Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;
Every clod feels a stir of might,

An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And, groping blindly above it for light,

Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;

The little bird sits at his door in the sun,
Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
And lets his illumined being o'errun

With the deluge of summer it receives."

A striking example of both qualities may be taken from the dialogue between "Old Shylock" and " Portia." The tones of Shylock's voice, to express his spite and revenge, must be marked by the most abrupt 'stress' and 'aspirated or impure quality ;' while the beautiful sentiments of Portia demand the 'smoothest stress' and 'purest quality.'

"PORTIA. Do you confess the bond?

ANTONIO. I do.

POR. Then must the Jew be merciful.

SHYLOCK. On what compulsion must I? Tell me that.
POR. The quality of mercy is not strained;

:

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath it is twice blessed;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself,

And earthly power doth then show likest God's,
When mercy seasons justice."

Having thus treated of, and illustrated with various kinds of pieces, each one of the elements of elocution, separately, let us now finish our work by learning how all these separate elements unite together and blend in the natural expression of each ‘kind' of sentiment.

'Unemotional' pieces should have 'moderate' 'standard force' and 'time' and 'slides' and 'volume,' 'middle pitch,' 'smooth stress,' and 'pure quality' of voice.

Unemotional example.

"There is something nobly simple and pure in a taste for the cultivation of forest trees. It argues, I think, a sweet and generous nature, to have a strong relish for the beauties of vegetation, and a friendship for the hardy and glorious sons of the forest. He who plants an oak looks forward to future ages, and plants for posterity. Nothing can be less selfish than this. He cannot expect to sit in its shade and enjoy its shelter; but he exults in the idea that the acorn which he has buried in the earth shall grow up into a lofty pile, and shall keep on flourishing and increasing and benefiting mankind, long after he shall have ceased to tread his paternal fields."

'Bold' pieces should have 'loud' 'standard force,' 'long slides,' moderate time,' with long quantity on the emphatic syllables, middle pitch,' abrupt stress,' and slightly aspirated quality.'

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Bold example.

Who, then, caused the strife

That crimsoned Naseby's field and Marston's Moor?
It was the Stuart; so the Stuart fell!

A victim, in the pit himself had digged!

He died not, sirs, as hated kings have died,

In secret and in shade,

no eye to trace

The one step from their prison to their pall:
He died in the eyes of Europe,—in the face
Of the broad heaven; amidst the sons of England,
Whom he had outraged; by a solemn sentence,
Passed by a solemn court. Does this seem guilt?
You pity Charles! 'tis well; but pity more
The tens of thousand honest humble men,
Who, by the tyranny of Charles compelled
To draw the sword, fell, butchered in the field!"

'Animated or joyous' pieces should have 'fast time,' lively, springing median stress,' 'pure quality,' 'long slides,' 'high pitch,' and 'loud force.'

Joyous example.

"You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear, To-morrow'll be the happiest time of all the glad New-Year; Of all the glad New-Year, mother, the maddest, merriest day; For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

"I sleep so sound all night, mother, that I shall never wake, If you do not call me loud when the day begins to break : But I must gather knots of flowers, and buds and garlands

gay,

For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May."

'Subdued or pathetic' pieces should have soft force,' 'short (or minor) slides,' 'slow time,' gentle 'median stress,' 'pure quality,' 'high pitch,' and less than moderate volume."

Subdued or pathetic example.

"If you're waking, call me early, call me early, mother dear, For I would see the sun rise upon the glad New-Year. It is the last New-Year that I shall ever see,

Then you may lay me low i' the mould, and think no more of me.

"To-night I saw the sun set! he set and left behind
The good old year, the dear old time, and all my peace of mind,
And the New-Year's coming up, mother, but I shall never see
The blossom on the blackthorn, the leaf upon the tree."

'Grave' pieces should have 'low pitch,' 'slow time,' with 'long quantity and pauses,' 'full volume,' 'soft force,' and 'short slides' also smooth stress' and 'pure quality' when the ideas are reverential or solemn merely — but more or less

'abrupt stress' and 'aspirated quality' when characterized by fear or aversion, as in 'dread,' 'awe,' and 'horror.'

Grave example.

"Come to the bridal chamber, Death!

Come to the mother, when she feels

For the first time her first-born's breath;
Come when the blessed seals

That close the pestilence are broke,
And crowded cities wail its stroke;
Come in Consumption's ghastly form,
The earthquake shock, the ocean storm,
Come when the heart beats high and warm
With banquet-song and dance and wine, -
And thou art terrible! the tear,

'Noble' pieces should have full-swelling volume' and 'median stress,' with 'long quantity' and 'long slides,' 'loud force,' 'pure quality,' and middle pitch.'

Noble example.

"But to the hero, when his sword

Has won the battle for the free,

Thy voice sounds like a prophet's word,
And in its hollow tones are heard
The thanks of millions yet to be.
Bozzaris! with the storied Brave
Greece nurtured in her glory's time,
Rest thee! there is no prouder grave,
Even in her own proud clime.

We tell thy doom without a sigh;

For thou art Freedom's now and Fame's,

One of the few, the immortal names,

That were not born to die!"

Both ludicrous' and 'sarcastic' pieces should have long 'circumflex slides' and 'compound' abrupt stress,' 'long quantity and pauses' on the emphatic words; but punning and raillery, when good-natured, should have a 'higher pitch,' 'faster time,' and 'purer quality' than belongs to sarcasm, which should have the middle pitch,' aspirated quality,' and rather'slow time.' With both kinds the 'force' changes from 'moderate' to louder with the boldness of the spirit.

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In the following example the part of Sir Peter Teazle should be read with strongly aspirated quality' and abrupt stress,' while the half-laughing raillery of Lady T. should have the 'pure quality' and 'tremulous stress' mingled with the 'compound,' and 'higher pitch,' and 'less volume.'

Ludicrous or sarcastic example.

"SIR PETER. Very well, ma'am, very well

is to have no influence, no authority?

so a husband

LADY T. Authority! No, to be sure: if you wanted authority over me, you should have adopted me, and not married me; I am sure you were old enough.

SIR P. Old enough!ay, there it is. Well, well. Lady Teazle, though my life may be made unhappy by your temper, I'll not be ruined by your extravagance.

LADY T. My extravagance! Sir Peter, am I to blame because flowers are dear in cold weather? You should find fault with the climate, and not with me. For my part, I'm sure, I wish it was spring all the year round, and that roses grew under our feet!

you

SIR P. Zounds! madam if had been born to this, I shouldn't wonder at your talking thus; but you forget what your situation was when I married you.

LADY T. No, no, I don't; 'twas a very disagreeable one, or I should never have married you. Sir Peter! would you

have me be out of the fashion?

SIR P. The fashion, indeed! What had you to do with the fashion before you married me?