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THIRD DIVISION.

THE principles developed in the preceding Division have taught us to read and speak with meaning, force, and ease. But Elocution has a higher aim. She follows the human voice in its natural and unrestrained expression of intense feeling,-she accompanies it "in the very torrent, tempest, and whirlwind of its passion;" she knows it in its joy and in its sorrow; she catches, and treasures up its intonations of love and hate, persuasion and command, scorn, pity, tenderness and rage; and by the power of her "so potent art," she holds them like familiar spirits, to be let loose at will.

Under her teaching, he who will, may learn their mastery; subdue them to his power; and call them to his aid, when he would cast a spell over the minds and hearts of his fellow-men.

This is the highest triumph of Elocution;-the truthful utterance of intense and passionate feeling. This is to be attained by the power of

INTONATION, EXPRESSION, ENERGY;

the Crowning Graces of Elocution.

INTONATION.

Intonation is the art of imparting true and perfect tone to the organ of the voice: its practice forms the Education of the Voice, and gives it fulness and volume.

The human voice (as I have before observed) must be regarded as a musical instrument-an Organ. To produce its tones, its bellows-the lungs-must be kept duly inflated, or supplied with breath; the pipe-the throat-must have full play,-the orifice of the mouth must be well opened, and the sound must be poured through it in a copious, swelling stream; interrupted, momentarily, by pause or rests, -on which it gathers fresh impetus for its onward

course.

Many a voice is called weak, not because it is really deficient in natural power, but because its possessor is ignorant of, or unpractised in, the mechanical means of eliciting, improving, and displaying its strength. For the means are mechanical, and consist of the following

PROCESS OF INTONATION.

1. INFLATION OF THE LUNGS, (to begin,) and regularly supplying what they expend in respiration-by an imperceptible inspiration, or catch of the breath, at each pause:-(and here the rhetorical pause is of great service.)

2. OPENING THE MOUTH well-not speaking through the teeth-or, as it is called, "eating your words,”—(which nine speakers out of ten do.)

3. POURING OUT THE VOICE regularly, with an even and continuous flow and swell; not in irregular jerks and starts.

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This process is perfectly simple, and merely requires exercise to make it easy. It is, in fact, the same art as that which every one has observed in public singers; who, however, display the mechanical means too manifestly, (and in some instances painfully,) by distortion of visage and heaving of chest. This exhibition of the physical effort must be avoided by the Elocutionist: Ars est celare artem. The machinery must be worked, but the springs and wheels must be kept out of sight.

SWELL OF VOICE.

The swell of voice is called in music crescendo, or increas ing, and is denoted by this mark, <; and the diminishing of the sound is called diminuendo, thus denoted,.

The whole swell and decrease is therefore thus denoted

I shall adopt the same respective marks;-to denote the increasing of the volume of voice-and its diminution.

INSPIRATION.

Observe that the pauses afford the opportunity for regular inspiration, to supply expended breath; a resort absolutely necessary in order to powerful enunciation and perfect intonation; for there can be no command of voice without a perfect command of breath.

I have previously laid it down, that in the delivery of serial sentences-where the sense goes on increasing by amplification-the volume of voice or sound should also increase (crescendo) up to the climax ; but remember, that shouting is not Intonation.*

There is a marked distinction between noise and musical sound. Noise is a confused mixture of sounds produced by the

Observing this, and also the rules of pause and inflection on Series, let the reader practise himself on the following

EXERCISE ON INTONATION.

1. In times, when the whole habitable earth is in a state of change and fluctuation

when deserts are starting up into civilized empires around you,

and when men, no longer the slaves of particular countries, much less of particular governments,

enlist themselves, like the citizens of an enlightened world, into whatever communities where their civil liberties may be best protected,

prove

it never can be for the advantage of this country to

that the strict letter of the laws is no security to its

inhabitants.

2. The following exordium of Brutus' speech to the populace, also affords an excellent exercise for the

concussion of non-elastic bodies; whereas musical sound is a pure harmonious effect emanating from a simple elastic body, as the tone of a bell. It is a curious fact, that musical sounds fly farther, and are heard at a greater distance, than those which are more loud and noisy. If we go on the outside of a town during a fair, at the distance of a mile, we hear the musical instruments; but the din of the multitude, which is overpowering in the place, can scarcely be heard, the noise dying upon the spot.-Gardiner's Music of Nature.

student; who will remember that Brutus is supposed to be addressing a large and turbulent popular assembly in the open air; and therefore requires a powerful intonation, in order to obtain even a hearing.

Romans countrymen and lovers! Hear me for my cause and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine

honor and have respect to mine honor that you may believe.

Censure me in your wisdom

and awake

your senses that you If there be any in this assembly

may the better judge. any dear friend of Cæsar Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand" why Brutus rose against Cæsar- this is my answer Not that I loved Cæsar" less- but that I loved Rome more!

to him I say that Brutus' love for

If the pupil will exercise himself in this last passage aloud, commencing on a low tone-inspiring on the pauses (so as to keep his lungs filled with breath)— and increasing the volume of his voice on the < crescendo, he will make considerable advance in the practice of Intonation. As he proceeds, he will find that his voice will ascend and take a higher pitch. The use of the long pause (as at the word "judge,") will serve to resume the tone on which he commenced. (See PAUSE-Long Pause. SECOND DIV. Part I.)

INTONATION OF POETRY.

We have hitherto confined our exercises to Prose readings;-on the principle that we must learn to

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