Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

OBSERVE in a late number of your Magazine, that a writer who, under the fignature of Edipus, has given a difgraceful anecdote of Talleyrand, has alfo made a

against thofe of the grand conful. Moreover, they can scarcely be thought fimple enough to imagine that prayers cated from a political cabinet will have any effect in influencing the divine decrees; to that their fentiments of gratitude towards their English friends, need not receive any violent fhock from a conscioufnefs of the mifchier they are doing us. Heartily do I wish that the French had no ftronger arms to affail us with; for though I am not fure that our volunteers will be able to out-fight them, I have no doubt that we have plenty of those who can out-pray them. Your's, &c.

DAVUS.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

entering into any dif

adeftroke at thofe of the French clergy, WITHOUn the character of the late

who have quitted their afylum in this country to resume their functions in their own. He calls them "vipers, the foremoft to fting, and emulous of each other in their prayers for the Corfican defpot's fuccefs in invading and defolating England!" I prefume that the charge againft them of peculiar forwardness in this bufinefs is not to be rigorously understood, and that no more is meant than that they act in correfpondence with the reft of their order. Now, not to urge that these priests may really (with the mass of their countrymen) fuppofe that England is the aggreffor in this war, and may regard their duty to their native land as paramount to gratitude for another-not to infift upon this coufideration-I would afk, how can a clergy established and paid by a state, act otherwife in public concerns, than as the ftate bids them? Do they not everywhere blefs aud curfe, preach and pray, accord. ing to the injunctions of that power which maintains them for its own fupport, juft as it does every other fpecies of ftanding force? Have we any inftances, now-adays, of a priest or a prophet who, like honeft Balaam, hesitates to devote a pub. lic foe to destruction till he has received a fpecial commiffion for it? If the French emigrant clergy were justifiable in return ing to their pots when the confular republic had been univerfally acknowledged as one of the regular governments in Europe, (which none, I believe, but a few bigots have difputed), it became a part of their duty to act with refpect to the new go. vernment as they would have done to the old. They were formerly the advocates for paffive obedience in fubjects, and they must be so now-they formerly denounced judgments against all the enemies of the grand monarque, and they must now do so

2

Mr. Robinson of Cambridge, I shall only obferve, that his Lectures on Nonconformity, which I read many years ago, ftruck me as a moft violent party per formance, full of the credulity and malignity which never fail to accompany bigotry, whatever be the fide it takes. Among other calumnies, the credit given to the horrid charge against James I. of having caufed his eldeft fon, Prince Henry, to be poifoned, particularly fhocked me, as I happened to be furnished with abfolute proof that it was totally groundlefs. In the medical works of Sir Theodore Mayerne is a minute narration of the difeafe of this prince, which was a putrid fever of three weeks duration; and the treatment of which exhibits the whole range of practice in fuch cafes, as it then exifted. The names of the other medical attendants are mentioned, the whole train of fymptoms, and the pearances on diffection, are accurately stated, and not a fhadow of doubt can remain on the authenticity of the relation.

ap

I mult, however, do Mr. Robinfon and his brother Nonconformists the justice to fay, that they were not the only believers and propagators of this calumny against King James. In Dodiley's Collection of Poems, (vol. iii.) is "An Epistle from Florence, by the Honourable [Horace Walpole,]" which contains a fketch, by no means flattering, of the English kings. That of James I. is highly fatirical, and ends with this line

"Poifon'd one fon, and t'other fent to Spain." But Mr. Cole might fay of this writer, "The dog was a whig ;" and, doubtless, whig-lies may well be matched against tory and jacobite lies. Your's, &c.

N. N.

To

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

BY

Y permiffion of the writer, I transmit, for infertion in your refpectable Mifcellary, a communication with which I have recently been favoured by that well known fcientific phenomenon, Mr. John Gough. The ingenious effay "On the Caufes of the Variety of the Human Voices," communicated, fome years ago, by that gentleman, to the Literary and Philofophical Society of Manchester, is of courfe well known to a numerous clafs of fcientific readers, to whom the Memoirs of that once active and flourishing inftitution heretofore prefented a fund of rational amusement. The theory of unifons and fecondary vibrations by which that effay fo ingeniously accounts, firft for the different tones of different inftru ments of the fame nominal and apparent structure, and thence, by inference and analogy, for the diverfities of tone fo remarkable in different human voices, must have carried its conviction to the mind of every scientific musician and every reflecting obferver of thofe characteristic varieties which that theory profeffes to explain. With the fpeculative theorems of that effay the practical obfervations of the enfuing letter are naturally and intimately connected and the judicious obfervations it contains, receive additional interest from the fource whence they are derived. Cut off, in his carlieft infancy, from all intercourfe with the world of knowledge and obfer vation, through the 'customary inlet, the organ of fight, Mr. Gough has been induced by the co-operation of this privation with his ardent and infatiable thirst of science, to cultivate with extreme diligence the fupplementary faculties of hearing and of touch. The acute perfection to which the latter of these, has been improved and expanded, has been fufficiently demonftrated by the extent to which he has carried his practical researches into the minute fcience of botany; and the exquifitenefs of his perceptions in the other kind-the promptitude with which he discovers the ftature of the mereft ftranger by the first refoundings of his voice (of which I have myfelf been witnefs), and the facility with which he recognizes the prefence, and difcriminates the identity of his acquaintance, by merely liftening to their refpective breathings, equally illuftrate the unprecedented degree of improvement to which he has expanded his hearing faculties: fo that Mr. Gough is, in reality, MONTHLY MAG. No. 111.

one of those demonstrative inftances of the omnipotency of mental energy, who juftify the apparent hyperbole, with which I occafionally ftimulate the perfeverance of my pupils-that where determined effort and enthufiaftic diligence are not wanting, the blemishes of physical nature effectively disappear, "the blind themfelves are penetrating; and the mute have tongues of fire!"'

The communication originated (as will be apparent from the context) from the circumftance of Mr. Gough's attendance upon my Lecture, "On the Education and Management of the Organs of Voice," during the fhort courfe of Lectures (eight in number) that I have recently delivered in the town of Kendal "On the Science and Practice of Elocution ;" and the fuggeftion of the writer is perfectly correct, that his remarks will tend to the improvement of my theory. With that theory, however, thofe remarks are in perfect confonance. In a previous Lecture "On the Structure, Phyfiology, and Offices of the Organs of Speech," which Mr. Gough (the remoteness of whole refidence interfered with the regularity of his attendance) did not happen to hear, the fecondary vibrations of the human voice through the whole of the cavities and fibres of the head were exprefsly traced; the respective characteriftic tones were specified, and demonftrated, in their connexion with the refpective organs of promulgation and modification, (the roof, the nostrils, the maxillaries, &c.) and the practical appeal to the collateral evidence of the fenfe of touch, by the application of the finger to the vibrating fibies of the head, during the specific intonations, was dictated for the confirmation of the fact. Beyond this effential member of the animal frame, I confefs, however, that my researches into the ramifications of the organ of voice had never been extended. The obfervations of my corefpondent expand the theory through a ftill wider circuit; and the extenfion is demonftratively juft. The fuggeftion of the expanfion of fonorous power, and confequent diffufion of found, through a wider circuit, in proportion to the num ber (not loudness) of the vibrating unifons, and of the application of the powers of volition to the bringing of the reipective vibratory fibres into the state of union required, (which may be extended to every defcription of enunciative effort, as well as to the theatrical whispering to which it is here applied) C

will

will, alfo, be found of moft efpecial importance to all perfons whofe profeffional or public duties call for the emphatic exertions of the clocutionary powers. To fuch perfons, therefore, I have no doubt that the difcovery will be highly acceptable; and I proceed accordingly, to the quotation of Mr. Gough's letter.

SIR,

"THE fpirit of inquiry, and the valuable obfervations which enriched your lecture on the education of the voice, encourage me to offer a few facts and reflections to your confideration. The naked truth is fimply this, I am vain enough to imagine myself able to improve your theory of the power of the human voice; and as the improvement demonftrates the propriety of the rules which you have given to facilitate the attainment of this accomplishment, I have ventured to trouble you with the following thoughts on the subject.

The egrefs of the voice is generally fuppofed to be confined to the aperture of the lips; but any perfon may convince himfelf, that this notion is ill founded, by a fimple experiment. Let him place the tip of his finger upon his breast or the fide of his forehead when he is speaking, and the fenfe of touch will inform him immediately, that the vibrations of the larynx are not restricted to the compafs of the windpipe, but extend to the more diftant parts of the head and cheft, which vibrate in conjunction with the primary organs of voice. In fact the upper moiety of the fpeaker's body becomes an extenfive field of found, refembling a drum, every member of which vibrates as oft as a ftroke is imparted to the parchment covering by the drumstick. Experience thews, that a fixed quantity of percuffive force produces founds, poffeffing greater or lefs powers, according as this force is permitted to act upon greater or lefs portions of vibrating furface. The notes of a clarionet can fill a circle a mile in diameter; but if the reed, or mouth-piece, be made to found, when difunited from the tube, it cannot be heard at the distance of one hundred yards; though this inftrument evidently produces vibrations in the latter inftances, which are equal to thofe it produced in the former.

Let us now fubftitute the larynx in place of the mouth-piece; alfo, let the cheft, together with the head, reprefent the trunk of the clarionet; and this eafy transition, from art to nature, explains the method whereby the power of the voice is increased: for it difcovers the phyfical caufes upon which the fecret depends. This method confifts chiefly in contracting the upper extremity of the windpipe, fo as to make the mufcles of the larynx reft ftrongly upon the breath, during its efcape from the lungs. In this manner a quick fuccellion of powerful

vibrations is produced; and thefe impulfes pervade the fuperior moiety of the fpeaker with a power proportionate to their primitive force. The upper part of his body is then converted into an automatic clarionet; the in part from the mufcular ftrength of the effect of which, in respect of distance, arifes larynx; and is derived partly from the magnitude of that portion of his body, which vibrates in company with the primary or gans of voice.

I have now compleated the outline of my theory, by enumerating the phyfical principles which act in conjunction, fo as to enlarge the power of the voice. Should the tafk of comparing my opinion with facts appear worth purfuing, you may easily confirm or refute the theory by making the comparifon for my part, shall take notice

but of one incident of the kind; and this is, the circumftance of powerful whispering, which you mention in your lecture on the education of the voice. Actors differ from other men, as they use their endeavours occafionally to make their whispers intelligible to the multitude. This effort is exacted by the nature of the profeffion, which requires certain fecrets of the drama to be communicated to the audience apparently in the language of fecrecy. The perfon who wishes to acquire this difficult attainment, will, probably, find the accomplishment of his enterprize facilitated by making a proper ufe of the following facts. First, if a body is forced to vibrate in confequence of its connexion with another already in a state of vibration, the greateft effect will be produced when the two bodies are in unifon. Second, the vibratory faculty of the cheft may be altered by varying the preffure of the mufcles belonging to this part of the human frame; in the fame manner that the vibratory faculty is changed in a drum by altering the action of the braces. It follows from thefe properties of tranfmitted found, that the man will whifper with the greatest effect who can put his head and cheft into unifon with his larynx; when it is in a ftate of extreme relaxation.

You very juftly obferve, that the science is yet in its infancy, which teaches the art of giving power to the voice by a judicious management of the vocal organs. Should the preceding attempt advance the infant one ftep towards maturity, the defign of the prefent letter will be anfwered." Middlebar, Nov. 3, 1803.

1 am, &c.

JOHN GOUGH.

[blocks in formation]

fufficiently fatisfactory; and that the fact thus difcovered appears to me an important addition to the means of prac. tical improvement in elocutionary science. If I may be permitted to judge of the fuccefs of my own experiments, the application of the fuggeftion has added at least one more to the manageable varieties and modifications of vocal intonation. Indeed, if the whole of my theory and that of Mr. Gough be not fallacious, this muft eventually be the cafe as nothing is more clear than that the improvement, and accordingly in the Vocabulary of any faculty muft neceffarily depend, in a very confiderable degree, upon the accurate comprehenfion of the inftrumentality by which the functions of that faculty are carried on; and as the human voice is not fo ftrictly speaking a fingle inftrument, as a concert of many intruments, whofe refpective powers and characteristic tones are exceedingly different from each other; and as we have, evidenly, the power, by the actions, compreffions, tenfions, pofitions, and relaxations of the refpective voluntary mufcles connected with each and all of these, to direct (partially or intirely) the influential or fecondary vibrations, that refpond to the original impulfes of the larynx, through one, or other, or feveral, or all of thefe, as occafion, or inclination require, he who beft knows the refpective portions of this automatic band from which the different intonations are to be elicited, will, neceffarily, be bett enabled to command the correfpondent tones, which the feveral paflions, fentiments, and combinations of language may require; and every difcovery which extends the just theory of vocal vibrations, extends, accordingly, the practicable powers of elocutionary expreffion.

fulted fome of the most learned men in this country, before it was put to press, who gave it as a decided opinion, that no general rules can be laid down for the pronunciation of certain combinations of letters in the names of places. Thus the b, fch, ch, to which Mr. B. refers, will in proper names have different powers according to the language of the country, to which the place belongs: in Rochelle, for instance, the name of a town in France, the ch, must be pronounced as alluded to, it is put "Ro-chèlle (pronounced Ro-fhelle)." To take another inftance or two from the fame work, Brac-ci-à-no, and Ro-mag-na, provinces of Italy; if the ci, and the a, in the former, and the g, in the latter were, or could be, reduced, to English pronounciation, or in other words, if a general rule could be given, there would be no difficulty: but as that is impoffible, thofe words in Goldfmith's Grammar ftand as follows," Brac-ci-à-no (pronounced Brachi-ar-no) Ro-mag na (pronounced "Ro-m'a-na).", Other inftances no lefs ftriking might be felected from the fame little work, but thefe are fufficient to fhow Mr. Barrett, that he is feeking what is not poffible to be found. If he refer to Goldsmith's Grammar, he will alfo fee that care has been taken not only to divide the feveral words into fyllables, but alfo, to lay the accent on the proper fyllable, affording at once a fort of itandand to the fcholar, and, in doubtful cafes, to the preceptor alfo.

I am, Sir, your's, &c.
J. THELWALL.

Lancaster, 15 Nov. 1803.

[blocks in formation]

66

:

Mr. B. fays that, as " many refpectable perfons affociate all their geographical knowledge, with names which they have few opportunities of hearing pronounced, and to fubject themfelves to unmerited ridicule, it cannot be doubted that affittance in this refpect, if afforded with tolerable accuracy, would be found particularly useful."

Of this affiftance, I have, Sir, fhown, the public is already in poffeffion. And I beg leave to remark that the fole caufe of the other complaint, viz. that geographical knowledge is almoft always confined to names, has originated from the flovenly way in which introductory works of Geography are ufually written. In fome we meet with a mere collection of names, defcriptions of boundaries, and other technical terms, which it is almost impoffible for a pupil to commit to memory, and, if learnt, convey to the mind no practical information; in others, there

C 2

is

is not a fingle map, which muft ever be an effectual bar to the attainment of geographical knowledge. The pupil may learn from his book that Portugal is bounded in part by Spain, and in part by the Atlantic, or that the Pyrenees are the boundaries between France and Spain; but if he have no map before him to which he may refer, for the relative pofition which one country bears to another, the memory will be wearied, but the understanding cannot be informed.

How far thefe and other defects with which a multitude of what are called "Introductions or Guides to Geography," are chargeable, have been remedied in the little book to which I have referred, the public will judge for themselves. Mr. Barrett will, in fome refpects, at least, find in it, what he conceived were ftill among the defiderata in this pleafing and highly useful fcience. Dec. 13. 1803.

I am, &c.

A CONSTANT READER.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine,

SIR,

N compliance with the wifh expreffed by EBORACENSIS, I have tranfcribed from my common-place book a few memoranda in regard to Beer.

BERE is an Anglo-Saxon word for barley, fo that we have not far to go for its etymology. Indeed they who are beft skilled in the analogy that exifts among the languages in the North of Europe, find a fingular coincidence in the word before us, which is ufed with little variation for the fame article, among them all. The Germans fay bier; the Danes bior.

ners.

Tacitus, who knew the forefathers of our ancestors among their native woods, has left us a curious picture of their manHe fays their food was of the fimpleft kind; fuch as wild apples, the flesh of an animal recently killed, or coagulated milk. Without skill in cookery, and without feafoning to ftimulate the palate, they ate to fatisfy nature. But, he tells us, they did not drink with the fole view of quenching thirst; their love of liquor was indulged to particular excefs: they were careless indeed as to its quantity, but not its quality. The Roman author fays "Their beverage is a liquor drawn from barley, or from wheat, and, like the juice of the Grape, fermented to a spirit. The fettlers on the banks of the Rhine provide themfelves with wine." (Tacitus de Moribus Ger,

manorum, fect. 23.) The original words are," Potui humor ex hordeo aut frumento, in quamdam fimilitudinem vini corruptus. Proximi ripæ & vinum mercantur."

The Anglo Saxons, as well as all the northern tribes, were addicted to hard drinking, which accounts for the numer ous drinking-horns with which the banquets, as they are exhibited in our earliest inanufcripts, feem much better provided than with plates and dishes. Among the ancient Germans, fays Tacitus, it was no difgrace to be fitting day and night, caroufing and drinking. And fuch great drinkers were the Danes who were in England in the time of Edgar, that that monarch not only put down a great number of the alehoufes which then existed, but fuffered one only to be open in each of the villages and fmall towns, and ordained that pegs or ftuds should be fastened in the drinking cups and horns at ftated distances, and that whofoever should drink beyond his mark should be obnoxious to a fevere punishment.

The brewing vessel of those times was called alfath, from al, ale, and fet a vat: and if we may credit the Laws of Athe!dan (ap. Brompec. 19.) was made indifferently of iron, brafs, or lead. The word vat, applied by our brewers at the prefent day, is, I believe, the only inftance where the Saxon word is ftill ufed.

The Laws of Ina king of Wessex, in the year 728, mention both ale and alehouses: though the first affize was not fixed till the famous ftatute of the fifty first of Henry the 3d.

Although the brewers of London were not incorporated as a company till the time of Henry the 5th, 1438, they occur as a fraternity among the Rolls of Parlia ment confiderably fooner, and are called the Bere-brewers.

From the patents in the Record Office at the Tower, it appears that in the first year of Edward the 4th the supervisorfhip of the bere-brewers throughout the kingdom was bestowed by the king on John Devenishe and others; and that their fee was a half-penny of filver upon every barrel. In the sth of the fame king this office was granted, for their lives, to Richard Bele, Robert Oldum and John Gyles. And in his 11th year we have a patent appointing John Gyles, William Gull, and John Nicholl, fcrutatores et fupervisores de lez Beerebrewers London." That the export trade exifted foon after, we have full proof, fince in 1492, Henry the 7th granted licenfe to a Fleming to

« AnteriorContinuar »