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; (see sections 15, 16, 17.) They likewise sound the a distinctly in the terminations of such words, as nobleman, combat, &c. instead of adopting the obscure, intermediate sound which approximates to the sound of u; (see section 11. b.) 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, censure for censhure, &c. (see section 6.) 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 orthoepy. 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 ChurchService, in defiance of decided custom: thus, are, have, bu-rial, apos-tle, epis-tle, folk, idol, covet, covenant, &c. &c. are frequently sounded exactly according to the pelling, instead of being sounded in the usual manner,

as if they were spelt thus: arr, hav, ber-ri-al, apos-sl, epis-sl, (the t silent in both these words)—foke, idul, cuv-et, cuv-e-nant, &c. &c.-But "* 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 implicitly an orthoepist like Walker, who really had made the investigation: excepting only in those cases in which, to agree with him, would be to violate indubitable usage-cases which will sometimes occur from the variation of usage since his Dictionary was written." But where is this usage to be learned? Walker's remark will serve to guide us: "Neither a finical pronunciation of the court, nor a pedantic Grecism of the schools, will be denominated respectable usage, till a certain number of the general mass of speakers have acknowledged them; nor will a multitude of common speakers authorize any pronunci» ation which is reprobated by the learned and polite."

Though Walker's valuable Dictionary is in every one's hands, (it is now passing through the twenty-seventh edition,) still some advantage may be derived from bring ing into one view, what are considered by that distinguished orthoepist to be some of the remarkable tendencies which prevail in the pronunciation of the language+.

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

+ The student may consult with great advantage Smart's 'Practical Grammar of English Pronunciation,' a work which deserves to be generally known.

REMARKABLE TENDENCIES OF PRONUNCIATION.

1. Compound and derivative words generally shorten the vowel which is long in the primitive words: thus, shepherd from sheep-herd, vineyard from vine-yard, Christmas from Christ-mass, Michaelmas from Michael-mass, breakfast from break-fast, före-head from fore-head ;meadow from mead, primer from prime, põllard from poll, knowledge from know, &c.

2. The antepenultimate accent generally shortens the vowel, when a single consonant, or two that are proper to begin a syllable, intervene between it and the next vowel: thus nature, nătural; pārent, părentage; pēnal, penalty; simon, simony; globe, globular; pātron, påtronage; metre, metrical.

Exception (a). U is never thus shortened: thus, cube, cubical; music, musical; lunar, lunary; humour, hu

morous.

Exception (b).—The antepenultimate accent does not shorten the vowel (unless that vowel be i) when the following syllable has in it a proper diphthong beginning with e or i, as ei, eo, ia, ie, io, iu, eou, or iou:-Ex. A-theist, me-teor, me-diate, a-lien, occa-sional, me-dium, ouira-geous, harmo-nious. But so great a propensity

* The same rules and exceptions prevail in the usual English mode of pronouncing Greek and Latin. Hence the long vowel in rado, demo, vivo, pono, is shortened by the antepenultimate accent in rad-ere, dem-ere, viv-ere, pon-ere; hence the first vowel is sounded long in ha-beo, mo-neo, ra-pio, and short in hab-ui, mon-ui, rap-ui; hence we say, sta-tio and stat-ua, me-tior

(says Mr. Walker) have vowels to shrink under this accent, that the diphthong in some words, and analogy in others, are not sufficient to prevent it: thus väliant, retăliate, national, rătional.

3.-The secondary accent in derivative words generally shortens the vowel which is long, though unaccented, in the primitive words. Hence the first vowel which is lengthened in de-prive, re-péat, profâne, becomes short, through the influence of the secondary accent, in dep'-riva'tion, rep-eti"-tion, prof'-a

na'-tion.

(a) The exceptions to this effect of the secondary accent, are similar to those which take place under the antepenultimate accent: viz. when u occurs; as lucubrate, lúcubra'tion; pú-rify, pú-rifica”tion; or when the following syllable contains a semi-consonant diphthong beginning with e ori: (see exception (b) under the antepenultimate accent;) thus the long e in de-viate, me-diate, continues long in de-viation, mē-diation, mē-diator.

and met-uor. An observance of the principles which guide our pronunciation in English, will prevent that diversity which often prevails among those who wish to retain the usual English mode of pronouncing Greek and Latin. These remarks are not applicable to the system of pronunciation adopted at the Charter House; which, since the pronunciation of the ancients is lost, comes recommended by its practical utility in facilitating the acquisition of an accurate knowledge of the longs and shorts."]

The secondary accent is that stress which is occasionally placed in words of four or more syllables upon some other syllable besides that which has the principal accent. Thus, accent is placed on the first syllable of conversation, commendation, besides the principal one on the third syllable, when the word is not preceded by an accented syllable. But when it is so preceded, the secondary accent is not used: thus políte conversátion; gréat commendá

tion.

4. The past tense frequently shortens the vowel which is long in the present tense: thus, bit from bite; said from say; read from read; and heard from hear.

5.-W has a peculiar power over the sound of the succeeding vowel: hence the sound given to o in worm, word: and the broad sound given to the a in water, wan, quantity (kwontity), quality, (kwolity) qualify (kwolify,) &c. The u which always follows q, is sounded like w; and as w always communicates a broad sound to a in the syllables al and ant when under the accent, analogy clearly requires that the broad sound should be adopted in quality, qualify, quantity, &c.

6.—An aspirated hissing is given to T, D, S, Z, X, and soft C, immediately after the accent (either primary or secondary), and before proper diphthongs beginning with e or i; likewise often before u.

(a) Tis sounded like sh in the combinations tia, tial, tian, tiate, tient, tience, tion, tious; as in minutia, partial, partiality, tertian, expatiate, patient, patience, nation, captious, &c.

(b) Tis sounded like tsh in the combinations teous, tue, tuous, tual, tune, ture, tute; likewise when t follows s, n, x; as in righteous, virtue, virtuous, spiritual, fortune, nature, statute; bestial, question, frontier, admixtion, &c.

"This pronunciation of t extends to every word in which the diphthong or diphthongal sound begins with i or e, except in the termination of verbs and adjectives,

* On minutely considering the position of the organs of speech when pro→ nouncing these consonants and vowels, it appears that this sibilation promotes ease of utterance. See Walker's Principles, art. 459; also Smart's 'Practical Grammar of English Pronunciation.' pp. 68, 212.