"The native wood-notes, wild," says Kemble, "which could delight the cultivated ear of a Milton, are not to be regulated by those who measure verses by their fingers."

And yet it is recorded of Kemble, (and the anecdote is an excellent satire upon prosodial scanning,) that, in obedience to this finger-measuring of verse, the second of the following lines, in the Tempest,

I'll rack thee with old cramps,

Fill all thy bones with aches; make thee roar,
That beasts shall tremble at thy din❞—

was thus read by Kemble:

"Fill all thy bones with aitches, make thee roar,”

an absurdity really ridiculous, committed in order to make up the full number of ten syllables, or five feet, of which, according to prosodial scanning, the verse is composed. The time, measure, and reading of the line are thus:

d.

2. Fill | all thy | bones with | aches | make thee | roarˇ |

The rest after "aches" fills up the rhythm, prevents the absurdity of perverting "aches" into a word of two syllables, and adds to the force and expression of the line. Thus we see that, in rhythmical reading, the rests or pauses are as necessary to the measure as the notes or syllables themselves. The Casural pause, spoken of by Blair and the prosodians, may sometimes suffice, with the rest at the close of the line, to make out the rhythm and sense of the verse; but, for fine, musical, and expressive reading of verse, other rests are necessary, not only in the middle and at the close of the line, but in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or whatever bar the rhythm, sense, or feeling demands them. And the accentuation of the lines will not run on in the same unvarying

Iambic jog-trot, but will change from common to triple time, and back again, just as the poet, (if he have a fine ear,) shall vary his verse, to produce a severe or light and airy effect.

The following lines in blank verse and common time, are exceedingly rhythmical and melodious; but their rhythm will be almost destroyed, and they will become merely poetical prose, if, in delivering them, we neglect to mark the variation, which is occasionally made by the poet in the movement of his verse,— by change of time and accentuation.

A SABBATH MORN.-GRAHAME.

How still the morning of the hallow'd day!"

Mute is the voice of rural labor, hush'd

The ploughboy's whistle and the milkmaid's song.-
The scythe lies glittering in the dewy wreath-
Of tedded grass, mingled with faded flowers,

That yestermorn bloom'd waving in the breeze.
Sounds the most faint attract the ear—the hum

Of early bee the trickling of the dew,

The distant bleating" midway up the hill.—
Calmness sits throned-on yon unmoving cloud.
To him who wanders o'er the upland leas,
The blackbird's note comes mellower from the dále ;
And sweeter from the sky the gladsome lark¬
Warbles his heav'n-tuned song; the lulling brookTM
Murmurs more gently down the deep-worn glen;

roof

While from yon
O'ermounts the mist

The voice of psalms

whose curling smoke

ཝཱ

is heard, at intervals,

the simple song of praise.

A rest, or slight suspension of voice, at the end of each line, is essential to the rhythmical reading of all verse: it can never be omitted except in the delivery of

DRAMATIC POETRY;

in which, the suspension at the close of each line must not be allowed to interrupt the flow of language and feeling. The great object of dramatic poetry is the natural and powerful expression of passion: this is the grace paramount, to which all others must bend, and which must not be sacrificed to any minor embellishments. It is true, the verse in which that passionate expression is clothed lends it dignity and grace, and therefore, even on the stage, rhythm and metre must be preserved in delivery: but it must be done easily and without pedantry or apparent effort. For he would make but a poor impression on the heart, who, in an overwhelming burst of passion, should stop to note a cæsural pause, or the rest which, in ordinary poetical reading, marks the close of the line. If he be an artist, a correct ear and good taste will prevent the actor wantonly destroying the poet's rhythm; judgment will guide him in passages where he may, with propriety and grace, linger on the melody of the lines; while the power of truthful feeling and passionate enthusiasm, will exalt him above the trammels

of ordinary rule which would tame his imagination, and fetter his energies.

This much is all that I have thought necessary to remark on the subject of the delivery of dramatic poetry. Its further study, with constant and patient practice, added to a good ear, a cultivated voice, and a taste refined by reading and education, is requisite to the actor. What I have here incidentally observed is sufficient for the orator, the scholar, and the unprofessional reader, aiming at an elegant style of Elocution.

2. MELODY and CADENCE are requisite to give finish to rhythmical Elocution.

Melody and Cadence are graces arising from the arrangement and variation of pitch by inflection of voice.

Read aloud, as marked, the following

EXAMPLE

On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore

Which Jews might kiss and infidels adore.

Experiment will convince the reader that no other arrangement of inflections on these lines, can produce a melody equal to that which is here given. That melody pervades both verses: in the closing line of the sense, I call it cadence, for cadence is the consummation or close of a melody.

This melody is produced by alternation of inflection: the cadence marked in the second line of the couplet is distinguish

ed as the HARMONIC CADENCE;* it is formed by the introduction of two intermediate rising inflections of a third and fifth, between two falling inflections: the melody of the first line is composed of a similar alternation of inflection, with the variation of a rising inflection to mark the suspension of sense, at the termination of the line.

The introduction of this melody and cadence, where the sense will admit of it, lends additional music to the rhythm: but they must not be used to supersede just inflection or Emphasis required by the sense: for the melody must never be permitted to destroy the force of the line. Nor must this cadence be too frequently resorted to, or it will give a sing-song sameness to the reading-tiresome and unmeaning.

It is to be observed that the inflections of the voice, in the reading of verse, are not to be marked so strongly, or, as I may say, so angularly, as in prosereading. Smoothness, and an easy, flowing style, are to be cultivated; and, therefore, the inflections must be, as it were, rounded and polished; so that the voice shall not leap, but gently undulate from tone to tone, and float along in an unbroken stream of sound.

A great fault in the reading of verse, is the too strongly marking, or, as I call it, hammering the rhyme: this is destructive of melody, and has a most unpleasing effect on the ear. To avoid it, we must

* The harmonic cadence may be used with grace in prosedeclamation, as well as in verse; when the passage does not demand any particular force, as:

I shall content myself with wishing that I may be one of those whose follies may cease with their youth and not of that number who are ignorant in spite of experience.—Johns.