INTRODUCTION.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE ARTS OF READING AND SPEAKING.

Ir may be useful to offer some general principles upon which the arts of reading and speaking are founded; 'by the knowledge and strict observance of which principles alone, correctness of enunciation, gracefulness of delivery, and that impressive communication of thought, which arrest the attention and captivate the heart, are to be obtained. The correct and graceful reader or speaker, possesses a power little short of that ascribed to necromancers and magicians, of fascinating and enchaining the fancy, imagination, and affections of the persons they address, and thus leading them captive at their will.

By the art of reading, I mean the art of correct and articulate pronunciation; or, of intelligibly, emphatically, and impressively repeating what is written in any language: or, in other words, the art of reading well, consists in pronouncing the thoughts of others, or our own, exhibited in visible characters, as if the same had their full and proper operation, on our minds, and were the result of our own immediate conception. He, therefore, who would acquire a just and forcible pronunciation in reading, must not only fully comprehend the sense or meaning, but enter into the spirit of his author: for he can never convey the force and fulness of the author's ideas to another, unless he feels them himself: and the voice will naturally vary, according to the impression made upon the mind, or the passion excited. In common conversation, we speak in a natural voice, with proper accent, emphasis,

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and tone; yet when we read or recite the sentiments of others, we too frequently assume a stiff, lifeless, or unnatural manner. The reason is, that in the one case we feel what we express, and instinctively commit the expression of it to nature alone, who if unrestrained, will always give just and forcible expression to sentiment: whereas, in the other case, as we do not feel, though we may fully comprehend and understand the meaning of an author, we cannot possibly commit the expression of the sentiment to the agency of nature alone, animated as she invariably is, by the pure operation of mind upon the organs of

sense.

A mere audible recital of the words of any author, as it may be made by a person who does not understand, and what is more, who does not feel what he says, so it may be made also in such a manner as not to be understood by those who hear him; or, if not totally unintelligible, be at least but imperfectly or obscurely understood; whereas the art of reading well, consists in conveying to the hearer the whole meaning of the writer. Socrates has truly observed, that all men are eloquent on those subjects which they perfectly understand; and Cicero remarks, with equal truth, though with less acuteness, that no man can speak well on those topics which he has not studied. To this end, it is evidently necessary that the reader should himself understand and feel what he reads, before he can possibly repeat it intelligibly and effectually to others.

Men will not suppose that we are affected by a subject, if they do not observe in the delivery of our language the marks of emotion in our souls. Commiseration will never be excited by a smiling countenance. To draw a tear, you must feel enough to shed one. And it is for this reason, your language must carry the marks of the passions you wish to communicate.

This is the first and indisputable qualification of a good reader, without which, the clearest and most articulate pronunciation, with all the aid of tone, look,

and gesture, will avail nothing, or only serve to mislead the hearer: the reader and speaker, though each has his distinct province in the art of public recitation or pronunciation, being understood to say what they appear to mean, rather than what they literally utter.

There are many persons of most excellent under. standing, who perfectly comprehend what they read, and yet are incapable of justly conveying to others, the meaning they so fully comprehend; and this, not from any ignorance of the language,, nor from any defect in their faculties, or organs of speech; but from want of having properly cultivated them by a careful and studious attention to the essential principles of the art of reading. This art does not consist, like that of acting, in really adopting the words and sentiments of the writer it is sufficient that the reader recite what is written, in such a manner, that the auditors at the time of hearing, may conceive it then first spoken by the person reciting, or at least in such a manner, as the person first speaking it would natur ally have uttered it.

That the pupil should have a knowledge of some of those leading precepts and principles, which are dictated by nature and reason, cannot be denied; but these alone will not make him a master of the art. He will find from experience that an emphatic pause, accompanied by a suitable look, and inflexion of tone. at certain places, either attended to or neglected, will give a captivating expression to a sentence, or completely destroy its proper effect, if not its meaning: and that the greatest beauties in the delivery of a sentence depend so much upon such simple graces of expression, of tone, and countenance, as will at ance convince him of the impossibility of their being gained by any written system whatever. The subject must first operate upon the reader or speaker, before he can properly operate upon the subject.

The fundamental law of reading or speaking is, "Follow nature," without an attentive regard to which, all other rules will only produce stiff and affected declamation, not just clocution. For no one can deserve

the appellation of a good reader or speaker, much less of an accomplished orator, who does not, to a distinct articulation, a ready command of voice, and just pronunciation, accent and emphasis, add the various expressions of emotion and passion.

Reading may, with propriety, be called artificial speaking; as it is indeed the imitation of natural elo*quence. Hence, like all other imitative arts, its end is defeated by every appearance of study, habit, or affectation. Any peculiarity of tone and manner in reading must be disagreeable, as it is unnatural. It is, nevertheless, very certain, that as there are few common readers who have not a disagreeable tone; so there are few pretended adepts in this art, who are not declaimers. It is difficult to say which of the two is the most disgusting. It is plain, however, that as the former must get rid of his acquired habit, so the latter must unlearn almost all he hath learned, before he can possibly be a good reader; and to reform bad habits is infinitely more difficult, than to commence and proceed correctly.

Indeed, before any rules can be received for the study of this art, it is necessary to eradicate those prejudices which will prevent people from profiting by For men's prejudices have a powerful effect upon their judgment, and often pervert it when they perceive it not themselves. But to eradicate entirely a vitious habit of pronunciation, must be the work of time, and the effect of repeated exertions.

The ground work, or fundamental principle of both the arts of reading and of public speaking, is distinctness of articulation, or the giving to every sound which is uttered, its due proportion, and making every word, syllable, and even every letter in the word, be heard distinctly. An accurate knowledge of the simple elementary sounds of the language, and a facility in uttering them, are so necessary to distinctness of expression, that it will be in vain to indulge the hope of being a good reader, if every elementary sound of the language cannot be first completely and easily articu Jated.

Next to an accurate knowledge of, and facility in uttering the elementary sounds, in their various combinations, a command of the principles of accentuation must be acquired, though in this respect our language is subject to frequent changes. Accent appears to be the most unstable part of the English language. We can all remember words differently accented, from the present practice, and many might be collected which still are fluctuating with their accent unsettled.

The chief instruments of elocution, are the voice, the countenance, and the hands; or rather their productions, tones, looks, and gestures. By the tones, or modulations of the human voice, the various sentiments and passions of the human mind are expressed.

Accent, emphasis, and pauses may be said to constitute the mechanical parts of the arts of reading, and speaking; the mere sense or meaning of an author being communicated by them, while the spirit and energy of the sentiments can only be conveyed by the various tones, or inflexions of the voice. A correct acquaintance, therefore, with them, and a just observance of them, constitute one of the most essential branches of elocution. Accent affects only letters and syllables; emphasis, only words; but tones affect sentences, paragraphs, and sometimes the whole of a discourse.

The object of reading and speaking, however, is not merely to express the ideas, but also the different feelings, which they excite in him who utters them; there must, therefore, be other signs than mere words to manifest those feelings. Language should not only convey the dictates of the understanding, but the emotions of the heart. The latter are expressed by various tones; and it is chiefly in the proper use of those tones, that the life, spirit, beauty, and harmony of delivery consist.

This correct and natural language of the heart, is not so difficult to be attained, as may at first view be imagined. If we properly consider and enter into the spirit of the author's sentiments, as well as int

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