%706.J, Difeafe of Lurnips.—-Oyaterical Pronunciation. 
} reply to Collins lefs neceflary, that the 
Doctor himfelf, interpreting the prophe-' 
cies which have hitherto been'applied to 
Jefus, of a Meffiah not yet come, ac- 
knowledges that.few, if any, of the pro- 
' phéecies of the old Teftament, ought to be 
applied to Jefus, or have their accom- 
plifhment in him. I doubt, not but fome 
of your correfpondents will give 
of the writings of Collins, and alfo throw 
fome light upon, the fubjeéts here advert- 
Bed tony. 672 \ AN ENQUIRER, 
L fov:'9, 1796. om 
ae sie i eo — page 
* “to the Editor of tbe Monthly Magazine. 
ek SERN CS 
“A DISEASE has made its appearance 
.*"s:amongft the turnips this year, and 
“Gone coniiderable damage in this neigh- 
bourheod. It is not generally extended 
» over the whole field, but one half only, in 
ifome cafes, has been affeéted, whilft the 
vether half has remained free. 
It has been frequently noticed in for- 
mer years, but its effects were trifling. 
The difeafé appears to confift in‘an en- 
largement of the {mall fibrous roots( which 
. are very much {welled and knotted) and 
may be compared tothe fcropnulous affec- 
tion of the mefentery in the human fubjeé 5 
the effects are alfo the fame ; for in both; 
by occafioning an obftruétion to the 
paffage of the chyle or food through their 
glands, a tabes or wafting of the main 
body neceffarily follews, and the difeale 
may be very juftly called the Evil. 
The caufe, the cure, and prevention, 
may perhaps be known to fome of your 
ingenious correfpondents, by whom we 
Thall be very glad to be inftruéted, through 
the medium of your very ufeful Magazine. 
Your moft obedient humble fervant, 
) Toldernefs, Of. 20, 1796. SPEC. 
“Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, nis 
A CORRESPONDENT in. your Firk 
_~“Nuinber,fuggefts the propriety of allot - 
ting acorner of your ufeful Work to the 
fubjeét of Oratorical Pronuneiation, and 
as it appears from the ieee of his 
letter, that his, fentiments were mot dif- 
approved, I fhall make:no*apology fer 
requefting you to publifh the following ob- 
fervations : aa buigte 
You muft know, fir, Iam one of thofe 
perfons whofe ears are highly offended by 
the monotonous delivery and affected: and 
unvaried cadence, which is almoft uni- 
verfally adopted by our f{peakers of all 
clafles, in the fenate and in the pulpit, 
@ the bar apd on the flage. Many of 

iat! 
ce 
AQ} 
Pd 
a lift 
78" 
ably no other 
to.affign’ for practice, than 
immemorial cuftom; but I know there 
are not wanting thofe who attempt to 
defend it, by afferting, that eloquence 
requires tones of prenunciation elevated 
above thofe of common difcourfe; remote 
from vulgar ufe, and refined into fyfte- 
matic meiody.. To fuch perfons I ad- 
drefs myfelf, and fhall endeavour to fhow 
them, that the pronunciation of a publie 
fpeaker, fhould be conformable with that 
ufed in the familiar converfation of thofe 
to whom his harangue is delivered. 
The bufinefs of an orator ts, te 
perfuade; to do this, his firft endea- 
vours muft be, to gain attention ; his fe- 
cond to be underftood. To gain atten- 
tion, he muft attempt te draw the. obter- 
vation of his audience from the pronun- 
ciation or delivery, to the matter of his 
fpeech: now thofe tones to which the 
ear is not accuftemed, willeafily fubtract 
the attention of the mind from the train 
of argument which the {peaker propofes 
to eftablifh. We know, that very flight 
peculiarities in accent and dialect, will 
frequently excite mirth, and mirth puts 
an end to all ferious obfervation; they 
may alfo, by their fingularity, attract 
curlofity, which is equally fatal to atten- 
tion. Butthe tonesof common dilcourfe 
can raife neither mirth nor curiofity, be- 
caufe they are familiar tous. It follows, 
that the fpeaker who withes to gain at- 
tention, fhould praétife that pronuncia- 
tion which is lealt remote from common 
difcourfe. 
But, admitting that the orator fhould 
have the good luck to addrefs a philofo- 
phical audience, with minds fufficiently 
abftracted to catch the matter, without 
attending to the manner,of his eloquence; 
let us confider, whether he can: make- 
himfelf readily wxderflood, if his pronun- 
ciation be not regulated by the ftandard 
of common fpeech. It may be obferved, 
that whateveris unfamiliar, is, in pro- 
portion as ic'is unfamiliar, unintelligible. 
Thus}.it is withsfome - difficulty, that 
verfe-is underftood by one who is not ac- 
1 
*cuftomed to,read it, Avhile the fame 
thefe fpeakers have ' 
eafon 
“woids,arranged in the order of profe, may 
be eafily;underftood by him; becaufe it 
‘isin profe that he has been accuftomed 
“to converfe, though perhaps, like Mo- 
liere’s citizen, without knowing it:— 
And the difficulty of comprehenfion, 
which anunfamiliar arrang émeni of words 
is liable to produce, is not greater than 
that which may arife from an unfamiliar 
Pronuaciaion of them. ‘Thgt pronunci- 
| 5 G2 ation 
* 
