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PRACTICAL

to mark the particular places where fome great mafter in elocution has afforded confiderable pleasure in the delivery, and endeavour, as nearly as poffible, to delineate (the attempt at which has unavoidably given rife to a repetition of identical expreffions in fimilar fituations) in the mind of the reader, the METHOD that was so successfully adopted. I am perfectly aware of the difficulty of the undertaking, and that in fome cafes I fhall fail; but as I am perfuaded that in a greater number I fhall fucceed to the fulleft of my withes, efpecially when I am so fortunate as to be read by a perfon of perfpicacity, who will be able to make up in his mind, that deficiency of explanation which the difficulty of fome fituations muft unavoidably occafion, I feel myself bold in faying, that this little volume will be the means of adminiftering more real improvement to the scholar than any other publication that has appeared on the fub. ject.

Many of the principal poems and extracts which will be found in the following felection, I have heard read or recited either in public or in the hour of focial enjoyment, by one or other of the gentlemen I have here chofen to anfwer my prefent purpose. The great pleasure which Mr. Hender

fon's

fon's exertions created, frequently arose at a time when a strict advocate for accuracy of speaking could have easily pointed out the greatest violation of philological rules, and the entire neglect of that equable length of paufes, which we are taught to confider the fame parts of punctuation require. In doing this, he has, it is true, varied from the studied coolness and phlegmatic composure of correctnefs, but I never found him infringe upon reafon, or lofe fight of the effect intended.On the contrary, he uniformly feemed to poffefs fo nearly his author's own force, meaning, and spirit, that his delivery appeared, as it were, a kind of emanation from the fame foul.

Mr. Sheridan, poffefling a perfect theoretical knowledge of the language, and knowing that he had fuch a character to fupport with the public, often felt his exertions curbed by this reflection; which, although he was ever correct, frequently abated the true and animated fpirit of a fentence. Mr. Henderfon, being freed from fuch reftraint, and having little elfe but a found, good understanding, with an exquifitely-refined tafte for all the delicate beauties of English poefy, boldly, and without the leaft reftriction, gave loofe to those. powers with which nature had endowed him; and,

in his readings and recitals, a thousand of thofe adventitious graces and ornaments were obfervable, which captivate the attention, and which foar above those who rife no higher than the humble path of correctnefs, and are contented to receive no more than the cold approbation of the critic.-Such were the men whofe method of reading I have endeavoured to imitate in most of the poems which are introduced in the following theets. That the fcholar may have the way pointed out in which thefe gentlemen read or recited particular paffages, and that he may have an opportunity, as he proceeds with a poem, of knowing in what manner it ought to be read, without being compelled to have recourse to a system of rules that, when too rigidly adhered to, often add an infufferable apathy to expreffion, are the principal objects I had in view in publishing these pages. In my occafional obfervations, Į have carefully kept as far from the cold inanimated manner usually adopted by readers in common, as from the theatrical cant frequently practised by most of our public performers, whenever they attempt to read. The medium between the two, in my opinion, was happily preferved both by Sheridan and Henderfon; and I fhall endeavour, throughout this work, to imprefs it on the mind of the scholar, as nearly as words can poffibly ef

feat

fect it.Trufting, therefore, in the full conviction that my exertions will be attended with a confiderable portion of fuccefs, and that they will be the means of facilitating the labour of thofe whose object is to improve in the art of reading and speaking, I here cheerfully fubmit them to the ordeal of public criticism.

THE AUTHOR.

ERRATA.

Page 150-Sixth line, for "ten feet, read “ five fect;" and in the

feventh line, read "faur," inftead of " eight."

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