a constitutional trepidation of the nerves, or from a want of mixing in public, or in familiar society. To overcome this impediment, one should frequently practise speaking aloud, with deliberation, and endeavour to acquire a large vocabulary of English words, particularly synonymes. "The art of curing this defect," says Dr. Darwin, "is to cause the stammerer to repeat the word which he finds difficult to speak, eight or ten times, without the initial letter, in a strong voice, or with an aspirate before it, as, arable, or harable; and at length to speak it very softly with the initial letter p, parable. This should be practised for weeks or months upon every word which the stammerer hesitates in pronouncing. To this should be added much commerce with mankind, in order to acquire a carelessness about the opinion of others."* Another very common fault in articulation, is the guttural sound of r, produced by vibrating the epiglottis instead of the tongue. The proper sound of r is obtained by vibrating the tongue against the upper gums. The letters m and n are also subject to be imperfectly given, from not allowing the sound to pass entirely through the nose. This defect is sometimes, by a contradictory appellation, called speaking through the nose, though it really consists in not speaking through the nose. All these and other defects in articulation, such as stuttering, lisping, closing the teeth while speaking, * See also Waife's advice in Sir E. B. Lytton's "What Will He Do With It ?" and inability to pronounce certain letters or combinations of letters, can seldom be cured by rule or precept. They require the constant aid of one who is skilled in the management of Speech, and who can point out the proper positions of the tongue, lips, &c., for the due articulation of the letters. In addition to this, the pupil must set out with a determination to conquer his defect, and to spare no amount of labour in the drudgery of the conflict. The third requisite for a good reader is a CORRECT PRONUNCIATION OF WORDS. The difference between articulation and pronunciation is this: Articulation means the due enunciation of the syllables in words; Pronunciation means the manner of sounding words; and correct pronunciation consists in sounding words according to the polite usage of the day. Pronunciation, however, cannot be perfect, unless it includes a good articulation; nevertheless, the usage of the day may require a word to be pronounced at the expense of distinctness in the utterance. THE FIVE ACCIDENTS OF SPEECH. As there are in written language nine sorts of words, called, in Grammar, parts of speech, so are there in spoken language five accidents or properties. These five accidents of speech are PAUSE, INFLECTION, QUANTITY, EMPHASIS, and FORCE. PAUSE is the interval of silence or rest between words and sentences. INFLECTION (Sometimes called accent) denotes the turn or slide of the voice either upwards or downwards. QUANTITY denotes the relative value of sounds, and also of pauses, in duration of time. EMPHASIS is the stress which distinguishes syllables or words from one another. FORCE or QUALITY is the loudness or softness with which spoken sounds are uttered. PAUSE. With regard to Pause, the usual grammatical points are insufficient guides for all the pauses necessary in reading. The points used by grammarians are the Comma, the Semicolon, the Colon, and the Period. The Semicolon) represents double the time triple of the quadruple) Comma. The application of these to the following example, will not, however, produce good reading:"Our duty to our Maker, to each other, and to ourselves, is fully answered, if we give them what we owe them.” In this sentence it will be perceived that the sense is more clearly expressed, if there is a longer pause at ourselves and answered, than at Maker and other, although these words are all followed by the same mark of grammatical punctuation, viz., the comma. The Rhetorical pauses, then, may be reduced to four, viz: The first or shortest pause, marked thus 7. One of these pauses, generally the shortest, must be introduced in the following places: 1st. After the nominative phrase, or that part of a discourse which forms the subject of a verb. 2nd.-Between the several members of a series. 3rd.-Between the object and the modifying words in their inverted order. * 4th. After words in apposition with, or in opposition to, each other. 5th. After the word which forms the principal subject of a discourse. 6th. Before who, which, what and how (when it means in what manner), and before that, used relatively. 7th. Before that, used conjunctively. Sth. Before the infinitive mood, when not immediately preceded by a modifying word. 9th. Before and after a parenthesis. 10th. Generally before prepositions and junctions. con * Apposition means the placing of one noun or pronoun by the side of another of the same meaning, and in the same case. EXAMPLES. I. After the nominative phrase. Adversity is the school of piety. To be ever active in laudable pursuits is the distinguishing characteristic of a man of merit. The experience of want enhances the value of plenty. True ease in writing comes from art, not chance. To be able to alter the height, as well as the strength and tone of the voice, as occasion requires,7 is an essential qualification of a good speaker. The latter part of a wise man's life is taken up in curing the follies, prejudices, and false opinions he has contracted in the former. II. Between the several members of a series. Riches, pleasure, and health, become evils to those who do not know how to use then. A patient, sober, honest, and industrious man will always be respected. The names of Shakspere, Bacon, Spenser, Sydney, Hooker, Taylor, and Barrow, are found in the period betwixt Elizabeth's reign and the Reformation. The Goth, the Christian, time, war, flood, and fire, have dealt upon the pride of Rome. The busy, the ambitious, the inconstant, and the adventurous, may be said to throw themselves |