I

which they called parler gras. Such an affectation has never, believe, disgraced our taste. The imperfection is best overcome by removing the articulation from the improper seat, the throat, to the proper organs, the tongue and the palate: and by practising to continue the sound of the letter in the proper place, or rather nearer to the teeth. This may be effected by forcing the breath between the palate and the tip of the tongue, and by causing the tongue to vibrate rapidly. And although this effort will produce an inarticulate sound, it will be an useful exercise. Words may then be practised, in which this letter occurs, in various combinations, slowly at first, till the proper method is acquired, and it should be a principal care to prevent the throat from interfering or being at all concerned in the articulation. In this, as in every other successful effort of persevering labour, the example of Demosthenes is encouraging, as he completely conquered this defect in his utterance.

The hissing of the letter s, that reproach to our language, is, as far as possible, to be moderated, both by attention to composition and enunciation, and should not be exaggerated, as some are found to do.

The letters m and n are also subject to be imperfectly sounded. Instead of passing the sound of m, when produced by closing the lips, entirely through the nose, it is stopped or resisted, apparently between the bony and cartilaginous part of the nose, and does not issue freely." This defect is called, by a contradictory

21 This may be proved by holding the nose in the fingers and endeavouring to pronounce words in which those letters require to be sounded: such as hummums, (a German word,) ninny, singing, ringing, &c. when the sound will appear to be violently impeded in the place mentioned.

appellation, speaking through the nose, and is seldom difficult to remove. The sound of the letter n, when formed by pressing the upper part of the tongue against the palate, should also pass entirely through the nose, but more gently than that of m. In its general combinations imperfect articulation is not so disagreeable as when combined with the letter g: a combination very frequent in our language, and altogether offending the ear when not perfectly enounced. The words ringing, singing, sound as if the n was omitted, and are uttered most disagreeably, as if they were riggig, siggig. The defective articulation of both these letters may be successfully got over by attention and practice; except in cases where nature or accident may have denied the sounds a passage through the proper organ.

PRONUNCIATION AND ACCENT.

Pronunciation, in the modern acceptation of the term, is limited to the mode of enouncing certain words and syllables Accent is understood, either to mean the stress laid on particular syllables, or in a more extended sense, the distinguishing tone or expression of voice with which whole sentences are delivered. The pronunciation of words and syllables relates to written language, and to the ordinary combinations of letters, and is generally regulated by the analogies of the language; but custom sometimes, with most arbitrary authority, contradicts those analogies, and determines according to the pleasure of the ear, in opposition to the artificial standard of written language. No sounds indeed can be irregular but with reference to such artificial standard, and the irregularity is truly not in the sound, but in the neglect of adjusting the orthography according to that sound, which the ear is pleased to adopt. But whatever may

be the cause of the irregularity, every person who would speak or write a language with propriety, must submit to it. And hence it is that languages cannot in respect of their pronunciation be learned entirely from books, nor be judged with respect to their harmony from the dead letter. This knowledge is to be acquired only by conversing with correct speakers. Pronunciation (as does also the whole of language) varies with the modes and fashions of the times: it is sometimes so fluctuating in particular words, and high authorities are often so much at variance, that the most correct mode is hard to be determined." Accent is also subject to the caprice of fashion. Ancient writers accented many words differently from the moderns: and not many years since the tide of innovation tended to throw the accent as far backwards as possible, even on words which by that alteration were rendered altogether difficult to pronounce. And it may be remembered that exertions were made to bring into vogue such uncouth accentuation, as comparative and imperative; and that they nearly succeeded. Miscellany is one of those words which has retained its new accent. It is incumbent on literary men to resist such innovations as violate the prosody, and destroy the harmony of the language, and render obsolete the measures of our best poets, which would otherwise remain as a fixed standard of both.

The effect of the accent on our syllables is either to lengthen or shorten their quantity. When the accent is placed on the vowel, the syllable is uniformly long, as glóry, father: when placed on the consonant, if it be a mute, the syllable will be

22 Example-Wind, important, &c.

short as bal'lle, hab'it. If it be a liquid, the syllable will be long."

But besides this literary accent, marked in written language, there is also an accent relating to the tones and expression of the living voice, and understood as the general song, or recitative in which whole sentences are delivered." This is named the provincial accent. It is the peculiar song of each country and province, and according to the law of language established in every capital city, it is a stain of rusticity, and an object of censure: and must be guarded against or removed by every one who would not incur the penalty of being uncourtly."

To err against the articulation, the pronunciation, or accenting of particular words, is altogether unpardonable, because every literary man may acquire sufficient information on this subject, partly from books, and partly from living authorities. But as to the general song, or recitative of his speech, almost every man is compelled to fall into that of the majority of those with whom he converses; and whoever does not reside at the very court of London, Versailles, or Madrid, or live with the highest class of the persons who form it, must speak more or less with a

23 Sheridan's Lectures, iii. p. 52.

24 The recitative, song, accent, may be considered as something analogous to the cantus obscurior, which Cicero takes notice of in public speakers:

Est autem in dicendo etiam quidam cantus obscurior. . .

Cic. Orat. c. 18.

25 Ita hæc (vox scil.) quoque emendata erit, id est, vitio carebit, si fuerit os facile, explanatum, jucundum, urbanum, id est, in quo nulla neque rusticitas, neque peregrinitas resonet. Non enim sine causa dicitur barbarum Græcumve. Nam sonis homines ut æra tinnitu dignoscimus. Quint. lib. xi. c. 3.

provincial accent. Even in London, the accent (in this sense of the term) of the citizen differs from that of the courtier; and every province in England has a peculiar accent of its own. Nor is this a peculiarity of the English language; in all countries there will be perceived a recitative, which distinguishes the nearest neighbours from each other, notwithstanding that they speak the same language, and speak it in the same idiom. But this unavoidable provincial accent, when not altogether the rude and exaggerated sound of rusticity, when free from the most offensive peculiarities, and from those violations of the established rules and analogies of the language, which disgrace any man of liberal appearance, meets with every indulgence. And whilst it is easily discovered that the person who speaks is either a native of North Britain, or Ireland, or of the counties on the East or West of England, (circumstances which in themselves bring neither honour nor disgrace,) it will be cqually manifest whether the speaker use the language, and possess the manners of the gentleman, and of the man of letters, recognized as such, in the cultivated society of Europe at large.

The study of our own language is a very important branch of elegant knowledge, and no attention should be spared in order to improve in it as far as possible. But it appears to me, that a man of letters should set a higher value on every other power of his language, and be more solicitous to acquire any of them, in preference to that superficial cant, which strikes the ear as the tone of the court, and which is so commonly and so easily affected by the most illiterate. For this desirable object, the works of Dr. Johnson, Messrs. Sheridan, Nares, Walker, and other eminent orthoepists should be carefully studied; and the