1.  The  voice  must  be  neither  too  loud  nor  too  low.  An  overstrained
voice  is  inconvenient  to  the  speaker,  and  disagreeable  to  the  hearer ;
while  a  voice  that  is  too  low,  besides  being  inaudible,  indicates  either
indolence  or  want  of  attention.  Endeavour,  therefore,  so  to  preserve
the  command  of  your  voice,  not  only  in  each  sentence,  but  throughout
the  discourse,  that  you  may  elevate  or  lower  it  according  to  the  num-
ber of  persons  that  you  address,  and  the  nature  of  the  place  in  which
you  speak.
164  ENGLISH  GRAMMAR.  §92.
2.  The  voice  must  not  be  thick  and  indistinct.  Never  mumble
or  clip  your  words,  by  omitting  to  pronounce  some  of  the  short
words,  and  some  syllables  in  the  long  words  ;  for  it  is  very  disagree-
able to  hear  an  individual  hurrying  on  without  any  care  either  to
be  heard  distinctly,  or  to  give  his  words  their  full  and  proper  sound.
Accustom  yourself,  both  in  conversation  and  in  reading,  to  give
every  sound  which  you  utter  its  due  proportion,  so  that  every  word
and  every  syllable  may  be  clearly  and  distinctly  heard.  Observe
with  what  deliberation  some  read  and  converse,  how  full  a  sound
they  give  to  every  word ;  and  let  such  persons  be  models  for  your
imitation.
3.  The  utterance  must  be  neither  too  quick  nor  too  slow.  When  we
speak  too  quick,  the  hearer  finds  a  difficulty  in  keeping  pace  with  our
movements  ;  whilst,  by  a  slow  and  heavy  delivery,  he  becomes  languid
and  careless.  Endeavour,  therefore,  to  convey  to  the  hearer  the  sense,
weight,  and  propriety  of  every  sentence  you  read,  in  a  free,  full,  and
deliberate  pronunciation.
