[16]
It is not necessary for my purpose
to enquire into the causes which give rise to these
peculiarities. I need not raise the question whether
the difference lies in those organs by which the
breath is produced, or in those which form the
channels for the voice itself; whether the voice has
a character of its own or depends on the motions
which produce it; whether it be the strength of the
lungs, chest or the vocal organs themselves that
affords it most assistance, since the co-operation of
all these organs is required. For example, it is not
the mouth only that produces sweetness of tone; it
requires the assistance of the nostrils as well, which
carry off what I may describe as the overflow of the
voice. The important fact is that the tone must be
agreeable and not harsh.
Quintilian. With An English Translation. Harold Edgeworth Butler. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1922.
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