1810.] 107 
finally, that an acute and accurate com- Suspect that the two little ‘syllables 
prehension of the practical difference of @*4, if thus divided, under the strict re- 
these two modes of admeasurement, is gulation of the ume-beater, must be dis- 
one of the most indispensable requisites posed to stare a little, at finding them- 
in the treatment of every species of im- selves thus miraculoasly extended to am 
pediment, and. in the attainment of the equal dimension with their five heretofore 
higher. accomplishments of an harmoni-: not less athletic brethren. 
ous elocution. But what shall we say My objections to several other Parts 
to the “ octasyllabic feet” ofthis profound of the “prosodial scheme of Mr. S. are 
prosodist and one of his octasyllabic not a whit less serious ; and to his notions 
teet (if my fingers can enable me tocount. Concerning the blank verse of Milton, 
so far) has actually nine syllables! See and his proposed method of reading the 
tn the Treatment of impediments of Speech. 
p. 360. 
<li ite sedate nl ny cat iy es e 
‘4 In’ |timacy with the superinten'\dant. 
What is the stammerer; what is any 
speaker, who has the superfluous ambi- 
tion of being intelligible; what is the 
time- beater to do with such feet as these? 
How shall we measure, by what denomi- 
nator shall we appreciate, the proportions 
of their integral parts? How shall we 
bring them into comparison; by what 
procrustean artifice, distort or contract 
them into equal quantity, (while toe or 
finger beats the time, according to the 
direction of Mr. S.) with his dissyllabic, 
and monosyllabic, feet? Let us, for the 
sake of illustration, bring two of Mr. 
S.’s own feet of these latter descriptions, 
into immediate association with this 
nine-syllubled octasyllabic. 
|moon’| is in in! |temacy with the supe- 
rinten'| dant. Perhaps I might have 
found a more proper person than the 
superintendant, to bring into such inti- 
macy: but let us take itas itis. What 
shall be the denominator of the quantity 
of the syllable moon-—ininim, scmi- 
breve, or breve? and what of the nine 
integers of its octasyllabic companion— 
crotchets, quavers, or semi quavers? or 
shall quaver, semiquaver, demi-semi- 
quaver, and double-demi-semiquaver, 
be mingled together in decimal variety, 
to torture them into proportioned guan- 
ity? 
The author, however, admits, that 
there may be “some readers,” though 
of their presumption, it is evident, he 
,€annot by any means approve, who 
“would probably” venture to divide some 
of his heptasyllabic and octasyllabic feet 
into two; as, for example, opportu! 
[rity of retalia'|tion,” into opportu! 
[nity of retal'\iajtion;” and the above 
yeautiful nine-sviiabled octasyilabic into 
“in|timacy with the su'|perinten'|dant.” 
Tt must be confessed, that this would not 
be any very vreat improvement; at least 
in the former instance: and I cannot but 
~ matter. 
The palé 
divine verses of that immortal author, in 
particular: backed though he is, to a 
certain degree, by the high authority ef 
Mr. Walker. 
In short, notwithstanding the reports 
that have gone abroad, and the claim I 
lay to the subject matter, and modes of 
reasoning and illustration in several of 
the earlier pages of his volume, I must 
entirely exonerate Mr. S. from any sus- 
picion of having purlomed from me any 
part of his concluding chapter, ‘on 
QUANTITY, OR PROSODIACAL ADMEASURE- 
MENT ;” or of his ‘* Method of Curing 
Stammering.” Wis principles, in these 
respects, are not my principles; and 
either he, or I, know very little of the 
Should he, at any time here- 
-after, make himself really acquainted, 
in ail their comprehensive application, 
with those genuine principles of physio- 
logical and musical science, upon which 
the management of impediments depends, 
(and the means of information upon this 
subject, are now in part before the pub- 
lic :—I shall probably seize an early op- 
portunity of submitting them more ex- 
plicitly to the world): he will then know 
better than to publish to the world such 
discouraging nonsense as the following : 
that “ If the tongue be materially dispro- 
portioned, if the palate’ have an aper- 
ture,” &c. ‘instruction can then dv 
litle ;” (p. 40). or that those cases of 
impediment are uot likely to be cured, 
“where the spasmodic affection is very 
violent, and takes place in an equal de- 
gree, whether the person converses with 
friends or strangers ; when he reads aloud 
to himself, as well as when he reads to 
others; when he is not influenced by ea- 
gerness or emotion, as well as when he 
is,” (p. 241-2). I deny most positively, 
Lam authorised by experience to deny, 
(wherever there is intellect, application, 
and perseverance) all distinction of cure 
able and incerable cases. Different 
cases require undoubtedly different de- 
grees of tine and of exertion, different 
portions 
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