of the evening" is the health of the guest so specially honoured. To propose this well seems to me one of the most delicate, difficult, and responsible tasks that can devolve upon a chairman. Of course, the very character and object of the banquet necessarily implies that the speech must be one of eulogy of the guest in whose honour it is given. To praise well-that is, steering between the two extremes of not saying enough in a man's praise on such occasions, and of allowing such praise to degenerate into gross adulation and fulsome flattery-is after all no such very easy task. It has been truly said that all men are open to flattery, more or less, and when we think we hate flattery, all that we hate is the awkwardness of the flatterer. Now, in plain language, in proposing "the guest of the evening," however well deserving of high eulogy he may be, the speech must necessarily be one of flattery, and upon the grace, delicacy, and skill with which such flattery is applied, will the success of the speech chiefly depend. One of the best speeches of this kind that I ever had the pleasure of listening to, was that delivered by the late Lord Lytton on the occasion of his presiding at the banquet given to our lamented great novelist and humorist, Charles Dickens, prior to his departure for America. As far as regards elegance of language and skill and taste in composition, it struck me as being quite a model for all such speeches. Nor was the acknowledgment in answer, on the part of the eminent guest who was the object of so much well-won eulogy and honour, less worthy of praise and imitation as regarded alike its composition and admirable delivery.

It is only a few suggestions that I can offer in reference to the composition of a speech of this character, and those only of the most general description; for, of course, the special individual eminence in arts, arms, science, literature, or philanthropy of the guest honoured by a festival of this nature, must be the guide to the leading features of the speech of the chairman on such an occasion. A graceful allusion to the object for which the company have assembled, and a modest self-depreciation of the powers of the speaker to render adequate justice to the theme with which he has to deal, may form a very proper exordium to such a speech, and is what is almost always adopted on such occasions, however experienced and eloquent the speaker may really be. The importance and usefulness of the particular science, art, or profession, &c., which the guest of the evening has adorned, or the services he may have rendered to his country or humanity, may then be very properly introduced and enlarged upon at considerable length. A sketch of the leading incidents in the life and public career of the person whom they are met to honour usually follows, and its material points are dwelt on more or less fully; and the whole should conclude with warm, but just eulogy of his talents, conduct, and character in the sphere in which he has acquired fame and distinction.

The speech that follows in acknowledgment of the toast on the part of the honoured guest is in no way inferior in importance to that of the chairman in proposing it, and certainly not less difficult a duty to be effectively discharged. If his health is considered as "the toast of the

evening," his speech in answer is always regarded as emphatically by the whole assembly as "the speech of the evening."

Among the many public dinners given to distinguished statesmen, artists, men of letters, and others, at which I have been present, I have not met with one in which the guest of the evening did not begin by expressing in earnest words his deep gratitude for the reception given him, and lament his inability to find language that could adequately render his feelings of thankfulness at such a moment. After some prefatory remarks of this nature, calculated to enlist the sympathy and indulgence of the audience, it is usual for the speaker to dwell at some length on his personal or professional career, and more especially such circumstances as have led to the crowning honour of the evening, and in the best way he can, express his feelings of gratitude for the distinction conferred upon him. It is almost needless to say that upon the mode of dealing with "the toast of the evening," which the chairman has adopted in proposing it, much of the guest's answer must necessarily depend, but all the leading topics which have been introduced by the former may very appropriately be adverted to and commented on by the latter, and a good peroration expressive of the warmth and depth of his gratitude is more especially desirable.

Other toasts then usually succeed, and each of these, whether personal or representative, must of course, as regards its composition and arrangement, depend on the nature of its subject. The health of the chairman is usually proposed early in the evening, and in cases of what I have termed complimentary dinners, almost always directly after the honoured guest has returned thanks and resumed his seat. The individual to whom is entrusted the task of proposing the toast of "the chairman," at important public dinners, is invariably some nobleman or gentleman of political, professional, or social distinction, and it is always regarded as one of the principal speeches of the evening. It is generally made, if possible, an occasion for the display of some eloquence and warmth of feeling, and a considerable amount of personal eulogy; for, in fact, the speaker has to perform towards the chairman very much the same kind of duty that the chairman has just discharged in reference to the guest of the evening, on the occasion of a complimentary dinner ; and most of the suggestions I have offered in regard to the one case, will be equally applicable to the other. I have remarked, at nearly all the great public dinners at which I have been present, it seemed to me that the aim of the chairman in returning thanks was to make his speech as brief and as effective as possible.

The toast of "the Ladies" is always the last on the programme, and winds up the proceedings of the evening. It is necessarily always a brief speech, like the response to it, and both are almost always made, if possible, occasions more for the display of a little graceful humour, gaiety, and badinage, mingled of course with a few complimentary expressions in reference to the sex generally, than anything else.

I have now completed my outline of the speeches usually made at our public dinners. They vary necessarily in some particulars, according to the special character of the occasion which brings the company

together, but the foregoing sketch may, I think, be taken as more or less generally applicable to all. It is superfluous for me to say that my brief suggestions are not intended to apply to speakers of any practice or experience, but only as hints, as helps or materials for thought, to be further and more fully developed by young or untried speakers who may at any time be called on to take an active part at these public or private festivals, at which certainly nearly all our social oratory is usually heard, and which may serve as a school for practice, contribute to give ease, confidence, and self-possession, and prove a good introduction to higher and more ambitious efforts.

APPENDIX I.

Remarks on Orthoepy, and the rules laid done by various writers on Pronunciation; -1. The tendency of compound words to shorten the Vowel which is long in the primitives. 2. The shortening tendency of the Antepenultimate Accent. 3. The shortening tendency of the Secondary Accent. 4. The shortening tendency of the past tense. 5. The power of w over the subsequent vowel. 6. The aspirated hissing of t, d, s, z, x, and soft c. 7. Faulty pronunciation of accented vowels. 8. Pronunciation of unaccented syllables. 9. Allowable fluctuation in the sound of some unaccented vowels and diphthongs. 10. Faulty pronunciation of unaccented vowels. 11. Suppression of unaccented vowels where they should be sounded; and the opposite error-The termination ed in the past tense and participle. 12. The termination el. 13. The termination en. 14. The termination il, in. 15. The termination on. 16. Suppressing the vowel-sound in the termination tion and sion. 17. Suppressing when between two s's, &c. 18. Suppressing where it ought to be sounded, and vice versa. 19. Suppressing h before w; also in shr; and in the termination th. 20. Sounding too strongly or too feebly. 21. Suppressing the sound of final consonants. 22. The terminational ng-Guidance in pronunciationAlphabetical list of words occurring in the Sacred Scriptures and the Liturgy to be pronounced according to the authority of Walker and others.

ADD, by way of appendix, some general remarks on the pronunciation of words in the English language, more particularly in regard to those which are most frequently liable to mispronunciation, and on which orthoëpists of eminence have expressed an opinion. In the summary that follows I have adopted, with some slight exceptions, Mr. Howlett's views, but I have also, in reference to words in which we find different modes of pronunciation prevalent, consulted and maturely weighed the dicta of such writers as Walker, Webster, Latham, Perry, Morrell, &c.

Deviations from the common usage of speaking arrest the attention of the higher classes of society, interrupt the current of thought, and turn it from the matter to the manner-from the meaning of the words to the pronunciation of them. This consideration gives to the subject an importance which will influence the student who is anxious to perform his duty in every respect, and towards all classes of hearers, to the best of his ability; and may, perhaps, induce him to devote a little time to the perusal of the following pages, in which are incorporated some of the remarks and rules of various eminent writers on the subject of pronunciation.

Dr. Johnson's general rule, that "those are to be considered as the most elegant speakers who deviate least from the written words," has been justly censured by Mr. Walker. It has already led to much innovation, and, in many cases, produced diversity of pronunciation where previously there was uniformity. For example, those who are guided by the spelling, sound the final unaccented vowel distinctly in heaven, open, evil, reckon, reason, &c., in which words it formerly was always suppressed. They likewise sound the a distinctly in the terminations of such words as nobleman, combat, &c., instead of adopting the obscure, intermediate, neutral sound which approximates to the sound of u. They also give to some consonants in certain situations their alphabetic sounds, instead of admitting after them that liquid sibilation which constitutes an analogy that runs through the language; thus they say vir-tue for vir-tshue, na-ture for na-tshure, cen-sure for cen-shure, &c. By following the above-mentioned principle, these discrepancies of pronunciation must increase to an infinite extent, because the words in most common use are those which are pronounced with the widest deviation from the spelling. Instead, therefore, of admitting a rule which tends to make "confusion worse confounded," Walker recommends that the analogies and tendencies of the language should be studied, as the best guides in orthoëpy. But as Johnson's rule is much more easily adopted than Walker's, it is not surprising that the former should have more followers; among whom, it is very natural that young clergymen should be included, particularly at the commencement of their professional labours. Hence are heard extraordinary changes in the pronunciation even of the most common words in the Church Service, in defiance of decided custom: thus, bu-rial, apos-tle, epis-tle, folk, idol, covet, covenant, &c., &c., are frequently sounded exactly according to the spelling, instead of being sounded in the usual manner, as if they were spelt thus: ber-ri-al, apos-sl, epis-sl (the t silent in both these words), foke, idul, cuv-et, cuv-e-nant, &c., &c. If the learned Lexicographer's principle were adopted, what strange changes in pronunciation would be required in reading the following sentences, in which none of the words printed in italics are sounded according to the spelling:

The common usage of English people in talking their native tongue proves that they do not trouble themselves as to the spelling of the words. It surely is an evil custom, and savours of affectation, to talk otherwise than their fathers, mothers, brothers, and relations have talked. If the professors of colleges and other places of education would give their attention to the principles of English pronunciation, they would see reason not to sanction the fashion of pronouncing many common words in unusual ways-sounding the final syllables exactly as they are spelt in evil, devil; heaven, leaven; heathen, even; reason, season; beacon, deacon; often, softly, &c., &c.

"No man," says the ingenious author of "The Theory of Elocution," has a right to question any customary manner of sounding a word who is unacquainted with the general rules that secretly influence custom. Should the investigation necessary for arriving at these data be deemed too laborious, then let it not be thought too much to follow

* Smart's " Theory," &c., p. 43.