is advised to begin very low, and to ascend gradually, till he reach the pitch that suits the place, and his own powers best. Hence with great propriety, (exclusive of the suitable tone of prayer,) the preacher is accustomed to begin at the lowest tones of his voice; so as sometimes at first to be scarcely audible. Thus he feels, as it were, the room with his voice, and is better enabled to determine what key to adopt, which shall regulate the whole tenor of his discourse. For this purpose Mr. Sheridan recommends, that he should address himself to some person of the most distant in the audience, whom if he reach so as to be heard, he may be sure all the intermediate persons will hear him also. He gives also a caution that he should not raise his voice in pitch, but merely encrease it in quantity according to the distance. If a short sentence or two were to be delivered to a great assembly, this would undoubtedly be the best precept to ensure its being perfectly heard; but a long discourse begun in this way, notwithstanding the caution, is likely to run into the extreme pitch in height, and to become a clamorous din, which will destroy the feelings of both the speaker and the audience Mr. Walker agrees in this very just apprehension: and he accordingly advises to begin rather by addressing persons near; then to extend the attention and voice to others more distant, and frequently to change the address to persons in different situations. The discourse will thus obtain all the advantage of variety from the voice, and appear as if addressed to each individual. The highest notes of the voice must, in the vehement parts of the discourse be frequently touched, and sometimes dwelt upon for some time. I have mentioned that in order to recover the proper pitch of the voice, a considerable pause should be made previous to beginning the next division of the discourse, which should also be so composed, as to admit of that proper rest and change of voice. Mr. Walker recommends, in order to acquire "the habit of lowering the pitch, to drop the voice at the end of "the sentence, and to commence the next sentence in the same "low key with which we concluded the former. This lowering "of the voice will be greatly facilitated if we begin the words we "wish to lower the voice upon, in a monotone or sameness of "sound, approaching to that produced by repeated striking the "same key of a harpsichord." QUANTITY. Loud and soft tones are altogether different from high and low, as those even but little acquainted with music can tell. Piano and forte have no relation to pitch or key, but to force and quantity, and when applied to the voice, they relate to the body or volume which the speaker or singer can give out. And this depends on the power of the lungs, and not upon the adjustment of the organs of articulation or song: that is, not upon the note being high or low. A voice is powerful according to the quantity it is able to issue, and is soft or loud according to the quantity which it actually does issue. The power of the voice is altogether a gift of nature, at least as far as other bodily powers are so. It may, like them, be improved by cultivation and exercise, but cannot be materially changed from natural feebleness to strength, nor the reverse. Whereas the pitch and management of the voice are altogether within the province of art. Thus experience demonstrates, that a voice which may not by nature be perfect and strong, shall, by due cultivation and art, be able to sustain greater efforts and to afford more pleasure to the hearer, than the uncultivated voice of a Stentor; which will break itself down by its own force. MODULATION, VARIETY, AND RATE OF UTTERANCE. The modulation of the voice is the proper management of its tones, so as to produce grateful melodies to the ear. Upon the modulation of the voice, depends that variety which is so pleasing, and so necessary to refresh and relieve the ear in a long oration. The opposite fault is monotony, which becomes at last so disagreeable, as to defeat altogether the success of a public speaker, (as far as to please is any part of his object,) by exciting the utmost impatience, and disgust in his audience. To the variety so grateful to the ear, not only change of tones is requisite, but also change of delivery. According to the subject, the rapidity of the utterance varies, as the time of the different movements in music. Narration proceeds equably, the pathetic slowly, instruction authoritatively, determination with vigour, and passion with rapidity; all of which are analogous to the andanle, the cantabile, the allegro, the presto, and other musical expressions. 66 "The second observation (says Quintilian) on the true management of the voice, relates to variety, which alone con“stitutes eloquent delivery. And let it not be imagined, that "the equability of the voice already recommended is inconsistent "with variety; for unevenness is the fault opposite to equability, " and the opposite of variety, is that monotony which consists in One unvaried form or tone of expression. The art of varying "the tones of the voice, not only affords pleasure and relief to the hearer, but by the alternation of labour, relieves the speaker. 66 66 "As changes are grateful of posture and motions, of standing, 66 66 66 walking, sitting and lying; and we cannot for a long time together submit to any one of them. The voice is to be adapted to the subject, and the feelings of the mind so as not "to be at variance with the expressions: this is the great art. "We should therefore guard against that uniformity of character "called by the Greeks monotony; which is an unvarying effort "of the lungs, and of the tones. But we should avoid not only shouting like madmen, but also that under voice in speaking which is deficient in emotion, and that low murmur which destroys all energy. Yet even in the same passages, and in "the expressions of the same feelings, there must be in the voice "certain nice changes according as the dignity of the language, "the nature of the sentiments, the conclusion, the beginning or "the transitions require. For painters who confine themselves " even to one colour, nevertheless bring out some parts more strongly, and touch others more faintly; and this they are obliged to do, in order to preserve the just forms and lines of "their figures."" 66 66 66 37 Secunda (scil. observatio recte pronuntiandi) varietas est, quæ solum est pronunciatio. Ac ne quis pugnare inter se putet æqualitatem, et varietatem; cum illi virtuti contrarium sit vitium inæqualitas; huic, qui dicitur μovos, quasi quidem unus aspectus. Ars porro variandi, cum gratiam praebet ac renovat aures, tum dicentem ipsa laboris mutatione reficit; standi, ambulandi, sedendi, jacendi vices sunt, nihilque eorum pati unum diu possumus. Illud vero maximum (sed id paullo post tractabimus) quod secundum rationem rerum, de quibus dicimus, animorumque habitus, conformanda vox est, ne ab oratione discordet. Vitemus igitur illam, quæ Græce porotovía vocatur, una quædam spiritus ac soni intentio : non solum ne dicamus omnia clamose, quod insanum est; aut intra loquendi modum, quod motu caret; aut summisso murmure, quo etiam debilitatur omnis intentio: sed ut in iisdem partibus, iisdemque affectibus sint tamen quædam non ita magnæ vocis declinationes, prout aut verborum dignitas, aut sententiarum natura, aut depositio, aut inceptio, aut transitus postulabit: ut qui singulis pinxerunt coloribus, alia tamen eminentiora, alia reductiora fecerunt, sine quo ne membris quidem suas lineas dedissent. Quint, l. xi, c. 3. TONES. The vital principle of the voice consists in those tones which express the emotions of the mind. And the language of ideas however correctly delivered, without the addition of this language of the passions, will prove cold and uninteresting. Upon this subject Mr. Sheridan has written with such happy ingenuity and elegance, that the reader is referred to him for the fullest gratification of his enquiries upon it. A few extracts from this work will suffice for the present topic, and serve to stimulate the reader's curiosity. "But as there are other things which pass " in the mind of man, besides ideas; and he is not wholly made 66 up of intellect, but on the contrary, the passions, and the fancy compose great part of his complicated frame; as the operations "of these are attended with an infinite variety of emotions in the ts mind, both in kind and degree; it is clear that unless there be some means found, of manifesting those emotions, all that passes in the mind of one man cannot be communicated to another. Now as in order to know what another knows and, “in the same manner that he knows it, an exact transcript of the "ideas which pass in the mind of one man, must be made by "sensible marks, in the mind of another; so in order to feel "what another feels, the emotions which are in the mind of one man, must also be communicated to that of another, by sensible ་ marks." These, Mr. Sheridan remarks, cannot possibly be words, which are merely signs of things and ideas perhaps exciting emotions, but not of emotions themselves. Every one will at once acknowledge, that the terms anger, fear, love, hatred, pity, grief, will not excite in him the sensations of those passions, and make him angry or afraid, compassionate or ፡፡ 66 56 |