much variety also ought always to be employed, as the course of thought will permit.

Finally, so far as delivery merely is concerned, Brevity is one of the most important of all qualities.

Very few speakers seem to be aware of this unquestionable fact. Elocution, like music, has but a limited number of legitimate resources for variety. Of the two arts, music bestows the deepest and most universal pleasure. Yet musicians appreciate the great importance of brevity in single performances, and not only shorten them as much as possible, but call in every practicable resource for variety. Even the most favorite performers, avoid, if possible, taking on themselves alone the task of gratifying an assembly throughout an entire concert. Actors pursue the same policy; they always shorten long speeches in a play.

2. Extemporaneous Speaking.-In the case of a mind well disciplined by education, the hindrances to this accomplishment, are almost solely the embarrassment and confusion of mind which attend the want of established habits of good delivery. Vide the remarks which precede the lessons for the first term of the Sophomore year, p. 404.

Delivery may be compared to the mechanical and habitual parts of the act of writing a composition. If one has an easy current hand, and confirmed habits of accuracy in spelling, grammar and the simplest principles of style, the labor of original composition is so simplified that the mind is free to think and arrange its thoughts with facility. In extemporaneous speaking, a perfect fluency, readiness, and habits of clearness and force, in delivery, in conjunction also with the composure and selfpossession which become habitual, not only leave the mind. equally free to think, but even assist it in so doing.*

* The mental process by which an extemporaneous speaker keeps the construction of sentences and paragraphs clear and regular, is a curious and useful subject of study. We can but simply mention, that it is similar in many respects to that of reading at sight. Vide p. 206.

3. Reading.-Parlor reading, as an accomplishment, resembles that of extempore music on a piano-requiring not only great skill, but a peculiar natural genius in the reader. But as

an accomplishment, it is not often called for in society-music affording so much more pleasure.

Public reading is readily mastered after one has become an accomplished speaker.

It differs from speaking in requiring less clearness and brilliancy of voice, shorter pauses, and less force of emphasis.

Suppose an accomplished speaker to have a manuscript prepared, from which it is optional with him either to read or speak. If he prefers the former, let him consider how he would speak the composition, and use the same emphases, inflexions and pauses, but less forcibly. The actual degree of approach to the bold and striking exhibitions made in speaking, will depend on the circumstances of the time, place and occasion, and on the speaker's own choice and taste. Public reading may approach indefinitely near to speaking, and it is a practise adopted by many, occasionally to speak a portion of a discourse, although the prevailing delivery is that of reading.

To be effective, reading should always have in a considerable degree the tone of addressing an audience; yet the address is not so direct and earnest. Reading is principally, and indeed almost exclusively, in the Meditative Mood of delivery.

Some may imagine that in addressing public audiences, speaking must of course be more effective than reading. This is not true. For lectures, whether of instruction or amusement, and for many other purposes, reading is not only more agreeable, but more useful. It puts the hearers into a more reflective and thoughtful, as well as into a more complacent and gratified state of mind.

Public reading should be accompanied by graceful attitudes and gestures. These however will be fewer in number, and

like the tones of the voice will not be as forcible, or make so

strong an appeal, as in speaking.

Under this head should be ranked the kind of reading necessary in schools and families for purposes of instruction:

The principal requisites of which are distinctness, slowness, and a strong and vivid emphasis.

4. Poetry. It is obvious that to attempt to exhibit such Practical Speaking as will be useful in the business of society, by adopting the schoolboy practice of declaiming poetry, is absurd. Poetry must be read or recited. Recitation is a peculiar branch of elocution, and as distinct as that of Acting.

The public reading of poetry is often necessary. No peculiar directions, however, are required, except that in giving the pauses, inflexions and emphases necessary for exhibiting the sense, care must be exercised that full justice be done to the meter. For this, let the reader depend on his ear, and carefully observe the cæsural pauses. It is the worst possible style of reading, which makes poetry sound like prose.

Poetry, however, presents peculiar difficulties, compared with prose, inasmuch as a larger proportion of the words are important in meaning, and require an especial care in articulation. Therefore,

In reading poetry, take more pains than with prose, to exhibit the natural grouping of the words.

The influence of the feet in versification, tends to make a reader join words together which are separated in the natural grouping, and to separate many which must be grouped together. Hence careless reading is more unintelligible in poetry than in prose. Even public recitations of poetry, with a full and musical voice, and with bold emphasis, are seldom, for this reason, satisfactorily intelligible to an audience.

5. Self-cultivation in Elocution.-Good habits, once acquired, are not very liable to be lost in after life. A spirited and truly

natural delivery, improves as its possessor grows older, even if he neglects its further cultivation. It receives the influence of a more matured mind and character. The beauty, strength and flexibility, however, of the voice, will degenerate, unless occasionally cultivated.

Those who wish to pursue a course of self-cultivation in the higher qualities of delivery-such as are needed in oratory, and such as depend on a vivid imagination and susceptible feelings -must have the habit of occasionally amusing themselves with endeavoring to express by Speaking, Recitation or Reading, the full amount of thought, imagination and feeling, contained in choice extracts from the greatest writers.

If Speaking be practised in private, it ought always to be addressed in imagination to an appropriate audience. We have just used the expression, "amusing themselves." A certain degree even of sportiveness, in solitary practice, will often be useful, by tending not only to make the exercise agreeable, but to promote natural and healthful habits of mind. In this way may be prevented an evil described by Tacitus, in his tract on the causes of the decay of eloquence among the Romans; among which he enumerates the custom adopted by oratorical students, of getting up theatrical trials, and practising enthusiastic declamation in defense of injured innocence, and against fancied tyrants and oppressors. By this process, a false and empty show of passion became established in place of a living eloquence.

Genuine eloquence can only be cultivated by a persevering self-development and discipline, not only of the imagination, but of the whole character. This subject, however, has more connexion with the study of composition, than with that of delivery, and belongs rather to rhetoric than to elocution. Eloquence in delivery, cannot exist without eloquence in the thoughts delivered. All that delivery can do, is to afford an adequate presentation of thoughts; it cannot supply them.