1 ordinary speaking key. It should be a constant rule, never By the habit of reading, when young, in a loud and vehement manner, the voice becomes fixed in a strained and unnatural key; and is rendered incapable of that variety of elevation and depression with constitutes the true harmony of utterance, and affords ease to the reader, and plea sure to the audience. This unnatural pitch of the voice,and disagreeable monotony, are most observable in persons who were taught to read in large rooms; who were accuse tomed to stand at too great distance, when reading to their teachers; whose instructors were very imperfect in their hearing; or who were taught by persons, that considered. loud expression as the chief requisite in forming a good reader. These are circumstances which demand the serious attention of every one to whom the education of youth is committed. LESSON te th I LESSON XXIV. DISTINCTNESS. IN the next place, to being well heard and clearly understood, distinctness of articulation contributes more than mere loudness of sound. The quantity of sound necessary to fill even a large space, is smaller than is commonly ima gined; and with distinct articulation, a person with a weak voice can voice will make it reach farther, than the strongest reach without it. To this, therefore, every reader ought to pay great attention. He must give every sound which he utters, its due proportion; and make every syllable, and even every letter in the word which he pronounces, be heard distinctly; without sluring, whispering, or suppressing any of the proper sounds. An accurate knowledge of the simple, elementary sounds of the language, and a facility in expressing them, are so necessary to distinctness of expression, that if the learner's attainments are, in this respect, imperfect, (and many there are in this situation,) it will be incumbent on his teacher, to carry him back to these primary articulations; and to sus. pend his progress, till he become perfectly master of them. It will be in vain to press him forward, with the hope of forming a good reader, if he cannot completely articulate every elementary sound of the language. DUE DEGREE OF SLOWNESS. In order to express ourselves distinctly, moderation is requisite with regard to the speed of pronouncing, Precip. itancy of speech confounds all articulation, and all meaning. It is scarcely necessary to observe, that there may be also an extreme on the opposite side. It is obvious that a. lifeless drawling manner of reading, which allows the minds of the hearers to be always outrunning the speaker, must render every such performance insipid and fatiguing. But the extreme of reading too fast is much more common, and requires the more to be guarded against, because. when it has grown up into a habit, few errors are more difficult to be corrected. To pronounce with a proper degree of slowness, and with full and clear articulation, is necessary to be studied by all, who wish to become good readers; and it cannot be too much recommended to them. Such a pronunciation nunciation gives weight and dignity to the subject. It is a great assistance to the voice, by the pauses and rests which it allows it more easily to make; and it enables the reader to swell all his sounds, both with more force and more harmony. PROPRIETY OF PRONUNCIATION. AFTER the fundamental attentions to the pitch and man agement of the voice, to distinct articulation, and to a proper degree of slowness of speech, what the young reader must, in the next place, study, is propriety of pronuncia tion; or, giving to every word which he utters, that sound which the best usage of the language appropriates to it; in opposition to broad, vulgar, or provincial pronunciation. This is requisite both for reading intelligibly, and for reading with correctness and ease. Instructions concerning this ar ticle may best be given by the living teacher. But there is one observation, which it may not be improper here to make. In the English language, every word which consists of more syllables than one, has one accented syllable. The accent rests sometimes on the vowel, sometimes on the con sonant. The genius of the language, requires the voice to mark that syllable by a stronger percussion, and to pass more slightly over the rest. Now, after we have learned the prop er seats of these accents, it is an important rule, to give every word just the same accent in reading, as in common discourse. Many persons err in this respect. When they read to others, and with solemnity, they pronounce the syllables in a different manner from what they do at other times. They dwell upon them, and protract them; they multiply accents on the same word; from a mistaken notion, that it gives gravity and importance to their subject, and adds to the energy of their delivery. Whereas this is one of the greatest faults that can be committed in pronunciation : it makes what is called a pompous or mouthing manner; and gives an artificial affected air to reading, which detracts greatly both from its agreeableness, and its impression. Sheridan and Walker have published Dictionaries, for ascertaining the true and best pronunciation of the words of our language. By attentively consulting them, particularly "Walker's Pronouncing Dictionary," the young reader will be much assisted, in his endeavors to attain a correct pro gunciation of the words belonging to the English language. LESSON B LESSON XXV. EMPHASIS. Y Emphasis is meant a stronger and fuller sound of voice, by which we distinguish some word or words, on which we design to lay a particular stress, and to show how they effect the rest of the sentence. Sometimes the emphatic words must be distinguished by a particular tone of voice, as well as by a particular stress. On the right management of the emphasis depends the life of pronunciation. If no emphasis be placed on any words, not only is discourse rendered heavy and lifeless, but the meaning left often ambiguous. If the emphasis be placed wrong, we pervert and confound the meaning wholly. Emphasis may be divided into the SUPERIOR and the INFERIOR emphasis. The superior emphasis determines the meaning of a sentence, with reference to something said before presupposed by the author as general knowledge, or removes an ambiguity, where a passage may have more senses than one. The inferior emphasis enforces, graces, and enlivens, but does not fix, the meaning of any passage. The words to which this latter emphasis is given, are, in general such as seem the most important in the sentence, or, on other accounts, to merit this distinction. The follow. ing passage will serve to exemplify the superior emphasis. "Of man's first dischedience, and the fruit "Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste "Brought death into the world, and all our wo," &c. "Sing heav'nly Muse !" Supposing that originally other beings, besides men, had Cisobeyed the commands of the Almighty, and that the circumstance were well known to us, there would fall an emphasis upon the word man's in the first line; and hence it would read thus: " Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit," &c. But if it were a notorious truth, that mankind had trans" gressed in a peculiar manner more than once, the emphasis hould fall on first; and the line be read, "Of man's first disobedience," &c. プ ordinary speaking key. It should be a constant rule, never tó utter a greater quantity of voice than we can afford without pain to ourselves, and without any extraordinary effort. As long as we keep within these bounds, the other organs of speech will be at liberty to discharge their several. offices with ease; and we shall always have our voice under. command. But whenever we transgress these bounds, we give up the reins, and have no longer any management of it. It is a useful rule too, in order to be well heard, to cast our eye on some of the most distant persons in the company, and to consider ourselves as reading to them. We naturally and mechanically utter our words with such a degree of strength, as to make ourselves be heard by the person whom we address, provided he is within the reach of our voice. As this is the case in conversation, it will hold also in reading to others. But let us remember, that in reading, as well as in conversation, it is possible to offend by speaking, too loud. This extreme hurts the ear by making the voice. come upon it in rumbling indistinct masses. By the habit of reading, when young, in a loud and ve hement manner, the voice becomes fixed in a strained and unnatural key; and is rendered incapable of that variety of elevation and depression with constitutes the true harmony of utterance, and affords ease to the reader, and plea sure to the audience. This unnatural pitch of the voice, and disagreeable monotony, are most observable in persons who were taught to read large rooms; who were accus tomed to stand at too great distance, when reading to their teachers; whose instructors were very imperfect in their hearing; or who were taught by persons, that considered. loud expression as the chief requisite in forming a good reader. These are circumstances which demand the seri ous attention of every one to whom the education of youth is committed. LESSON |