Rule III. Acquire a compass and variety in the height of your voice. The monotony fo much complained of in public speakers is chiefly owing to the neglect of this rule.'

Rule IV. Pronounce your words with propriety and elegance.'—It is not easy to fix upon any standard, by which the propriety of pronunciation is to be determined. Cuftom is a phantom, which appears under different forms in the fenate, in the pulpit, at the bar, and in every company in the metropolis. But this matter we hope will foon be brought to fome degree of perfection. We have already two Pronouncing Dictionaries, Kenrick's and Walker's; and we are promised another, by Mr. Sheridan.

Rule V. Pronounce every word confifting of more than one fyllable with its proper accent.'-Some have laid it 'down as a rule, that the accent fhould be caft as far backwards as poffible. But we entirely agree with our author, that this rule has no foundation in the conftruction of the English language, or in the laws of harmony. In accenting words, the general custom and a good ear are the best guides. Upon the principle of harmony we should rather say, refractory, than refractory, academy, than academy; as the latter is harsh and unmufical.

Rule VI. In every fentence diftinguish the more fignificant words by a natural, forcible, and varied emphafis.'

Our author has made fome judicious remarks on this rule. The most common faults, respecting emphasis, are, laying fo ftrong an emphasis on one word, as to leave no power of giving a particular force to other words, which, though not equally, are in certain degree emphatical; and placing the greatest stress on conjunctive particles, and other words of fecondary importance. These faults are ftrongly characterised in Churchill's cenfure of Moffop.

With ftudied improprieties of speech

He foars beyond the hackney critic's reach,
To epithets allots emphatic ftate;

Whilst principals, ungrac'd, like lacquies wait;
In ways first trodden by himself excels,

And ftands alone in undeclinables;

Conjunction, prepofition, adverb, join
To ftamp new vigour on the nervous line :
In monofyllables his thunders roll,

He, she, it, and, we, ye, they, fright the foul."

Rule VII. Acquire a juft variety of paufe and cadence.'One of the worft faults a fpeaker can be guilty of is, to make no other paufes, than what he finds barely neceffary for breathing. Our author not improperly compares fuch a

U 2

speaker

speaker to an alarum-bell, which when once fet a going, clatters on till the weight that moves it is run down.

In reading, as he rightly obferves, it is very allowable for the fake of pointing out the fenfe more ftrongly, preparing the audience for what is to follow, or enabling the fpeaker to alter the tone or height of the voice, fometimes to make a very confiderable paufe, where the grammatical conftruction requires none at all. In doing this, however, it is neceffary that in the word immediately preceding the paufe, the voice be kept up in fuch a manner as to intimate to the hearer that the fenfe is not compleated. Mr. Garrick, the first of fpeakers, often obferves this rule with great fuccefs.

Before a fuil paufe it has been customary in reading to drop the voice in a uniform manner; and this has been called the cadence. But furely nothing can be more destructive of all propriety and energy than this habit. The tones and heights at the clofe of a fentence ought to be infinitely diversified, according to the general nature of the difcourfe, and the particular conftruction and meaning of the fentence. In plain narrative, and especially in argumentation, the leaft attention to the manner in which we relate a story, or support an argument in converfation will fhow, that it is more frequently proper to raife the voice than to fall it at the end of a sentence. Interrogatives, where the fpeaker feems to expect an answer, fhould almost always be elevated at the clofe, with a peculiar tone, to indicate that a queftion is afked. Some fentences are fo conftructed, that the laft word requires a ftronger emphafis than any of the preceding; while others admit of being clofed with a foft and gentle found.'

Rule VIII. Accompany the emotions and paffions, which your words exprefs, by correfpondent tones, looks, and geftures." These are the rules, which Dr. Enfield has explained and itluftrated in his Effay on Elocution. Moft of them are unqueftionably juft; and fome of them new. But there are many things, relative to the principles of a graceful elocution, which are left for the obfervation of future writers.

The principal part of this volume confifts of narrative, didaftic, argumentative, defcriptive, pathetic pieces, felect fentences, dialogues, orations, &c. in profe and verfe, collected from the claffics, from the works of Shakespeare, Addison, Pope, Thomfon, Young, Milton, Gray, Mafon, Sterne, Melmoth, Johnfon, Chesterfield, and a great number of other eminent writers. This work may therefore be confidered as one of the moft elegant mifcellanies in the English language.

N. Liberal Opinions, upon Animals, Man, and Providence. In which are introduced, Anecdotes of a Gentleman. By Courtney Melmoth.

MR.

2 vols. 8vo. 51. ferved. Robinson.

[R. Melmoth has formerly appeared in our Review, as the author of fome poetical productions, and in the work now under confideration, he maintains the characteristic vi vacity of a votary of the Mufes. By the aid of fanciful invention, he has rendered the animal kingdom fubfervient to moral entertainment, and amidst a picturesque defcription of scenes, laid before us a lively representation of several characters. We wish, however, that he had preferved, through the whole of his narrative, the fame uniformity of defign, which he has fupported in the character of his hero; for in his excurfions into the field of philofophy, though he often treads in unbeaten paths, he rather wanders deviously, in fearch of objects that may gratify the imagination, than of fuch as inform the understanding. The defultory mode of writing, and the quick transitions he uses, though, we doubt not, agreeable to the reader, by exciting furprize, will not admit of being related in a continued detail, and we muft therefore content ourfelves with giving a general idea of the work.

In these volumes the author is fuppofed to address himself to a lady, and after fome introductory remarks, he prefents her with a sketch of an animal fociety; with part of which, as being of an uncommon caft, we shall also present our readers.

I have, as your ladyfhip will remember, already declared myfelf the friend of all the inhabitants which wing the air, or crawl upon the earth: and, although I have the tendereft attachment to my own fpecies, and glory in the name of man and chriftian, yet-if in my travels through the world, I happen (as is fometimes the cafe) to meet in the brute, the infect, or reptile, thofe endearing qualities, which I look for amongst men, in vain, I hefitate not to ftrike a bargain on the spotform a strict alliance with the more rational animal, and only lament that it is poffible for those who have dominion over the creation to be outdone by beings of an inferior order in the scale of life.

Having faid thus much, your lady fhip will not wonder if, in this letter, I should fay something in defence of those gentle domestics which accompany us in our retirements. But of all creatures that are accommodated with four feet, I am most enamoured of lap-dogs-yet, I admire almoft every fort of dumb companions, amongst which I have now lived with little

of other fociety for five years. Will your ladyfhip please to hear a defcription of my family.

Suppofe me, madam, at my own house, (if I prefume not in calling that a houfe, which confifts of a fingle story)-be it then in my cottage (for that is the term which humility would give it); you behold me fitting before a frugal fire, with my little partakers of the blaze around me-that cat, which fits fage and thinking on the edge of the form, is not more remarkable for her beauty of perfon, than for the uncommon accomplishments of her mind. I fay mind, because I am perfuaded, and out of doubt as to that particular-the trick-trying kitten, which is bufied in chafing her fhadow round the room, inherits all the genius of her mother-but has a small spice of the coquette in her temper; yet this is fo common to pretty young females, and fo naturally wears off when they arrive at the gravity of cat-hood, befides it being graceful in kittenhood, that it were a needlefs feverity to check it: the activity and fun of the creature, as the fkips fidelong in wanton attitudes and antics, is now and then fo pleafantly burlesque, that the inflexible mufcles of yon old wretch of a pointer stretched in flumber along the hearth, almoft relax into a grin, and fometimes the veteran is fo infpired by the mimickry of little pufs, that he raises his paw-gives her a pat of encouragement, and difcovers all the playfulness of a puppy.-There is in this place fo fair an opportunity of trying my fkill as a writer, that I not refift making

A COMPARISON.

can

Did you never take notice, madam, of two people of different ages fuddenly attracted to each other by the fympathy of ideas. Nothing but the power of pleafant thoughts can effect an affociation-the old man fits a long time fmothered up, in the mist of his own melancholy-he hangs his head upon his breaft, fixes his eyes over the fire, and feems to be employed in fome profound fpeculation: the fatigue, however, of thinking, proves too laborious, and he is at length rocked to fleep, in the cradle of his reflections, In the mean time, his favourite boy is left to cater for himself. The eye of a child converts every trifle into an object of entertainment, and every pretty unimportance is esteemed, a joyful acquifition. The father, after the refreshments of his nap (that nepenthe of age) awakes -the ftripling is acting the kitten on the floor, and ingeniously exerts a thoufand little efforts, to vary its amusement. Age furveys the picture, and recalls ideas which bring to mind the moments when he was himself the happy harlequin of the carpet a tear drops involuntarily, which is fucceeded by a smile. At length the diftance of ages is forgotten; the veteran is caught in the charm of chearful retrofpection, forgets awhile the decrepitude of the last stage, and mixes in the whimsical and puerile gratifications of the first.

• You

You fee, madam, here were too many flowers to remain uncropt. It would have been unpardonable for a young writer to let them wither-and

"Waste their sweetness on the defart air."

I have made up my nofegay-and am now ready to return with your ladyship to

MY FAMILY.

Scampering up that fhelf, fports an animal of peculiar pleafantry. It is Trimbrush, my fquirrel, madam-a very ingenious, Sprightly, and whimfical fellow-the macaroni of animals, full as mifchievous-full as coxcomic, and a great deal more witty than many a fine gentleman, whofe advantages have been greater. His many entertaining conceits, and the laughable manner in which he fometimes amufes himself, have acquired him the name of the Humourift

Apes, monkies, pies, and parrots, I have none. They were fo affuming, and fo faucy a fet of domeftics, and fo arrogantly tyrannized over the pacific and meek-minded part of my family, that I e'en difcarded them from the fociety. They now refide with characters, for whom they are very proper companions. My apes are in the poffeffion of certain Mimics, which caricature the excellence and talents of others, because they have neither talents or excellence of their own-and it is expected that the eldest male-ape will make his first public appearance next winter, in the character of a modern Lecturerto which will be added, a farce of burlesque imitations. My monkies I have presented to a beau, and they are fuppofed to furnish him with hints, which enable him to lead the fashionfo that your ladyfhip perceives the bon ton are not a little indebted even to the excommunicated part of my family-as to my parrots, pies, and birds of speech, they are all the property of an unmarried maiden gentlewoman, who is fo extremely celebrated for volubility of converfation, and fo unfatigued a continuer, that nothing human could ever come in for a word; and yet fhe loves to hear nonfenfe, as well as talk it. I am told by a friend, that my dumb orators are-almost-a match for her. Muft it not be a charming concord of founds, when every inftrument is in tune?-I was once at the concert myself-and the confufion of tongues must have been order and intelligence to it. Poll fcreamed-mag chattered-the monkies fqueaked, and the lady (with a note above them all) laboured hard for that charter of her fex, the last word. They day of their departure was celebrated by my creatures, as a jubilee-my cats purredmy dogs gamboled-my squirrel danced a new cotilion on the occafion, and my birds (which you hear, are no bad muficians). whistled a fresh overture.'

We are next entertained with a curious and fantastic account of an owl, a dog, and a robin-red-breast, concluding