ページの画像
PDF
ePub

How that might change his nature-there's the ques

tion.

It is the bright day that brings forth the adder;
And that craves wary walking: crown him-that-
And then I grant we put a sting in him,
Which at his will he may do danger with.

To be or not to be-that is the question :
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer.
The stings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them.-to die-to sleep-
No more ;-and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to-'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd.-to die-to sleep-

To sleep, perchance to dream :-Ay, there's the rub:
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil

Must give us pause.

Pauses of confusion are shorter than those of reflection, and should be filled up with hesitative panting draughts of breath, while every succeeding word or sentence varies in tone of expression from the for

mer.

Yes: 'tis Emelia-by and by-she's dead.
'Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio's death.
The noise was high-Ha! no more moving?-
Still as the grave-shall she come in?-wert good?
I think she stirs again-no-what's best?

Breaks are only pauses of a different nature, more abrupt and sudden, as when a passage cuts short before the meaning is fully explained: these most frequently occur in violent grief, and impetuous rage; and the tone of voice alters as the passion rises or falls.

I pr'ythee daughter, do not make me mad!-
I will not trouble thee, my child-farewell-
We'll meet no more-no more see one another ;-
Let shame come when it will, I do not call it :—
I do not bid the thunder-bearer strike,

Nor tell tales of thee to avenging heaven:
Mend when thou canst-be better at thy leisure ;-
I can be patient-I can stay with Regan.-

.......Darkness and demons !

Saddle my horses-call my train together ;-
Degenerate viper-I'll not stay with thee!
I yet have left a daughter-Serpent! monster !
Lessen my train, and call them riotous!

All men approved-of choice and rarest parts,
That each particular of duty know.-

Dost thou understand me man? The king would speak with Cornwall; the dear father

Would with his daughter speak :-Command her

service.

Are they inform'd of this ?-My breath and bloodNo-but not yet, may be he is not well.

Part III.

Modulation and Management of the Voice.

The voice is the organ of eloquence, and has the entire dominion over one sense. All that language and tones can effect to influence the understanding and to win the affections depends on the power of the voice addressed to the ear. To understand and be able to manage the voice, must be a matter, therefore of the highest importance to the public speaker. The ancient orators, sensible of this, bestowed uncommon pains, and used every effort to improve the qualities of the voice, and exerted all their art in the management of it.

The voice as to its nature, may be divided into

[blocks in formation]

The modulation of the voice is the proper management of its tones, so as to produce grateful melodies to the ear. Upon the modulation of the voice, depends that variety which is so pleasing, and so necessary to refresh and relieve the organs of the speaker, and the ears of the audience, in a long oration. The opposite fault is monotony, which becomes at last so disagreeable, as to defeat all together the success of a public speaker, by exciting the utmost impatience, and disgust in his audience.

The following states of the voice may be considered as pitches or keys; they are all included in Modulation.

High, loud, quick. {quick; or low, loud, and quick. Forcible, may be high, loud, and

Low, soft, slow. {slow, or low, soft, and slow, Feeble, may be high, soft, and

Hence the following combinations.

High, loud, quick.
High, loud, slow.

Low, loud, quick.

Low, loud, slow.

Low, soft, quick,

Low, soft, slow.*

High, soft, quick.
High, soft, slow.

These different states of the voice properly managed, give rise to that striking and beautiful variety, which always prevails in good speaking and reading; and which according to Quintilian, alone constitutes eloquent delivery. It may not be improper here, to state (what is frequently confounded) the difference between loud and soft, and high and low tones.They are totally different. Piano and forte have no relation to pitch or key, but to force and quantity; and when applied to the voice, they relate to the body or volume which the speaker or singer gives out. We can, therefore, be very soft in a high note, and very loud in a low one; just as a smart stroke on a bell, may have exactly the same note as a slight one, though it is considerably louder. When we take a high pitch and give little force, we speak high and soft; when we take a high pitch, and give great force, we speak high and loud: when we take a low pitch and give little force, we speak low and soft; and when we give to the same pitch great force, we speak low and loud. It may be remarked, that the nature of the human voice is such, that to begin speaking or singing in the extremes of high and low, are not equally dangerous. The voice naturally slides into a higher tone, when we want to speak louder, but not so easily into a lower tone when we want to speak softly. Experience proves to us, that we can raise our voice at pleasure to any pitch it is capable of; but it at the same time tells us, that it requires infinite art and practice to bring the voice to a lower key when it is once raised too high. It ought therefore to be a first principle with all public readers and speakers, rather to begin below the common level of their voice than above it.

The tones of the speaking voice ascending from

* Vide Elements of Elocution.

the lowest to the highest, may be considered in the following series.

1st, A whisper-audible only by the nearest person.

2d, The low speaking tone or murmur-suited to close conversation.

3d, The ordinary pitch or middle-suited to general conversation.

4th, The elevated pitch-used in earnest argu

ment.

5th, The extreme-used in violent passion.

To the variety so grateful to the ear, not only change of tone is requisite, but also change of deliv ery. According to the subject, the rapidity of the utterance varies, as the time in the different movements in music. Narration proceeds equally, the pathetic slowly, instruction authoritatively, determination with vigour, and passion with rapidity.

Directions.

1st, As the vital principle of the voice, consists in those tones which express the emotions of the mind; and as the language of ideas however correctly delivered, without the addition of this language of the passions will prove cold and uninteresting, variety in the delivery is a most important point.

2d, As the difficulty of pitching the voice is very considerable, especially if the place be large and the speaker not accustomed to it, he should begin somewhat below rather than above the ordinary pitch, for it is much easier to ascend than lower the pitch.

3d, Every speaker ought to deliver the greatest part of his discourse in the middle pitch of his

« 前へ次へ »