they are habitual mimics, and have flexible voices, they may perhaps succeed. But nature is always honest, while humanity, her intended, but false representative, is ever ready to deceive. Crafty men are so well aware, the lips may mar the underplots of the heart, that they are obliged to guard the ruling passion by circumspection, or brevity, or silence. When mirth or sorrow is within us, it is hard to restrain its instinctive expression. He who would be to the intelligent observer, an unsuspected hypocrite in his voice, must mask even his sentiments to himself.

After the foregoing account of the use of the tremor upon single elements, in the functions of laughter and crying, it is not difficult to foresee the effect of its application to syllabic utterance in the current of discourse.

When the semitone, in the chromatic melody of speech, is given under the form of tremor, it enhances the plaintive expression of the simple concrete. For since crying is the ultimate voice of distress, its tremulous characteristic is applied to speech, as the means of marking an excess of complaint and grief, and the ardor of distressful or tender supplication. Tremulous semitonic speech is the utmost practicable crying upon words.

To exhibit the engrafting of the tremor on a syllable, let the reader pronounce the word name, in a tremulous movement through the simple rise, or fall, or wave of the semitone. He will perceive, the tremor equally on the tonic, and on each of the two subtonic elements.

The tremor on the semitone may mark emphatically, the plaintive sentiment of a single word: or it may be continued on occasional, yet limited portions of discourse. If this restricted. application deserves a name, it may be called the Tremulous chromatic melody. The following stanza, in which the tremor of age is supposed to be joined with that of supplicating distress, may, when read with the coloring of dramatic action, afford a proper example of this melody.

Pity the sorrows of a poor old man,

Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door,
Whose days are dwindled to the shortest span;

O give relief and heaven will bless your store.

Here the tremor of the semitone may be applied to every emphatic syllable capable of prolongation, which is the case with all except those of pity and shortest: but even these may in a limited degree, receive it. For, particular purposes of expression allow a slight extension of quantity on immutable syllables, and unemphatic and unaccented words, that in dispassionate utterance would bear but the shortest time.

The occasional use of the tremulous semitone upon individual words, will be noticed in the future section on Emphasis.

When the tremor passes through the second, third, fifth, or octave, or through the wave of these intervals, it joins the sentiment of derision, mirth, joy, or exultation to that of interrogation, surprise, command, or scorn, respectively conveyed by the smooth concrete of those intervals. In short, it is applying to speech what is transferable from the function of laughter; and it adds thereto all the meaning and force of its satisfaction.

The tremor on wider intervals, and on the waves, is used principally for emphasis: though in playful discourse, it is sometimes heard in continuation on more than one syllable, and occasionally even on short sentences.

There is a use of this laughing tremor, as we may call its inarticulate execution on the second, third, fifth, and octave, which deserves notice. I mean its employment in that hysteri cal exclamation, heard in the exaggerated scenes of the drama. In this case, the laughing tremor seems to be strangely subservient to all species of expression: for there is scarcely an excessive degree of passion, whether of joy or suffering, in which it may not with caution, be effectively used. One can understand readily, why this vehement expression should denote the excess of those feelings, naturally connected with laughter; but it is not at once manifest why nature should so reverse the ordination of her signs, as to give the concrete tremor of the second or of wider intervals, to sentiments that in cases of less excitement, instinctively receive the plaintive tremor of the semitone. Let us try to explain this matter.

The occasions on which this hysteric laugh is employed, are those of the highest possible intensity of distress. Now by the

natural rule of moderate expression, the tremulous semitone should be used: and with this indeed the expression does generally begin. But as the feeling increases in vehemence, the mind becomes so far overruled by its excess, as to dissever the natural association: and the voice, giving way to the mere habit of employing the wider intervals for keen and forcible expression, leaves the concrete and the tremor of the semitone, for the more free expansion and piercing energy of the third, fifth, or octave, in its concrete and tremulous forms. This is the reason why in hysteria, which is usually brought on by distress, or other congenial emotions, the ordinary course of plaintive expression is overruled; and while the more moderate forms of this nervous excitement are signified by the semitonic intonation, its higher gusts are characterized by an idiotic laugh: idiotic, because a motiveless and imbecile confounding of the natural law of vocal expression. Although this hysteric expression may, when judiciously applied, be both proper and effective, in an extraordinary scene of the drama; yet as it is generally accompanied with considerable grimace, is strongly impressive, and can be well heard in the remote corners of the Gallery, it is apt to be employed on the Stage, as a vocal trick; especially by the Actress, who without feeling its appropriate occasion, has yet, by ambitious practice, or nervous habit, a skillful command over its mechanical execution.

It requires more than common facility of voice to perform the tremor with precision and elegance. Its full efficacy and graceful finish is accomplished, by giving it the greatest number of tittles of which the assumed interval is susceptible; by making these tittles in fluent succession, with a distinct accent, with equal time, with a stress, varied as expression requires, and with a ready progression by radical pitch, through the simple interval, and the wave. It may be added that the tremor, generally in speech, and always in continued laughter, employs the wave.

As the tremor is applied to all intervals both ascending and descending, and to the wave, it has under such application, the degree and variety of their several characters. For if made on a downward interval of the fifth, the expression will be of a

graver cast than on a rise of the same extent: and on the rising second it will have less gaiety than on the rising fifth or octave, or their waves.

After the preceding view of the simple intervals, and of the tremor, the reader must be able to recognize, and with the anticipative resources of science, even to fore-hear the effect of their detailed combinations. If with all I have said, he will not do this for himself, it would be to no purpose to do it for him. It is an agreeable office to stand prompter to a pausing, yet a ready comprehension: but it is an irksome duty, to be obliged to push an unwilling intellect on to the last syllable of its part.

SECTION XXXIV.

Of Force of Voice.

THIS Mode of the voice is subdivided into forms and degrees. These degrees, without much precision, are denoted in common language by the words, loud, soft, strong, and weak. Indefinite as the rule may be, yet taking common conversation as a dividing line between the strong and the weak in speech, we might apply the terms Forte and Piano, as relative degrees severally above and below it.

Force may be applied to phrases, or to one or more sentences, for the purpose of energetic expression. Or it may be limited to single words, to syllables, and to certain Parts of the concrete movement, to distinguish them from other words and syllables, and from other parts of the concrete. A detailed history of this limited application of force, will be given hereafter. Under the present section, its use on phrases and sentences, is transiently noticed.

Writers on elocution, and school books on the art of reading,

give general rules for enforcing, and reducing the voice, in continued speech. It is not necessary to swell the bulk of this volume, by transcribing them. We may however inquire, on what principles various degrees of force, are associated with the circumstances of the speaker, or with affections of the mind.

From the wide reach of an intense exertion of the voice, there is an obvious propriety in its employment, when distance is pictured in discourse. The indication of nearness, on the contrary, is well expressed by an abatement of that force.

Secrecy muffles the voice against discovery: and doubt, while it leans towards a positive declaration, cunningly prepares the subterfuge of an undertone, that the impression of its possible error may be least exciting and durable.

Certainty, on the other hand, in the full desire to be heard, distinctly assumes all the impressiveness of strength.

Anger declares itself with force, because its charges and denials are made with a wide appeal, and in its own sincerity of conviction. A like degree of force is employed for passions congenial with anger; as hate, ferocity and revenge.

All sentiments, unbecoming or disgraceful, smother the voice to its softer degrees, in the desire to conceal even the voluntary utterance of them.

Joy is loud in calling for companionship, through the overflowing charity of its satisfaction.

Bodily pain, fear, and terror, are also strong in their expression; with the double intention, of summoning relief, and repelling the offending cause when it is a sentient being. For the sharpness and vehemence of the full-strained and piercing cry are universally painful or appaling to the animal ear.

In thus suggesting the reasons why certain degrees of force, are associated with certain states of mind, I have perhaps ventured too far towards the presumptuous doctrine of Final Causes. And though we may have therein transiently strayed, let us not forget the duties of philosophy. It is her office, first to inquire how things exist; the knowledge of why they so exist, must be the last act of favor which time and toil will bestow. Our steps over the works of man, may go hand in hand with