I am stripped of all my honours! I lie prostrate on the earth!

Farewell! a long farewell to all my greatness!

It stands, solid and entire! but it stands alone! and it stands amidst ruins!

How glorious are the works of God!

How presumptuous is man!

Rule 27.-THE DASH. The dash requires a pause somewhat less than a period. The pause should come upon the hearer unexpectedly; and therefore there should be no preparatory inflection of the voice.

Here lies the great-false marble, where?
Nothing but sordid dust lies here.

When the poor victims were bayonetted clinging round the knees of the soldiers! would my friend-but I cannot pursue the strain of interrogation!

If thou art he, so much respected once-but oh! how fallen.

I despaired at first, said the corporal, of being able to bring back your honour any kind of intelligence concerning the poor lieutenant-Is he of the army then? said my Uncle Toby.

Base as thou art false-No.

Art thou not-what?-a traitor?

And God said-what?-Let there be light!

And longer had she sung-but, with a frown,
Revenge impatient rose,

The manor, sir?-"The manor-hold!" he cried,
Not that I cannot part with that"-and died.

In the

Rule 28.-THE PARENTHESIS. following examples, read the former part of each sentence with a tone, suitable to the nature of the subject, and make a short pause

with a suspended voice. In the parenthesis, lower the voice and proceed more quickly. After the parenthesis is concluded, assume the same elevation with which you began.

Know then this truth (enough for man to know),
Virtue alone is happiness below.

Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man, as long as he liveth?

My dear friend (said he to Mentor), you save my hon

our!

Come (said she with a look of complacency), come into my habitation.

This (replied the marchioness) is a painful separation. Remember (continued she with a sigh) your absent friend.

An honest man (as Mr Pope expresses himself) is the noblest work of God.

Pride (to use the emphatical words of a sacred writer) was not made for man.

I have seen charity (if charity it may be called) insult with an air of pity.

Life in general (for exceptions are extremely few) is thrown away in sloth and trifling.

The Tyrians were the first (if we may believe what is told us by writers of high antiquity) who learned the art of navigation.

I am happy, said he (expressing himself with the warmest emotion), infinitely happy, in seeing you return.

GESTURE.

We are aware that some are opposed to the study of Gesture as an art. Among them there is none more distinguished than Archbishop Whately; who contends, that the natural unstudied manner is that which is most becoming to every speaker. He remarks, that he who is careful to follow the dictates of nature, will

have the advantage of carrying within him an infallible guide; and that by abstaining from all thoughts respecting his action, he will be the better able to fix his mind intently on the business he is engaged in. "Those," says he, "who cultivate a studied delivery, may be more successful in escaping censure and insuring admiration; but he will far more surpass them in respect of the proper object of the orator, which is, to carry his point."

But so strong is the tendency to indicate vehement internal emotion by some kind of outward gesture, that those who do not encourage or allow themselves in any, frequently fall unconsciously into some awkward trick of swinging the body,* folding a paper, twisting a string, or the like. It is reasonable that the study of a graceful manner should prevent the formation of such modes of delivery; and even the author just quoted admits, that if any one find himself naturally and spontaneously led to use, in speaking, a moderate degree of action, which he finds, from the observation of others, not to be ungraceful or inappropriate, there is no reason that he should repress this tendency.

Although nature must be the groundwork, there is ample room for study and art. The study of action in public speaking may be said to consist chiefly in guarding against awkward and disagreeable motions, and in learning to perform such as are natural to the speaker in

* Of one of the ancient Roman orators it was satirically remarked, on account of his having this habit, that he must have learned to speak in a boat. Of some other orators, whose favourite action is rising on tiptoe, it would perhaps have been said, that they had been accustomed to address their audience over a high wall.

the most becoming manner. The public speaker should study to preserve as much dignity as possible in the whole attitude of the body. An erect posture is generally to be chosen; standing firm, so as to have the fullest and freest command of all his motions: any inclination which is used should be a little to the right; and forwards toward the hearers, which is a natural expression of earnestness. As for the countenance, the chief rule is, that it should correspond with the nature of the discourse; and when no particular emotion is expressed, a serious and manly look is always the best. The eyes should never be fixed close on any one object, but move easily round the audience. In the motions made with the hands, consists the chief part of gesture in speaking. Motions performed by the left hand alone are not always offensive; but it is natural for the right hand to be more frequently employed. Warm emotions demand the motion of both hands corresponding together. But whether the orator gesticulates with one or both hands, it is an important rule, that all his motions should be free and easy. Narrow and straitened movements are generally ungraceful; for which reason, motions made with the hands should proceed from the shoulder rather than from the elbow. Movements with the hands perpendicularly, which Shakspeare in Hamlet calls "sawing the air with the hand," are seldom good. Oblique motions are in general the most graceful. Too sudden and nimble motions should be likewise avoided. Earnestness can be fully expressed without them. Shakspeare's directions on this head are full of good sense: "use all gently," says he, "and in the very torrent and tempest

of passion, acquire a temperance that may give it smoothness." One word in regard to the time of action. The action employed must always precede somewhat the words it is to enforce it must not be used after or during their utterance. The former is always the natural order of action: while the latter suggests the idea of a person speaking to those who do not fully understand the language, and striving by signs to explain the meaning of what he has been saying. An emotion* struggling for utterance, produces a tendency to a bodily gesture, to express that emotion more quickly than words can be framed; the words follow as soon as they can be spoken. And this being always the case with an earnest speaker, this mode of placing the action foremost, gives it (if it be otherwise appropriate) the appearance of strong and unfeigned emotion, actually present in the mind. The reverse of this natural order would alone be sufficient to convert the action of Demosthenes himself into unsuccessful and ridiculous mimicry.

We shall dismiss this portion of our work with the rules subjoined below: premising, that they bear chiefly on the attitude and position of the speaker when not actuated by any emotion, and that of course they are subject to modification when the contrary is the case, that is, when he is swayed by any inward emotion or passion labouring to express itself. They cannot, therefore, be considered as complete, or as embracing the whole subject: they are believed

* Format enim natura prius nos intus ad omnem Fortunarum habitum; juvat, aut impellit ad iram, Aut ad humum mærore gravi deducit, et angit: Post effert animi motus interprete linguâ.-Hor.