quires nothing in the pronunciation but a plainness and distinctness; long pauses between the contrasted parts, and a somewhat higher tone of voice in the former than the latter, in order the better to show the opposition: thus the clause, Who at one time was more acceptable to the best men, should be pronounced in a more elevated tone than, and who more intimate with the worst? and so of the rest.

But in his description of the behaviour of Verres to a Roman citizen in the island of Sicily, we must accompany the words with every passion excited by the objects, or we shall deprive the passage of its greatest force and beauty.

The unhappy man, arrested as he was going to embark for his native country, is brought before the wicked prætor. With eyes darting fury, and a countenance distorted with cruelty, he orders the helpless victim of his rage to be stripped, and rods to be brought, accusing him, but without the least shadow of evidence, or even of suspicion, of having come to Sicily as a spy. It was in vain that the unhappy man cried out,

"I am a Roman citizen! I have served under Lucius Pretius, who is now at Panormus, and will attest my innocence!" The blood-thirsty prætor, deaf to all he could urge in his own defence, ordered the infamous punishment to be inflicted. Thus, fathers, was an innocent Roman citizen publicly mangled with scourging, whilst the only words he uttered, amidst his cruel sufferings, were, "I am a Roman citizen!" With these he hoped to defend himself from violence and infamy; but of so little service was this privilege to him, that, while he was thus asserting his citizenship, the order was given for his exe cution-for his execution upon the cross!

The beginning of this passage should be accompanied with pity, and something of the dismay of a person under the unhappy circumstances described. The description of the prætor should have a tincture of that fierceness in it which is so strongly marked. It was in vain the

unhappy man cried out, I am a Roman citizen! &c. should be pronounced in a loud complaining tone; and at The blood-thirsty prætor, the voice must again assume a tincture of the fierce. The address to the judges should be pronounced in a lower and more tranquil tone, partaking strongly of the grief such a scene must excite in every generous breast; and the conclusion, for his execution on the cross, must be accompanied with a low hoarse tone of voice, expressive of that horror every Roman must feel to have a citizen suffer a death destined to the meanest slaves. How little did the orator suspect that this death, the ignominy of which seems to make him shudder, was soon to become the joy and exultation of the world!

Hypotyposis.

INSTANCES of the Hypotyposis in verse are innumerable. Description seems the province of poetry. The scenery of nature naturally inspires us with numbers, and these numbers heighten and embellish the beauties of nature.

What can be more beautiful than the picture of a country life drawn by Virgil, and copied by Dryden.

Here easy quiet, a secure retreat,

A harmless life, that knows not how to cheat,
With home-bred plenty the rich owner bless,
And rural pleasures crown his happiness.
Unvex'd with quarrels, undisturb'd with noise,
The country king his peaceful realm enjoys;
Cool grots and living lakes, the flow'ry pride
Of meads, and streams that through the valley glide;
And shady groves, that easy sleep invite,
And, after toilsome days, a sweet repose at night.
Georg. b. i. v. 467.

This passage presents us with no sounding epithets, no animated strokes of passion; but a judicious reader will not therefore suppose it devoid of expression: he will consider the disposition such a scene would excite in the mind, and accompany his pronunciation with such tones as express this disposition. The tranquillity of this scene, therefore, must be expressed by a soft easy tone bordering on the plaintive; it admits of little or no variety, except dwelling a little longer than common on the word cool, the sound of which, it is presumed, is somewhat expressive of the sense.

Milton's description of rural solitude is a master-piece of this kind.

And when the sun begins to fling

His flaring beams, me, Goddess, bring
To arched walks of twilight groves,
And shadows brown that sylvan loves,
Of pine or monumental oak,

Where the rude axe, with heaved stroke,
Was never heard the nymphs to daunt,
Or fright them from their hallow'd haunt;
There in close covert, by some brook,
Where no profaner eye may look,
Hide me from day's garish eye,
While the bee, with honey'd thigh,
That at her flow'ry work doth sing,
And the waters murmuring,
With such concert as they keep,
Entice the dewy-feather'd sleep.

Il Penseroso.

The first line, and as far of the second as to beams, must be pronounced in a tone expressive of splendor; the succeeding part of the line, and what follows it, must assume a cool tranquil tone as far as haunt; then the voice must fall into a lower tone approaching to a monotone, and proceed softly and slowly to the end.

The description of a lady's toilet, in Pope's Rape of the Lock, is superlatively fine.

And now unveil'd the toilet stands display'd,
Each silver vase in mystic order laid.
First rob'd in white, the nymph intent adores,
With head uncover'd, the cosmetic powers:
A heav'nly image in the glass appears,
To that she bends, to that her eyes she rears.
Th' inferior priestess, at her altar's side,
Trembling begins the sacred rites of pride.
Unnumber'd treasures ope at once, and here
The various off'rings of the world appear.
From each she nicely culls with curious toil,
And decks the goddess with the glitt'ring spoil:
This casket India's glowing gems unlocks,
And all Arabia breathes from yonder box;
The tortoise here and elephant unite,

Transform'd to combs, the speckl'd and the white.
Here files of pins extend their shining rows,
Puffs, powders, patches, bibles, billet-doux.
Now awful beauty puts on all its arms,
The fair each moment rises in her charms,
Repairs her smiles, awakens every grace,
And calls forth all the wonders of her face!
Sees by degrees a purer blush arise,
And keener light'ning quicken in her eyes.
The busy sylphs surround their darling care:
These set the head, and those divide the hair;
Some fold the sleeve, while others plait the gown;
And Betty's prais'd for labours not her own.

This passage requires no great variety of voice, but admits of considerable variety of expression; and, as the style is mock-heroic, this expression may be much stronger than if the composition were simple and unaffected. A dignity, solemnity, and importance of voice and manner, must describe the toilet and the nymph's approach to it, in the first six lines; but the fourth couplet must be expressive of the dread and caution with which a timid servant assists a haughty beauty.

The succeeding couplet must have all the splendor of pronunciation intimated by its objects, and the next two lines must abate of this splendor, to express the curious toil with which each is culled. The next four lines are to be as splendid and glowing as possible. The files of pins must shine with great dignity and importance, while the several articles of the next line must be pronounced simply and without ornament; but the succeeding couplet has an awfulness and dignity approaching to devotion: the next four lines abate of this dignity, to express rapture and surprise at such sudden and increasing flashes of beauty; while the four last lines descend to an expression of alertness and activity, concluding with a complacency and satisfaction at having so well performed the important task.

Hypotyposis.

UNDER the figure called Hypotyposis may be classed such words as are naturally descriptive of the things they signify; that is, such words as either from the softness or harshness, length or shortness, of the letters of which they are composed, are expressive of the nature of the objects for which they stand; or, as Pope has happily expressed it, words whose sound is an echo to the sense. The occasional coincidence of the sound and sense of words has been an object of attention with all writers both ancient and modern, and those must be severe critics indeed who deny the propriety and beauty of this coincidence. It must be confessed that the affectation of this, like every other affectation, is truly disgusting; but proves, at the same time, that