fix the attention on the meaning, in the manner and to the degree now proposed. The thoughts of one who is reading any thing very familiar to him, are apt to wander to other subjects, though perhaps such as are connected with that which is before him; if, again, it be something new to him, he is apt (not indeed to wander to another subject, but) to get the start, as it were, of his readers, and to be thinking, while uttering each sentence, not of that, but of the sentence which comes next. And in both cases, if he is careful to avoid those faults, and is desirous of reading well, it is a matter of no small difficulty, and calls for a constant effort, to prevent the mind from wandering in another direction; viz. into thoughts respecting his own voice, respecting the effect produced by each sound,—the approbation he hopes for from the hearers, &c. And this is the prevailing fault of those who are commonly said to take great pains in their reading; pains which will always be taken in vain with a view to the true object to be aimed at, as long as the effort is thus applied in a wrong direction. With a view, indeed, to a very different object, the approbation bestowed on the reading, this artificial delivery will often be more successful than the natural. Pompous spouting, and many other descrip

tions of unnatural tone and measured cadence, are frequently admired by many as excellent reading; which admiration is itself a proof that it is not deserved; for when the delivery is really good, the hearers (except any one who may deliberately set himself to observe and criticise) never think about it, but are exclusively occupied with the sense it conveys, and the feelings it excites.

of imitation

by the adop

natural

manner.

Still more to increase the difficulty of the Advantages method here recommended, (for it is no less precluded wise than honest to take a fair view of diffi- tion of the culties,) this circumstance is to be noticed, that he who is endeavouring to bring it into practice, is in a great degree precluded from the advantage of imitation. A person who hears and approves a good reader in the Natural manner, may, indeed, so far imitate him with advantage, as to adopt his plan, of fixing his attention on the matter, and not thinking about his voice; but this very plan, evidently, by its nature, precludes any further imitation; for if, while reading, he is thinking of copying the manner of his model, he will, for that very reason, be unlike that model; the main principle of the proposed method being, carefully to exclude every such thought. Whereas any artificial system may as easily be learned by imitation as the notes of a song.

Advantages

of practice

Practice also (i. e. private practice for the

precluded sake of learning) is much more difficult in the

by the adop

natural

manner.

tion of the proposed method; because, the rule being, to use such a delivery as is suited, not only to the matter of what is said, but also, of course, to the place and occasion, and this, not by any studied modulations, but according to the spontaneous suggestions of the matter, place, and occasion, to one whose mind is fully and exclusively occupied with these, it follows, that he who would practice this method in private, must, by a strong effort of a vivid imagination, figure to himself a place and an occasion which are not present; otherwise, he will either be thinking of his delivery, (which is fatal to his proposed object,) or else will use a delivery suited to the situation in which he actually is, and not, to that for which he would prepare himself. Any system, on the contrary, of studied emphasis and regulation of the voice, may be learned in private practice, as easily as singing.

CHAP. III.-Considerations arising from the differences between Reading and Speaking.

$ 1.

Some additional objections to the method I have recommended, and some further remarks on the counterbalancing advantages of it will be introduced presently, when I shall have first offered some observations on Speaking, and on that branch of Reading which the most nearly approaches to it.

When any one delivers a written composition, of which he is, or is supposed to profess himself, the author, he has peculiar difficulties to encounter, if his object be to approach as

* It must be admitted, however, that (to the members of our Church) the difficulty of reading the Liturgy with spirit, and even with propriety, is something peculiar, on account of (what has been already remarked) the inveterate and long-established faults to which almost every one's ears are become familiar; so that such a delivery as would shock any one of even moderate taste, in any other composition, he will, in this, be likely to tolerate, and to practise. Some, e. g. in the Liturgy, read, "have mercy upon us, miserable sinners;" and others, "have mercy upon us, miserable sinners;" both, laying the stress on a wrong word, and making the pause in the wrong place, so as to disconnect "" us and "miserable sinners ;" which the context requires us to combine. Every one, in expressing his

nearly as possible to the extemporaneous style. It is indeed impossible to produce the full effect of that style, while the audience are aware that the words he utters are before him: but he may approach indefinitely near to such an effect; and in proportion as he succeeds in this object, the impression produced will be Compara- the greater. It has been already remarked, tages of how easy it is for the hearers to keep up their extempora- attention,-indeed, how difficult for them to withdraw it,—when they are addressed by one who is really speaking to them in a natural

tive advan

written and

ry addres

ses.

own natural sentiments, would say "have mercy upon usmiserable-sinners."

Many are apt even to commit so gross an error, as to lay the chief stress on the words which denote the most important things; without any consideration of the emphatic word of each sentence: e.g. in the Absolution, many read, "let us beseech Him to grant us true repentance;" because, forsooth, "true repentance" is an important thing; not considering that, as it has been just mentioned, it is not the new idea, and that to which the attention should be directed by the emphasis; the sense being, that since God pardoneth all that have true repentance, therefore, we should "beseech Him to grant it to us."

In addition to the other difficulties of reading the Liturgy well, it should be mentioned, that prayer, thanksgiving, and the like, even when avowedly not of our own composition, should be delivered as (what in truth they ought to be) the genuine sentiments of our own minds at the moment of utterance; which is not the case with the Scriptures, or with any thing else that is read, not professing to be the speaker's own composition.