Loud force is used in powerful appeals to a multitude, and in expressing all violent passions and vehement emotions, such as anger, command, exultation.

A full medium volume of sound distinguishes manly sentiments from childlike emotions. It is also the expression of noble manhood, as differing both from the light treble of childhood, and the thin voice of old age which "pipes and whistles in its sound."

STRESS. The different degrees of force and quantity may be applied with greater or less stress of the voice-abruptly, to express command, indignation, anger, defiance, spite, revenge, sudden fear, etc.; or smoothly and uniformly, to express animated, joyous, beautiful, noble, and generally all pleasant thoughts and feelings.

TIME. The time that should be given to the pronunciation of syllables, to pauses, and, consequently, to the entire reading of a piece, must also depend upon the character of the piece. If the piece be grave or pathetic, it will require slow time in the enunciation. If it be a narrative or descriptive piece, it will require medium or moderate time—that is, of the standard measure of all unemotional language. If the piece be animated or joyous, humorous and witty, it will require a somewhat rapid enunciation. The length, both of the grammatical and elocutionary pauses, will also vary according to the character of the piece.

PITCH OF VOICE. Pitch of voice has reference to its degree of elevation, as being high or low in tone. The medium of elevation in reading any piece is called the Key Note, or governing note, below and above which the voice of a speaker may range from the lowest to the highest clear sound which he can make. The extent of this range is called his compass of voice.

The Middle Pitch is the governing or key note in common conversation and in unimpassioned thought. Language of little or no emotion admits but a moderate range of voice.

The Low Pitch is the key note for the language of sublimity, awe, and reverence. Such language admits less range of voice than the former, approaching, in some cases, almost to monotone, or entire sameness of tone. (See examples of monotone, pp. xxv., 240.)

The High Pitch is the natural key note for animated and joyous pieces. Such pieces also admit the greatest range or compass of voice, and the greatest variety in change of tone.

EMPHASIS. Emphasis is a forcible stress of voice upon some word or words in a sentence, on account of their significancy and importance. Sometimes it merely gives prolonged loudness to a word, but generally the various inflections are connected with it. Thus it not only gives additional force to language, but the sense often depends upon it.

EXAMPLES.-I did not say he struck me; I said he struck John`.

I did not say he struck me; I said he pushed me.

I did not say he struck me; I said John did.

I did not say he struck me; but I wrôte it.

I did not say he struck me; but John said he did.

Emphatic words are usually denoted by being printed in italics, as in the foregoing examples; but when the emphasis is designed to be very marked, CAPITALS are sometimes used, thus: To Arms! To ARMS! TO ARMS! he cried. I repeat it, sir, we must FIGHT!

QUALITY. Quality of voice has reference to the kind of sound uttered. Thus the tones of a good voice may be described as strong, clear, full, deep, mellow, smooth, flexible, sonorous, and natural; while those of a bad or disagreeable voice may be feeble, husky, thin, shrill, hard, harsh, inflexible, dull, nasal, or affected.

The principal qualities of the voice that require special cultivation for the purposes of oratorical expression are the Pure Tone, the Orotund, the Aspirated, and the Guttural.

The Pure Tone is the appropriate voice for narrative, descriptive, didactic, or argumentative style, and for the expression of all tranquil and cheerful emotions.

The Orotund is the Pure Voice deepened and intensified, sonorous, round and full, rich and thrilling. It is adapted to the expression of earnest and vehement feelings, awe, grandeur, vastness, power, deep pathos, fervent love,

etc.

The Aspirated Tone is a forcible breathing utterance, often approaching nearly to an intensified whisper. It is used to express paralyzing fear, awe mingled with fear, amazement, terror, caution, secrecy, etc.

Aspirated Tone: Quick Time: Low Pitch: Abrupt Stress.

But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell !
Did ye not hear it'?

Aspirated Tone Slow Time Low Pitch.

While thronged the citizens with terror dumb',

Or whispering with white lips'-"The foe! they come! they come!"

The Guttural Quality is a deep, but aspirated and harsh tone of voice, used to express aversion, hatred, revenge, loathing, disgust, contempt, combined with energy of purpose.

Shylock. He hath disgraced' me, and hindered me of half a million'; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains', scorned my nation', thwarted my bargains', cooled my friends', heated mine enemies'; and what's his reason? I am a Jew'. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hånds, organs, dimensions, senses, affèctions, påssions?

INFLECTIONS. Inflections are turns or slides of the voice. Intimately connected with emphasis, force, time, and quality, they furnish the most ample and varied lights and shades of emotional expression. (For a description of the inflections, see Third Reader, p. vii.)

MELODY.

The proper variations or modulations of the voice within its natural and easy range or compass, embracing the subjects of quantity, force, time, pitch, quality, and inflections, constitute melody, which may be defined an agreeable succession of sounds." The accented syllables of words are the chief

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reliance for increasing the melody, while the unaccented syllables form the ladder on which melody glides from tone to tone.

Melody is generally desirable, but not always. The natural expression of the fury of passion has as little melody in it as the discordant clash of arms, and the frantic shrieks and yells of a body of madmen. As the object of language is to represent real life, it must picture its discords as well as its harmonies. (See Collins's Ode to the Passions.)

GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHICH GOVERN THE INFLECTIONS, AND RULES FOR THEIR APPLICATION.

POSITIVE AND COMPLETE IDEAS. Certainty and completeness as to the leading idea in the mind of the speaker or hearer, and thoughts positive and fully expressed, incline the voice to the falling inflection-the natural sign of a completed expression, that is to receive no modification. This principle embraces completion of the sense; positive, full, and complete affirmation and declaration; and all unmodified ideas generally.

RELATIVE AND INCOMPLETE IDEAS. Uncertainty as to the leading idea in the mind of the speaker or hearer, ideas expressed relatively to other ideas, and incomplete thought, incline the voice to the rising inflection-the natural sign either of uncertainty, or that the idea is not yet fully expressed. This principle includes cases of doubt; the sense incomplete; ideas that are to be modified or explained; and all that are made to contrast with positive and complete ideas.

Although these are principles of almost universal application, covering nearly all the important points of inflection, yet they are not always very apparent, owing chiefly to the inverted forms in which sentences are now often found; and in minor particulars the desire for Melody sometimes sets them aside, as in the case of the rising inflection near the close of a sentence. (See Rule VII.) Emphasis also sometimes requires a departure from the principle. We shall therefore give the usual and more definite rules for the inflections, but with such explanations of the illustrative examples as will show the very general application of the foregoing principles to the philosophy of expression. We shall thereby, while we retain the old rules that are easily comprehended and readily applied, gain the advantage of presenting the reasons on which they are founded.

RULE I.-Direct questions, or those that can be answered by yes or no, generally require the rising inflection, and their answers the falling.

EXAMPLES.-Do you think he will come to-day' ?a No'; I think he will not'.-Was that Henry'? No'; it was John'.-Did you see William'? Yes', I did'.-Are you going to town to-day'? No', I shall go to-morrow'.

MODIFICATIONS OF RULE I.

NOTE I.-Answers that are given in a careless or indifferent manner, or in a tone of slight disrespect, take the rising inflection in all cases.

EXAMPLES.-Did you see William'? I did'.-What did he say to you'? Not much'. See, also, Lesson II., p. 39, of Second Reader.

NOTE II.-Direct questions, when they have the nature of an appeal, or are spoken in an exclamatory manner, take the falling inflection. In these cases the voice often falls below the general pitch, contrary to the general rule for the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.-Is not that a beautiful sight'?-Will you persist in doing it? Is it right? Is it just`?

Was ever woman in this humor wooed'?

Was ever woman in this humor won' ?

NOTE III. When a direct question is not understood, and is repeated with emphasis, the repeated question takes the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.-Will you speak to him to-day'? If the question is not understood, it is repeated with the falling inflection, thus: Will you speak to him to-day?-Are you going to Salem'? I said, Are you going to Salem'?d

Remarks.-a. Here are doubt and uncertainty in the mind of the speaker-not a positive, but a relative idea; hence the rising inflection. The answer is positive, requiring the falling inflection.

b. The leading and controlling idea here is the positive one, in the mind of the speaker, that the thing referred to is so manifestly wrong that the individual addressed ought not to persist in doing it. This idea is so strong as to overshadow the doubtful idea whether he will or will not persist in doing it.

c. The controlling idea is the positive one, that it is not right.

d. Here the speaker merely asserts or declares what his former question

was.

RULE II. — The pause of suspension, denoting that the sense is unfinished, such as a succession of particulars that are not emphatic, cases of direct address, sentences implying condition, the case absolute, etc., generally requires the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.-John', James', and William', come here.-The great', the good', the honored', the noble', the wealthy', alike pass away.

Friends', Romans', countrymen', lend me your ears.

Jesus saith unto him, Simon', son of Jonas', lovest thou me'?

Ye hills', and dales', ye rivers', woods', and plains',

And ye that live and move, fair creatures', tell',

Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus'; how here'?

NOTE I.-For cases in which emphatic succession of particulars modifies this rule, see Rule VIII.

NOTE II.-Sentences which are inverted in form often bring the pause

of suspension, and consequently the rising inflection, at the close, thus form ing an apparent, but not real exception to the rule. Thus :

Then said Agrippa unto Festus',e This man might have been set at liberty if he had not appealed unto Cæsar'.

Ingratitude is, therefore, a species of injustice', said Socrates. swered Leander'.

I should think so, an

If we change the expression to the more natural form, these examples will read:

Then said Agrippa unto Festus', If this man had not appealed unto Cæsar'," he might have been set at liberty`.!

Ingratitude is, therefore, a species of injustice', said Socrates. Leander answered', should think so'.

, I

.—e. Uncertainty—the thought incomplete-requires the rising

Remarks.inflection.

f. This is a positive assertion, and requires the falling inflection. g. This clause, if standing alone, leaves the sense incomplete, or relative, and therefore requires the rising inflection.

RULE III. Indirect questions, or those which can not be answered by yes or no, generally require the falling inflection, and their answers the same.

EXAMPLES.-When did you see James'? Yesterday'.-When will he come again'?

To-morrow'.

What did he say ?

Who say the people that I am`? They answering, said, John the Baptist'; but some say Elias'; and others say that one of the old prophets' is risen again. Did you see William'?i Yes. Did he say any thing' ?k Yes'.' NOTE.-But when the indirect question is one asking a repetition of what was not at first understood, it takes the rising inflection. "What did ho say?" is an indirect question, with the falling inflection, asking for information. But if I myself heard the person speak, and did not fully understand him, and then ask some person to repeat what he said, I give my question the rising inflection, thus, "What' did he say' ?""

Remarks. h. This has the falling inflection, because the controlling idea in the mind of the questioner is the positive one, that James will come again, and the "when" is an accessory or subordinate idea. If the "when" had been the leading idea, the question would have been, "Will he come again' ?"

i. Here is uncertainty in the mind of the speaker.

j. The idea conveyed by the answer is a positive one.

k. Here is uncertainty again. 7. The answer is positive.

m. Here the controlling idea, made positive by the preceding answer, is that William actually said something. Hence the falling inflection for the last question.

n. Here, as the "what" is made emphatic, the controlling idea is, not that he said something, as in the former case, but the whole force of the mind is directed for the moment as to "what" he said. As this is not a positive, but a relative idea, the question takes the rising inflection.