lock's fiendish half-shriek, on the word hip, in his exclamation referring to Antonio,

"If I do catch him once upon the hip,

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him!

The sprawling, expanded utterance, which the style of rant preposterously endeavors to indulge, on this word, causes the voice, as it were, to fall in pieces in the attempt, and to betray the falsity of the style which it affects.

But it is in the chaste yet generous effect of the judicious prolongation and indulgence of "mutable quantities," that the skill of the elocutionist, and the power and truth of expression, are peculiarly felt. It is in these, that the watchful analyst can trace, at once, the full soul and the swelling heart, which would impel the speaker to prolong indefinitely the tones of passion, to give "ample scope and verge enough" to overflowing feeling, but, not less surely, the manly force of judgment, and the disciplined good taste, which forbid any display of mere sound, in the utterance of earnest emotion.

A long-continued practice on the elements of the language, on syllables, words, and phrases, will be well bestowed on the endeavor to acquire a perfect command of "quantity."

66
EXERCISES IN QUANTITY."

The following exercises need close attention to the firmness, clearness, decision, and purity of the opening "radical," and the delicacy and distinctness of the "vanish." The latter should be occasionally practised in that longprotracted form, which, as Dr. Rush has expressively said, "knits sound to silence." * The elements may be practised in "effusive," "expulsive," and "explosive" utterance, on all the chief intervals of "slide" and "wave," commencing with the "second," and extending to the octave, both upward and downward, and on the various degrees of "force" and modes of "stress," together with the distinctions of "pitch," and the "expression" of the

*The same thought is expressed, with inimitable beauty, in the lines of Sheridan Knowles,

"I hear a sound so fine, there's nothing lives
"Twixt it and silence!"

chief characteristic emotions; as awe, reverence, fear, ror, despair, anger, grief, joy, love, &c.

hor

1. Examples of Long "Quantities" and "Indefinite"

unv-ei-l repl-y

bel-ow

recl-ai-m def-y

foreg-o

disd-ai-n den-y

reb-ou-nd enj-oy ref-u-se res-ou-nd rej-oi-ce am-u-se beh-o-ld unh-ou-sed empl-oy den-u-de

* "Immutable" syllables do not admit of "effusive " utterance. They are best adapted to the display of "explosive" style, although they occur also in "expulsive" and "declamatory expression."

3. Variable" Quantities," and "Mutable" Syllables."

-

B-i-g O-dd C-u-b

g-o-d

d-u-b

t-u-b

A-pe Wh-a-t B-e-t A-dd g-ai-t n-o-t d-e-bt b-a-d d-i-g f-a-te g-o-t p-e-t m-a-d f-i-g n-o-d b-a-sely d-o-tted b-e-tter s-a-dden r-i-gging b-o-dy w-a-keful c-o-ttage p-e-ttish m-a-ddest d-i-gger s-o-dden d-o-uble

b-u-bble

EXAMPLES OF QUANTITY," IN PHRASES AND SENTENCES. " Quantities," and "Indefinite" Syllables.

1.- Long

[The object in view in these exercises, is, to enable the student to trace distinctly the wide scope of " expression" afforded by "indefinite" syllables, for the full prolongation of all elements which imbody the sounds of passion and emotion. "Time," in elocution, is the opportunity of effect, which inattention and rapidity throw away. Young readers, in particular, need much practice in this department; as they incline to haste and slight "expression." The mode of performing these exercises, should be regulated with a view, at first, to the fullest effect of expressive sound. Afterwards, the style may be reduced in effect, as the consecutive reading of whole pieces may require. In vocal training, as in athletic exercise, the object of practice is, sometimes, to execute a given feat, with a view to its effect on habit, to gain the power of putting forth, on requisite occasions, a maximum of effort, in an easy, graceful, and appropriate manner.]

Grief: "Oh! I have lost you all!

Courage

Awe:

Parents, and home, and friends."

"Come one, come all! - this rock shall fly
From its firm base as soon as I."

My heart is awed within me when I think
Of the great miracle that still goes on
In silence round me."

Sublimity:-"Hail! holy Light! offspring of Heaven,

first-born."

Disdain: "None left but by submission; and that word Disdain forbids me."

Shouting: - "To arms! to arms! to arms!' they

cry,"

Regret:-"Ah! why will kings forget that they are

men,

And men that they are brethren?

Delight: "The balmy breath of incense-breathing

Fear :- "While the deep thunder, peal on peal, afar ”Triumph:- "Io! they come, they come!" Misery: "Wailing and woe, and grief, and fear, and

Calling:
Defiance:

And shout and groan and sabre stroke " "Awake! arise! or be for ever fallen!" "Thy threats, thy mercy, I defy!"

"I give thee, in thy teeth, the lie!" Denial: "The truth of his whole statement I do most peremptorily deny."

Challenge: "Pale, trembling coward! there I throw

my gage."

"Draw, villain, draw, and defend thy life!" Exultation:-"Poison, and Plague, and yelling Rage are fled!"

Adoration:·

"Air, earth, and sea, resound His praise

abroad!"

Melancholy:" Old Ocean's gray and melancholy

waste"

Grandeur: :- "Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean,

Anger:

roll!

Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain!"

"And dar'st thou, then,

To beard the lion in his den,

The Douglas in his hall ?”

And hop'st thou hence unscathed to go?·
No! by Saint Bride of Bothwell, no!

Pathos:

Command:

“For I am poor and miserably old !” "Chieftains forego!

The man who strikes makes me his foe."

"Hold, hold! for your lives!" "Hold, hold! the general speaks to you;hold, for shame!"

Earnest Entreaty :— "Hear me! oh! hear-me!”

Despair:

Madness:

Pity:

Distraction:

Gloom:

"Sickness, and want, and feeble, trem

bling age

"Blow, wind, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!"

"Thou drear and howling wilderness!"

Vastness and Sublimity" Boundless, endless, and

sublime!"

Self-reproach:-"O fool! fool! fool!"

Commiseration:

Imprecation:

"Poor fool and knave, I have one part

in my heart

That's sorry yet for thee!"

"Strike her young bones,

You taking airs, with lameness!