PREFACE
The utility and importance of Elocution in ail its branches are too well understood, at the présent day, to require any apology for offering a French work on the subject of Reading and Déclamation. It is a wonder, that amidst the gênerai mass of information so widely disseminated in the United States of America, where French holds so important a place in the éducation of youth, that language should hâve remained, not only without a standard work, but even without a book on Reading, Elocution, and Déclamation. lu a long course of public teaching we hâve often felt this striking deficiency, and besides, we hâve heard French professors of distinguished abilities complain of this important want ; when we therefore made known to them our purpose to undertake a work upon Reading and Déclamation, combined with a course of literature, and explained to them our plan, they ventured to speak favorably of the design and approved the exécution ; several of them offered to contribute to so laudable a purpose, and their obliging communications to this work demand a grateful acknowledgement, which we beg leave hère to offer with our most sincère thanks.
In endeavoring to explain and develop the différent ways of modifying the voice, in order to give variety and expression to the Reading or Déclamation of a pièce, we make no pretensions to originality, for nearly every thing contained in this work has been selected from the best authors 5 we hâve extracted from them whatever ap~ peared most suitable for the expression of our views, and hâve availed ourselves of them with the most perfect freedom.
In order to render the exercises of this book truly pro-
Vlll PREFACE.
gressive, we hâve divided our work into three parts. The first part contains gênerai directions for the Reading and Déclamation of ail kinds of composition, followed by sélect pièces, to which is frequently appended an Analysis written by the most iearned and skilful French Eloeutionists. The second part contains seîect pièces in prose, and as this work is intended to be used, not only as an exercise book in Déclamation, but also as a course of literature, Modèles â! exercices by the best Prench critics hâve been appended. The third part contains the choieest of French poetry, with numerous Modèles d'exercices. The greatest attention has been paid to the sélection of such pièces as would afïord most entertainment, instruction, and morality.
The patronage, which an enlightened public has deigned to accord to our former works, has induced us to redouble our efforts to render ourselves worthy of a continuant of this kindness, a kindness so much the more honorable, since it has never been soîicited by pompous recommendations easily obtained, or by the puffing of an interested publisher. We can say with truth, that we hâve never soîicited the recommendation of any one, we hâve always allowed our works to speak for themselves.
In the hope that this compilation may contribute something to the instruction of youth in the art of reading and speaking French, something to the improvement of their taste and morals, something to their préparation for an honorable discharge of their duties in life ; we submit it to the disposai of the public, and ask for it, only that favor; to which its merits may entitle it.
