This Variation is fo founded in Nature, that fhould you hear two People, in a Language you do not underftand, talking together with Heat, the one in Anger, the other in Fear, one in Foy, the other in Sorrow, you might easily distinguish the Paffions from each other by the different Tone, and Cadence of their Voice, as well as by their Countenance and Gefture'; nay, a blind Man, who could not obferve thofe, by the Voice would eafily know the Distinction.

From this it is plain, that as this Variation of the Voice is founded in Nature, fo the nearer you approach to Nature, the nearer you come to Perfection; and the farther you are from her, the more vicious is your Pronunciation. The lefs affected the better, for a natural Variation is much the beft; the easiest way of arriving at which, is a juft Obfervation of common Dif course, and to mind how you fpeak your felf in Converfation; how a Woman expreffes her Paffion for an Injury receiv'd, her Grief for the Lofs of a Hufband, or any thing dear to her, and from these Observations endeavour to form your Pronunciation in public, with this only dif ference, that you confider how much louder your Voice ought to be to be heard in all thofe Particulars, at fuch a Distance as the Stage, the Bar, or the Pulpit. The best Actors change their Voice according to the Qualities of the Persons they reprefent, and the Condition they are in, or the Subject of their Difcourfe; always fpeaking in the fame Tone on the Stage,

as

as they would do in a Room, allowing for the Distance.

We muft, therefore, vary the Voice, as often as we can; but the only Difficulty is to know how to do it artfully, and with Harmony; to the accomplishing which, I fhall give the following Directions.

There are three chief Differences of Highness or Lowness, of Vehemence and Softnefs, and Swiftnefs and Slownefs. The Speaker therefore is to obferve a juft Meafure in all thefe Diftinctions thro'all that he has to fay. He must be fure to keep a true Medium of theVoice, both the Extremes being vicious and difagreeable. First, as to its Height, you must have a Care of either raifing it always to the highest Note it can reach, or letting it down to the lowest. To ftrain it always to the Height, would be a Bawling or a Monotony, a Cant, or Identity of Sound. For befides the Ungenteelnefs and Indecency of the Clamour and Noise to the Hearer, it wears the Throat of the Speaker into a Hoarseness, and the Ears of the Hearer into an Averfion. To fink the Voice likewife into the lowest and most base Note, and to keep it always in the fame Tone, would be to mut ter, not to speak, and few of the Audience would be able to hear a Word, that was faid.

Nor muft a Man force his Voice perpetually to the last Extremity, for not being able to fuftain it long in that Key, it would fail him all of a fudden ;; like the String of a Mufical Inftrument, that breaks when screw'd up too high.

Without obferving thefe Directions, he would either like Adrian the Phoenician, mention'd by Philoftratus, lofe his Voice in the midft of his Difcourfe, and murmur out the later part in fo low a Tone as not to be heard; or like Zofimus the Freedman of Pliny the younger, over-ftraining himself, vomit Blood, and endanger his Life. A Man of a weak Conftitution, and in Years, ought to have a Care of fuch an intemperate way of Speaking, left he incur the Fate of King Attalus. He (as I have read) made once à Speech at Thebes, in a public Affembly, in which being transported into an Action too violent for the Debility of his old Age, he was of a fudden ftruck speechlefs, and without the leaft Motion or Appearance of Life; fo that he was forc'd to be carry'd home to his Lodgings, whence foon after being convey'd to his Palàcè at Pergamus, he dy❜d.

On the other fide, you ought not to be too fupine or remifs either in your Action or Speaking, because fo effeminate and foft a Diffolution of the Voice betrays a Feeblenefs, and destroys the Energy of what you fay, nor raises the Paffions of any one, that hears above a common and difpaffionate Difcourfe.

Next, as to the Swiftnefs and Volubility, it ought not to be precipitate. This was the Fault of one Serapion, of whom Lucillius gives Seneca an Account, and fays, That his Fancy flow'd fo quick, that hudling Word on Word, one Tongue feem'd not fufficient for the Precipita

tion of his Pronunciation. But this, on several Accounts, is a very vicious way of Speaking, This Vice is not only unfeemly on all grave Subjects, but an Obftacle to the End propos'd by them, which is Perfuafion. For without allowing Time to confider what you fay, how can you convince? But on the Stage indeed the Cafe is fomething different, because there are Parts, and fome particular Speeches, where fuch an extravagant Volubility is beautiful, as in feveral Places of the Part of True Wit in the Silent Woman, and fome other Parts; But that we shall fee anon, when we come clofer to Particulars. This running on Poft without any Paufe, is al fo prejudicial to the Speaker himself; for there is nothing hurts the Lungs more, than fuch a Violence and Precipitation of Speech, as allows no Intermiflion for the regular drawing the Breath, which has caft fome into Confumptions, and coft them their Lives.

But when I give Caution against this Vice, I would not have you throw your self into the contrary Extreme; for when I would not have you run fo very faft with your Tongue, I would not have you fuppofe, that I prefcribe such a Slownefs of Utterance, that is like a fick Man's Walking, who can hardly draw one Leg after the other; whereas what I aim at is, that the Tongue of the Speaker fhould keep Pace with the Ear of the Auditors, being neither too swift for them to follow, nor too flow for their Aţtention, I find in an Author on this Subject,

Vicians

Vicians noted for this, that his Slowness of Delivery was fo great, that he spoke scarce three Words together without a Pause, or Intermiffion. But there can be no manner of Pleasure to hear a Man drawl out his Words at this Rate his Speech, to be of Value, must be more florid, but then it ought to glide like a gentle Stream, and not pour down like a rapid Torrent.

There is a certain Latitude for the Variation of the Voice, extending to five or fix Tones; fo that the Speaker has room enough for varying his Voice, without ftriking on the two Extremes, by forming out of these five or fix Notes a just and delightful Harmony.

Next, the Speaker must govern his Voice, in Regard of its Violence and Softnefs, with fuch a Moderation, that tho he force it not to that laft Extremity, which hurts Nature in himself, as well as jars upon the Ear of the Hearer nor languish, on the other hand, fo far, as to fall into the lowest Degree of Softnefs and Effeminacy, he may yet give his Pronunciation more or lefs Vehemence, or Mildnefs, according to the different State of his Subje&, and the Quality of his Speech. But in this, as well as in the Swiftness and Slowness, he must let the Subject and Paflions of his Difcourfe be the Guide of his Judgment. Nor muft he, when he would vary his Voice, ftart out of one Tone into antother with too remarkable a Diftinction of the latter from the former; but flide from one to the other with all the Moderation, Softnefs

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