is, however, one circumstance in theatrical speech, that may undesignedly produce in time, the full volume and sub-sonorous quality of the orotund. I mean the practice of vociferating, seemingly required by the extent of the House, by the deaf taste of the audience, and by the poetical rant and bombast of what are called 'stock acting tragedies.' In addition, therefore, to the previously described means for acquiring the orotund, I shall, in a few words, point out another method suggested by the vehement efforts of dramatic speech.

Let the reader make an expiration on the interjection hah, in the voice of whisper, with a widely extended mouth, and with a duration, sufficient to press all the air from the lungs. Then let the whisper in this process be changed to vocality. This vocality will have the hoarse fulness and sub-sonorous quality of the orotund. The forcible exertion of this kind of voice constitutes Vociferation; for vociferation is the utmost effort of the natural voice, as the shriek or yell is of the falsette. Actors who affect the first rank in their art, are often by strength of feeling urged to a degree of force, that produces the mixture of vocality and aspiration, heard in the interjection hah; and it will be shown in a future section, that the junction of a certain degree of aspiration with the tonic elements, is one of the means of earnest and forceful expression. The frequent occurrence of exaggerated sentiments in the drama, joined to the effort required by the dimensions of a Theatre, produces the habit of interjective expiration, which exerted through a wide extension of the mouth, leads the speaker to the attainment of the orotund, if his voice is capable of it.

It must not be supposed that the full, hollow, and sub-sonorous orotund is always of the same purity. It varies in its degrees of strength and fulness; and is sometimes slightly infected with aspiration, nasal murmur, or guttural harshness.

If it should be asked, what advantage is gained by the care and labor here enjoined, for acquiring this improved quality of the speaking voice; it may be answered:

First.

The mere sound is more tunable than that of the common voice. Compared with the full and sub-sonorous character

of a fine orotund, there are voices, with as little even of a hint of music in them, as the noise of a hammer on a block. This quality is so impressive with its dignity of volume, that it often catches the ear and approbation of those who are quite insensible to the agency of pause, quantity, and intonation. I have known the single influence of an orotund voice give extensive fame to an actor, who in more essential points of good reading, was even below mediocrity. It is this quality which dignifies the other excellencies of speech. In the voice of women it is most obvious and delightful.

Second. The orotund is fuller in volume, and purer in quality than the common voice: and as the latter gives a delicate attenuation to the vanishing movement, the former with no less appropriate effect, displays the stronger body of the radical.

Third. Its pure and impressive vocality gives distinctness to pronunciation. For when completely formed, it is free from the dulness created by nasal murmur or aspiration; the characteristic offensiveness of which is shown by their union in Snoring.

Fourth. It has a greater degree of articulative and expressive power than the common voice. In this respect, it partakes of the nature of things perfect in their kind. The ear seems filled with its volume, and asks for no more. There is too, on the part of the speaker himself, that conscious satisfaction which accompanies the full energizing of a function: for here nature herself seems to acknowledge, the voice has done its whole duty. Those who by cultivation of the singing-voice, have brought its tone to the utmost extent of fulness and purity, will admit the importance of practice and perseverance, in preparing the voice for the purposes of speech. Compared with the power and facility of an endowed and high-taught vocalist, mere instinctive efforts in song seem to be not much removed from the imbecility of paralysis.

Fifth. The orotund, from the discipline of cultivation, is more under command than the common voice: and is consequently more efficient and precise in the production of long quantity; in varying the degrees of force; in executing the tremulous scale, and in fulfilling all the other purposes of expressive intonation.

Sixth. It is the only kind of voice appropriate to the master

style of epic aud dramatic reading. Through it alone, the actor consummates an outward sign of the grandeur and energy of his conception. When heard in what will presently be called the Diatonic Melody, the impressive authority and dignified elegance of this voice, exceed as measurably the meaner sounds of ordinary discourse, as the superlative pictures of the poet, and the broad wisdom of the sage, respectively transcend the poor originals of life and all their wretched policies. It is the only voice capable of fulfilling the solemnity of the Church-service, and the majesty of Shakespeare and Milton.

Finally, as the orotund does not destroy the ability to use at will, the common voice, it may be imagined how their contrasted employment may add the resource of vocal light and shade, if we may so speak, to the means of oratorical coloring and design.

The mechanism of the Tremulous movement of the voice does not appear to be connected with the visible parts of the fauces: though there is a gurgling noise, somewhat resembling it, produced by a vibration of the uvula, when brought into contact with the base of the tongue, in the expiration of the elements e-ve and e-rr. I leave it for future observers to ascertain, whether the tremulous rise and fall may not be referred to the organic cause of the variations of pitch, in the natural and falsette voices.

I have thus endeavored to set forth what we do not know of the mechanism of speech. The subject of the voice is divided into two branches. Anatomy and Physiology. The first embraces a description of the vocal organs. The second a history of the functions performed by that organization. The anatomical structure is recorded to the utmost visible minuteness: while the history of those audible functions which it is the design of this work to develope,—and which, by the strictest meaning of the term, constitute the vocal physiology, has in a great measure been disregarded, under a belief that these functions are altogether beyond the power of human perception.

In overlooking a physiological analysis of quality, force, and pitch of vocal sound, writers have merely endeavored to ascer

tain what parts of the organization produce these several phenomena; and seem to have almost restricted the name of physiology to their vain and contradictory fancies about these mechanical causations. Hence in the oratorical physiology, if we may so call it, of the organs of speech, there is little of that rooted opinion, which in most cultivated sciences, contends with an original inquirer, in every attempt to sacrifice error to the cause of truth. Whereas the subject of mechanical causation, like all other matters of theory, has become doctrinal and divided; and the inquirer has here, not only to strive at reaching the secresy of nature, but harder still, has to encounter the obstinacy of sectaries, whose opinions have 'grown into pride, by their unyielding contentions with each other.

When the reader has finished this volume, he will perceive that in this fifth section I was somewhat occupied in discussing the notions of men; while in all the rest, I was entirely employed in attempting to delineate the works of nature: a contrast that may well induce a lover of truth and brevity to exclaim, Happy is he, who desiring to extend the circle of knowledge, comes to a subject which the fictional finger of the school has never touched.

SECTION VI.

Of the Expression of Speech.

IN the preceding sections, we have explained the terms of the five modes of speech, with many of their forms and varieties; have described these modes and forms, as they appear in the radical and vanish, the alphabetic elements, and in the con

struction of syllables: and as far as accurately ascertained, have shown how the Organs of the Voice mechanically produce the phenomena of these modes and forms. These explanations and descriptions give a preparatory view of the functions of speech; and embrace all the generalities, required by an intelligent and attentive reader, in pursuing the subsequent details of this work.

Speech is employed to declare the condition and purposes of the mind. These are first known to us as Ideas; and ideas

have been divided into Thoughts and Feelings. The design therefore of speech is to declare our thoughts and feelings. And as we acknowledge this distinction in the conditions of the mind, the voice must have distinct means for declaring them. It is therefore of great importance to ascertain, what are the different means in the voice, for declaring, in one case, the plain and simple condition of thought; and in the other, the excited mental condition of feeling or passion.

Schoolmen make a distinction between thoughts and feelings, and common usage has adopted their language. This is not a place for controversy: nor is it necessary to inquire, deliberately, whether the above distinction refers to the essential nature of the things, or to their degrees. Some may be disposed to consider thoughts and feelings merely as various degrees of intensity in ideas since the function, noted as a mere thought in one, has in another, from its urgency, and without apparent specific difference, the bright hue of a feeling; and since in the same person at different times, like circumstances produce, according to the varied susceptibility of excitement, the mental condition of either a feeling or a thought. Perhaps it might not be difficult, to show that these states of the mind have many points in common; and that no definite line of demarkation can be drawn between them. But however inseparably involved at their points of affinity, they are in their more remote relationships, either in kind or degree distinguishably different.

Corresponding to this difference between thoughts and feelings, the vocal means for declaring their extreme distinctions are, as we shall learn hereafter strongly marked while their