If the voice be cultivated by exercise upon the elements, and in recitation, it will, as is believed, take such inflections and intonations as sentiment requires, naturally and spontaneously. It is true, as Lord Kames says, that "certain sounds are by nature, allotted to each passion, for expressing it externally."

A reader or speaker ought to be so familiar with elocution, as to display its graces without any effort. So surely as an individual thinks of his elocution, at the time he is speaking, just so surely, he will fail of producing any other effect upon his hearers, than to convince them that he takes no interest in his subject. As a bird, when taken from the illimitable fields of nature, and deprived of the air and foliage of the forest, loses the brilliancy of its plumage; so, the slightest appearance of being governed by rules, is fatal to eloquence. No professor of elocution can describe, in so many words, what is the mysterious power in which true and genuine eloquence consists. He can only say, that, to be truly eloquent, a man must well understand the subject upon which he speaks; he must have complete control over the modulations of his voice; his gestures must be natural and graceful; and he must speak under the influence of deep feeling, emanating from its appropriate fountain, the heart. His articulation, too, must be correct and elegant.

As a correct articulation consists in the distinct utterance of the elements, it may be advantageous to exhibit a table of the analysis of words, in which there are both easy and difficult combinations of elements. The first column contains words as they are usually spelled; the second, their elements. To know how our language is composed, it is necessary to decompose it. According to the system of teaching spelling which obtains in our schools, the pupil is obliged to mention the name of the letters which compose words. He ought also to be required to spell words by uttering, separately, each element. As there are many silent letters in words, and as words themselves are not always spelled in accordance with the sounds of the letters of which they are composed, the best means of making a person a good reader, or an eloquent speaker, is, to teach him the sounds which single letters or combination of two letters, actually have; and the adoption of this method will enable the pupil to give them as Phonology requires.

ARTICULATION, OR EXAMPLES IN SOME OF ITS MOST DIFFICULT COMBINATIONS. ·

The faults of readers and speakers in articulation, may be attributed, either to the entire omission of some of the elementary sounds which belong to words, to the introduction of supernumerary elements into them, or to the exchanging of one element for another.

For example, a portion of the elementary sounds are frequently omitted in the following words, thus: months is incorrectly called, munce; purse, pus; priests, pries's; ghosts, ghos's; Christs, Chris's; basks, bas's.

Supernumerary elements are sometimes introduced, thus: heav'n is improperly called heaven; little, littel.

Exchanging one element for another, as in the following

instances, is a very common fault. President, is frequently called, presidunt; Providence, Providunce; silent, silunt; goodness, goodniss; gospel, gospil; consider, cunsider; government, govermut; Birmingham, Brumegum; London, Lonon. Occasionally, several errors are made even in a short sentence, thus: Lord Berun's Pride of Abedus;-instead of saying, Lord Byron's Bride of Abydos: These faults, and all others of a similar character, may be remedied, and a clear, distinct, and elegant enunciation acquired, by exercising the voice, as well upon the combinations of those sounds which are most difficult of utterance, as upon the elements separately. Let the pupil exercise upon the following sentences of difficult articulation, and let him be careful to sound every element.

The words in which errors are most likely to be made are italicised.

"Search the scriptures."

"Music, and poetry, and sculpture."

"Your healths, gentlemen."

"The heights, depths, and breadths of the subject."

"I thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of my thumb."

"A thousand shrieks for hopeless mercy call."

"It was the severest storm of the season, but the masts stoo through the gale."

"His acts being seven ages."

"The acts of the Apostles."

"This act more than all other acts of the Legislature, laid the axe at the root of the evil."

"On either side an ocean exists."

"On neither side a notion exists."

"When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw."

"Then rustling, crackling, crashing, thunder down.”

"The magistrates ought to prove the charge."

"The magistrates sought to prove the charge."

"At midnight in the forest shades."

"That lasts till night."

"That last still night."

"Without leave asked of thee."

"And his disciples asked him."

"Because thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, neither yet hast asked long life, but hast asked wisdom and

knowledge for thyself; wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee."

"Fair ladies mask'd are roses in their buds,

Dismask'd, their damask sweet commixture shown,
Are angels veiling clouds, or roses blown."

"He proposed an amicable adjustment of all difficulties."
"We must fight it through."

"It must be so."

"After the most straitest sect."

"This was the most unkindest cut."

"Amidst the mists he thrusts his fists against the posts,
And still insists he sees the ghosts."

Quintilian observes, that "there is no one who has not obtained something by application." Practising upon the elements and upon difficult sentences, will prepare the voice for recitation, reading, and public speaking.

The Grecians were obliged to exhibit satisfactory evidence, that they had been engaged for ten months at Elis, in gymnastic and almost incessant exercises, before they were allowed to contend for any of the prizes of the national games at Olympia. The great object at which they seem to have aimed, was, to excel each other. Be it ours to endeavor to surpass our former selves. Let us cherish that spirit which is portrayed by Dryden :

"A noble emulation heats your breast,

And your own fame now robs you of your rest."

Let American youth spend as much time in improving their elocution, as the Greeks did in qualifying themselves to run for the prizes at the Olympic games; and, to say the least, good readers and speakers would be greatly multiplied

among us.

It is certainly vain to imagine, that while a knowledge of law, theology, physic, &c. cannot be obtained without study, yet, that proficiency in oratory requires no effort at all. Na ture can only lay the foundation; the superstructure, with all its ornaments, is the work of education. Although those noble, gifts of mind, without which no one can become an eloquent speaker, are from nature's God, yet articulation, the elements, quantity, &c. are to be learned.

By indefatigable study, and long continued practice, the renowned orators of antiquity became almost perfect in articulation. They were unwilling that even a single error should escape their lips. This is one of the great secrets of their immortality. They knew that the faculty of speech is the power of giving sounds to thought. They were correct in their views; and nothing is wanting but zeal and perseverance, to enable the young men of the United States, to make great and extraordinary improvement in oratory.

SPECIMENS, ACCOMPANIED BY OBSERVATIONS, ILLUSTRATIVE OF GOOD READING.

In order to read well, the meaning of an author must be perfectly understood. If it be not, an individual will necessarily read at random. The reason there is so much formality and affectation in the declamation of school-boys, is owing to their ignorance of the meaning of the writers whose pieces they attempt to recite. Can a school-boy analyze the works of the great and unrivalled delineator of human character? Can he read well the writings of him, whose "thoughts that voluntarily move harmonious numbers," elevate the mind to the "blue serene ?" Has his voice fulness, power, and stately elegance enough to exemplify the majesty of Shakspeare and Milton? In vain, may he undertake to read or recite Hamlet's soliloquy on death, Antony's oration over Cæsar's body, or the meeting of Satan, Sin, and Death. Unless his instructor teaches him the meaning of such pieces, and of all pieces which he does not understand, his attempts at declamation will be unsuccessful, and unattended with beneficial results. It avails nothing for a teacher to say to his scholars: You read too fast; you don't mind your stops;

"Learn to speak slow-all other graces
Will follow in their proper places."

This is mere poetry, in which there is but little truth. There are many bad readers whose faults do not consist in quick

time.

Equally unavailing is it, for a teacher to tell his pupils to be natural. The teacher himself must be a good reader, otherwise