tremely useful, if they were read over or rehearsed in private, with a view of ascertaining the proper emphafis, before they were pronounced in public; marking at the fame time the emphatical words in every fentence, or at least in the most important parts of the discourse, and fixing them well in memory. A caution however must be given against multiplying emphatical words too much. They become striking, only when ufed with prudent referve. If they recur too frequently; if a speaker attempt to render every thing, which he fays, of high importance by a multitude of ftrong emphafes; they will foon fail to excite the attention of his hearers.

Next to emphafis paufes demand attention. They are of two kinds; firft, emphatical paufes; and fecondly, fuch, as mark the distinctions of fenfe. An emphatical pause is made, after fomething has been faid of peculiar moment, on which we wish to fix the hearer's attention. Sometimes a matter of importance is preceded by a pause of this nature. Such paufes have the fame effect with strong emphases, and are fubject to the fame rules; especially to the caution, just now given, of not repeating them too frequently. For, as they excite uncommon attention, and confequently raise expectation, if this be not fully answered, they occafion dif appointment and disgust..

But the most frequent and the principal use of pauses

is, to mark the divifions of the fenfe, and at the fame time to permit the speaker to draw his breath; and the proper management of fuch pauses is one of the most nice and difficult articles in delivery. A proper command of the breath is peculiarly requifite. To obtain this, every speaker should be very careful to provide a full supply of breath for what he is to utter. It is a great mistake, to suppose that the breath must be drawn only at the end of a period, when the voice is allowed to fall. It may eafily be gathered at the intervals of a period, when the voice fuffers only a momentary fufpenfion. By this management a fufficient fupply may be obtain ed for carrying on the longest period without improper interruptions.

Paufes in public discourse must be formed upon the manner, in which we exprefs ourselves in fenfible converfation, and not upon the ftiff, artificial manner, which we acquire from perusing books according to common punctuation. Punctuation in general is very arbitrary; often capricious and falfe; dictating a uniformity of tone in the paufes, which is extremely unpleafing. For it must be obferved, that, to render paufes graceful and expreffive, they must not only be made in the right places, but also be accompanied by proper tones of voice; by which the nature of these paufes is intimated much more, than by their length, which can never be exactly measured. Sometimes on

ly a flight and fimple fufpenfion of the voice is proper ; fometimes a degree of cadence is requifite; and fometimes that peculiar tone and cadence, which mark the conclufion of a period. In all these cafes a fpeaker is to regulate himself by the manner, in which he speaks, when engaged in earnest difcourfe with others.

In reading or reciting verfe there is a peculiar diffi culty in making the paufes with propriety. There are two kinds of paufes, which belong to the mufic of verfe; one at the end of a line, and the other in the middle of it. Rhyme always renders the former fenfible, and compels obfervance of it in pronunciation. In blank verfe it is lefs perceivable; and, when there is no fufpenfion of the fenfe, it has been doubted, whether in reading fuch verfe any regard fhould be paid to the clofe of a line? On the stage indeed, where the appearance of speaking in verfe fhould be avoided, the clofe of fuch lines, as make no paufe in the fenfe, fhould not be rendered perceptible to the ear. On other occafions we ought for the fake of melody to read blank verfe in fuch manner, as to make each line fenfible to the ear. In attempting this however every appearance of fingfong and tone must be cautiously avoided. The clofe of a line, where there is no pause in the meaning, fhould be marked only by fo flight a fufpenfion of found, as may distinguish the paffage from one line to another without injuring the fenfe.

The pause in the middle of the line falls after the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th fyllable, and no other. When this paufe coincides with the flighteft divifion in the fenfe, the line may be read with ease; as in the two first verfes of Pope's Meffiah;

Ye nymphs of Solyma, begin the fong,

To heavenly themes fublimer ftrains belong.

But, if words, that have fo intimate a connexion, as not to admit even a momentary feparation, be divided from each other by this cæfural paufe; we then perceive a conflict between the fenfe and found, which renders it difficult to read fuch lines gracefully. In fuch cafes it is beft to facrifice found to fenfe. For instance, in the following line of Milton;

What in me is dark,

Illumine; what is low, raife and support.

The fenfe clearly dictates the paufe after "illumine," which ought to be obferved; though, if melody only were to be regarded, "illumine" fhould be connected with what follows, and no paufe made before the 4th or 6th fyllable. So alfo in the following line of Pope's Epistle to Arbuthnot;

I fit; with fad civility I read.

The ear points out the paufe, as falling after "fad," the fourth fyllable. But to feparate "fad” and “civility" would be very bad reading. The fenfe allows no

other pause, than after the fecond fyllable, "fit ;" which therefore is the only one to be observed.

We proceed to treat of tones in pronunciation, which are different both from emphases and paufes; confifting in the modulation of the voice, the notes or variations of found, which are employed in public fpeaking. The most material instruction, which can be given on this fubject, is to form the tones of public fpeaking upon the tones of animated converfation. Every one, whọ is engaged in fpeaking on a fubject, which interefts him nearly, has an eloquent or perfuafive tone and manner, But, when a fpeaker departs from his natural tone of expreffion, he becomes frigid and unperfuafive. Nothing is more abfurd, than to fuppofe that as foon, as a fpeaker afcends a pulpit, or rifes in a public affembly, he is inftantly to lay afide the voice, with which he expreffes himself in private, and to affume a new, ftudied tone, and a cadence altogether different from his natural manner. This has vitiated all delivery, and has given rife to cant and tedious ionotony. Let every public fpeaker guard againft this error, Whether he

fpeak in private, or in a great affembly; let him remember that he ftill fpeaks. Let him take nature for his guide, and the will teach him to exprefs his fenti, ments and feelings in fuch manner, as to make the most forcible and pleafing impreflion upon the minds of his

hearers.

It now remains to treat of gefture, or what is called