So speakers have been taught by a similar process of imitative instruction. But I know well, and others shall know hereafter that the analysis of words into a graphic alphabet, and the rudimental mode of teaching instituted thereupon, do not give more facility, in the discriminations of the eye on a written page, than the mode here proposed will afford to the student of elocution, who wishes to excel in all the useful and elegant purposes of speech.

Let

Let the master and the scholar meet without books. the master exemplify the graceful spiring of the vanish; the effect of the second and other intervals of pitch. Let him make the scholar sensible of the difference of these intervals by separate utterance. Let him show the peculiarities of a rising and of a falling movement; in short, let his lessons consist of his alphabet of vocal functions throughout the whole of the elements. Let the scholar practice these things as a task when he retires; and on returning to his master, let it not be to hear him read, and vainly try to imitate him, but to repeat his practised elements, and to hit at once any required mode of voice. When he is completely familiar with these rudiments, then let him read with his master.

If the high accomplishments of elocution are an object of ambition, the system of instruction offered in this section, will furnish the easiest and shortest means for success.

After all that has been said, the best contrived scheme will be of little avail, without the utmost zeal and perseverance on the part of the learner. It is an impressive saying by an elegant genius of the Augustan age, who drew his maxim from the Greek Tragedy, and illustrated it by his own life and fame, that nothing is given to mortals without indefatigable labour:' meaning thereby that-those works which, from their rare and surpassing merits are supposed to proceed from a peculiar endowment by Heaven, are, in reality, but the product of hard and unremitting industry.

It is pitiable to witness the hopes and conceits of ambition, without the accompaniment of its requisite exertions. The art of reading well is one of those accomplishments which all wish to possess, many think they have already, and some set about to acquire. These, after a few lessons with an elocutionist, and no toil of their own, are disappointed at not becom

ing themselves at once masters of the art, and abandon the study for the purpose of entering on some new subject of trial and failure. Such cases of infirmity are in part a result of the inconstancy of human nature; but they chiefly arise from defects in the usual course of instruction. Go to some, may I say all of our colleges and universities, and observe how the art of speaking,—is not taught there. See a boy of but fifteen years, sent upon a stage, pale and choking with apprehension, in an attempt to do that, without instruction, which he came purposely to learn; and furnishing amusement to his class-mates, by a pardonable awkwardness, which should be punished, in the person of his pretending but neglectful preceptor, with little less than scourging. Then visit a Conservatorio of music,-observe there the orderly tasks, the masterly discipline, the unwearied superintendence, and the incessant toil to produce accomplishment of voice; and afterwards do not be surprised that the pulpit, the senate, the bar and the chair of medical professorship are filled with such abominable drawlers, mouthers, mumblers, clutterers, squeakers, chanters, and mongers in monotony: nor that the schools of singing are constantly sending abroad those great instances of vocal wonder, who sound along the high places of the world; who are bidden to the halls of fashion and wealth; who sometimes quell the pride of rank, by its momentary sensation of envy; and who draw forth the intelligent curiosity, and produce the crowning delight and approbation of the Prince and the Sage.

SECTION XLIX.

Of the Rythmus of Speech.

In the section on Time I alluded, in the course of argument, to the subject of Rythmus. I endeavoured then to show the circumstances under which stress and time, or as they are otherwise called, accent and quantity, produce by their alternations the agreeable impressions of verse. I now offer a somewhat more formal account of this matter, with the design to speak of the Rythmus of prose and for the purpose of noticing, in as few words as possible, the ingenious system of Mr. Steele, on the subject of accentuation and pause this being one of the first results, in modern times, of an inquiry into the philosophy of spoken language.

As speech consists of a succession of accented and unaccented syllables, Mr. Steele supposes all discourse to be separated into parts; which being made in reference to accents, may be called Accentual sections. These he includes between vertical bars, as in the following notation:

7 In the second

7 the

part of the

kind

empire of

earth | 7

century | 7 of the christian | era 1 Rome | 7 comprehended the fairest | and the most 7 civilized portion of man

The constructive principles of the accentual sections are these. The first syllable of each section is accented, that is, a bar is to be drawn before each accented syllable or emphatic monosyllabic-word. But it appears in the fourth section of the above example, that a bar is drawn before the particle' of' which is neither accented nor emphatic. In this case, and there are others like it in the example, the place of an accented syllable is occupied by a symbol, denoting a pause equal to the time consumed by a syllable when present. Each section is supposed to contain a heavy and a light portion; the heavy being

the accented syllable and the light the unaccented. If, in affixing the bar before a heavy syllable, there should be no following light one in the section, which happens when two accented or emphatic words immediately succeed each other, a pause must occupy its place; as in the section consisting of 'most' in the above example. When the first part of the section is an indefinite quantity the use of the subsequent pause, may be superseded by prolonging the accented word to the required duration of the section, as in the word 'Rome' for it is assumed in this system, that all the accentual sections are of equal time, like the bars in music. If the number of syllables included between the bars is so many as to require an improper precipitancy of utterance, in order to make the time of the sections equal, it becomes necessary to throw in a bar before the light syllables of that precipitate group, and to set a symbol of rest in the place which would have held the heavy or accented syllable, if the section had been entire. Thus in the example, we might say, 'century of the' in one section; but when the sentence is read deliberately this section is too long. It is better ordered in the example, by a subdivision, and by putting a slight pause in that place which should be occupied by an accented syllable.

It will perhaps be asked here-what is the meaning of these divisions? And what useful purposes do they serve in instruction?

All the works on elocution before the time of Mr. Steele, recommended the accurate accentuation of words, and a strict attention to their separation, at the proper places for pausing. Mr. Sheridan indeed has given a notation for rhetorical pause and emphasis. But he has proposed no scheme, to draw the attention of the pupil to the subject of accent. That this subject is of the utmost importance in the schools of elocution, will be admitted by those who have observed the manner in which children learn to read: for the close attention which their ignorance requires, and the slowness of utterance, lead them to lay an equal stress upon every syllable or at least upon every word. This habit continues a long time after the eye has acquired a facility in following up discourse; and in some cases infects pronunciation throughout subsequent life. The notation of Mr. Steele which has a symbol for each degree of stress,

1

would certainly obviate this tendency, by furnishing the pupil with a guide to accentuation, in the absence of the master. I do not say that this object would not be attained, in a degree, by employing the common mark of stress on all accented syllables: But even this is never done, and if it were, it would not be as definite as the conspicuous division by bars; nor would it include the indication of pause, together with other points enumerated in Mr. Steele's system.

One of the objects of a scientific institute is to point out what is necessary in the art, even if it is not able to tell the exact mode of executing it: and I venture to assert that no person, who has looked into Mr. Steele's system of notation, will hesitate to acknowledge that it has set the subjects of accentuation and pause in an entirely new light before him.

This notation will not indeed inform us what syllables are to be accented or emphatic, nor where the pauses are to be placed: but it will enable a master, who knows how to order all these things in speech, to furnish that which most men require for every thing they do-a copy. If a boy is taught by this method, he acquires the habit of attention to the subjects of accentuation and pause, which may be readily applied in ordinary discourse.

I have here gladly embraced an opportunity to notice the labours of Mr. Steele, who was among the first to shriek out at the incubus of ancient prosody which has crouched so close on the bosom of his own and of every modern language. It was not my intention to set forth the whole of this system, nor to vouch for all its points. It has able advocates, and their works and lectures, both in this country and in Europe, render a design of this sort unnecessary from me.

Mr. Steele's work is quite original, but it is not systematic; and his contradistinction of what he calls Poize, from the functions of time and stress, is altogether notional and cloudy.* I have taken this short and perhaps unsatisfactory view of a part of his essay, merely as prefatory to the few following remarks on the subject of rythmus.

* Mr. Steele first published his views, under the title cited in the introduction, to this essay. A few years afterwards he gave a second edition of his work with the title of 'Prosodia Rationalis.' In this last there is very little addition to the former print; and that is not material to the system.