St. Francis de Sales' Last Will and Testament..St. Arch-Confraternity of San Giovanni Decollato. THE FIFTH READER. Part I. PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION. INTRODUCTION. HE art of reading well is one of those rare and charming powers that all wish to possess, many think they have, and others, who see and believe that it is not solely a gift of genius, labor to obtain. But it will be found that excellence in this, as in every thing else of value, is the result of well-directed effort, and the reward of unremit ting industry. To read and speak, so as at once to convey intelligence to the mind and pleasure to the ear; to give utterance to thoughts and sentiments with such force and energy as to quicken the pulse, to flush the cheek, to warm the heart, to expand the soul, and to make the hearer feel as though he were holding converse with the mighty spirit that conceived the thought and composed the sentence, is, it is true, no ordinary attainment; but it is far from being either above the power or beyond the reach of art. To breathe life through language, to give coloring and force to the thoughts, is not merely an accomplishment; it is an acquisition of priceless value-a wondrous, omnipotent agency, when wisely and skilfully used. But this degree of excellence is to be attained only through the assistance of sure and multiplied principles; principles that are universal; principles that are founded in nature. |