PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION. ELOCUTION is an important branch of oratory; vo important, that eloquence borrows its name from it. The theory consists of certain rules, which should be observed by all who read or speak in private companies or public assemblies. In practice elocution consists in the art of reading, or speaking, with propriety and elegance; or of delivering our words in a just and graceful manner; untainted with pedantry or affectation, and uncorrupted with any provincial sound or dialect. It is absolutely necessary that every young gentleman should be acquainted with the science of elocution, especially those who are intended for the pulpit, the senate, the bar, or the stage; so that very few persons need be told, that a graceful elocution is of the highest importance. Everybody will allow, that what a man has occasion daily to do, should be done well; yet so little attention has sometimes been paid to this accom plishment, even from those, in whom (from their pro fessions as public speakers) we have been led to expect perfect model of the art, that it has tended to eclipse (13) all their other merits, however great; while others, of inferior attainments, by the help of a tolerably good style, and a just elocution, have risen to considerable eminence. A graceful elocution is, to a good style, what a good style is to the subject matter of a discourse, an effectual ornament: for, if the subject of a discourse be ever so interesting, and the speaker's knowledge ever so profound, without a correct style the discourse must suffer greatly in its reputation; and though the speaker's abilities be of the first eminence, and the style good, with a bad elocution, or delivery, it will fare little better:-so great an effect have these exterior accomplishments over the public taste. Indeed, the great design and end of a good pronunciation is, to make the ideas seem to come from the heart; and then they will not fail to excite the attention and affections of those who hear us read or speak. The principal design which we have in view is to show: First. What a bad pronunciation is, and how to avoid it. Secondly. What a good pronunciaiton is and how to attain it. In the first place, it may be necessary to mention, that a chief fault of pronunciation is, when the voice is too loud, This is very disagreeable to the hearer, and inconvenient to the speaker It will be disagreeable to the hearers, if they be persons of good taste; who will look upon it to be the effect of ignorance or affectation. Besides, an overstrained voice is very inconvenient to the speaker, as well as disgustful to judicious hearers It exhausts his spirits tc no purpose, and takes from him the proper management and modulation of his voics according to the sense of his subject; and, what is worst of all, it leads him into what is called a tone. Every person's voice should fill the place where he speaks; but, if it exceed its natural key, it will be neither sweet, nor soft, nor agreeable, because he will not be able to give every word its proper sound. Another fault in pronunciation is, when the voice is too low. This is not so inconvenient to the speaker, but it is as disagreeable to the hearer, as the other extreme. It is offensive to an audience, to observe anything in the reader or speaker that looks like indolence or inatten sion. The hearer can never be affected while he perreives the speaker indifferent. The art of governing the voice consists chiefly in avoiding these two extremes; and, for a general rule to direct us herein, the following is a very good one: "Be careful to preserve the key of your voice; and, at the same time, to adapt the elevation and strength of it to the condition and number of the persons you speak to, and the nature of the place you speak in." It would be altogether as ridiculous in a general, who is haranguing an army, to speak in a low and languid voice, as in a person, who reads a chapter in a family circle, or the narrative of any particular historical occurrence, to speak in a loud and eager one. Another fault in pronunciation is, a thick, hasty, chat tering voice. When a person mumbles, that is, leaves out some syllables in the long words, and never pronounces some of the short ones at all: but hurries on without any regard whether he be heard distinctly or not, or whether he give his words their full utterance, or whether his hearers are impressed with the full sense and meaning of them. This, however, is frequently owing to defect in the organs of speech, or a too great tremulation or flutter of the animal spirits; but oftener to a bad habit which he has not attempted to correct. Demosthenes, the greatest orator Greece ever produce 1, had, it is said, three natural impediments in pronunciation, all of which he conquered by invincible labor and perseverance. One was a weakness of voice; which he cured by frequently declaiming on the sea-shore, a:nidst the noise of the waves. Another was a shortness of breath; which he mended by repeating his orating as he walked up a hill. And the other was the fault we are speaking of; a thick mumbling way of speaking: which he broke himself of by declaiming with pebbles in his mouth. Another fault in pronunciation is, when persons speak too quickly. This method of reading is well enough among lawyers, in examining leases, perusing inden. tures, or reciting acts of Congress, where there is always a superfluity of words; or in reading a newspaper, where there is but little matter that deserves ou attention; but it is very improper in reading books o devotion and instruction, and especially the sacred Scriptures, where the solemnity of the subject, or the weight of the sense, demands a particular regard. The great disadvantage which attends this manner of pronunciation is, that the hearer loses the benefit of half the good things he hears, and would fain remember, but |
