rits our utmost attention. The language of ideas is wholly arbitrary; that is, words, which are the figns of our ideas, have no natural connexion with them, but depend purely upon convention, in the different focieties of men, where they are employed; which is fufficiently proved, by the diverfity of languages spoken by the different nations of the world. But it is not fo with regard to the language of emotions. Nature herself has taken care to frame that for the use of man; having annexed to every act, and feeling of the mind, its peculiar tone, which spontaneously breaks forth, and excites in the minds of others, tuned invariably by the hand of Nature in unifon to those notes, analogous emotions. Whenever therefore man interferes, by substituting any other notes, in the room of those, which Nature has annexed to the acts and

feelings of the mind, fo far the language of

emotions is corrupted, and fails of its end. For the chords of the human heart, thus tuned in unifon to the natural notes only, will never vibrate in correspondence to those of the artificial kind. These artificial notes are at best infignificant; when not regulated by certain rules of proportion, as in the irregular accentual, they are discordant to the ear, and deform utterance; and when reduced to the niceft mufical proportion, as in the regular accentual, the utmost effect they can produce, is, to delight the ear, and amuse the fancy. But whether this be not purchafing a fenfual, or fantastic gratification, at too dear a rate, by facrificing to it that endless variety of notes, annexed by Nature to that endless variety of thoughts and emotions, may juftly bear a difpute. And however high my idea of the ancient orators may be, and whatever powerful effects may have been produced by their

mode of delivery, I cannot help thinking that with the same skill and ability in all the other branches of oratory, they would have produced effects ftill more powerful, had they delivered themselves in a language constituted like ours, the language of Nature, unsophisticated by Art. This may

be illustrated by an inftance of a fimilar kind; for I believe it will be allowed, that the finest opera, with all the charms and expreffion of mufic, and performed in the best manner poffible, however it may delight the ear, and captivate the fancy, will not make an equal impreffion on the mind, or move the paffions to fo high a degree, as a well-acted tragedy delivered with all the energy of emphatic speech.

From this account of emphafis, the proper use of it in reading, is clearly pointed out; and is to be acquired by a due degree of attention and practice. Every one who

under

nnderstands what he reads, cannot fail of finding out each emphatic word; and his business then is to mark it properly, not by ftrefs only, as in the accented fyllables, but by a change of note, fuited to the matter, which conftitutes the effence of emphasis. If it be afked how the proper change of note is always to be hit upon, my answer is, that he must not only understand, but feel the fentiments of the author; as all internal feeling must be expreffed by notes, which is the language of emotions; not words, the language of ideas. And if he enters into the spirit of the author's fentiments, as well as into the meaning of his words, he will not fail to

in properly varied tones:

deliver the words

For there are few

people who speak English without a provincial tone, that have not the most accurate use of emphasis, when they utter their fentiments in common difcourfe; and the

reafon

reason that they have not the fame use of it, in reading aloud the fentiments of others, is owing to the very defective and erroneous method, in which the art of reading is taught; whereby all the various, natural, expreffive tones of fpeech, are fuppreffed, and a few artificial, unmeaning, reading notes are fubftituted in their room; which will be made more clear when I come to treat of stops.

There is no article, in which more frequent mistakes are committed, than in this important one of emphafis, both with regard to ftrefs and tone. The chief reafon, of this general abuse of emphasis, feems to be, that children are taught to read fentences, which they do not understand; and as it is impoffible to lay the emphasis right, without perfectly comprehending the meaning of what one reads, they get a habit either of reading in a monotone, or if they attempt