It will seldom be necessary to call the pupil's attention to the last of these :-the first three respectively comprise the three requisites mentioned above, with others included, or necessarily connected.

1. PRONUNCIATION, which cannot be distinct without an exact and firm articulation, implies, moreover, the practice of sounding words according to the best usage, and may be further considered to dictate the effective interjunction of words when formed into sentences, (for this is an essential part of a good articulation,) and likewise to enforce an apt and agreeable rhythmus both in prose and verse.

2. READING, (strictly so called,) which cannot be significant without a full utterance and just use of the accents or inflections of the voice, requires at the same time, in order to constitute what is termed modulation, a proper and varying pitch of voice, and the use of a number of pauses not indicated by the grammatical stops.

3. SPEAKING, which cannot be impressive without a varied and suitable expression, employs, for this purpose, a characteristic manner for every species of discourse, and every change of passion. These, from their nature, admit not of an adequate description-they can be taught only by example. Yet, for the ease of the pupil, they may be advantageously generalized as follows the narrative manner; the argumenttaive manner; the meditative manner; the ve

hement manner; the plaintive manner; gaiety of manner; solemnity of manner.

The first three chapters of the following work will correspond to these titles, and will be adapted to confer, with proper guidance, the just practice of the several elements mentioned under each. A short chapter will be added in order to suit the fourth division of the Art of Reading, but it will contain no further examples than may be sufficient to show that mimickry is only an occasional requisite, and is not to be reckoned among the essential elements of a good Elocution.

CHAPTER I.

EXERCISES IN PRONUNCIATION

FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACQUIRING AN EXACT AND FIRM ARTICULATION.

In just articulation the words are not hurried over, nor melted together; they are neither abridged nor prolonged; they are not swallowed, nor are they shot from the mouth; neither are they trailed, and then suffered to drop unfinished: but they are delivered from the lips as beautiful coins are issued from the mint, deeply and accurately impressed, neatly struck by the proper organs, distinct, sharp, perfectly finished. AUSTIN'S CHIRONOMIA. Quod est igitur in his doctoris officium? In primis vitia, si qua sunt, oris, emendet: ut expressa sint verba, ut suis *quæque literæ sonis enuncientur.

*Si volet usus,

Quem penes arbitrium est, et jus, et norma loquendi.

QUINCT.

HORACE.

SECTION 1.-THE CONSONANTS.

As the exercises in this chapter are intended, not for acquiring the pronunciation of our language, but for improving it, the consonants are brought forward before the vowels, because it is among them that the common defects of utterance will generally be found. The consonant letters afford but little assistance toward ascertaining the actual consonant sounds, which are to be heard in the language: these, without any regard to alphabetical arrangement, are as follows, being twenty-two in number:

1. The simple aspirate or h, as heard in hate, whole.

2. w, as heard in we, persuade.

3. y, as heard in young, you, u, filial.

4. The common or dental s, as in seal, mace, hiss.

5. The common or dental z, as in zeal, maze, his.

6. The palatals, as in sure, shall, nation.

7. The palatal z, as in razure, fusion, roseate.

8. f, as in fine, off, laugh, philip.

9. v, as in vine, of, stephen.

10. The aspirate theta, as in thin, pith. 11. The vocal theta, as in then, with.

12. I, as in low, oil, isle.

13. m, as in may, lamb.

14. The common or dental n, as in no, gnaw, sign, 15. The palatal n, as in ring, bank, hanger, anger. 16. r, in its two varieties; viz.

The rough or consonant r, as in ray, around.

The smooth or vowel r, as in mar, virtue.

17. p, as in pail, rope.

18. b, as in bail, robe.

19. k, as in kind, hock, coat.

20. g, as in gold, hog, goat. 21. t, as in tale, mate.

22. d, as in dale, made.

In the exercises which follow, each consonant is separately described and exemplified; and it must be the primary object of the learner, in pronouncing aloud the detached words, to utter the consonant which is the subject of the exercise, with strong compressive force, taking especial care that those formed with voice are made distinct from their correspondent consonants with breath; viz. that z is made as vocal as possible, and thus distinguished from s, which is an aspirate or breath consonant; that the palatal z is distinguished in the same manner, from the palatals; v from ƒ; the vocal theta from the aspirate theta; b from p; g from k; and d from t.

Each exercise on detached words, while it serves the primary purpose of improving the action of the organs in regard to the sound exemplified, may be so conducted as to prepare for the exercises in the second and third chapters, by familiarising the ear and the voice to the two accents, and to the perception and practice of rhythmus, commencing with its simplest form. As to the accents, the pupil in pronouncing unconnected words, will, if left to himself, sometimes use the upward, and sometimes the downward accent, according to the impulse of the moment; that is to say, if he reads the words in quick succession, the idea of continuation will induce him to pronounce each with the accent which signifies incompletion; if he reads them slowly, the pause he intends to make after every word, will probably produce the accent that signifies completion. Let it be his object to acquire the power of uttering one or other of these inflections at pleasure. This will, at first, be attended with no slight difficulty:-though determined, perhaps, to use the downward inflection, the idea of continuation will prevail, and cause him to use the other in spite of himself:-being sen