with a careful magnificence. Homer, like the Nile, pours out his riches with a sudden overflow; Virgil, like a river in its banks, with a constant stream. And when we look upon their machines, Homer seems, like his own Jupiter in his terrors, shaking Olympus, scattering the lightnings, and firing the heavens; Virgil, like the same power in his benevolence, counselling with the Gods, laying plans for empires, and ordering his whole creation."

Such a method of writing naturally draws the voice into a repetition of the same combinations of pitch, or in other words, into formal returns of the same intonation at the different sections responding to each other.

A variety of other examples might be given if our subject were Rhetoric and not Elocution, but the superscribed instance may be sufficient to induce us to be upon our guard against the monotony to which such formal composition naturally invites. We believe a wakeful anticipation of the effects of style on the ear, in actual delivery, is necessary, or at least, is greatly assistant to the art of harmonious writing. If this is true, a person who understands elocution must possess a great advantage over one who is ignorant of its principles.

Monotony at pauses. Monotony will be particularly obtrusive at successive pauses, because the ear is invited by them to notice any striking return in the order of the pitch. Such a return frequently takes place where a series of commas suspend the sense. In this case, the syllable occurring before the pause is generally heard as a high note, sometimes from its constantly rising a third in radical pitch, which renders the recurrent note very conspicuous, and at others from the unvaried use of the rising

ditone, which though not so conspicuous as the rise of a third, becomes from constant use a tiresome monotony. In the use of the three phrases (the rising and falling ditone and monotone) there are ample means for variety at pauses. They should be used in such succession as to prevent any regular return of the same impression on the ear. Sometimes a particular preference of one of the phrases of melody over others at a pause is required by the sense. We know that a rising slide suspends the sense more than a falling one. Where a separation of parts is made by a pause, the connection of sense is most intimately preserved by the use of the rising ditone, that connection is somewhat more severed by the monotonestill more by the falling ditone. If with any one of these respective phrases however, the voice is suspended by the rising slide, the dependence of sense is preserved. Sometimes however (as we have just observed) the sense requires, though not very often, a preference of one particular phrase over another. In the following instance we think the falling ditone is best employed upon the syllables "angel," and the latter of the two to have the rising slide; while at " desire," the rising ditone, with the rising slide upon the second syllable, seems the best order of melody.

Fair An - gel, thy de sire, which tends to know

the

works of God, doth

mer

it praise.

" Fair angel" is a separate proposition, and though so connected with what follows, as to require the rising slide, is best separated from it by the severing effect of the falling ditone; but the word " desire," though requiring a pause after it, is so intimately connected with the verb " doth merit," from which it is disjoined by the intervening proposition, as to require the additionally suspending effect of the rising ditone. The falling ditone at "Angel," the rising ditone at "desire," and the monotone at "God," will be perhaps the best melody that can be employed in this sentence. Where, however, special reasons do not exist for the employment of particular phrases of melody, they should succeed each other in such variety as to prevent all sense of formal returns of note.

Inexperienced readers often use the rising slide where the sense is so far detached from what follows, as to require the falling one. In cases where the falling slide is required, but without a full close, the sense generally is, or ought to be, shown to be completed by the semicolon or colon. The following example will illustrate my meaning. It is taken from the Paradise Lost, Book 6th,

"Gladly then he mixed

Among those friendly powers; who him received
With joy and acclamations loud, that one,
That of so many myriads fallen, yet one
Returned not lost."

Many persons would use the rising slide at "powers." The distinctness of the propositions of the angel's joining his ancient friends, and of their receiving him in a particular manner, are, however, in my opinion, such as to justify the use of the falling slide at that word, notwithstanding the succeeding relative " who."

When in such cases as the one above stated, a student is requested to correct himself by using the falling slide, he is very apt to do so with a full fall of the voice, using some form of the cadence as he does at a full stop. Now what is wanting in such instances as the one cited, is a falling slide, with a higher note and a short pause. The rising ditone, with a falling slide, and a quick passing on of the voice to what follows, after a pause just perceptible, will fulfil the requisition of the mind and the ear.

A nice ear will perceive the advantage in other sections of sentences, where the period is not required, in using the monotone, and falling ditone, with the falling slide. We apprehend the former may be best employed on the word " Supreme," and the latter on the words "was heard," in the following sentence.

On to the sacred hill

They led him high applauded, and present
Before the seat Supreme; from whence a voice,
From midst a golden cloud thus mild was heard;
Servant of God, well done.

The note will be perceived to be lower at "Supreme," as compared with what precedes, than it was at "powers," in the former example; and the "heard" will come upon the ear with more of a fall than is employed at "Supreme," though here there is not a full fall of the voice. These are nice points, and may be passed over by those who deem them unimportant. Others, however, will perceive that if a cadence is used at the word "heard," instead of the falling ditone, as explained above, the sense will be too much separated from what follows.

A general and popular direction for the management of loose sentences may be given in some such terms as these. When the sense is complete grammatically, but yet intimately connected with what follows, let the falling slide be used, but without dropping your note upon the last syllable. In other cases where there is a wider separation of sense, but still a dependence of parts, let the voice fall, but not with a full close. The falling ditone will effect this object. An independent sentence, alone, requires a full close, which is to be effected by some form of the cadence. Sometimes when students employ the rising slide improperly, and are corrected, they run into the opposite error of making a full close. The remarks we have made are intended to remove the difficulty they experience in effecting the right inflection. Persons who cannot employ the variety above described, in the management of their pauses, never read Milton well.

It may be farther observed that the length of the pauses must be regulated by the greater or less intimacy of connection of the parts which they separate. An exact analysis of the sense of an author, will much contribute to a correct use of pitch, both concrete and discrete at the pauses of discourse.

A perceptible return of the same note at the ends of the lines in reading rhyme is to be carefully avoided. This species of monotony is particularly noticed by the ear on account of the recurrence of the measure and the sounds. The phrases of melody, and the different forms of cadence, supply ample materials for a constant variety. Here a popular direction of practical utility may be given in intelligible, if not in philosophical terms; avoid the same note at recurrent pauses; avoid it especially in rhyme.