perhaps specifically different from the natural voice; but is rather to be regarded as an eminent degree of fulness, clearness, and smoothness of its quality: and this may be either native or acquired.

The limited analysis and vague history of speech by the ancients, and the further confusion of the subject by commentators upon them, leave us in doubt whether the expression 'os rotundum' used by the Romans, in enumerating the merits of Grecian utterance, referred to the construction of periods, the predominance or position of vowels, or to quality of voice. Whatever may have been the original signification of the phrase, the English term 'roundness of tone,' specifying the kind of voice, seems to have been derived from it.

He who by closely observing the human voice, in its best instances on the stage, has acquired a knowledge of its powers and beauties, may remember how slowly he came to the full perception and relish of them. And he will not deny that they would have earlier attracted his attention, had they been signalized by a proper oratorical name. On the basis of the Latin phrase, I have constructed the term Orotund,-to designate both adjectively and substantively, that assemblage of eminent qualities which constitute the highest character of the speaking

voice.

By the Orotund voice, I mean that natural or improved manner of uttering the elements which exhibits them with a fulness, clearness, strength, smoothness, and a ringing or musical quality, rarely heard in ordinary speech; but which is never found in its highest excellence, except through long and careful cultivation.

By Fulness of voice, I mean that grave and hollow volume, which approaches towards hoarseness.

By Clearness, a freedom from nasal murmur and aspiration. By Strength, a satisfactory loudness or audibility. By Smoothness, a freedom from all reedy or guttural harshness. By a Ringing quality of voice, its distant resemblance to the resonance of certain musical instruments.

I know how difficult it is to make such descriptions definite, without audible illustration. Perhaps the best mode of instruction on this subject, is to excite attention by terms, to give as clearly as possible a detailed explanation of the thing by figu

rative reference, and to leave its recognition to the subsequent observation of the learner. The same natural relationships that suggested the metaphor to its inventor, will in due time produce with others a ready acquiescence in the aptness of the illustration.*

The mechanical structure and action which produce the orotund are to me, after much inquiry, unknown. During its utterance, I can perceive some motion and contraction of the back parts of the mouth, as distinguished from the position of those parts under the colloquial voice. But these indications of a cause are so slight and so indefinite, that to me, they do not at present justify more than this general notice. In our ignorance of the mechanism of speech, we are not even able to decide whether the orotund is merely an improved quality of the natural voice, or the product of some additional function. I said above that the falsette or some thing hoarsely like it, may be executed in the lower range of pitch of the natural voice. It might then be suggested for inquiry-whether the cause of the orotund is the same as that of the reduced falsette, or as it may be called the Basso-falsette: for this has somewhat of the full, hollow, and ringing effect, which I have ascribed to the acquired orotund.

Connected with the subject of an improved quality of the singing voice which vocalists call 'Pure Tone,' there are a number of terms used to describe the mechanical causes of its different kinds and qualities. Among these, the causations implied by the phrases 'voce di testa' and 'voce di petto,' or the voices from the head and the chest, must be considered as alto

* Reverberations may serve to furnish some idea of two of the qualities of the orotund voice. Thus vaulted ceilings and coved recesses often give a ringing echo; and speaking with the mouth within an empty vessel produces a hollow fulness. One of the best instances I ever heard, of the modification of the human voice into the above named qualities, was from a boy who had sportfully got into a large copper alembic.

It may be worth thinking upon,-whether the brazen vases of the Greek Theatre were not intended to improve the voice in quality, rather than to increase its force, or to return a unison to its pitch. The speaking trumpet affords, though not agreeably, an illustration of the qualities above described: and could the bugle or the organ diapason be made to articulate, it would show the highest measure of that fulness and sonorous effect, which in a reduced proportion constitute the character of the orotund voice.

gether without foundation in physiology: and the notions conveyed by them, must be hung up beside those metaphorical pictures, which with their characteristic obscurity, have been in all ages, substituted for the unattainable delineations of the real processes of nature.

There is a harsh quality of utterance called the Guttural voice, which is produced by a vibratory current of the air, between the sides of the pharynx and the base of the tongue, when apparently brought into contact above the glottis. If then the term 'voice from the throat,' which has been one of the unmeaning or indefinite designations of vocal science, were applied to this guttural quality, it would precisely assign at least some locality to the mechanism.

Though I have not hesitated to acknowledge my ignorance of the mechanism of the orotund, I know that its function wherever performed may yet be subjected to the will. And as it was said above that the best and only pure instances of this voice, are the result of cultivation, I here propose to point out some elementary means by which it may be acquired.

It might be sufficient for a teacher of elocution to exemplify the orotund, and bid the pupil to imitate it. Vocalists in their lessons on Pure Tone do little more. But singing has long been an art; and its many votaries have rendered the public familiar with its leading principles, and accustomed the ear to the peculiarities of its practice. Whilst elocution seems to be no more than a brutal instinct; in which some only bleat, bark, mew, winnow and bray a little better than others. In describing, therefore, without the opportunity of illustrating, it becomes necessary to address the pupil, as if he had no principles to help his understanding, nor exemplified sounds to satisfy his ear. The only way in which this purpose can be answered in written instruction, is to make him teach himself, by referring him to those functions of the voice, which are familiar to him both by nature and name. When the scholastic world shall understand the analysis of the speaking voice, and shall apply it to practice, men will learn the good things of elocution from one another, children will catch the proprieties of speech from well taught parents, and many a topic of this work which I have laboured (perhaps in vain) to make at this time perspicuous, may hereafter, from

the unsought enlightening of surrounding knowledge, seem to be perspicuous in itself.

With due attention, we perceive two modes in the act of respiration the one being a continued stream of air throughout the whole time of expiration: the other consisting in the issue of breath by short iterated jets. The first of these modes is that of ordinary breathing, panting, sighing, groaning, and sneezing. The second is employed in laughter, crying, and speech.*

By a voluntary power over the muscles of respiration, the breath in speech is dealt out to successive syllables, in such small portions as may be requisite for the time and force of each. In thus guarding against waste, the necessity of frequent inspiration is obviated: and the ability of pausing freely in the course of expiration, between syllables and words, allows a subsequent abrupt opening of the voice, whenever it is required for the purposes of speech.

The act of Coughing may be made either by a series of short abrupt efforts, in expiration; or by one continued impulse which yields up the whole of the breath. Now this last named mode forms one of the means for acquiring the orotund voice. This single impulse of coughing is an abrupt utterance of one of the short tonics, followed by a continuation of the mere atonic breathing 'h' till the expiration is exhausted. Let this compound function, consisting of the exploded vocality and subjoined aspiration, be changed to an entire vocality, by continuing the tonic in place of the aspiration. The sound thus produced, will with proper cultivation, make that full and sonorous quality here denominated the orotund.

This contrived effort of coughing, when freed from abruptness, is like that voice which accompanies gaping: for this has a hollow and ringing vocality, very different from the colloquial utterance of tonic sounds.

Let this entire vocality of the cough, if it may be thus dis

* Laughter and Crying will be particularly noticed hereafter.

Sighing and Groaning are of similar time: one being an atonic or whispered element, the other a tonic vocality.

Sneezing is a continued expiration abruptly begun; and generally producing one of the elements.

I say nothing here of the various modes of inspiration connected with these acts.

tinguished from the natural cough, which is part vocality and part aspiration, let it I say be practiced sufficiently, and the learner will find not only an increasing facility in executing it, but its clearness and smoothness will be thereby improved. Let the voice be herein exercised by sliding upwards and downwards, through the concrete scale, on each of the tonic elements; drawing out the vocality to the utmost pressure of expiration. Then let trials be made on syllabic combinations.*

When the learner is able to execute the tonic elements and single syllables in the orotund, he is not therefore qualified to speak in it. Since he will find on attempting to deliver a sentence in the easy flow and time of ordinary discourse, that his natural voice will return. The cause of this will be understood, by his recollecting the distinction between the two modes of expiration. For though he may have a facility in making the orotund with the continuous stream of vocality, he has yet to acquire the art of delivering that voice, by interrupted jets of expiration, such as are used in natural utterance, and which are absolutely essential to easy and agreeable speech. Continued practice however, with a gradual increase of the number of syllables, will in time bring his interrupted expiration of the orotund under the same command as that of common speech.

And although he may at last have acquired the power of uttering any number of successive syllables by interrupted jets of this voice: yet the manner of their succession will be monotonous; there will be a failure in his designs of expression; and an inability to make the proper close at the end of a sentence. Repeated practice will give correctness and facility on these points, and the management of the orotund, for the impressive and elegant purposes of speech, will in time be no more difficult than that of the natural voice.

The method of acquiring the orotund, is similar to our instinctive progress in the use of the natural voice. The cries of infants are made on the continued stream of vocality. It is

*This process of forcing out the breath to the seeming exhaustion of the lungs is apt to produce giddiness of the head. Care should therefore be taken, to avoid continuing the exercise of the voice too long in this manner; and to desist, for the time, after that affection comes on.