a

serve for that one word "WORTH," upon fail greatly in these respects. Precision which the power of the passage depends. may be acquired by a little careful vocal Before reaching this key-word you per- training. The habit of a correct pronunceive a self-restraint, and an appearance ciation may be secured by observing the of increasing carnestness and deliberate- usage of the best speakers, and by setnoss, a something like spurring and rein- tling doubtful questions on the authority ¡ing in a passion at the same moment, till of those orthoepists who are acknowlthe crimson mounts to the face from the edged judgos, as having thoroughly invesaction of an irrepressible emotion when tigated the pronunciation of every word, i tho word “WORTH” is uttered with both from general use, and the analogies | such a volume and percussive force of and laws of the language. I voice as cause the sentiment of the entire

It may be observed, in passing, that a ' paragraph to take full possession of the correct pronunciation is of chief conseminds of the hearers. Men retire talking quence in those words that are of most of that fine passage of Pope, and of the frequent recurrence. For instance, if you merits of that great poet. If they speak should commit errors in pronouncing of the reader, it is to mark a defect; to foreign names or very unusual words, it say

what a pity that he has such a dis- would be justly regarded as pardonable, agreeable drawl. Yet, in spite of that de- but if you were to mispronounce words fect, his reading has accomplished the in the verb to be and in constantly recuronly end that is worthy to be sought by ring particles-if you should say ben for the art. One has exhibited himself-the been (bin), air for are (ar), agane for other has electrified his audience with the again (agen), against, with ai long, as in i thought. It is casy to perceive which is pain, instead of agenst, dooz for does the true artist.

(duz), it would be unpardonable. There There are two qualities which every is also a considerable class of words liable good reader must acquire, and yet they to be mispronounced by giving them in are very likely to be regarded as of more reading a precision such as is allowable consequence than they really possess---I only when they are emphatic. The posmean a distinct utterance and a correct sessive pronouns your and my are exampronunciation. Reading certainly can not ples. In conversation we say, Give me be impressive without a general precision your (yr) hand; I put on my overcoat and

I and distinctness of enunciation. It has went out. In reading, even where no been justly said that the reader's words emphasis demands it, it is common to utshould "fall from his lips like new coin ter these words with such a fullness asfrom the mint-each one being of due You (yew) give me your (ewer) hand in weight and possessing a sharp image and good faith; I put on my overcoat and resplendent surface." Yet precision may went out. Yet, your, when not emphatic, be carried to an extreme, or may be em ought to be pronounced as (yer) in the ployed in just measure even, without se- word lawyer. curing a good elocution. The same gen- An opposite fault in pronouncing oceral remark may be made in respect to curs in large classes of words, in which pronunciation. But, as a correct orthoepy some of the primary elements of the sounds and precision of utterance are both easily are changed in their quality when they attained, it is a shame for any scholar to ought to be only diminished in force.

Thus in president, resident, and eminent, particular stress on the second syllable the French sound of the i ought to be re- thus, con-di-tion. If you will increas tained, as also the short sound of the the emphasis with ease to yourself, a sec e in the termination ent. The word ond natural device for securing the ob president must be so pronounced thatject is a clear and full precision in th it shall not appear as an affected preci- utterance of the whole word, thus, “Ilon sion, as if it were prez-eedent, yet the el-or and shame from no condition rise, ementary sounds must not be so changed pronouncing the entire word with grea that, in the case of strong emphasis, it precision. Do you mean to say he is would become pres-ud-unt. An elegant scoundrel ? Yes, I do. I mean to sa pronunciation is worthy of attention be- he is a con-sum-mate scoundrel. Her cause it adds something to the excellency a slow, distinct utterance of all thof good reading. And yet precision of syllables greatly increases the empha utterance and a correct pronunciation are sis. Kean has been criticised as guilty o but as “the tithing of mint, anise, and a great affectation in exhibiting the dou cumin.” The weightier matters are the bling of the m in the word summer is intonations, varied perpetually in quality this passage : "Now is the winter o and force, presenting thoughts in their our discontent made glorious sum-mer by just light and shade to the car, as paint. this son of York.” But, it was no affec ing presents to the eye the objects of tation unless, indeed, the emphasis may vision.

have been stronger than the sense required These intonations are mainly exhibited In uttering the whole of an emphati in emphasis, its opposite, and the adap- word with a marked precision, the voic tations of sounds to sense. Inflections does for the car what the compositor doe may be omitted, because one can scarcely for the eye, when he prints the entir fail in them if a proper habit be once se

word in capital letters. Precision, then cured in the three particulars just men

is as clearly a part of emphasis-a mean tioned,

of drawing attention to the word—as i

stress on the accented syllable. The subject of emphasis is one of pri

A third element in emphasis is a pausi mary importance, and is of the more con

before the emphatic word. To take thi sequence in this discussion, because inad

sentence just now recited, you will ob equately treated in the books. I must

serve the emphasis may be augmented by speak of the nature of emphasis, or the

a pause before the word summer. Lc manner of making it, of its place and its

this pause be represented to the eye by proportions.

vacant space before the word. “Now i Emphasis consists in every thing be the winter of our- -discontent made glo longing to utterance by which a reader rious-summer by this son of York.”— or speaker draws especial attention to a The pause before the emphatic word i word or phrase. It involves six partic- not unlike that gathering and adjustinį ulars. The first is that stress of voice on of the muscles which a man display the accented syllable of a word which is when he is about to deal a vigorous stroke commonly denominated emphasis. If or to make a powerful leap. Nor is i you say, “Honor and shame from no less manifest that a pause after the em condition rise," a degree of emphasis is phatic word adds a fourth element to th imparted to the word condition, by a emphasis. You may observe it in th

eye,

summer.

- summer

same passage—“Now is the winter of is given to another word, in the same our discontent made glorious— sum- sentence, in a quiet and easy manner.mer -by this son of York." A fifth Thus if you take the first couplet of means of augmenting emphasis is by Streets' poem of “The Grey Forest Eachanging the manner instantly and to-gle," you have at least four emphatic tally after the emphatic word. This con- words. sists in falling at once, and, as it were, “With storm-daring pinion and sun-gazing perpendicular into a colloquial style of utterance. Refer again to the same passage,

The gray forest Eagle reigns King of the sky." and observe the change after the word The words storm and sun are in a small “Made glorious

degree emphatic, and the emphasis may by this son of York.” One thing more is be marked by a slight stress of voice, and often employed with great advantage, as a pause follows each, while the word eaa sixth device for strengthening an em- gle and king demand more prominence. phasis ; I mean a circumflex on the em- The word eagle must receive consideraphatic word. The circumflex is justly ble emphasis, as being the only object of considered a great blemish when too interest presented to the sentence, and as freely used in reading. It is that which, brought forward for the first time. But when it prevails, constitutes a disagree the word king suggests still greater majable drawl. Yet, in its place, it is an el-esty and consequence. The emphasis on ement of power. Take an example of it eagle may, therefore, be made by a ciron the word“ more," in the passage fron cumflex and slightly increased force of Pope:

utterance, reserving for the word king, " Ilonor and shame from no condition rise,

which is of greater moment, that broad, Act well your part, there all the honor lies. deep, percussive force which gives the Fortune in men has some small difference made;

greatest effect, and which, on that account, Ono flaunts in rags-one flutters in brocade ; ought to be used sparingly. The cobler aproned and the parson gowned, The friar hooded and monarch crowned. “With storm daring pinion and sun-gazing What differ-more--you cry, than crown and eye, cowl?

The grey forest Eagle reigns KING of the I'll tell

you,

friend-& wise man and a fool." sky." I have thus shown that emphasis con

Thus it may

be

seen that the various sists in the six following things: stress methods by which emphasis is created, on the accented syllable; precision in give the cultivated reader power to disenunciating the whole word; a pause be- tribute the emphasis with ease to himself, fore the emphatic word; a pause after it; and to employ such varieties as are nata sudden and total change of manner af ural, and agreeable to the hearers. ter the emphatic word, and a circum- The finding of the emphasis is confessflex.

edly one of the most difficult things in These various modes of creating and the art of reading. This difficulty may strengthening emphasis give to the rea- be diminished somewhat by specifying der the advantage of securing, when he a few entire classes of words that are alchooses, a powerful emphasis with little ways emphatic, except where the emphaphysical labor, and also enable him to sis has been just before employed, and employ stress of voice on one word in a where it is consequently implied, and sentence, while an almost equal emphasis not to be repeated.

Adverbs of negation are always em- For similar reasons, never and ever and phatic. They are employed to deny always follow the same law; they are alwhat were else asserted in the sentence.ways employed to give emphasis to the asThe very design of emphasis is to bring sertion with which they are connected. out the sense, and the sense of the sen- For the same reason, negative particles in tence denying anything hangs upon the composition are always emphatic. Thus negative particle. There may be another un is never unemphatic. I am not, indeed, emphatic word in the sentence, but there unaware of the fact that many good reais so much the greater necessity that the ders say unblemished, inexcusable, and negative should be also emphasized, lest unlovely, without any stress on the partithe hearer should understand you as af-cle un ; but the clearness and force with firming what you intend to deny. But which ideas are brought to the mind if you take a succession of negative propo- through the ear are quite manifest when sitions, after one emphasis on the negative a small degree of emphasis is put upon particle, it may be diminished in the next, such particles; and when the words with and then be thoroughly kept down to the which they are joined become strongly end of the series. Thus, if you take the emphatic in conversation, the law becomes five negative commandments in the second quite perceptible. Thus a man speaking table of the Decalogue, you will perceive in tones of severe censure, says his conthat the emphasis passes entirely away duct is totally inexcusable, and that it so soon as it comes to be understood, was most unwise for himself. from the similarity of the successive sen

To diminish still further the difficulty tences, that it belongs to them. Thus

of finding the emphasis, two sources of we read—“Thou shalt not kill." We mistake may be specified in this respect. then make it less—"Thou shalt not commit adultery." We then dismiss the em

In the first place, the love of euphony phasis through the entire series; as it is often draws the attention of the reader a. a rule never to employ emphasis where way from the proper place of the emphait is not necessary to a full development

sis. If one has the least degree of music of the sense upon the ear.

The first not

in his soul, he will feel inclined to bring is uttered with a distinct force. The next out his brilliant tones on brilliant words one with less. After that, every not is and to avoid the expending of his power: pronounced in the lightest manner, as if of decoration on ill-sounding expressions it were written n't, without any vowel

Take, for instance, the particle but sound, and every nor as if it were n'r, which, as implying an opposite meaning without a vowel—thus:

of great force, often demands a strong em “ Thou shalt not kill.'

phasis. It can not be strongly empha "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

sized without seeming inelegant.- “Thou shalt n't steal."

Yet the homely force with which it is of " Thou shalt n't bear false witness a- ten uttered in conversation, ought to ap gainst thy neighbor."

pear in a passage like the following: * Thou shalt n't covet thy neighbor's am the least of the apostles, and not mee house, thou shalt n't covet thy neighbor's to be called an apostle, because I perse wife, n'r his maid servant, n'r his ox, n'r cuted the church of God. But, by thi his ass, n'r anything that is thy neigh-grace of God, I am what I am.” Ther bor's."

is another word in this same passage

66

where the love of euphony will draw a- the thought had been thus expressed : side almost every reader from the true “Behold, there were persons that appearemphasis. It is commonly placed on ed to them, two in number, and the garGod. It is read, “I persecuted the ments which they had on were shining." church of God." Yet it is not the church Then no one would have misplaced the of God, in opposition to the church of emphasis. some other being. Church is the em

Another instance may be cited from the phatic word. If the phrase "of God" same chapter. Let it be read first, as were left out, the sense would be com

nearly as possible, correctly, in every plete. Besides this, it is difficult to our

other respect, except with the omission of organs to spend their force on the word the most important emphasis in the whole church, when it is thus connected. If paragraph—“And the one of them, whose church had been the last word in the sen

name was Cleopas, answering, said unto tence, it would have been easy to say, “I him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusapersecuted God's church.” It is difficult

lem, and hast not known the things which

have come to pass there in these days? to say, "I persecuted the church of God," emphasizing the word church, and keep and they said unto him, Concerning Je

And he said unto them, What things? ing down the word God. In the gospel

sus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, according to Luke, in speaking of the ap.mighty in deed and word before God, and pearance of the angels, the writer says, all the people.” The principal emphatic “ And it came to pass as they were much word is things. If events had been emperplexed thereabout, behold, two men

ployed instead of things, no one would stood by them, in shining garments."— have thought of placing the emphasis The rhythm of the sentence would seem elsewhere. Let it be so read, and then to demand that the emphasis should be again, let it be read with the word things placed upon the words men and garments, in its place, and you shall see that there is and nine out of ten would read it: Be

something in the word things which leads hold, two men stood by them in shining

us to avoid making it prominent. The garments.” And yet the fact that two men were there in opposition to women, mine where the emphasis shall be placed.

sense alone, and not euphony, must deteror children, or angels, is not the idea of

The second source of illusion is found the writer. He draws attention to the

in a disposition to give prominence to evidea, that where they expected to see no

ery word which is in itself striking, or body-nothing but a silent tomb,on which which is of great intrinsic consequence, the gentle mists of the morning were Hence it is that word God, in the descending—they saw living personages, phrase, “I persecuted the church of God," two of them. That they were invested with garments was not remarkable

, but also, a great part of cultivated speakers,

seems to demand an emphasis, and hence, their clothing was bright. If the sen

in the pulpit, always pronounce

the name tence were so constructed by the colloca

of the Divine Being with a power of voice tion of the words and phrases of which it is composed, as to make it easy for the

which corresponds in some degree with

their sense of his awful majesty and organs of utterance to put the emphasis on the right words, no one would be like

greatness. And hence, too, the boys at ly to have misplaced it. Suppose, then, better than others, endeavor to imitate

school, especially those that can declaim