"semitone," when upward, is through the interval of a when it descends.

"tone,"

The importance of "chromatic melody," as an element of elocution, will be at once perceived, when we advert to the fact of its great power over sympathy, and its value, as an instrument of effect, in the hands of the orator, the reciter, and the reader. The speaker who relies wholly on his power to overawe, to arouse, or to impel, will always be found unfit for the treatment of all subjects which appeal to human sympathy and tenderness. The orator is deficient in power, who cannot touch and soften, and melt and subdue: he is incapable of exerting the easiest and surest sway over the heart. Genuine pathos is "the gentle hand, that leads the elephant by a hair."

The application of the semitone, as an implement of vocal effect, needs peculiar skill; as the least approach to excess in its use, or to artificial aiming at its object, renders a reader or speaker ridiculous. Some readers, however, (and the number is large among young ladies,) through habitual languor or feebleness, allow themselves to fall into "semitone," as a habit of the voice, and consequently read, on all occasions, with a gratuitous pathos of tone throughout, and in cadences, more particularly, with what the poet terms "a dying, dying fall."

A thorough command of pathetic utterance, needs a close and discriminating application to the different effects of " tone” and “semitone;" and every student of elocution, who is not master of these distinctions, should practise carefully with a musician, till he can execute, with perfect and instantaneous precision, all the applications of the " semitone as it affects the intervals of the "semitone proper," and of the "third," and "fifth," - the forms in which it most frequently occurs in "expression."

The practice of the following examples, should be accompanied by frequent and extensive exercises on the elements, and on words and phrases, as well as lines and sentences of appropriate character. Additional examples may be found by referring to passages quoted under other heads, in various parts of this manual, for the purpose of exemplifying pathetic and tender emotions, in the various particulars of" quality,' 99 66 force," 99 66 stress," "pitch," &c.

("Pure tone:" "Impassioned" force: "Vanishing stress,” and “ire mor:" "High pitch :" "Semitone," throughout, — interval of the "fifth.")

ADAM, [TO ORLANDO.]-Shakspeare.

"What! my young master? O my gentle master!
O my sweet master! O you memory

Of old Sir Rowland! - why, what make you here?

Why are you virtuous? Why do people love you?

And wherefore are you gentle, strong, and valiant?
Your praise is come too swiftly home before you.
Oh! what a world is this, when what is comely
Envenoms him that bears it!"

("Pure tone :" "Moderate" force: "Median stress :" "Middle pitch :" "Semitone," throughout, — interval of the "third.")

ORLANDO, [TO ADAM.]-Shakspeare.

“O good old man! how well in thee appears
The constant service of the antique world,

When service sweat for duty, not for meed!

"But poor old man! thou prun'st a rotten tree,

That cannot so much as a blossom yield,

In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry!"

Commiseration.

("Pure tone:" "Impassioned" force: "Vanishing stress," and "tremor:" Weeping utterance: "Semitone proper," throughout; and occasional "chromatic thirds" and "fifths.")

CORDELIA, [WATCHING OVER HER FATHER, AFTER HIS EXPOSURE TO THE TEMPEST.]-Shakspeare.

Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss

Repair those violent harms, that my two sisters

Have in thy reverence made!

"Had you not been their father, these white flakes

Had challenged pity of them.

Was this a face

To be exposed against the warring winds?

To stand against the deep, dread-bolted thunder?
In the most terrible and nimble stroke

Of quick, cross lightning? to watch, (poor perdu,)
With this thin helm! Mine enemy's dog,

Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
Against my fire; And wast thou fain, poor father,
To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn,
In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!
'Tis wonder that thy life and wits, at once,
Had not concluded all!"

Compassion.

("Pure tone :" "Subdued" force: "Median stress :" "Middle pitch :" "Semitone proper," and "chromatic third," prevalent.)

BRUTUS, [ON THE NIGHT BEFORE THE BATTLE OF PHILIPPI, TO THE BOY LUCIUS, HIS ATTENDANT.]—Shakspeare.

"Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,

And touch thy instrument a strain or two?
I trouble thee too much; but thou art willing.
I should not urge thy duty past thy might,
I know young bloods lack for a time of rest.
I will not hold thee long: if I do live,

I will be good to thee. [Lucius plays and sings.]
"This is a sleepy tune : - O murderous Slumber!
Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,

That plays thee music?

- Gentle knave, good night!

I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee.

If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument :
I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night!"

Pity and Tenderness.

("Pure tone :" "Subdued" force: "Median" and "Vanishing" stress: "High pitch :" "Semitone proper," and "chromatic fifth," throughout.)

MIRANDA, [TO FERDINAND, WHEN HE IS UNDERGOING THE TASK OF CARRYING AND PILING LOGS, AT THE COMMAND OF HER FATHER.]-Shakspeare.

"Alas! now, pray you,

Work not so hard I would the lightning had

Burned up those logs, that you are enjoined to pile!
Pray, set it down and rest you: when this burns,
'T will weep for having wearied you. My father
Is hard at study, - pray now, rest yourself:
He's safe for these three hours.

"If you'll sit down,

I'll bear your logs the while: pray, give me that, -
I'll carry it to the pile!"

Feminine Grief and Sorrow.

("Pure tone:" "Subdued" force: "Median stress:" "High pitch:" "Semitone," throughout, and occasional "chromatic third.”

[DEATH OF A CHILD AT SEA.]—Anonymous.

My boy refused his food, forgot to play,
And sickened on the water, day by day;

He smiled more seldom on his mother's smile;
He prattled less, in accents void of guile,
Of that wild land, beyond the golden wave,
Where I, not he, was doomed to be a slave;
Cold o'er his limbs the listless languor grew;
Paleness came o'er his eye of placid blue,-
Pale mourned the lily where the rose had died;
And timid, trembling, came he to my side. -
He was my all on earth. Oh! who can speak
The anxious mother's too prophetic woe,

Who sees death feeding on her dear child's cheek,
And strives, in vain, to think it is not so?
Ah! many a sad and sleepless night I passed,
O'er his couch, listening in the pausing blast,
While on his brow, more sad from hour to hour,
Drooped wan dejection like a fading flower!"

Manly Grief and Sadness.

("Effusive orotund:" "Subdued" force: "Median stress:" "Low pitch :" "Semitone" prevalent, with occasional "chromatic third.") [THE EXILE OF THE "FOREST SANCTUARY," RECALLING HIS WIFE'S VESPER HYMN AT SEA.]-Mrs. Hemans.

"Thy sad, sweet hymn, at eve, the seas along,

Oh! the deep soul it breathed! — the love, the woe,

The fervor, poured in that full gush of song,

As it went floating through the fiery glow

Of the rich sunset! - bringing thoughts of Spain,

With all her vesper voices, o'er the main,

Which seemed responsive in its murmuring flow.

'Ave sanctissima!'- how oft that lay

Hath melted from my heart the martyr strength away!

'Ora nobis, mater!' What a spell

pro

Was in those notes, with day's last glory dying

On the flushed waters!

seemed they not to swell
From the far dust wherein my sires were lying,
With crucifix and sword? - Oh! yet how clear
Comes their reproachful sweetness to mine ear!
'Ora!' - with all the purple waves replying,
All my youth's visions rising in the strain;
And I had thought it much to bear the rack and chain!"

Regret, Penitence, Contrition.

("Pure tone:" "Subdued" force: "Vanishing" stress: "Low pitch :" "Semitone," throughout, with occasional "chromatic third.")

[REFLECTIONS AND RESOLVE OF THE PRODIGAL SON.]

"How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants! "

Complaint.

("Aspirated pectoral quality:" "Impassioned" force: "Vanishing stress:" "Low pitch :" "Semitone" throughout, with occasional "chromatic third" and "fifth.")

[LAMENTATION OF JOB.]

"And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me. My bones are pierced in me, in the night season and my sinews take no rest. He hath cast me into the mire; and I am become like dust and ashes. I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not. Thou art become cruel to me with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me. Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living!"

Condolence.

("Pure tone:" "Subdued" force: Gentle "vanishing stress:" "Middle pitch:" "Semitone," throughout, with occasional "chromatic third" and "fifth."

[CROMWELL, TO WOLSEY ON HIS DOWNFALL.]—Shakspeare.

"O my lord,

Must I then leave you? must I needs forego