bol of anger or authority, would be rightly represented by. the radical stress; whilst the full-marked extent of the interval under the increased force of the vanish, would give a corresponding energy and impressiveness to the interrogation. The compound stress is, however, by no means an agreeable mode of force. There is a snappishness in its intonation, which should always be avoided by a good reader, except on those rare occasions, that especially call for the peculiarity of its expression.

SECTION XXXVIII.

Of the Thorough Stress.

By this mode of force in the construction of the concrete, we are to understand, a continuation of the same full body of voice throughout its whole course.

It may be readily distinguished from the median, the vanishing and the compound forms of stress, when these are set on long quantities; and may therefore claim a separate notice in a philosophical analysis of speech. But I can not point out any peculiar expression in it, which is not conveyed by the compound stress, or by the radical when applied on short syllables.

This Thorough force may be given to all the intervals of the scale; and when spread over the wave, it is to be regarded as equalizing the stress throughout all its constituents.

SECTION XXXIX.

Of the Loud Concrete.

By the Loud Concrete, I mean that stress which distinguishes a given syllable from adjacent ones; the parts of the concrete still retaining the comparative structure of the radical and vanishing movement. It is, in short, what was called the natural concrete, magnified by force. It is not distinguishable as an element of stress, on a very short quantity; the radical stress being the proper mode of intension on such syllables.

As far as I perceive, it has no peculiar quality of expression. It is introduced here, only because it will be referred to, in a future section, on accent.

All the modes of stress which have thus been enumerated, may be applied to the various tremulous concretes, and to the tremulous wave. They give energy and variety to a tremor of the higher intervals, which serves for laughter, for interrogation, and for emphasis: and to that of the semitone, which constitutes the function of crying, and of plaintiveness in speech.

SECTION XL.

Of the Time of the Concrete.

THE radical and vanishing movement was represented as having an equable continuation of time, throughout its progress; and as having thereby a marked distinction from the varied proportions of the radical and vanish, in Recitative and Song.

:

The purposes of expression sometimes demand a change of this equability of the concrete, into a quicker utterance of its beginning, or middle, or end. This condition of time is closely connected with the application of the different modes of stress for it is difficult to give stress without running into quickness of time; and it is as difficult to give quickness of time, without marking the rapid part of the concrete with stress. The connate relation of these functions is most conspicuous in the radical stress; for its sudden burst is necessarily followed by a momentary quickness of utterance. The median and the vanishing stress, when strongly emphatic, likewise carry with them a rapid run of time: for there is in this forcible execution of these last named functions, an endeavor to reach, as far as can be on an unbroken concrete, the explosive nature of the radical. These fitful gusts of breath, if I may so call the quick transits through the radical, median, and vanishing places, may be employed, like the stress itself which respectively accompanies them, on all the intervals of the scale, and at the same places of the wave on which the stress is applied. There may also be a compound quick time of the concrete, attendant on the compound stress, in the prolonged movements of speech.

On the whole, regarding the time of the concrete separately from stress, I can not recommend it as a matter of any importance in the work of expression. I promised to analyze speech. This quickness was perceived; and I have therefore transiently noticed it.

SECTION XLI.

Of the Aspiration.

WE have thus far learned that five accidents of sound,Quality, Time, Pitch, Abruptness, and Force, together with the absence of all impression in the Pause, do by their separate and their mingled influences, produce the varied efforts of speech already described.

The works of nature are cunning patterns of combination : and the function which is now to be considered, will make a new disclosure of the means for diversifying the effect of these elementary agents. The subject of this section does properly belong to the head of quality of voice. But since it has received a place and name among the alphabetic elements, and has peculiar properties, I give it here a separate discussion. 1 shall therefore endeavour to show that the element symbolized by the letter 'h,' or, as it is called, the Apiration, has eminent powers of force and expression.

By calling 'h' a mere breathing, some systematic authors have imagined they insure the right to reject this element from the alphabet. Let it be said, in truth, that the aspiration is suited-only to near audience; and wants the fine vocal qualities of the tonics. But whilst harrow' and 'arrow' shall owe the difference of their meanings respectively to the presence and absence of the element, that breathing will fulfil the purpose of articulation, though it may not conform to the full definition of it. Notwithstanding, the defects of the aspiration can not be denied, under the cold measurement of orthoëpy, it is still pre-eminently entitled to notice as a powerful agent in oratorical expression.

The element 'h' is slightly susceptible of pitch and abruptness; but it admits freely of time. Through the exercise of this function it must be redeemed from an alleged insignificance, by furnishing the expressive interjection of Sighing. It admits, to a certain degree, of the variations of force; exhibiting most

remarkably, under the calls of emphasis, the median stress. In uncompounded words it is almost exclusively found at their beginning; where its force may be most effectually exerted. This element is frequently a constituent of those words which have universally an energetic meaning, as havoc,' 'horror' and 'huzza; and it exists in most of the interjections in all languages.

Besides the abovementioned instances of its expression, where common orthography has given it a literal place, it is in certain cases of emphasis engrafted on the several tonics and subtonics. For though the aspiration, as we have seen, does serve the purpose of a distinct constituent of words; yet it may be severally joined to all those elements which have a vocality, without destroying their individual characters. The pure quality of the tonic is indeed impaired by the union; for the excellency of this species of element was negatively defined, by declaring its freedom from aspiration: but the loss of purity is supplied by other advantages of the association.

There is some inexplicable mechanism of the organs of speech, by which a strenuous pronunciation of the tonic elements becomes semi-aspirated. If we suppose the word 'horrible' to be deprived of its aspirate, it will be found impossible to give the fragment 'orrible,' in prolonged and energetic exclamation, without restoring, in a great degree; the abstracted element. How far this unavoidable combination operated to introduce the aspirated element, for the expression of the force of instinctive animal feeling, which may have prevailed at what is called, the origin of language, I leave to the everlasting disputes of those who look for truth in fancy, and who tease themselves in the pursuit of undiscoverable things.

Vociferations on syllables which do not orthographically contain the aspiration, nevertheless assume it, and corrupt thereby that pure quality of the tonics which characterizes their abated utterance. Nay, in the excessive force of such exertion of the organs, the voice is sometimes lost, from the atonic aspiration overruling the tonic vocality. The nature of the conjoined functions, thus exhibited in the vehement force of the voice, may be illustrated by the subtonics 'y-e' and 'w-o,' which are respectively a compound of the aspiration with the monothingsee-l' and 'oo-ze.' The other three monothongs