thing to be found in common difcourfe; and even fometimes throw it upon words fo very trifling in themselves, that it is evidently done with no other view, than to give greater variety to the modulation.* Notwithstanding this diverfity of practice, there are certainly proper boundaries, within which this emphafis must be reftrained, in order to make it meet the approbation of found judgment and correct taste. It will doubtlefs have different degrees of exertion, according to the greater or lefs degree of importance of the words upon which it operates; and there may be very properly fome variety in the ufe of it: but its application is not arbitrary, depending on the caprice of readers.

As emphafis often falls on words in different parts of the fame fentence, so it is frequently required to be continued, with a little variation, on two, and fometimes more words together. The following fentences exemplify both the parts of this pofition: "If you seek to make one rich, study not to increafe his ftores, but to diminish his defires." "The Mexican figures, or picture writing, reprefent things not words they exhibit images to the eye, not ideas to the underStanding."

Some fentences are fo full and comprehenfive, that almost every word is emphatical: as, "Ye hills and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains!" or, as that pathetic expostulation in the prophecy of Ezekiel. "Why will ye die !"

Emphafis, befide its other offices, is the great regulator of quantity. Though the quantity of our fyllables is fixed, in words feparately pronounced, yet it is mutable, when these words are ranged in fentences; the long being changed into fhort, the thort into long, according to the importance of the words with regard to meaning. Emphafis also, in particular cafes, alters the feat of the accent. This is demonftrable from the following examples. "He fhall increase, but I fhall decrease." "There is a difference between giving and forgiving." "In this fpecjes of compofition, plausibility is much more effential than

By modulation is meant that pleafing variety of voice, which is perceived in uttering a sentence, and which, in its nature, is perfectly diftinct from emphasis, and the tones of emotion and paffion. The young reader fhould be careful to render his modulation correct and eafy; and, for this purpofe, fhould form it upon the model of the moft judicious and accurate speakers.

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probability." In thefe examples, the emphafis requires the accent to be placed on fyllables, to which it does not commonly belong.

In order to acquire the proper management of the emphafis, the great rule to be given, is, that the reader tudy to attain a juft conception of the force and fpirit of the fentiments which he is to pronounce. For to lay the emphafis with exact propriety, is a conftant exercife of good fenfe and attention. It is far from being an

inconfiderable attainment. It is one of the most decifive trials of a true and just taste; and muft arife from feeling delicately ourselves, and from judging accurately of what is fitteft to ftrike the feelings of others.

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There is one error, against which it is particularly proper to caution the learner; namely, that of multiplying emphatical words too much, and ufing the emphafis indif criminately. It is only by a prudent referve and diftinction in the ufe of them, that we can give them any weight. they recur too often; if a reader attempts to render every thing he expreffes of high importance, by a multitude of ftrong emphafes, we foon learn to pay little regard to them. To crowd every fentence with emphatical words, is like crowding all the pages of a book with Italic characters ; which, as to the effect, is just the fame as to ufe no such diftinctions at all.

SECTION VI.

TONES.

TONES are different both from emphasis and pauses; con. fifting in the notes or variations of found which we employ, in the expreffion of our fentiments. Emphafis affects particular words and phrafes, with a degree of tone or inflection of voice; but tones, peculiarly fo called, affect fentences, paragraphs, and fometimes even the whole of a difcourfe.

To show the use and neceffity of tones, we need only obferve, that the mind, in communicating its ideas, is in a conftant state of activity, emotion, or agitation, from the different effects which thofe ideas produce in the speaker. Now the end of fuch communication being, not merely to lay open the ideas, but also the different feelings which they excite in him who utters them, there must be other

figns than words, to manifeft those feelings; as words uttered in a monotonous manner can reprefent only a fimilar ftate of mind, perfectly free from all activity or emotion. As the communication of thefe internal feelings, was of much more confequence in our focial intercourfe, than the mere conveyance of ideas, the Author of our being did not, as in that conveyance, leave the invention of the language of emotion, to man; but impreffed it himself upon our nature, in the fame manner as he has done with regard to the reft of the animal world; all of which exprefs their various feelings, by various tones. Ours, indeed, from the fuperior rank that we hold, are in a high degree more comprehenfive; as there is not an act of the mind, an exertion of the fancy, or an emotion of the heart, which has not its peculiar tone, or note of the voice, by which it is to be expreffed; and which is fuited exactly to the degree of internal feeling. It is chiefly in the proper ufe of these tones, that the life, fpirit, beauty, and harmony of delivery confift.

The limits of this introduction, do not admit of examples, to illuftrate the variety of tones belonging to the different paffions and emotions. We fhall, however, felect one, which is extracted from the beautiful lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan, and which will, in fome degree, elucidate what has been faid on this fubject. "The beauty of Israel is flain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath; publish it not in the streets of Afkelon left the daughters of the Philistines rejoice; left the daughters of the uncircumcifed triumph. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of offerings; for there the fhield of the mighty was vilely caft away; the fhield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil." The first of thefe divifions expreffes forrow and lamentation: therefore the note is low. The next contains a fpirited command, and should be pronounced much higher. The other fentence, in which he makes a pathetic addrefs to the mountains where his friends had been flain, must be expreffed in a note quite different from the two former; not fo low as the firft, nor fo high as the fecond, in a manly, firm, and yet plaintive tone.

The correct and natural language of the emotions, is not fo difficult to be attained, as most readers seem to imagine. If we enter into the fpirit of the author's fentiments, as

well as into the meaning of his words, we shall not fail to deliver the words in properly varied tones. For there are few people, who fpeak English without a provincial note, that have not an accurate ufe of tones, when they utter their fentiments in earnest difcourfe. And the reason that they have not the fame ufe of them, in reading aloud the fentiments of others, may be traced to the very defective and erroneous method, in which the art of reading is taught; whereby all the various, natural, expreffive tones of fpeech, are fuppreffed; and a few artificial, unmeaning reading notes, are fubstituted for them.

But when we recommend to readers, an attention to the tone and language of emotions, we must be underflood to do it with proper limitation. Moderation is necessary in this point, as it is in other things. For when reading becomes ftrictly imitative, it affumes a theatrical manner, and must be highly improper, as well as give offence to the hearers; because it is inconfiftent with that delicacy and modefty, which are indifpenfable on fuch occafions. The peaker who delivers his own emotions, must be fuppofed to be more vivid and animated, than would be proper in the person who relates them at fecond hand.

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We fhall conclude this fection with the following rule, for the tones that indicate the paffions and emotions. reading, let all your tones of expreffion be borrowed from thofe of common speech, but, in fome degree, more faintly characterised. Let thofe tones which fignify any disagreeable paffion of the mind, be still more faint than thofe which indicate agreeable emotions: and, on all occafions, preferve yourself fo far from being affected with the fubject, as to be able to proceed through it, with that eafy and masterly manner, which has its good effects in this, as well as in every other art."

SECTION VII.

PAUSES.

PAUSES or refts, in fpeaking or reading, are a total ceffation of the voice, during a perceptible, and, in many cafes, a measurable space of time. Paufes are equally neceffary to the fpeaker, and the hearer. To the fpeaker, that he may take breath, without which he cannot proceed far in delivery; and that he may, by these temporary rests, re

lieve the organs of fpeech, which otherwife would be foon tired by continued action to the hearer, that the ear alfo may be relieved from the fatigue, which it would otherwise endure from a continuity of found; and that the underftanding may have fufficient time to mark the diftinction of fentences, and their feveral members.

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There are two kinds of pauses: first, emphatical pauses; and next, fuch as mark the diftinctions of fenfe. phatical paufe is generally made after fomething has been faid of peculiar moment, and on which we defire to fix the hearer's attention. Sometimes, before fuch a thing is faid, we ufher it in with a pause of this nature. Such pauses have the fame effect as a strong emphafis; and are fubject to the fame rules; especially to the caution, of not repeating them too frequently. For as they excite uncommon attention, and of course raise expectation, if the importance of the matter be not fully anfwerable to fuch expectation, they occafion difappointment and disgust..

But the most frequent and the principal ufe of paufes, is, to mark the divifions of the fenfe, and at the fame time to allow the reader to draw his breath; and the proper and delicate adjustment of fuch paufes, is one of the most nice and difficult articles of delivery. In all reading, the management of the breath requires a good deal of care, fo as not to oblige us to divide words from one another, which have fo intimate a connection, that they ought to be pronounced with the fame breath, and without the leait feparation, Many a fentence is miferably mangled, and the force of the emphafis totally loft, by divifions being made in the wrong place. To avoid this, every one, while he is reading, thould be very careful to provide a full fupply of breath for what he is to utter. It is a great miltake to imagine, that the breath must be drawn only at the end of a period, when the voice is allowed to fall. It may eafily be gathered at the intervals of the period, when the voice is fufpended only for a moment; and, by this management, one may always have a fufficient ftock for carrying on the longeft fentence, without improper interruptions.

Paufes in reading muit generally be formed upon the manner in which we utter ourselves in ordinary, fenfible converfation; and not upon the iff artificial manner, which is acquired from reading books according to the common