B. That is plain.

A. Now doth a man naturally use many gestures when he says common things, without vehemence, or the least mixture of any sort of passion?

B. No.

A. On such common subjects then, we ought not to use any action in public discourses; or at least but little for there we ought always to follow nature; nay there are some occasions where an orator might best express his thoughts by silence. For, if, being full of some great sentiment, he continued immoveable for a moment; this surprising pause would keep the minds of the audience in suspense, and express an emotion too big for words to utter.

B. I doubt not but such unexpected pauses seasonably employed, would be very significant; and powerfully affect the hearers. But, Sir, you seem to think that one who speaks in public ought to use no other action than what is proper for ordinary conver

sation.

A. You mistake me, Sir; I think the sight of a great assembly, and the importance of the subject an orator treats of, ought to animate him far more than if he were talking

Unum jam his adjiciendum est, cum praecipue in actione spectetur decorum, saepe aliud alios decere. Est enim latens quaedam in hoc ratio, et inenarrabilis : et ut vere hoc dictum est caput esse artis, decere quod facias-quare norit se quisque ; nec tantum ex communibus praeceptis, sed etiam ex natura sua capiat consilium formandae actionis. Quint. lib. xi. c. 3.

familiarly with his friends. But both in private and in public, he ought always to act naturally. He should use some action when his words are moving: but when his expressions are quite calm and simple, there is no occasion to move the body; except it be in the gentlest manner. Nothing appears more shocking and absurd, than to see a man very warm and active, when he is saying the driest, coldest things. Though he sweats himself, he chills the blood of his audience. Some time ago, I happened to fall asleep at a sermon, as you know one is apt to do in the afternoon (and indeed in former times, they preached but once a-day, after the gospel in the morning service :) but I soon waked and found the preacher in a very violent agitation, so that I fancied, at first, that he was pressing some important point of morality

B. What was the matter then?

A. He was only giving notice that on the Sunday following he would preach upon repentance. I was extremely surprised to hear such an indifferent thing uttered with so much vehemence; and must have laughed out, if the regard I had for the place, and some other circumstances had not restrained me. The pronunciation of these declaimers is exactly like their gesture: for, as their voice is a perpetual monotony ; so there is an* uni

* In the delivering of sermons, a great composure of gesture and behaviour is necessary to give them weight and au thority. Extremes are bad here, as in every thing else.

formity in their gesture that is no less nauseous and unnatural; and equally contrary to the good effect that one might expect from decent action.

B. You said that sometimes they have not action enough.

A. We cannot wonder at that. For they do not discern the things that require warmth and earnestness. They waste their spirits in saying the plainest things; and so are forced to utter those things faintly which ought to be delivered with a vehement action. I must own indeed that the French are not very capable of this vehemence for, they are too airy, and do not conceive things with sufficient strength and therefore they do not speak with a proper energy. The Romans had a wonderful talent this way, and the Greeks a greater. The eastern nations excelled in it; and particularly the Hebrews. Nothing can

Some affect a light and flippant behaviour: and others think that wry faces, and a tone in the voice will set off the matter. Grave and composed looks, and a natural, but distinct pronunciation, will always have the best effects. The great rule which the masters of rhetoric press much, can never be enough remembered, that to make a man speak well, and pronounce with a right emphasis, he ought thoroughly to understand all that he says; be fully persuaded of it; and bring himself to have those affections which he desires to infuse into others. He that is persuaded of the truth of what he says, and has a concern about it in his mind, will pronounce with a natural vehemence that is far more lively than all the strains that art can lead him to. An orator, (if we hearken to them) must be an honest man, and speak always on the side of truth; and study to feel all that he says; and then he will speak it so as to make others feel it likewise.

Discourse of the pastoral care. Ch. ix.

equal the strength and vivacity of the figures they employed in their discourse; and the very actions they used to express their sentiments; such as putting ashes on their heads, and tearing their garments, and covering themselves with sackcloth, under any deep distress and sorrow of mind. I do not speak of what the prophets did to give a more lively representation of the things they foretold; because such figurative actions were the effect of divine inspiration. But even in other cases, we find that those people understood much better than we do, how to express their grief, and fear, and other passions. And hence, no doubt, arose those surprising effects of eloquence, which we never experience now.

B. You approve then of many different gestures, and various inflections of the voice?

A. It is that variety which gives so much grace and force to the action of an orator; and made Demosthenes far excel all others. The more easy and familiar that the voice and action appear, when the speaker only narrates, explains, or instructs, the more apt he will be to surprise and move the audience in those

* In omni voce, est quiddam medium; sed suum cuique : hinc gradatim adscendere vocem utile, et suave est: (nam a principio clamare agreste quiddam est:) et illud idem ad formandum est vocem salutare: deinde est quiddam contentius extremum est item contra quiddam in remissione gravissimum, quoque tamquam sonorum gradibus descenditur. Hæc varietas, et hic per omnes sonos vocis cursus, et se tuebitur, et actioni afferet suavitatem. Cic. de Orat. lib. iii. §. 61.

parts of his discourse, where he grows suddenly vehement, and enforces lofty, affecting sentiments by a suitable energy of voice, and action. This due* pronunciation is a kind of music; whose beauty consists in the variety of proper tones and inflections of the voice, which ought to rise or fall with a just and easy cadence, according to the nature of the things we express. It gives a light as well as a grace to language; and is the very life and spirit of discourse.

B. According to your notions of elocution, it is an art unknown to our greatest orators. The preacher that you and I heard, about a fortnight ago, did not observe your rule: nor even seem to endeavour it. Except the first thirty words of his sermon, he spake always in the same tone and the only sign I could

Ornata est pronuntiatio, cui suffragatur vox facilis, magna, beata, flexibilis, firma, dulcis, durabilis, clara, pura, secans æra, auribus sedens. Est enim quædam ad auditum accommodata, non magnitudine sed proprietate, ad hoc velut tractabilis ; utique habens omnes in se qui desiderantur sonos intentionesque, et toto ut aiunt organo instructa-illud vero maximum, quod secundum rationem rerum de quibus dicimus, animorumque habitus, conformanda vox est, ne ab oratione discordet. Vitemus igitur illam quæ Græce Movotovía vocatur, una quædam spiritus ac soni intentio : - non solum ne dicamus clamose, quod insanum est; aut intra loquendi modum, quod motu caret; aut summisso murmure, quo etiam debilitatur omnis intentio : sed ut in iisdem partibus, iisdemque affectibus, sint tamen quædam non ita magnæ vocis declinationes, prout aut verborum dignitas, aut sententiarum natura, aut depositio, aut inceptio, aut transitus postulabit: ut qui singulis pinxerunt coloribus, alia tamen eminentiora, alia reductiora fecerunt; sine quo ne membris quidem suas lineas dedissent. Quint. lib. xi. c. 3.