474 
insects on the farm, of which it forms a 
part, nor does a person who lives at the 
farm-house, now know of them about 
theland. If there are any troublesome 
species of gnats in the neighbourhood, 
1 should think their numbers might be 
greatly diminished, or they may be to- 
tally eradicated by a better state of 
drainage and cultivation. I should ima- 
gine, that few ladics or gentlemen are 
so faint-hearted, as to be frightened from 
visiting this delightful country, on ac- 
count of such representation. 
Your's, &c. a: 
EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AVING lately directed a consider- 
able share of attention to the study 
of elocution, and duly estimating the va- 
Jue of your Literary Miscellany, I beg 
permission to adopt it, as the medium of 
conveying to the students of oratory, a 
few preliminary observations on the su- 
perior branches of the science. 
Prior to the system of inflexion, the 
methods of treating the subject of enun- 
ciation, must have been vague and uncer- 
tain. The inhabitarts of Ireland, the 
erudite sons of the North, could not rea- 
dily divest themselves of the repeated 
succession of circumflexes; nor could the . 
students of the southern part of Great 
Britain, though justly noticed for the va- 
riety of their modulation, make suitable 
advances in the art, without the advan- 
tage of established and invariable rulesof 
inflexion, deduced from some settled 
principle of nature. 
The improvement in the English lan- 
guage, which so sapidly advanced in the 
reign of Queen Elizabeth, began to de- 
cline during the great rebellion, in the — 
year 1642. The prevailing cant of the 
enthusiasts, at the time of the usurpation, 
together with the dissolute manners 
which marked the reign of Charles II. 
tended much to lessen the value of our 
language: and when we take into consi- 
deration the manifest licentiousness of 
the writers of this latter period-—writers 
of the first ability, prostituting their 
splendid talents, to gratify the depraved 
taste of the people, we shall not feel 
surprised, that the minds of succeeding 
ages were contaminated, and the spirit, 
perhaps, of emulative genius, poisoned in 
the bud. 
The first attempt to medel the lan- 
guage to some fixed standard, was made 
in the latter. part of the reign of Queen 
On Elocution. 
[Dees ¥; 
Anne; but at the death of that illustrious 
princess, the plan was laid aside. 
Yn this rude, uncultivated state, was 
the language of Great Britain, when Dr. 
Johnson began to collect examples and 
authorities for his Dictionary ; in which 
he defined and determined the proper 
signification of words, and completely 
rectified the then prevalent orthography 
and aceentuation. The next step to- 
wards the improvement of language, was _ 
ably introduced by Mr, Sheridan, in a 
work Ventitled, British Education.” 
To this succeeded a valuable effort, by 
the same gentleman, to affix a general 
standard of pronunciation; which, with 
the uncommon genius and abilities of Dr. 
Johnson, assisted in paving the way toa.a 
more correct knowledge and use of our 
language. Immediately after this, fol- 
lowed the discovery of inflexion, or that 
termination, in which all speaking sounds 
may be resolved. It might be supposed, 
that a circumstance of such peculiar mo- 
ment, would have been embraced by the 
admirers of eloquence with avidity; but 
for years, it was totally disregarded, and 
buried, as it were, in oblivion. 
As the choice and disposal of words, 
are the peculiar properties of well-con- 
structed sentences, so an adequate dis- 
play of sound, to convey their precise 
meaning to the ear, should occupy avery | 
considerable share of our attention. 
Quintilian reports, that the Greek and 
Latin orators, made no scruple to affirm 
the efficacy of pronunciation; and, that 
an oration, of little inherent merit, re- 
commended by the graces of action, car- 
ried greater weizht, than the best com- 
position, unassisted by its appropriate 
gesticulation. It is not to be wondered 
at, then, that direcily subsequent to the 
study of philosophy, elocution, and lan- 
guage, were considered the principal ob- 
jects of attention, in the education of 
their youth. But, that the attainment, 
vhich genius had acquired, might be im- 
perted to others, it was necessary, that 
the tones of pronunciation, should be 
formed on rules, equally mvestigated by 
reason and. ascertained by observation, 
This could not possibly be effected with 
out acomplete analysis of the humar 
voice; for, as music could not have been 
reduced to principle, without the precise 
knowledge of intervals and distances, so 
elocution may be said to remain destitute 
of system, without an adequate percep- 
tion of the union, division, and subdivi< 
sion, of inflexions. Notwithstanding, 
however, 
