The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-01-10 00:00:00

MR. THEI.W4I.I.'S LECTURES.

Last night Mr. TIIF.LITAt 1. commenced leis
Third Course of Lectures oto Elocution, l'oetrv,
and the Drama, wills Criticisms on Actor., Authors,
'and Orators.
The but part of the Lecturer's Course last night,
relined to the education of the voice—the mem o. of
improving its, power and force—the distinction be-
tween force and loudness —together with asiimail-
versions on bawling vociferatiwi, and elucidations
or fervour, veliesursice, enthusiasm, &c. their ap-
plication and limits.
From this syllabus of the nature of the discourse
and its solidivisions, souse idea may be formed of
the persevering and arduous character of Mr.
TMILK4LL6 and Isis dettrtnitiation 10 follow tip
his previous Lectures, by au inquiry of that most
extended and interesting-range. Ilia present course
Iwo far as this ..4w g Lecture disclosed it; appears
to be • practical developement of those principles
which he hall previotisly Inid dowu Ur a scientific
form, said will therefoiee, perils' is, ekcite more general
interest. The Lecturer comeniled for the iwogres-ire
improveahility or the human voice, mild at length it
reuched complete perfectibility. lie saw no 4-Itlololl
why ideal beauty in speech, as well as in works of
art, should lint lee felt, cultivated, and enconraged.
The education and improvement of the voice was a
Subject of the highest consideration. There were
two primary qualities to be considered in each an
investigat. ; namely, the power and force of the
voice, or the capability of diffiesims clear anal lOW.
tent expression, so as to be heard arid distibctly
felt and comprehended in a large r ircle without at
the sense time being fatigued. The full swelling
intonation anal clear comnotioication of all the
thoughts should beeffected without fatigue to the
speaker, or else there was an error in his delivery.
This 'rower was lint luoidners, for which it was oriel&
mistaken, though iu fact it was as different from it
as limieness was fr wealth—it should iw heard
in a whisper as well as in the full swell or its highest
notes. The force of voice did not depend in the
wideness mid spremlitig of the mouth, sod violent
expulsion of the breath, but in the tension or the
muscles of the larynx, thus pressing on the breath
during its emission, awl iu fact effectually econo-
mizing, instead sof the too (V(11111011 error of ex-
hausting it. Miring this enunciation, no (treads
should be inhaled through the mou th—sufficient for
every purpose of intonation, either for elocution or
a singer, would be received through the nostrils,
and there only by its own elasticity. It wits at
neglect or waist of knowledge of this most essential
arrangement that too often exposed to exhaustion
and indisposition a justly celebrated actress—it
was this that tivforined the elocution of souse or the
most distinguished characters. Flare the Lecturer
descanted with great force rim the superiority of the
elocutionary education of the ancients over the mo-
derns, and mainly attributed to it their greater
energy and trnlre constant exhibition of 'mower lid
and vigorous talent. One of the illustrations for
the night war Mr. 1'.136.1.11E1.1.'s llohenlindra. Of
this author Mr. •I'lls.l.Wai.l. said. that his heroic
couplets and inessuce were mostly faulty in the
extreme, and demonstrative of die fact ()Ellis being

a bad reader. Ile possessed high merit, however,
in the fervour unit enthusiasm of some part* of
Iris poetry, used iu Ins ear acid percept for
lyrical measure—his triple measure nets also in
general good. Ili, poem of the Exile qf Eria,
was simple and truly affecting. lips Battle of the
Baltic wa- a glorious puvtical effusion. The Wien-
/laden, which the 1.-timer read with fine enthusi-
asm, was, he tl 2111, a fine in usloctiuu, and par-
ticularly pemerful from the mystical persimitieatiiiii
of the 111111iiiir with the seeilery and event lee wars de-
scribing. It r weeded, because it called for a cosi-
tiuual stream of roiee, lorakiii„.• into strong em-
phasis at the rod of rack member of a seistence,
and also at its completion. The caileuce in this
manner falling me tlw final word of a sentence,
was extremely impressive. lit this that great de-
claimer (Mrs. Sitinums), 111 general, kat/1y
failed, and uttered the closing word, on which she
ought to have dwelt, so inaudibly, that it was left
for memory to supply. There were two authors its
the Englisli language, who excelled in every species
of elocution. 'lrliey were the two great stars in the
intellectual as well as the elocutionary hemisphere,
and without the full acquiretneut of a taste and
feeling for them Isiah, in vino %bottlet the stn ly of
elocution be cultivated. The authors to whom lie
alluded *ate 3lti.rtist and StIAKSPEARE. 'The
Lecturer then read, to illustration of bit position.
111U.ros's Satan culling the Ailing ',Tigris front
the obbriuns Pool, mid SIIAKSPEAIIEfs, Spetch
Henry V. Infule liarfleur.
The second part of the Lecture consisted of a
critical disseilionos on the KOllll,ll characters of
SHAKSPEARE find eel ADDI4ON, with particular ani-
madversion on ilie Curio/nuns and tau of Mr.
KENBLE, and „hat the Lecturer conceived to be
the characteristic talents and defects of that great
actor.

The attendance of Ladle* and Gentlemen in Mr.
TIIIELW.I cs Library last night, was cominderahle.
mid the Lt &lute cormaencing half on lunar earlier
(at eight o'clock; oremed to meet general appro.

The following Circular hay been sent to nil the
51enilrers of the Hume of Commour, who uptuilly
vote with Administration :
Foreign Office, 3.1 January, 11/41X.
Sfit—Ax business of impottauce will he brought muter the
etinsideiatiuu of Parham(lit, immediately upon its sot etioic.
I take the libel ty of coriwtaly repiratiog your attendance in
the Muse of , an Tuesday, the 27th instant.
1 have 11n. lotoolonr lo lot, Sir,
lour faithful unit obedient Servant,
CASTLEREAGH.
letlet4 hare been sent to the Perla by the
Earl of I.tv►.aruol..

On the night of Friday, the 2611$ ult. NI Mr.
STER, tinnier, of Lititlbey, w.r4 returning 00000 ron
hoareback. iu c puny ttitls hi. snit. hr woo met on
the Ipswich road, about a toile from Uedlrigb, by
a loaded waggon, by some accident tlivowit
hit horse, and the wheels piumiag over In+
killed out the mint. A Coroner's Inquest wits held
on the body on 3loistloy, w hit f I u 'rube) of
'Accidental 'lends. Mr. SI. Eit won 1111 l t Ni‘ty
years of age, Mid loos left it widow and a large t:t.
!oily to lintei,t h usifottun,tie