While confcience, like a faithful friend,
Shall thro' the gloomy vale attend,
And cheer our dying breath;
Shall, when all other comforts cease,
Like a kind angel whifper peace,

And smooth the bed of death.

The whole of the last verse in a serious folemn manner. After the word "Shall," at the beginning of the fourth line, you ought to make a little pause with the voice kept up ere you proceed, as often recommended before.

We have now finished this charming poem of Dr. Cotton's, and the reader who has a mind fufficiently strong to see the various beauties it contains, and poffeffes a taste for the art of reading, will no doubt obferve that many parts have paffed unnoticed by us which deferve attention. Omiffions of this kind will unavoidably be very frequent during the course of our progress through this volume, and perhaps they may answer one good purpose at least, that of leaving an opportunity for the scholar to remark them himself, and thereby exercise his own judgment.

COL

"Heav'nly maid" read as if placed between a parenthe-
fis, and in an impreffive manner.

While yet in early Greece she fung,

The Paffions oft, to hear her shell,

Mark particularly the word Paffions.

Throng'd around her magic cell,
Exulting, trembling, raging, fainting,

1

The words marked must be delivered as conveying a a kind of echo to the sense. The first in a sort of high voice, expreffive of exultation, with a paufe ere you proceed. The fecond in a tone of fear and trembling; the third expreffive fomewhat of rage, and the last with a weak voice, low and fainting. There ought to be a fhort pause at the end of each.

Poffeft, beyond the Mufe's painting.

After the word "possest" pause a little ere you finish

the line.

By turns they felt the glowing mind
Difturb'd, delighted, rais'd, refin'd.

C 4

Thefe

These words in a manner fomething like what we recommmended in the recital of the fifth line.

Till once, 'tis faid, when all were fir'd,

Fill'd with fury, rapt, infpir'd,

Thofe marked, with energy and an impressive manner.

From the sporting myrtles round "
They fnatch'd her instruments of sound, ||

And as they oft had heard apart

Sweet leffons of her forceful art, \

Each, for madness rul'd the hour, \

Would prove his own expreffive pow'r.

The two lines marked in a foft tender manner. After "Each" paufe as we often recommend.

First Fear its hand, his skill to try,
Amid the chords bewilder'd laid,
And back recoil'd, he knew not why,

E'en at the found himself had made.

You must in this verfe, and in all those that follow in which the paffions are perfonified, enter a little, by your manner, into the perfonification, although not fo much as would be expected if you got up and attempted to act them. You ought to fteer between the actor and the reader, in the delivery of them. The method adopted by the first is not directly neceffary, and if you confine yourself to the cold identity of manner and voice, ufually practised by most of the latter, the whole effect of the poem will be loft.

After

After the word "Firft" in the beginning of the verfe we have now given respecting Fear, you ought to pause, and then before you proceed, by your look and manner, exprefs the paffion in queftion. As you pronounce the fecond line, put out gently your hand in rather a flow fearful way, as if to lay it upon the chords of an inftrument, and then fuddenly withdraw it when you come to the next line.

Next Anger ruth'd, his eyes on fire,
In lightnings own'd his secret stings,
In one rúde clafh he ftruck the lyre,

And swept with hurried hand the ftrings.

Stop after the first word, as in the beginning of the other verfe. If read well, this verfe forms a fine contrafted effect to the other..

་

With woeful meafures wan Defpair,

(Low, fullen, founds) his grief beguil'd, w A folemn, ftrange, and mingled air,

'Twas fad by fits, by ftarts 'twas wild.

In a peculiar low plaintive tone the whole verfe, expreffive of the paffion it reprefents.

But thou, O Hope, with eyes fo fair,)
What was thy delighted measure?

Still it whisper'd promis'd pleasure, "
And bade the lovely fcenes at diftance hail!

Still would her touch the fcene prolong,
And from the rocks, the woods, the vale,
She call'd on echo ftill thro' all the fong;

And where her sweetest theme fhe chofe,

A fòft responsive voice was heard at ev'ry close, And Hope enchanted fmil'd, and wav'd her golden hair.

The beauty of these lines depends fo much upon fuch a nicety of expreffion, as cannot be well taught upon paper. This is often the cafe in reading. We may, however, remark, that the laft line but one ought to be uttered in rather a fofter, gentler, tone than the preceding.

And longer had the fung-but with a frown

Revenge impatient rofe,

Here the personification of Revenge forms another fine contraft, as to effect, in the delivery, to what has just gone before.

He threw his blood-stain'd sword in thunder down,

With great boldness and energy.

And, with a withering look,

The war-dènouncing trumpet took,

Be very energetic in the whole of this perfonification of Revenge.

And blew a blast fo loud and dread, u

If in delivering this line you look upwards, it will add greal beauty to it.

Were