1899.] 
however, the apparent ignorance of the 
ancients, in point of systematical inflexi- 
on, Cicero proves the excellence of the 
auricular organ of the Romans, when he 
states, that, ‘in the repetition of a 
verse, the whole theatre was in an up- 
roar, if there were one syllable too many, 
or too few, in it. Not that the crowd 
was at all acquainted with the quantity 
of poetic feet, nor had any notion of 
_ numbers; nor could they tell what it was, 
which gave them offence; or)why, or in 
what respect, it was a fault”. Still no 
vestige of authority can be traced, from 
which we may suppose, the ancients had 
analyzed speaking sounds; indeed, from 
the indefinite specimen of Cicero on the 
subject, we may, with propriety, con- 
clude, that the various modifications of 
the human voice, were entirely unknown 
to them. The refinements, therefore, 
which oratory acquired, in those ages, 
were in consequence of the well-regulated 
taste which prevailed among the people, 
and not of information deduced from 
books and systems. 
Ata time when variation of tone, as to 
high and low, in the same period, was 
supposed to be retrograde to the idea of 
common maxim, and good taste;—and 
modulation was placed solely in the di- 
versification of what might be termed a 
key note, the variety of syllables, or em- 
phasis, whether delivered long or short, 
swift or slow; little or no advance in 
enunciation, conversational, or other- 
wise, as a science, could be expected. 
Nearly at the close of the last century, 
the author of a small treatise, dedicated 
to David Garrick, esq. entitled, “ the 
Art of Delivering written Language,” 
clearly pointed out the absurdity of such 
a theory, by producing a convincing and 
philosophical proof of the inflexion of 
speaking sounds. Although this ingeni- 
ous writer proceeded no further, the de- 
cision was as satisfactory to those con- 
cerned in the argumentation, as it has 
lately been valuable to students in elocu- 
tion. 
The late Mr. Walker, a gentleman, 
whose assiduiiy and perseverance cannot 
be sufiiciently admired, not only explain- 
ed the different modifications of the 
speaking voice, but also proved, that 
those modifications were most intimately 
allied to emphasis; and that ip particular 
instances of pronunciation, the sense was 
considerably obscured, by adopting con- 
trary modes of infiexion. It has also 
been ascertained, that certain modifying 
members of a sentence, require peculiar 
Means of preventing the Forgery of Bank-Notes. 
475 
arrangement of suspension; that the se- 
ries is necessarily connected with the cir= 
cumflex; and, that, as in ascending to 
the tonic, in minor scales of music, a 
sharp major is requisite to render the key 
melodious, so, by analogy, in the in= 
verted order, or transpositive construc- 
tion of language, a suitable choice of 
inflexion is necessary, that the spirit of 
the proposition may be echoed to the 
ear, with just emphasis, and effect. 
These positions appear to be so well 
established, by the examples and autho- 
rity of the most eminent orators of the © 
day, that illustration, or attempt at proof, 
is superfluous. 
That the most useful, as well as the 
most polite accomplishment, may be more 
readily appreciated, and more generally 
adopted, I shall, in a subsequent essay, 
submit a concise explanation of the the- 
ory of inflexion. For the favor of your 
insertion, I shall feel obliged. 
Kentish Town, Your’s, &c. 
Nov. 6th, 1809. James WRIGHT. 
——E 
‘othe Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
BSERVING in your Magazine, for 
the present month of November, a 
paper by Mr. Phillips of Manchester, on 
the means of preventing the forgery of 
bank-notes, I could not but feel interested 
in asubject, which for two years has 
been the principal object of my atten- 
tion; and as I presume Mr. Phillips is not 
biassed in favour of any particular mode, 
provided the good be elfected, I shall, for 
the satisfaction of that gentleman, as well- 
as such of your readers, as are afraid of 
being cheated of their money, describe 
what has been che result of my studies 
and applicauon, to accomplish a banke 
note secarity. 
Mr. Phillips speaks not of an absolute, 
but partial security; to effect which, he 
combines the most distinguished abilities 
in the kingdom, concluding that, with 
such a phalanx of talent, forgery would 
be afraid to encounter the danger; and 
so it might, provided it were necessary 
to be possessed of the genius and judg- 
ment of Heath, Sharpe, Landseer, and 
Fitler, to imitate the execution of these 
masters, $0 as to impose on the public; 
but it is well known to these artists them 
selves, that one of very inferior talent, 
could copy and copy, with what he could 
not originally execute; and that too, in 
respect to subjects of much more conse= 
quence, than the Britannia-on a bank- 
note. 
