THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

If it were asked what is the chief occupation of a Clergyman of the Church of England in his ministry, what would be the answer? It would be, to publicly read the Liturgy and those Services of the Church which are appointed for special occasions. Thus the Morning and Evening Common Prayer are ordered to be publicly read, after which a homily or sermon is to be publicly read; the special services are incessantly required to be publicly read, as the Baptismal, the Marriage, the Visitation of the Sick, the Burial, etc.; in short, the Clergyman's daily occupation is to publicly read the Services of the Church. It is a subject of deep regret that this prominent duty is commonly so ill performed, even by Clergymen of high mental endowments and of great acquirements, and the object of the present work is to supply the Clergy with some principles to guide them in their public reading.

In the last century bad public readers were commonly censured for misapprehension of their

authors' meaning, it being at that period assumed that the qualification alone required to constitute a good public reader, was the apprehension of the author. It was observed, however, that all authors could not read with correctness even their own works, and they certainly could not be charged with a misapprehension of what they themselves had written; and the Clergy could not be charged with a misapprehension of the Common Prayer, and still less of their own sermons, whence it became evident that something beyond this one qualification was required to constitute a good public reader. Now observation has discovered other qualifications, both Mental and Vocal, to be necessary, and has also indicated the special education and training which is required to produce good public readers.

Although this is familiarly known to many who fully estimate the value of guiding principles in other occupations, yet, it is often thought that common sense is a sufficient guide in public reading. Now the term common sense, when thus placed in opposition to a system of principles and rules, if it mean anything, must mean

extemporaneous conjecture, which is to be made and acted upon as the occasions arise. But no man will trust to so unsafe a guide in his own profession; in that, at least he knows the value of principles deduced and systematized from past experience, and hence the Physician, Lawyer, Painter, Musician, etc., give the preference to unaided common sense in those cases alone in which he knows of no fixed principles to guide him, but in all other cases, he prefers the guidance of systematic knowledge to those fleeting conjectural judgments called common sense. In the art of public reading it will be found, as in the other arts, that the true province of common sense is not to supersede the use of systematic knowledge, but to apply that knowledge as a means to accomplish the object we have in view.

The study of Elocution is occasionally condemned, on the ground, that it does not improve the practice of public reading; and it is triumphantly urged, that many men may, and some do, read correctly without a knowledge of elocution. To the latter truth it may be observed, that

every art is practised before its theory is established; indeed the elementary principles of every art are invariably deduced from the instinctive efforts of unassisted genius.

the study of elocution has

lic reading? It is not true.

But is it true, that not improved pubElocution has fur

nished correct principles to read interrogative sentences, so that the tones of voice of those who apply them shall stamp their interrogative character on the ear,-Elocution has furnished correct principles to read exclamative sentences, so that the tones of voice shall express exclamation, Elocution has furnished correct principles for rhetorically dividing discourse into groups, and for expressing by the voice the relative connexion of the several groups with each other. But without further statement of what elocution has accomplished in the improvement of public reading, I may observe, that these principles have been partially appreciated and acted upon, for the educated (in elocution) know how to publicly read interrogative and exclamative sentences with correctness, because they have been taught. And the reading of all might be improved, if

they would, on the one hand, submit to be taught, and on the other, endeavour to learn. I am not, however, so unobservant as to think that any system of rules can insure great proficiency in every student in this, or in any other art. It is well known that the study of the best rules will not equalize the natural powers of different men, so as to enable them to obtain equal excellence in any given pursuit: then why should we expect it in public reading?

It seems to be thought that something can be substituted for good reading; thus it is frequently said, "Oh I attend more to the matter than the manner!" the word matter referring to ideas, and manner to their conveyance. Now this remark can apply alone to the composition of a sermon, for it is quite inapplicable to the public reading of a form of prayer. There is no doubt of the greater importance of that which is conveyed beyond the conveyance; indeed, the value of the conveyance entirely depends on its faithful communication of all the matter. And on this fact rests the whole importance of good public reading. The Clergyman's duty is