gently or very forcibly. To avoid these mistakes, he must, during some time, use the following form of a question as a test: 'Did I say stránge or strange? By this he will be instinctively impelled to utter the word, first, with an upward, then with a downward slide, and to know, by comparison, in which manner he had previously uttered it. After some time the ear will become familiar with the slides, and the test may be laid aside. Having them now entirely at command, he must exercise his voice in carrying them, as far as possible, from one extreme to the other, something in the manner of a singer running the gamut from low to high, and high to low. Let him also vary their motion, making them sometimes rapid and sometimes slow.. Such an exercise on detached words will probably be thought a little ridiculous, but the student may rest confident of its utility. It will not only give him a clear feeling of the tones he ought to use, but will add flexibility to his voice, and remove from it any unpleasant monotony for what is called a monotonous voice, is not, in fact, a voice that never gets above or below one musical key, but one which is incapable of taking a sufficient compass in its inflections." See Smart's Practice of Elocution, p. 4.

6. Even in calm conversation the inflections may be perceived upon the accented syllable of the most important words, and immediately before pauses. They are generally rendered very perceptible when contradistinction is expressed, and still more so when it is implied; for then the speaker gives emphasis, or particular stress, to some particular word or words, and frequently accompanies it by a peculiar combination of the two inflections upon the same syllable, which combination is denominated the circumflex. See p. 44.

The inflections will likewise be more or less distinguishable according to the nature and degree of passion that is thrown into the discourse. In slow and distinct speaking or reading, they will become clearly observable; so that it is possible, by aid of the notation used in the present system, to describe accurately not only the inflections on the principal words, but every inflection that is adopted by a deliberate speaker. Thus, in reading slowly the following sentence, the inflections would, by most persons, be thus arranged:

Módulation-in-spéaking dèsérves-our-attention.

7. To those who are acquainted with musical notation, the subject may be further illus

trated by expressing on the five lines all the inflections in the above example *:

Modu lation in speaking de serves our at tention.

After

In pronouncing this sentence, the voice slides gently upwards on the two first syllables of the word modulation, and then descends with forcible accent through its remaining syllables together with the unaccented preposition. It then reascends on the word speaking to a higher note than it reached at its first ascent. a slight pause, it passes feebly downward on the unaccented syllable de; rises again with renewed force on serves; passes quickly upwards through the unaccented syllables; and concludes by descending on the last portion of the final word to a note lower than that with which the sentence began. The tapering of the marks in the above example, is intended to shew that the force of pronunciation which begins upon the accented syllable, gradually decreases in pronouncing the unaccented ones.

8. The extent to which these inflections are carried upwards or downwards, as well as the degree of force used in their application, will

* This mode of illustration is adopted, with slight alterations, from Mr. Smart's, ingenious work, p. 54.

depend upon the ear, and likewise upon the state of the feelings. It is said that, when the mind is tranquil, these slides commonly extend through a musical fifth; through many more notes when the passions, especially the angry ones, are excited; but that in melancholy, the accents are not inflected more than about a quarter of a note. It may however be naturally enquired, whose ears are sufficiently delicate to vouch for the accuracy of these assertions?

9. But though it is possible to mark all the inflections adopted by a deliberate speaker, still it would be highly absurd to attempt to prescribe what all of them ought to be; because, as has been justly observed, the arrangement of them is seldom so fixed and determinate, especially in long sentences, as to prevent good speakers from differing from each other, though each would convey the intended meaning with clearness and force. Still however something

may be accomplished. The principal inflections, i. e. those which are applied to the most important words, may be marked; because, as they are generally distinguished by emphasis or a more forcible pronunciation, a pretty general agreement will prevail respecting them.

* See Wright's "Philosophy of Elocution." p. 87; also Steele's Prosodia Rationalis.

A considerable degree of uniformity will also exist with regard to those inflections which are adopted immediately before the principal pauses. It is likewise to be remarked that the inflections thus circumstanced, as well as those on the most important words, are easily distinguishable in the public reading of the Holy Scriptures and of the Liturgy. This facility arises partly from the deliberate manner which is required in the delivery of those compositions, and partly from their abounding in short sentences and strong language.

10. The primary uses of the inflections are to imply either continuation or completion. The rising inflection suggests the idea that the speaker has not finished the sentence, either simple or compounded; and the falling inflection generally implies that he has.

the

In pronouncing a sentence which is intended to mean no more than the words express, the two inflections will usually be very perceptible at two particular places : highest upward slide will be heard where the principal pause occurs; and the downward slide will be heard at the conclusion of the sentence. The first may be called THE SUSPENSIVE SLIDE, distinguished by a double accent; and the other, the coNCLUSIVE SLIDE