naturally deriv'd from a Voice, that is easy, great, happy, flexible, firm, fweet, durable, clear, pure, penetrating, high, and adorn'd indeed with all thofe Virtues, we have already enumerated out of Julius Pollux. To this we must add, the beautiful Compofition of the whole Inftrument or Body, as the Firmnefs of the Cheft and Lungs, Goodness of Breath, and that not eafily giving way to, or failing under Labour and Fatigue.

HABILITY OF APTITUDE is a pleafing Variety of Pronunciation, according to the Diversity of the Subject, and in a conftant Equality. For as the beft Style is perpetually equal or confififtent with it self, and yet is according to the Subject now grave, now florid, and now gently abated; fo is a valuable Utterance always the fame, and never deviating from its Excellence, yet derives all its Beauty and Glory from those agreeable Varieties, which according to the Nature of the Things it delivers, it admits. It is impoffible to exprefs how great and charming the Grace of the Art of varying the Voice, how much it enlivens the Hearers, and refrefhes the Speaker himself by an agreeable Change of his Labour. On the contrary, a Monotony, or perpetually Speaking in the fame unvary'd Tone, quite deftroys the Speaker, and difpirits the Auditors, making them languish under a tire fome Ofcitation. As we cannot always ftand, or fit, or walk, but relieve our felves by an alternate Use of them, fo in Pronunciation, we love a

grate

grateful Variation of the Voice directed by a juft Equality.

The Voice therefore, according to Quintilian, in Joy fhould be full, fimple, pleafant, and flowing; in Difpute, extended with all its juft Force and Nerves; in Anger, vehement and fharp, or acute, clofe, compact, mixt with frequent Refpirations; but more flow in raifing Envy, fince few but Inferiours have Recourse to

this.

In Infinuations, Confeffions, Atonements and the like, the Voice must be gentle and temperate; when you perfuade, admonish, promise, or Comfort it ought to be grave; and contracted in Fear, and Bafhfulness and Modefty; strong in Exhortations, in Difputations round, fine and fmooth; in Pity and Compaffion, turning dolefully, and as it were on purpose more obfcure. In Expofitions and Difcourfes, direct; and in a Tone, that is a Medium betwixt an acute and grave. It is rais'd with our Paffions, and falls again with them, being higher or lower according to either. Whoever can do all this has attain'd the highest Perfection of Pronunciation.

Cicero, in his 3d Book de Oratore, divides Pronunciation into many kinds; into gentle and fierce, contracted and diffus'd ; with a continu'd Breath, and with an Intermiffion of the fame; broken or cut ; with a varying or direct Sound; flender and great. Thefe, fays he, are expos'd for Colours to the Actor, as to the Painter to draw his Variations.

Anger

Anger loves an acute Sound, vehement, and full of Refpirations.

Commiferation or Pity, one that is flexible, full, interrupted, and doleful.

Fear, one low, not without Hefitation, and abject.

Force and Power, one vehement, earnest, imminent, but carry'd on with a certain Gravity. Pleafure, one effufive, gentle, tender, joyful, and remifs.

Grief and Trouble, one grave, and oppress'd with every ftraining.

f.

Thus far my Paper, in which, I think, is contain❜d the Art of Speaking beautifully on all Occafions; for there is nothing, that an Actor can talk of on the Stage, whether in Paffion, or out of Paffion, a Pleader at the Bar, or the Divine in the Pulpit, but what must fall under fome of thefe Heads. I therefore recommend to the Study of my Speaker a perfect Application to what is here deliver'd. Yet, as this may not appear fo obvious to many, who may defire to understand this Art, and may be capable of arriving at fome Perfection in it I fhall proceed to give my Learner fome more plain Lights, and which may serve, as a thorough Paraphrafe and Explanation of what I have here deliver'd.

The first Confideration in the Art of Speaking, is to fatisfy the Ear, which conveys all Arts and Sciences to us, and is the natural Judge of the Voice. The Speaker therefore ought to be heard and understood with Eafe and Pleafure, H

to which a Voice clear, fweet and ftrong, is neceffary to be heard all over the Audience. Such a Voice as Quintilian gives Trachallus, would be very useful, who pleading a Caufe in one of the four Courts in the Julian Forum, was not only heard in that but in all the reft, fo well as to be understood, and merit Applaufe, but tho every Man cannot obtain a Voice like this, yet if he cannot fill the Place, where he speaks, he's not fit to fpeak.

Some Men have fuch a Voice naturally, others attain it by the Improvement of Art and Exercise. As has been faid of Demofthenes, who was as defective in Speaking as in Action and Gesture: He had naturally a weak Voice, and Impediment in his Speech, and a fhort Breath; and venturing withal thefe Difqualifications to fpeak in public twice, he was hifs'd both Times. But by his Industry and Application, he remov'd all thefe Obftructions. He daily in his under-ground Apartment exercis'd himfelf, by fpeaking what he had read aloud, fo that his Organs gradually open'd, and his Voice fenfibly clearing, grew every Day ftronger, than the former. His Tongue was fo grofs and clumfy, that he mumbled his Words, nor could utter them clear and plain; nay, he could not pronounce an (R) at all; he was fo fhort winded, that he could not fpeak many Words together without taking his Breath, which was but a fort of broken-winded Pronunciation; and thefe Difficulties produc'd a wonderful Difficulty, which was the furmount

ing the great Noife of a Publick Affembly.

Firft, he cur'd the Groffnefs of his Tongue, by putting Peble-ftones in his Mouth, whilft he fpoke for fome time, he cur'd himself of his fhort Breath, by running up Hills, and repeating upright as he went fome Verfes, or Sentences of Speeches, which he had by Heart; which ftrengthen'd his Lungs, and made him longwinded: The Noife of Public Affemblies he conquer'd by Speaking with his utmost Conten tion of Voice in his Orations to the Roaring of the Sea, when loudeft, and fo became the moft compleat Speaker of his Age,

1

'Tis true Demofthenes overcame thefe Difficul ties, or at leaft Hiftorians make us believe fo but this should be no Reafon for admitting any one into a Play-houfe, who lies under fuch Defects, as this great Orator, by unspeakable Diligence, remov'd. For if a Man's Voice be good for nothing, by Reason of any Indifpofition of the Organs, as the Tongue, Throat, Breaft, or Lungs if he have any confiderable Lifping, Hefitation, or Stammering, he is not proper for the Stage, the Pulpit, or the Bar.

But I have given this Inftance of Demofthenes, for the Sake of fome, who may be on the Stage, and furnish'd with an admirable Genius, yet for want of Breath, or by the Feebleness of their Voice, cannot exert their other beautiful Qualities. Let them always fpeak out in their private Study, and in Rehearsals; it is an exerH 2 cife,