E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Jerry Fairbanks, Charles Franks, and
the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF
Colleges, Schools and for Self Instruction
TOGETHER WITH A COPIOUS SELECTION,
IN PROSE AND POETRY, OF
PIECES ADAPTED FOR READING, RECITATION AND PRACTICE
Teacher of Elocution and English Literature.
"The manner of speaking is as important as the matter."—CHESTERFIELD.
The principal object the author had in view in the preparation of thiswork, was to place in convenient form for the use, both of teachers andothers, the principles, rules, illustrations and exercises, that she hasfound most useful and practical for the purpose of instruction, and bestcalculated to make good readers, and easy, graceful and correct speakers.
For this purpose the rules and advices have been simplified and divested,as much as possible, of all abstruse scientific terms, and made as simpleand plain as could be done, having a due regard to the proper explanationsrequisite to make them easy to understand and not difficult to practise.
It is hoped that this system of instruction, which has been for some yearsvery successfully employed by the compiler in her own practice, may prove avaluable aid to those who wish to pursue the study of the art.
The examples chosen to illustrate the rules have been taken with a dueregard to their fitness to exemplify the principles involved, and to showthe various styles of reading, declamation and oratory, and the selectionshave been made in such a manner as to adapt them for use in schools,colleges and for public reading.
TORONTO, September 24_th_, 1885.
Of the importance of the study of Elocution as part of a good educationthere can be no question. Almost every one is liable to be called upon,perhaps at a few minutes notice, to explain his views and give his opinionson subjects of various degrees of importance, and to do so with effect easein speaking is most requisite. Ease implies knowledge, and address inspeaking is highly ornamental as well as useful even in private life.
The art of Elocution held a prominent place in ancient education, but hasbeen greatly neglected in modern times, except by a few persons—whose fameas speakers and orators is a sufficient proof of the value and necessity ofthe study. The Ancients—particularly the Greeks and the Romans—were fullyconscious of the benefits resulting from a close attention to and thepractice of such rules as are fitted to advance the orator in hisprofession, and their schools of oratory were attended by all classes; norwere their greatest orators ashamed to acknowledge their indebtedness totheir training in the art for a large portion of their success. The WelshTriads say "Many are the friends of the golden tongue," and, how many ajury has thought a speaker's arguments without force because his manner wasso, and have found a verdict, against law and against evidence, becausethey had been charmed into delusion by the potent fascination of somegifted orator.
As Quintilian remarks: "A proof of the importance of delivery may be drawnfrom the additional force which the actors give to what is written by thebest poets; so that what we hear pronounced by them gives infinitely m