The power of giving a strong, full and clear radical stress on the tonic element, is not a common accomplishment among speakers; yet the free and proper management of this function is of eminent importance in elocution. Its two principal purposes are, to contribute to the excellence of articulation: and to form the distinguishing accent on immutable syllables. These syllables admitting of only a faint display of the peculiar effect of the slow concrete, and being incapable, as will be said hereafter, of bearing the other modes of stress; the abrupt or explosive enforcement of the radical is their principal means for distinction.

Having pointed out the instrumentality of the radical stress in the work of articulation, this is perhaps the proper place to describe particularly the phenomena which constitute distinct pronunciation.

This subject has three division: the First embraces a consideration of the specific sounds which the changeable decrees of human convention give to the alphabetic elements. The Second regards the subject of radical stress: and the Third, an appropriation of the several constituent elements of a syllable, to the concrete movement.

The first of these matters is under the rule of every body, and therefore is very properly to be excluded from the discussions of that philosophy which desires to be effectual in its instruction. How can we hope to establish a system of elemental pronunciation in a language, when great masters in criticism condemn at once every attempt, in so simple and useful a labour as the correction of its orthography!

Supposing then the sound of the elements to be precisely that which temporary authority has determined, the clearness of pronunciation will depend,

Secondly, on the effective execution of the radical stress. Although it will be said presently, that every element should be heard in the syllabic impulse, yet the tonic, from its very nature is generally the most remarkable in the compound. The characteristic of the syllable, therefore, lies, in a great measure, within this element; and a full explosive radical stress being laid on it, contributes much to distinct enunciation. It is this which draws the cutting edge of words across the ear, and startles even stupor into attention :-this which lessens

the fatigue of listening, and out-voices the stir and rustle of an assembly :—and it is the sensibility to this, through a general instinct of the animal ear, which gives authority to the groom and makes the horse submissive to his angry accent. Besides the fulness, loudness and abruptness of the radical stress, when employed to give distinct articulation, the tonic sound itself should be a pure vocality. For when it is mixed with an aspiration, the quality of utterance loses that brilliancy, if I may so call it, which serves to increase the impressive effect of the explosive force.

Thirdly. The doctrine of syllabication, set forth in this work, suggests additional means for effecting what is called distinct articulation. In order to insure a clear and striking utterance, the whole syllable should not only be sufficiently loud, but each elementary constituent should be so distinct as to prevent the possibility of confounding syllables which have the same tonic elements, but which differ partially or universally in their subtonics. Now this is to be done by distributing the time and space of the concrete properly among the elements of the given syllable. This will be best explained by particular instances. I have heard an Actor of great celebrity pronounce the word 'plain' by prolonging the voice on the 'l,' and subsequently terminating the syllable by a momentary transit on 'ain.' Though in this case, the 'I' was clearly audible, the rapid flight and blending of the 'a' and 'n' rendered the effect of the whole syllable both faint and confused. The consequence of this kind of pronunciation, for it was a general fault with the player to whom I allude, was, that if he turned his face from the audience whilst speaking, many of his words, though forcible enough in mere sound, were unintelligible to an attentive ear at mean distances in the theatre. A practice like this obstructs the equable flow of the concrete, and overrules the proper apportionment of time to its syllabic constituents. For if each of the elements of the word 'plain' have their due portion of the concrete, the pronunciation will at once be distinct.

The principles of articulate utterance under this third head, may be exemplified in the following sentence:

Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more.

If we give emphatic importance to the word 'more,' by the mere extent of quantity, and not by peculiarity of intonation : and if this quantity be spread upon the unequal wave, with a view to give the feeble cadence to the dignified protraction of the word :-Then in an apportionment of the elements, should 'm' be carried through the rise of the second, and continued downward for some distance through a third; the 'o' and 'r' being rapidly made at the termination of the wave,-under these conditions, I say, the word will not be well articulated. But if the time of the wave be divided into three parts about equal, and the 'm' 'o' and 'r' be severally assigned to these parts, the utterance will have all required distinctness.

There are many immutable syllables beginning with a subtonic, which a reader, in the current of dignified utterance, is sometimes prompted to prolong beyond the limit of their allowable time. When this practice is assumed by oratorical license, the added quantity is generally expended wholly on the initial subtonic. Thus if the syllables 'not,' 'met,' 'reck,' 'lit,' 'that' and 'vig,' be unusually prolonged, there will be less departure from fixed pronunciation, by giving the additional quantity to the subtonics, than to the tonics. But still there will be a want of that distinctness by which a syllable is immediately recognized for syllables are known in part, by the habit of their quantity, both as regards the absolute time of the whole, and the comparative time of their elemental parts; and these points, upon the supposition before us, are widely varied. Now in the above instances, the time of the several elements, which strictly should be about equal, is in extreme disproportion for whilst the subtonic is extended to what we have called an indefinite quantity, the tonic and the following abrupt element have only their proper momentary duration.

And this which is here assigned as the cause of indistinctness in speech, will be shown, in a future section to be still more frequently a cause of inarticulate pronunciation in the efforts. of the Singing voice.

In the two cases of the words 'plain' and 'more' it is recommended to divide the time of the concrete equally among the elements; and this is necessary for the correct pronunciation of many other syllables, having a similar construction. But we can not give a universal rule on this point, since some inde

finite syllables, such as 'men' 'run''lin' 'gel,' have their prolongation on the subtonic elements, and will not bear any addition to their short tonics.

The radical stress may be exhibited both on immutable and on indefinite syllables; in the former case, from the shortness of the quantity, the function produces, as it were, a mere explosive point of sound.

This stress may be given to all the intervals both rising and falling, and to the beginning of the wave.

From what has been said, it must not be understood that the radical stress is used merely to give the distinction of loudness to immutable syllables: the enforcement is likewise appropriate to the various sentiments embraced by them. But this mode of stress is more particularly a symbol of the highest de ́grees of passion.

SECTION XXXV.

Of the Median Stress.

IT was said, the Radical stress is principally effective in distinguishing immutable syllables. Long quantities admitting of other modifications which may attract the ear, more rarely require the initial explosive fulness. They receive their stress, with greater embellishment, from an enforcing of utterance on the middle portion of the concrete movement.

As a pause is always the preface to abruptness, the explosive characteristic of the radical stress, can not be employed during the course of a continuous movement. The median stress is therefore a gradual strengthening and subsequent reduction of the voice, similar to what is called a swell in the language of

musical expression. There is this difference between them. The swell of song is sometimes made on a note continued upon the same line of pitch: whereas the median stress is always in either an upward or downward course; or about the junction of these directions in the wave.

This element of force is applied to all the intervals of the scale but its very construction indicates the necessity of protracted time for its execution, and therefore that it is most distinguishable on the greater intervals. It may be obvious even on the simple rise or fall of the second, when unusually prolonged. But the quantity of this interval as well as that of the semitone is rarely extended to any considerable degree in its simple state. Those dignified sentiments which require length, direct the employment of the waves of these two intervals. Yet the power of the median stress is not thereby lost, for in this case it is applied to about the middle of the course of the concretes: that is about the junction of the two lines of contrary flexure. What is here said of the wave of these two intervals, may be affirmed of the wave of all intervals of the scale. If the median stress is applied to the double wave, it must be on the course of a downward or upward constituent, according as the wave may be direct or inverted; for such constituent will be in each case the middle portion of the whole extent of sound.

The median stress is applicable to the intervals of the tremulous scale and in effect, only enforces by greater loudness, the tittles in the middle of any given interval, or at the junction of a single wave, or on the middle constituent of a double one. When thus employed, it adds impressiveness to the sentiments signified by the tremor, and furnishes variety to the

ear.

In as much as force, generally speaking, may be used conjointly with other means of expression, its principal purpose is to enhance the power of those other means. Thus if the median stress is laid on the semitone, it gives force to its plaintiveness if on the downward concrete, it adds to the degree of its wonder or positiveness: if on the rising third or fifth or octave, it sharpens the spirit of interrogation. Such is likewise the effect of the radical stress; the energetic effort of which sometimes amounts even to violence. But the median