12. "If sound is all, you shall have that pleasure; we will call you the young countess." 13. "That would be mere burlesque, Horace, and would make one ridiculous." 14. "There," replied Horace, " nothing can be more inconsistent with us, than aiming at titles." 15. "For us, I grant you," replied Caroline; "but if they were hereditary, if we had been born to them, if they come to us through belted knights and high-born dames, then we might be proud to wear them. I never shall cease to regret that I was not born under a monarchy." 16. "You seem to forget," said Horace, "that all are not lords and ladies in royal dominions. Suppose your first squeak, as you call it, had been among the lower class; what then?' 17. “I did not mean to take those chances; no, I meant to be born among the higher ranks." 18. "Now, Caroline, is it not better to be born under a government where there are no such ranks, and where the only nobility is talent and virtue?" 19. "Talent and virtue,” said Caroline, with a smile; “but I think wealth constitutes our nobility, and the right of abusing each other, our liberty." 20. "You are as fond of aphorisms," said Horace, Lavatera was." 66 23 21. "Let me ask you," said Caroline, "if our rich men, who ride in their own carriages, who have fine houses, and who count by millions, are not our great men?" 22. "They have all the greatness," said Horace," that money can buy; but this is very limited." 23. "Well, in my opinion," said Caroline, " money is power." 24. "You mistake," said Horace, " money may be temporary power, but talent is power itself; and, when united with • Lavater, (John Gasper,) a celebrated physiognomist, born at Zurich, in 1741. virtue, is God-like power, before which the mere man of millions quails." 25. "Well, Horace," said Caroline, "I really wish you the possession of talent, and principle, and wealth into the bargain. The latter, you think, will follow the two former, simply at your beck; you smile, but I feel as determined in my way of thinking, as you do in yours." SECTION XV. Monotone. MONOTONE is a protracted sameness of sound on successive syllables or words. Monotone, as here used, does not mean a succession of sounds perfectly similar, but simply that a similarity of tone, with slight modifications, prevails throughout the piece to be read. RULE 15. Language that is grave, grand, or sublime, generally requires the monotone. EXAMPLES. 1. O, thē grāve! the grave! It būries every error; cōvers every defect; extinguishes every resentment. 2. The bell strikes one. We take nō nōte of tīme But from its loss. Is wise in man. To give it then a tongue, As if an angel spōke, I feel the solemn sound. If heard aright, It is the knell of my departed hour. Grand. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations, also, of the hills moved, and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smōke out of his nōstrils, and fīre out of his mouth QUESTIONS. What is monotone? Does it mean a succession of sounds perfectly similar? What is the rule for monotone? Give an example. devoured. He bowed the heavens, also, and came down, and darkness was under his feet; and he rōde upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he did fly upou the wings of the wind. Sublime. What hand unseen Impels me onward, through the glowing orbs Of habitable nature, fār remote, To the dread confines of eternal night, EXERCISE. 1. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed befōre my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof; an Image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, Shall mōrtal mān be more just than God? Shall a mān bē mōre pūre than his Maker! 2. 3. Wide as the world is his command, Vast as eternity his love; Firm as a rock his, truth shall stand, The high-born soul Disdains to rest her heaven aspiring wing, 5. 6. 7. Thro' fields of air; pursues the flying storm; Then high she soars The blue profound, and hovering round the sun, Thence, far effused, She darts her swiftness up the long career The steadfast empyrean shook throughout, All but the throne itself of God. Full soon Among them he arrived; in his right hand 8. Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent O'er shields, and helmets, and helmed heads, he rode, That wish'd the mountains, now, might be again One spirit in them ruled; and every eye Among the accursed, that wither'd all their strength, CHAPTER VI. MODULATION. MODULATION implies the variations of the voice that are heard in reading or speaking. Good reading depends very much upon a proper modulation. When skillfully employed, it gives life, spirit, and beauty, to what would otherwise be monotonous and uninteresting. In order for a reader or speaker to acquire a free, easy, and natural control of his vocal organs, it will be necessary, in the first place, to become perfectly familiar with all the elementary sounds. These have already been presented on a preceding page, and when uttered as there directed, must necessarily QUESTIONS. What is modulation? What effect has it when skillfully employed? How may a reader acquire a free, easy, and natural control of his voice? |