almost any one, who is not insensible to the changes of pitch, to observe the proper intervals with tolerable accuracy. And as these melodies are founded in the nature of the subject, those who have a taste for elocution will scarcely require a teacher, for they will read them, as it were, by intuition.

CHAPTER III.

MODULATION.

ODULATION is a changing of the pitch-note to a higher or lower degree of elevation - in other words, it is the process of changing the key, or of passing from one key to another. This change is sometimes made to a proximate key; at other times, a bold and abrupt transition to a remote key is necessary to produce the desired effect. Modulation is generally attended with a change of force, or time; and, not unfrequently, with a change of both. There is not a more important requisite in Elocution nothing which contributes more to the pleasure of an audience-nothing which gives stronger proof that an orator is master of his art, than a wellregulated and expressive modulation. Modulation, however, should never be resorted to for the sake of mere variety it should always be subservient to the sense; for it is the province of modulation to mark changes of sentiment, changes in the train of thought, and parenthetical clauses.

Under ordinary circumstances, the various modulations of the voice, in reading and speaking, may be represented by a staff of four lines. That this staff may not be confounded with the staff of melody, de

scribed in the preceding chapter, it is made of lines composed of dots, and called the staff of modulation. The lines of this staff, like those of the staff of melody, are counted from below upward. The second line is called the pitch-note line of the staff of modulation.

A series of modulations, as represented by the following diagram, might, very appropriately, be termed a melody of melodies.

A SERIES OF MODULATIONS. (Diag. 13.)

This diagram shows the modulations of the voice in the correct reading of the following extract from Ossian's Address to the Sun.

(a) "The moon herself is lost in heaven; (b) 3but thou art for ever the same, | (c) 'rejoicing in the brightness of thy course. | (d) 'When the world is dark with tempests, (e) when thunder rolls, and lightning flies,

(f) thou lookest in thy beauty from the clouds, | (g) and laughest at the storm. (h) 3But, to Ossian, thou lookest in vain.

Staff a, in Diagram 13, is designed for the first section in the above extract; staff b, for the second section, and so on. The transition from c to d is abrupt also that from g to h. The pitch-note of staff a is identical with that of staff e and that of staff h, and corresponds to the pitch-note of modulation.

In that part of this work which consists of EXER CISES IN READING AND DECLAMATION, the modulations of the voice are indicated by small numerals prefixed

to the words where the transitions should take place. These numerals are 1, 2, 3, 4, and represent, respectively, the first, second, third, and fourth line of the staff of modulation. This is shown in the preceding extract from Ossian's Address to the Sun. No. 2 is prefixed to the first section, to show that this section is to be read in the pitch-note of modulation; No. 3 is prefixed to the second section, to show that this section should be read in the third degree of the staff of modulation; No. 4 is prefixed to the third section, to show that this section should be read in the fourth degree of the staff of modulation; No. 1 is prefixed to the fourth section, to show that this section should be read in the first degree of the staff of modulation; and so on. (See the Extract, and Diag. 13.)

Some public speakers, who are ignorant of the principles of Elocution, but who, nevertheless, are considered by the vulgar as great orators, modulate their voices in the most erratic and hyperbolical manner. I once heard a clergyman pronounce the followng sentence in the way which I shall describe:

"While God's omniscient eye passes from seat to seat, and ranges throughout the house, | he beholds what is passing in every heart."

The first section, while God's omniscient eye passes from seat to seat, he pronounced in the first degree above the lowest note of his voice; the second section, and ranges throughout the house, he uttered with great force, in the highest note of his natural voice; the third section, he beholds what is passing in every heart, he pronounced with a mixture of vocality and aspiration, in the lowest note of his voice. Such wild and extravagant transitions, though they may astonish the ignorant, "cannot but make the judicious grieve." The manner in which the speaker pronounced the first and third section in the above sentence, is good; and had he pronounced the second section in the same pitch and force with the first, his elocution would have been faultless.

There are other public speakers who never modulate their voices, however necessary it may be to give proper expression to their sentiments; and, what is worse, they generally pitch their voices a third, a fifth, or an octave too high. I once listened to an excellent discourse, from a very learned man, which, however, was nearly lost upon the audience from the disgusting manner in which it was delivered. The lecturer pitched his voice an octave too high, and

spoke an hour and a half, without any variation in pitch, force, or time; and, what rendered his delivery still more offensive, every syllable was marred with an intolerable drawling. Such elocution is discreditable to any man who speaks in public, and ought not to be tolerated by an educated community.

ORCE is the degree of the loudness of sounds. It is also the degree of exertion with which sounds are made.

A lax division of force is into loud and soft: those sounds are called loud, which are made with greater effort than the ordinary tones of conversation; and those are called soft, which are made with less effort.

Some use the terms high and low, as synonymous with loud and soft. But this is an improper application of these words. High and low regard the acuteness and gravity of sounds only, and not their force a sound may be high and soft, as well as high and louda sound may also be low and loud, as well as low and soft.

For convenience, force is divided into nine degrees. These degrees are expressed by the following abbreviations:

Р

...

mp (mezzo piano),.. m (mezzo),

mf (mezzo forte),.. fforte)..

as soft as possible.
more soft, very soft.
soft.

middling soft, rather soft.
half, middle, mean.
middling loud, rather loud.
loud.

ff (più forte),.... more loud, very loud.
fff (fortissimo),... as loud as possible.

The nine degrees of force are represented by Diag. 14. The upper line of the diagram contains notes of song; the lower one, notes of speech.

FORCE, OR STRESS. (Diag. 14.)

Force may be considered in reference to its application to sentences and paragraphs, as well as in reference to its application to syllables. The application of force to sentences may be varied in the following

manner:

1. A sentence may be pronounced with uniform force.

2. A sentence may be pronounced with a gradual diminution of force.

3. A sentence may be pronounced with a gradual increase of force.

4. The first part of a sentence may be pronounced with a gradual increase of force, and the second part, with a gradual diminution of force.

5. The first part of a sentence may be pronounced with a gradual diminution of force, and the second part, with a gradual increase of force.

Force, however, is generally applied to sentences in a more irregular manner. It should always be varied according to the varying demands of sentiment.

Force, applied to a note, or syllable, is denominated

stress.

Radical stress is the application of force at the beginning of a note, or syllable; it corresponds to the diminuendo, in music.

Median stress is the application of force at the middle of a note, or syllable; it corresponds to the swell, or crescendo et diminuendo, in music.