toral quality." Joy and grief, too, become "aspirated" when highly characterized. Ardor and intense earnestness of emotion, are always "aspirated." The fervent expression of love, and even of devotion, admits, accordingly, of 'aspirated" utterance. "Aspiration," like "tremor," thus becomes a natural sign of extremes in feeling; and these two properties united, form the acmé or highest point of "expression." The "aspirated quality," in the "guttural" form, belongs, in various degrees, to all malignant emotions. In its stronger expression, it gives a harsh, animal, and, sometimes, even fiend-like character to human utterance, as in the malice and revenge of Shylock. In a reduced, though still highly impassioned degree, it gives its peculiar choking effect to the utterance of anger. In the yell of rage and fury, "aspiration" is displaced by perfectly pure tone" of the loudest sound, by a law of man's organization, which it is unnecessary here to analyze, but which seems to make all the extremes, or utmost reaches of human feeling, musical in their effect. Joy, and the extremes of both grief and anger, may be mentioned as illustrations. Aversion, disgust, displeasure, impatience, dissatisfaction, and discontent, all, in various degrees, combine "aspirated" utterance and "guttural quality." The due "aspiration" of the voice, in all the emotions which have been enumerated as requiring that property, is a point indispensable to the natural and appropriate "expression" of emotion, and consequently an important accomplishment of good elocution, whether in reading or speaking. To learners who have practised the exercises in whispering, which is the extreme of " aspiration," this quality will not prove difficult of acquisition. It will be of great service, however, to power of "expression," to render the command of "aspiration" easy by frequent repetition on elements, syllables, and words, selected for the purpose, and on the following examples. EXERCISES IN "ASPIRATED" QUALITY. I. EFFUSIVE UTTERANCE. 1. Awe, [in its gentle form, with moderate" aspiration."] ("Pectoral Quality.") Note. The effect intended here is but the slightest approach to a whisper, a barely perceptible breathing sound accompanying the utterance, not unlike, in its effect, to a slight hoarseness. "How awful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and the gate of Heaven!" 2. The same emotion deepened. "Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure; yea all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same; and Thy years shall have no end. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. "Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, 'Return, ye children of men.' For a thousand years, in Thy sight, are but as yesterday, when it is past, and as a watch in the night. "Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep in the morning, they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning, it flourisheth and groweth up in the evening, it is cut down, and withereth." 3. Awe, [deepened by poetic expression.] "Behold the world Rests; and her tired inhabitants have paused Silence and deep repose Reign o'er the nations; and the warning voice The general moral; - tells us that repose, Is coming on us, that the weary crowds, Shall soon taste lasting quiet; wrapped around 4. Awe, [still deeper in "expression," and stronger in "aspiration."] "Yet half I hear the parting spirit sigh, 5. Awe, [extending to Fear, with still stronger "aspiration."] "It thunders! Sons of dust, in reverence bow! Almighty! trembling like a timid child, I hear Thy awful voice, alarmed, afraid, I see the flashes of Thy lightning wild, And in the very grave would hide my head!" 6. Awe, [bordering on Horror; -the effect still deepening.] ;· “'T is night, dead night; and weary nature lies So fast as if she never were to rise: No breath of wind now whispers through the trees; 7. Horror, and Fear, [the effect transcending that of Awe; the "aspiration" nearly a whisper.] Macbeth, [meditating the murder of Duncan.] Nature seems dead; and wicked dreams abuse Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth! Hear not my steps, which way they walk; for fear And take the present horror from the time, Horror and Amazement; ["aspiration" increased by "expulsion."] ("Pectoral Quality.") Hamlet, [to the ghost of his father.] That thou, dead corse, again, in complete steel, With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?" 2. Horror and Terror; [effect still farther increased.] Clarence, [relating his dream.] "Oh! I have passed a miserable night, So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights, My dream was lengthened after life: 3. Fear. (Whispering Voice: "Guttural Quality.”) Caliban, [conducting Stephano and Trinculo to the cell Hear a foot fall: we are now near his cell. |