those which may be answered by yes or no, usually take the rising inflection, but their answers, generally, the falling.

EXAMPLES.

1. Is he at home? He is. (or yès.)

2. Did he do right? He did not. (or nò.)

3. Are you going to New York? I am going to Albany.

4. Will you go with me? I will.

5. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou

belièvest.

NOTE I. The direct question, when made as an appeal, and the reply anticipated, takes the falling inflection.

1. Is he not a hèro ?

2. Did I do it?

EXAMPLES.

3. Is not that a beautiful flòwer?

4. Looks it not like the king?

5. Those are beautiful paintings, Are they not?

In this last example, an appeal is made to others for an assent to the assertion previously made, and the affirmative reply anticipated. Generally, in cases of this kind, some previous assertion is either expressed or implied.

NOTE II. Exclamations becoming questions, require the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1. Banished from Róme! what's banished, but set free
From daily contact of the things I lothe?

'Tried and convicted tráitor!-Who says this?
Who'll prove it, at his peril on my head?

RULE II.

Indirect questions, or those which can not be answered by yes or no, usually take the falling inflection, and their answers the same.

EXAMPLES.

1. Where are you going? To Boston.

2. How do you do? I am well.

3. When will he arrive? To-morrow.

4. Which do you prefer? The latter.

NOTE I. Indirect questions sometimes take the rising inflection, as when one asks a repetition of what, at first, was not understood.

EXAMPLES.

1. Where do you reside? In Uticà.

Where did you say? In Uticà.

2. This book is worth five dollars. How much? Five dollars.

NOTE II. Answers to questions, whether direct or indirect, when expressive of indifference, instead of the falling, take the rising inflection, or the circumflex.