But the sea-fowl is gone to her nest;
The beast is laid down in his | lair;
Even here is a season of | rest',

And I to my cabin re- pair.
There's mercy, in | every | place;
And mercy en-couraging | thought!
Gives even affliction a grace',
And reconciles | man to his | lot.

THE ROSE.

(COWPER.)

The rose had been wash'd, just wash'd in a shower, Which Mary to | Anna con- | vey'd' ;

The plentiful moisture en- | cumber'd the | flow'er,
And | weigh'd down | its beautiful | head.

The cup was all fill'd, and the
And it seem'd,

leaves were all | wet、;

to a | fanciful view', buds it had left with re- | gret, On the flourishing | bush where it | grew.

To weep for the

I hastily seiz'd' it, un- | fit as it was,
For a nosegay, so dripping, and | drown'd,
And | swinging it | rudely, too rudely, a- | las !
I snapp'd it-it | fell to the ground.

And such, I ex- | claim'd, is the | pitiless | part',
Some, act by the delicate | mind,
Re-gardless of wringing, and | breaking a | heart',
Al-ready to sorrow re- | sign'd.

This elegant | rose, had I shaken it | less,

Might have bloom'd with its | ow'ner a- | while; And the tear, that is | wip'd with a ❘ little ad- | dress', May be follow'd, per- [haps, by a ❘ smile.

8. Accompany the pronunciation of the elements with gesture. In the following series of figures, there are two periods of gesture. The first gesture should be made during the pronunciation of the four sounds of a; the second, during the pronunciation of the two sounds of e; and so on. The whole of the SECOND EXERCISE (p. 168), should be practised in this way. The stroke of the gesture should be made on the last element in each group.

* These two periods of gesture are intended as examples; others may be supplied by the teacher, as occasion shall require. Every variety of action should be practised, in connexion with the elementary exercises of the voice; and the pupil should be careful to

mark the stroke of the gesture with precision. These exercises are introductory to declamation. They should be practised in the most energetic manner, and be persevered in till the muscles of the trunk and limbs act harmoniously with those of the voice.

FIFTEENTH EXERCISE.

PRONUNCIATION.

The article a should have the sound of a in an, thus - He was å man; not à man. When, however, this article is emphatic (which is seldom the case), it should have the sound of a in ale, thus- Did you say a man, or the man?

When the article the precedes a word beginning with a vowel, it should be pronounced the; when it precedes a word beginning with a consonant, it should be pronounced thẻ, thus-The arts and the sciences. But, when the precedes a word beginning with a consonant, and is emphatic, it should be pronounced the, thus — Did you say a man or the man?

The pronoun my, when emphatic, is pronounced mi; when not emphatic, it is generally pronounced me. Sometimes the perspicuity of a sentence requires my to be pronounced ml, when this pronoun is not emphatic, as in the following example:

"And the pale stars shall be at night,

The only eyes that watch my rite."

Should my, in the above example, be pronounced me, by a public speaker, the auditors might suppose the meaning of the passage to be as follows:

And the pale stars shall be at night,

The only eyes that watch me right.

Euphony sometimes requires my, when not emphatic, to be nounced mi. The following passages are examples:

pro

"My brave associates." "Hear me for my cause. "When it shall please my country to need my death."

Mine should always be pronounced mine, not mean; by should always be pronounced bl, not bee; to should be pronounced to, not tů; of should be pronounced dv, not ův; and from should be pronounced from, not frům.

The pronunciation of many other words, liable to be pronounced wrong, is given in the foot-notes under the EXERCISES IN READING AND DECLAMATION.

SIXTEENTH EXERCISE.

DECLAMATION.

Before the student attempts to declaim, he should learn to stand erect; to hold his book in a proper manner, and to read correctly. He should then select some short piece, and learn a set of gestures for its illustration by practising them in pantomime, after the teacher. Lastly, he should learn to combine the words and gestures, by repeating them together, after the teacher.

METHOD OF TEACHING DECLAMATION.-(Diag. 41.)