PREFAC E.

HAVING had the honour, a few years ago, to give public lectures on English Pronunciation at the Univerfity of Oxford, I was fome time afterwards invited by several of the Heads of Houses to give private lectures on the Art of Reading, in their refpective Colleges. So flattering an invitation made me extremely anxious to preserve the favourable impreffion I had made, and this put me upon throwing the inftruction I had to convey into fomething that had the appearance of a fyftem. Those only who are thoroughly acquainted with the subject, can conceive the labour and perplexity in which this task engaged me: It was not a florid harangue on the advantages of good Reading that was expected from me, but fome plain practical rules in a fcholaftic and methodical form, that would convey real and useful inftruction.

This led me to a distinction of the voice, which, though often mentioned by musicians, has been but little noticed by teachers of Reading; which is that diftinction of the voice in

* In the first edition of this work I expreffed myself with a fcrupulous caution, refpecting this diftinction of voice; becaufe, in a grammar written a century ago by Charles Butler, of Magdalen College, Oxford, I found a direction for reading the question beginning with the verb, not only in a higher tone, but with a different turn of the voice from the other question; and in a grammar by Mr. Perry, of Scotland, about thirty years ago, I found the fame diftinction of voice in the fame case: and, except in these two authors, I never met with this dif tinction in reading till the laft edition of Enfield's Speaker ; where, in Rule VII. of the Effay on Elocution, instead of the old direction, Acquire a juft variety of Paufe aud Cadence, I found Acquire a juft variety of Pause and Inflexion; and though in the old Rule there was not a fingle word about inflexion of the voice, in the new one I found the inflexions of the voice divided into two kinds; the one conveying the idea of continuation, the other of completion; the former of which is called the fufpending, the latter the clofing paufe ;-though, in a few. lines after, we find what is called the clofing paufe, is often applicable to members, when the fenfe is fufpended. In these new directions, too, I found the queftion distinguished into two kinds, and the fufpending and the clofing paufe applied refpectively to each. I could not help congratulating myself, that a doctrine I had published fo many years before, began to be adopted by fo judicious a writer as Mr. Enfield. But, when I found it had not only been adopted, but acknowledged, by Mr. Murray, the Author of the beft Grammar and Selection of Leffons for Reading in the English Language, I found myfelf fully compenfated for the misfortune of not being noticed by the Author of the Speaker.

to the upward and downward flide, into which all fpeaking founds may be refolved: The moment I admitted this diftinction, I found I had poffeffion of the quality of the voice I wanted; for though these flides or inflexions were indefinite as to their quantity or duration, they were ftill effentially distinct, and were never convertible into each other; whereas all the other diftinctions were relative; and what was high and loud in one cafe, might be foft and low in another. Accordingly I found, upon pursuing this diftinction, that, provided the proper flide was preferved on that word which the fenfe and harmony required, the other diftinctions of the voice were more eafily attained; and if they were not, the pronunciation was infinitely less injured, than if every other diftinction of the voice had been preferved, and this fingle one neglected. Here then commenced my fyftem; infinite were the difficulties and obfcurities that impeded my progress at first; but perfeverance, and, perhaps, enthusiasm, at last brought it to a period.

Without any breach of modefty, it may be afferted, that the general idea is new, curious, and important: and, without any falfe humility, I am ready to allow, that the manner of treating it has too many faults and imperfections. Befides thofe incorrectneffes which are

infeparable from the novelty and difficulty of the fubject, it partakes of that haste, that interruption, and want of finishing, which muft neceffarily arife from a conftant and laborious attendance on pupils; for, though nothing but long practice in actual teaching could have enabled me to construct such a system, it required the leisure and liberty of independence duce it to the best advantage.

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ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE

SECOND EDITION.

WHEN the first Edition of this Work was published, I confidered the human voice as divifible into two inflexions only. Some time after, upon re-considering the fubject more maturely, I found there were certain turns of voice which I could not diftinctly clafs with either of thefe two inflexions. This difcovery mortified me exceedingly. I feared my whole labour was loft, and that I had been fatiguing myself with a diftinction which existed no where but in my imagination. None but those who have been fyftem makers, can judge of the regret and disappointment which this apprehenfion occafioned. It did not, however, continue long. The fame trial of the voice which affured me of the two oppofite inflexions, the rifing and falling, foon convinced me that thofe inflexions which I could not reduce to either of thefe two, were neither more nor lefs than two combinations of them and that they were real circumflexes; the one beginning with the rifing inflexion, and ending with the falling upon the fame fyllable; and the other beginning with the falling, and ending with the rifing on the fame fyllable. This relieved me from my anxiety; and I confidered the