at ease, and above and below which he may have most room
for variation.

REMARK 1.--Having chosen the proper keynote, he should beware of confining
himself to it. This constitutes monotony, one of the greatest faults in
elocution. One very important instrument for giving expression and life to
thought is thus lost, and the hearer soon becomes wearied and disgusted.

REMARK 2.--There is another fault of nearly equal magnitude, and of very
frequent occurrence. This consists in varying the pitch and force without
reference to the sense. A sentence is commenced with vehemence and in a
high key, and the voice gradually sinks until, the breath being spent, it
dies away in a whisper.

NOTE--The power of changing the key at will is difficult to acquire, but
of great importance.

REMARK 3.--The habit of singsong, so common in reading poetry, as it is a
variation of pitch without reference to the sense, is a species of the
fault above mentioned.

REMARK 4.--If the reader or speaker is guided by the sense, and if he
gives that emphasis, inflection, and expression required by the meaning,
these faults speedily disappear.

REMARK 5.--To improve the voice in these respects, practice is necessary.
Commence, for example, with the lowest pitch the voice can comfortably
sound, and repeat whole paragraphs and pages upon that key with gentle
force. Then repeat the paragraph with increased force, taking care not to
raise the pitch. Then rise one note higher, and practice on that, then
another, and so on, until the highest pitch of the voice is reached.
Reverse the process, and repeat as before until the lowest pitch is
obtained.

NOTE.--In these and all similar exercises, be very careful not to
confound pitch and force.

QUANTITY AND QUALITY.

The tones of the voice should vary also in quantity, or time required to
utter a sound or a syllable, and in quality, or expression, according to
the nature of the subject.

REMARK.--We notice a difference between the soft, insinuating tones of
persuasion; the full, strong voice of command and decision; the harsh,
irregular, and sometimes grating explosion of the sounds of passion; the
plaintive notes of sorrow and pity; and the equable and unimpassioned flow
of words in argumentative style.

The following direction, therefore, is worthy of attention:

The tones of the voice should always correspond both in quantity and
quality with the nature of the subject.

EXAMPLES.

Passion