thing to be found in common difcourfe; and even fometimes throw it upon words fo very trifling in themselves, that it is evidently done with no other view, than to give greater variety to the modulation. Notwithstanding this diverfity of practice, there are certainly proper boundaries, within which this emphafis must be reftrained, in order to make it meet the approbation of sound judgment and correct tafte. It will doubtlefs have different degrees of exertion, according to the greater or lefs degree of importance of the words upon which it operates; and there may be very properly fome variety in the use of it: but its application is not arbitrary, depending on the caprice of readers. As emphafis often falls on words in different parts of the fame fentence, so it is frequently required to be continued, with a little variation, on two, and fometimes more words together. The following fentences exemplify both the parts of this pofition: "If you feek to make one rich, study not to increase his flores, but to diminish his defires" "The Mexican figures or picture writing, reprefent things not words : they exhibit images to the eye, not ideas to the understanding." Some fentences are fo full and comprehenfive, that almost every word is emphatical: as, " Ye hills and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains!" or, as that pathetic expoftulation in the prophecy of Ezekiel. Why will ye die !" Emphafis, befide its other offices, is the great regulator of quantity. Though the quantity of our fyllables is fixed in words feparately pronounced, yet it is mutable, when these words are ranged in fentences; the long being changed into fhort, the fhort into long, according to the importance of the words with regard to meaning Emphafis, alfo in particular cafes, alters the feat of the accent This is demonftrable from the following examples. "He fhall increafe, but I fhall decrease." "There is a difference between giving and forgiving." "In this fpecies of compofition, plausibility is much more effential than probability." In thefe examples, By modulation is meant that pleasing variety of voice, which is perceived in uttering a sentence, and which in its nature, is perfectly distinct from emphasis, and the tones of emotion and passion. The young reader should be careful to render his modulation correct and easy and, for this purpose, should form it upon the model of the most judicious and accurate speakers B the emphafis requires the accent to be placed on fyllables, to which it does not commonly belong. In order to acquire the proper management of the emphafis, the great rule to be given, is, that the reader study to attain a just conception of the force and spirit of the fentiments which he is to pronounce. For to lay the emphafis with exact propriety, is a conftant exercise of good fenfe and attention. It is far from being an inconfiderable attainment. It is one of the most decifive trials of a true and just taste; and must arife from feeling delicately ourselves, and from judging accurately of what is fittest to strike the feelings of others.. There is one error, against which it is particularly proper to caution the learner; namely, that of multiplying emphatical words too much, and ufing the emphafis indifcriminately. It is only by a prudent referve and distinction in the ufe of them, that we can give them any weight. If they recur too often; if a reader attempts to render every thing he expreffes of high importance, by a multitude of ftrong emphafis, we foon learn to pay little regard to them. To crowd every sentence with emphatical words, is like crowding all the pages of a book with Italic characters; which, as to the effect, is juft the fame as to use no such distinctions at all. SECTION VI. TONES are different both from emphasis and pauses; confifting in the notes or variations of found which we employ, in the expreffion of our fentiments. Emphafis affects particular words and phrafes, with a degree of tone or inflection of voice; but tones, peculiarly fo called, affect fentences, paragraphs, and fometimes even the whole of a difcourfe. To fhow the use and neceffity of tones, we need only ob ferve, that the mind, in communicating its ideas, is in a conftant ftate of activity, emotion, or agitation, from the different effects which thofe ideas produce in the fpeaker, Now the end of fuch communication being, not merely to lay open the ideas, but alfo the different feelings which they excite in him who utters them, there must be other figns than words, to manifest those feelings; as words ut tered in a monotonous manner can represent only a fimilar ftate of mind, perfectly free from all activity or emotion. As the communication of these internal feelings, was of much more confequence in our focial intercourfe, than the mere conveyance of ideas, the Author of our being did not, as in that conveyance, leave the invention of the language of emotion, to man; but impreffed it himself upon our nature, in the fame manner as he has done with regard to the reft of the animal world; all of which exprefs their various feelings, by various tones. Ours, indeed, from the fuperior rank that we hold, are in a high degree more comprehenfive; as there is not an act of the mind, an exertion of the fancy, or an emotion of the heart, which has not its peculiar tone, or note of the voice, by which it is to be expressed; and which is fuited exactly to the degree of internal feeling. It is chiefly in the proper ufe of thefe tones, "that the life, fpirit, beauty, and harmony of delivery confift. The limits of this introduction, do not admit of examples, to illustrate the variety of tones belonging to the different paffions and emotions. We fhall, however, felect one, which is extracted from the beautiful lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan, and which will, in fome degree, elucidate what has been faid on this fubject. "The beauty of Ifrael is flain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath; publish it not in the streets of Afkelon left the daughters of the Philiftines rejoice; left the daughters of the uncircumcifed triumph. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of offerings? for there the fhield of the mighty was vilely caft away; the fhield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil." The firft of thefe divifions expreffes forrow and lamentation: therefore the note is low. The next contains a fpirited command, and fhould be pronounced much higher. The other sentence, in which he makes a pathetic addrefs to the mountains where his friends had been flain, must be expreffed in a note quite different from the two former; not fo low as the firft, nor fo high as the fecond, in a manly, firm, and yet plaintive tone. The correct and natural language of the emotions, is not fo difficult to be attained, as moft readers feem to imagine. If we enter into the fpirit of the author's fentiments, as well as into the meaning of his words, we fhall not fail to deliver the words in properly varied tones. For there are few people, who fpeak English without a provincial note, that have not an accurate ufe of tones, when they utter their fenti ments in earneft difcourfe. And the reafon that they have not the fame ufe for them, in reading aloud the fentiments of others, may be traced to the very defective and erroneous method, in which the art of reading is taught; whereby all the various, natural, expreffive tones of fpeech, are fupprefsed; and a few artificial, unmeaning reading notes, are fubftituted for them. But when we recommend to readers, an attention to the tone and language of emotions, we must be understood to do it with proper limitation. Moderation is neceffary in this point, as it is in other things. For when reading becomes ftrictly imitative, it affumes a theatrical manner, and n.ust be highly improper, as well as give offence to the hearers; because it is inconfiftent with that delicacy and modefty, which are indispensable on such occafions. The speaker who delivers his own emotions, must be supposed to be more vivid and animated, than would be proper in the person who relates them at fecond hand. We shall conclude this section with the following rule, for the tones that indicate the paffions and emotions. In reading, let all your tones of expreffion be borrowed from those of common fpeech, but, in fome degree, more faintly characterized. Let thofe tones which fignify any difagreeable paffion of the mind, be ftill more faint than thofe which indicate agreeable emotions and, on all occafions, preferve yourself fo far from being affected, with the fubject, as to be able to proceed through it, with that eafy and mafterly manner, which has its good effects in this, as well as in every other art.". : SECTION VII. Paufes. PAUSES or refts, in fpeaking or reading, are a total ceffation of the voice, during a perceptible, and, in many cafes, a measurable space of time. Paufes are equally neceffary to the fpeaker, and the hearer. To the fpeaker, that he may take breath, without which he cannot proceed far in delivery; and that he may, by these temporary refts, relieve the organs of fpeech, which otherwife would be foon tired by continued action to the hearer, that the ear alfo may be relieved from the fatigue, which it would otherwife endure from a continuity of found; and that the understanding may have fufficient time to mark the distinction of fentences, and their several members. There are two kinds of paufes: firft, emphatical pauses; and next, fuch as mark the distinctions of fenfe. An emphatical pause is generally made after fomething has been faid of peculiar moment, and on which we defire to fix the hearer's attention. Sometimes, before fuch a thing is faid, we ufher it in with a pause of this nature. Such paufes have the fame effect as a strong emphasis; and are fubject to the fame rules; especially to the caution, of not repeating them too frequently. For as they excite uncommon attention, and of course raife expectation, if the importance of the matter be not fully answerable to fuch expectation, they occafion difappointment and difguft. But the most frequent and the principal ufe of paules, is, to mark the divifions of the fenfe, and at the fame time to allow the reader to draw his breath; and the proper and delicate adjustment of fuch paufes, is one of the most nice and difficult articles of delivery. In all reading, the management of the breath requires a good deal of care, fo as not to oblige us to divide words, from one another, which have fo intimate a connection, that they ought to be pronounced with the fame breath, and without the leaft feparation. Many a sentence is miferably mangled, and the force of the emphasis totally loft, by divifions being made in the wrong place. To avoid this, every one, while he is reading, fhould be very careful to provide a full supply of breath for what he is to utter. It is a great mistake to imagine, that the breath must be drawn only at the end of a period, when the voice is allowed to fall. It may eafily be gathered at the intervals of the period, when. the voice is fufpended only for a moment; and, by this management, one may always have a fufficient ftock for carrying on the long ft fentence, without improper interruptions. Paufes in reading muft generally be formed upon the manner in which we utter ourfelves in ordinary, fenfible conver |