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THE NEW HAND-BOOK OF ELOCUTION.

From THE SENATUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW. COLLEGE, 9th December, 1864. SIR, The Senate, at their meeting yesterday, agreed to recognize attendance at your Classes as qualifying Students of Divinity of this University to become competitors for the Dowanhill Prizes, about to be instituted.

I remain, Sir, yours faithfully',

DUN. H. WEIR, Clerk of Senate.

WALTER BAYNHAM, Esq,

From Professor NICHOL, Professor of English Language and Literature,

University of Glasgow.

THE COLLEGE, Glasgow, 16th December, 1864.

HAVING heard Mr. W. BAYNHAM read, I can confidently recommend him as a Teacher of Elocution. His delivery is effective and graceful. He renders some of the most subtle passages of our English Classics in a clear and unaffected style, which evinces a scholarly appreciation of the authors he has studied, as well as a thorough knowledge of the rules of his art, and a full command of an excellent voice.

JOHN NICHOL.

ཉྩི ''

THE

NEW HAND-BOOK

OF

ELOCUTION,

WITH

RULES FOR AUDIBLE AND CORRECT PRONUNCIATION IN
READING AND SPELLING.

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"Whose end both at the first, and now, was, and is, to hold as 'twere the mirror
up to Nature."-SHAKESPEARE.

GLASGOW: PORTEOUS BROTHERS.
LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND COMPANY.

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PREFACE.

WITH respect to the position which the words of the Compiler of this Treatise holds in relation to the Extracts which are to follow, it is conceived that "only in such a world he fills up a place which may be better supplied when he has made it empty: "-that the more room he leaves for the language of others, the more gratifying it will be to the reader. Briefly, then, he would introduce his book as one whose nature, end, and aim may be recognized by its title:-A NEW Hand-book of Elocution. The Novelty to which it lays claim is confined chiefly to the selections, most of which are now introduced into an Elocutionary Manual for the first time. They have been chosen after due deliberation, assisted by an experience gleaned from many years' acquaintance with the class-room and public platform. They are presented therefore with the pleasing confidence of knowing that they will not alone instruct and interest the Private Student, but will be found correspondingly suggestive and EFFECTIVE to the Professional Reader and Reciter.

The Work embraces whatever belongs to the domain of reading or oratory. It sets out with TWELVE SIMPLE RULES, which are conceived to be sufficient to enable any Tyro to read audibly, distinctly, and with intelligence. Speaking from experience, the Compiler can affirm that however useful certain Elocutionary Problems (with Phrases no less Problematical) may have been and are to some, they have never in one single instance helped him or any one of his pupils. In all cases SIMPLICITY has been found to be the secret of success. The pupil should carefully avoid a slavish copy of the master, but he can no more hope to attain to eminence without a Living Example, than a blind man could hope correctly to imitate nature. Sight and sound are indispensable to attain proficiency in the Art; and without an INSTRUCTOR who can shew his disciples reasons for alteration of tone, and practically demonstrate changes of gesture, the concentrated essence of all that has been written on the Theory of Elocution is comparatively USELESS. With regard to Rules, there are certain principles that can never fail to afford help in respect to reading at sight; but when the scholar has attained to a clear and vigorous delivery, with a just appreciation of the Meaning of the respective pieces, the best rules will be found to have grown obsolete, and as cumbersome as the iron frame-work is to the well-set limbs of an active child.

Careful attention has been paid to selections of what are called "Elocutionary Extracts;" and accordingly, in the DRAMATIC SCENES,

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