lis the other ts Dr. Rush's Philosophy of the Human Voice. Mr. Steele first explained the measure of speech. I have availed myself of his treatise, and of his method of scoring, as far as I found them applicable to my purpose. Mr. Steele's work was published fifty years ago; it is original, and somewhat abstruse: but of greater practical importance, than perhaps, he himself perceived. About twenty years after he wrote, Mr. John Thelwall, a distinguished teacher of elocution in London, began to score poetry and prose readings with his pupils, on Mr. Steele's scheme, with his pen. A book which I published some time ago, was, as far as I know, the first printed exhibition of its application. Mr. Steele appears to have been wholly unacquainted with the physiological considerations which account for the measure of speech, and indeed demonstrate its necessity. In Dr. Rush's work, the reader may repair to a fountain, at once deep and full. A leading object of this Grammar, is to render its principles practically useful to those I am called upon to teach, and to young persons in general. I have availed myself of his mode of explanation by diagram, wherever I thought it would be useful. To what has been thus obtained, and is here acknowledged, I have added whatever my own observation and industry have enabled me to collect. Above all, I have endeavored to adapt the whole to the purposes of teaching. I have treated the subject of articulation in a manner which I presume will be deemed novel; and I consider the elementary tables, particularly the table of consonant elements, as an indispensable portion of the work. I would farther observe, that its object is practical, not exclusively philosophical ; but I shall be greatly disappointed, if it is not found to answer the end I have in view-that of teaching the art of Elocution in the most effective manner, by recurring to those elements of the voice, which it is the business of philosophy to discover, and of the philosophical teacher to apply. Some subjects treated by Dr. Rush with great ability, I have left untouched. I consider his section on Syllabication, one of the most luminous displays of philosophical originality and acuteness, to be found in his work; but it did not appear indispensably necessary to the special object I had in view. I take, however, this opportunity of assuring every public speaker, and every philosophical actor, who may read this preface, that he will fail in his duty to himself and his profession, if he neglects a diligent perusal of Dr. Rush's "Philosophy of the Voice." I would remark in conclusion, that if this Grammar contains a correct and comprehensive practical detail of the elements of speech, Elocution, unless it is to be abandoned altogether, must be taught on the plan here enjoined. The graceful effects of speech are dependant on those uses of the voice, which can only be certainly acquired by diligent elementary practice. The student's certain road to eminence is by this path alone. whole experience as a teacher My "Sic itur ad astra." confirms me in this opinion. JONATHAN BARBER. |