[Coriolanus, maddened against the Roman populace.] ("Aspirated quality": Intensely "impassioned" force: "Explosive radical and vanishing stress":"High pitch": Downward "slide" of "fifth " and "octave." Extremely short pauses.) "Let them pull all about mine ears; present me VI.-"Rapid, or Quickest Movement." [Mazeppa, bound on the wild horse.] ("Aspirated quality : 'Impassioned" force: "Radical " stress: 66 High pitch": Prevalent "monotone:" Extremely away! and on we dash! Torrents less rapid and less rash. Away, away, my steed and I, Upon the pinions of the wind, A trampling troop,-I see them come! And feet that iron never shod, And flanks unscarred by spur or rod, A thousand horse, the wild, the free,- - they foam-neigh― swerve aside, And backward to the forest fly, By instinct, from a human eye." ACCENT. I.-"Syllabic" Accent. The word "accent" has been usually considered as restricted to the designation of the comparative force of syllables, as they occur in the pronunciation of words. Dr. Rush, however, has, by the accustomed closeness and fidelity of his analysis, distinctly shown, that force is but one constituent, or form of accent; and that besides this mere comparative loudness, there are two other constituents of accent. 66 The modes of accent are determined as follows: 1st, “Immutable" syllables, - those which are constituted by fixed "short quantities," - are accented by "radical stress, "" impassioned explosive" or "unimpassioned," as the case may be, from the character of the utterance which marks the passage or the word in which such a syllable occurs. Thus, the word "victory,” although consisting of three short syllables, has a decided and distinct accent on its first syllable, by means of “radical stress," whether we pronounce the word with impassioned "expression," or merely according to the rule of orthoëpical accent. 2d, "Mutable" syllables, — those which consist of "variable quantities," or such as admit of comparative prolongation, may be accented by merely a louder sound, or greater force, pervading the given syllable, as compared with the others of the same word. Thus, the word "adjutant " having a sufficient prolongation on its first a, to render the "radical stress" unnecessary, as a dis tinction, may have its accent marked merely by comparative loudness of the " concrete ad-, although in impassioned utterance, it may be marked, also, in part, by "radical stress," and a degree of prolongation. 3d, "Indefinite" syllables, or those which are constituted by prolonged "quantity," may be accented by their comparative long duration. The distinctive element of such syllables being "time," Dr. Rush has designated them as possessing "temporal" accent. The o, in the word "holy," is an instance. Syllables of this description may of course be executed with the additional accent arising from "loud concrete "; and, in impassioned utterance, they may be farther distinguished by abrupt "radical stress. But the "loud concrete," and "temporal accent," cannot be exhibited on "immutable" "syllables. The effect of all these modes of accent, is to impart prominence and impressiveness of sound to one syllable in most words, though, in some, to two syllables. A syllable, in orthoëpy, consists, properly, of an entire " concrete," or the constituent radical and vanishing movement, requisite to constitute a sound in speech, as distinguished from one in music. Instances may be found in the simple element a, in at ; in the compound a, in ale; in the consecutive "tonic" and "subtonic "a and ll in all; in the consecutive "tonic and subtonics" of the word old; or in the sequence of "aspiration," "tonic," 66 subtonic,' ," and "atonic," in the word halt. Correct accent is indispensable in reading and speaking, -not merely as a convenience of intelligible expression, and as a result of competent education, but as an indication of intelligence and of taste, in regard to language, and as an element of all distinct and spirited expression. The accented syllable of every expressive word, becomes the seat of life in utterance; and there can be no surer way to render the exercise of reading unmeaning and uninteresting, than to indulge the three prevalent faults of slighting the accent of words, unduly prolonging and forcing it, and distributing its effect over several syllables of a word, instead of confining it to one. The single word "promotion" may suffice as an example of these faults. In the characteristic local accent of New England the frequent use of the "wave,' or "circumflex," and of sequent prolongation of sound, presents the word to the e form of two separate words, or of systematic and form. cation in one; thus, "pro motion," or "pro-moi rent usage of the Middle States, on the other hand, obscures the first o of the word, so as to reduce it nearly to a short u, and sinks the last o entirely. In this case, the word is pronounced průmoshn. Few exercises would prove more useful for the purposes of education, in schools, or more serviceable to adult students, than the practice of reading aloud, daily, from the columns of a dictionary. Words, when contemplated in this detached state, make a more distinct impression, both on the eye and the ear, - as far as regards their component elements of letters and sounds, than when they are read in connexion in sentences, in which case the attention is always prone to slight the sound, and dwell upon the sense. Preparatory training, and remedial discipline, require, first, a thorough course of enunciation for the definite and exact execution of every sound and syllable, and, subsequently, a special series of exercises including the union of sound and sense, in connected and consecutive expression. 99 66 66 The exercises which were prescribed under the head of quantity," are so arranged as to admit of being converted into a systematic course of practice in accent, with a view to trace the constituent elements of syllables, in relation to accent, as always necessarily decided by the distinctions of "indefinite," mutable," and "immutable." It is unnecessary, therefore, to repeat the syllabic exercises in the pages of the book. The teacher and the student can accomplish the object of practice, by reverting to them, and repeating such as best exemplify the different species of 99.66 accent," radical," concrete," and " temporal." II.-"Rhythmical" Accent. The subject of accent is now to be considered in connexion not with single words, but the sequence of phrases, in the utterance of successive sentences, and as constituting an important part of the study of "time" applied to the current of the voice, in the continuous exercises of speech, reading, or recitation. The first or lowest degree of musical accent, is called “ rhythm;" the term, by its derivation, implying a comparison between the continuous flow of the voice in speech, and the motion of a stream, as contrasted with the still water of a lake. The voice, in the enunciation of a single sound or word, is comparatively stationary in the utterance of successive sounds, it has something like progressive motion. This motion may be varied and irregular; or it may be uniform and measured; as the stream, when flowing over an uneven and rocky bed, may exhibit all varieties of motion, but when gliding along a smooth channel, may keep a regular rate of time, that may be exactly defined. : The "movement" of the voice in conversation, on light or ordinary subjects, is variable and irregular; on subjects of greater moment, it is more even and sedate; and, in the expression of deep and energetic sentiment, it becomes still more regular and, perhaps, to a certain degree, measured, in its rate of " movement." Reading is a mode of voice yet more distinctly marked in " movement," by its partial uniformity of utterance; and declamation advances another degree, still, in "rhythm," by its deliberate and formal succession of sound. The reading or recitation of poetry, carries the "movement" to its highest degree of fixed and well marked "rhythm," as determined by the structure of verse, which derives its pleasing effect to the ear from the exact observance of a continued uniform, or correspondent "rhythm." The word 66 metre," or "measure," has accordingly its appropriate application to this species of " movement." As "time" includes the duration of pauses as well as of quantities," ," and of "movement," it necessarily comprehends under "rhythm" the exact proportion of pauses to sound, in the rate of utterance, when regulated by "rhythmical" accent. A part of the effect of "rhythm on the ear, must arise, therefore, from the "time" of regularly recurring and exactly proportioned pauses. The full definition of "rhythm” would, accordingly, be, the effect of" time," in regularly returning "quantity," accent, and pause, in the successive sounds of the voice. In the usual forms of familiar prose writing, little regard is paid to the placing of words, as respects the effect of accent. Words, in plain, unpretending composition, follow each other, with but slight reference to the result in mere sound. Some writers, however, are distinguished by a style which is more or less measured and rhythmical to the ear. The stately and formal style of oratorical declamation, sometimes assumes this shape, as does also the language of sublime, pathetic, and beautiful description. Some writers, by high excellence of natural or of cultivated ear, succeed in imparting an exquisite but unobtrusive melody to their sentences, which forms one of the principal attractions of their style. We have instances of these various effects of the selection and arrangement of words, in the majestic and measured declamation of Chatham, in the lofty and magnificent strains of Scripture. The cadences of Ossian exemplify, sometimes, the power and beauty of metrical arrangement, and, sometimes, the cloying effect of its too frequent and uniform recurrence. Every cultivated ear is familiar with the chaste and pleasing turn of the sentences of Addison, the easy flow of Goldsmith's, the ambitious swell of those of Johnson, the broken and capricious phrases of Sterne, the noble harmony of Burke, the abruptness of Swift, and the graceful smoothness of Irving. The characteristic melody of each of these authors, is owing, |