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neus, and Tenedos? to exert himself in the assembly for this purpose? while with equal zeal he laboured to gain others to our interest and alliance, as Byzantium, Abydos, and Euboea? Was he not to cut off the best and most important resources of our enemies, and to supply those in which our country was defective?—And all this you gained by councils and my administration.

High and Soft.

Ah! Juliet, if the measure of thy joy

Be heap'd like mine, and that thy skill, be more
To blazon it, then sweeten with thy breath
This neighbor air, and let rich music's tongue
Unfold the imagin'd happiness, that both
Receive in either, by this dear encounter.

Oh, Belvidera! doubly I'm a beggar ;
Undone by fortune and in debt to thee;
Want, worldly want, that hungry meagre fiend,
Is at my heels, and chases me in view.

Canst thou bear cold and hunger? Can these limbs
Endure the bitter gripes of smarting poverty?
When banish'd by our miseries abroad,
(As suddenly we shall be) to seek out

In some far climate, where our names are strangers,
For charitable succour ;-wilt thou then,
When in a bed of straw we shrink together,

And the bleak winds shall whistle round our heads,
Wilt thou then talk thus to me? Wilt thou then
Hush my cares thus, and shelter me with love?

My voice is still for war.

Gods! can a Roman senate long debate
Which of the two to choose, slavery or death?
No; let us rise at once, gird on our swords,
And at the head of our remaining troops,
Attack the foe, break through the thick array
Of his throng'd legions; and charge home upon him.

Perhaps some arm more lucky than the rest,
May reach his heart, and free the world from bondage.
Rise, fathers, rise ! 'tis Rome demands your help!
Rise and revenge her slaughter'd citizens,
Or share their fate. The corpse of half her senate
Manure the fields of Thessaly, while we
Sit here deliberating in cold debates

If we should sacrifice our lives to honour,
Or wear them out in servitude and chains.
Rouse up, for shame! Our brothers of Pharsalia
Point at their wounds, and cry aloud-To battle!
Great Pompey's shade complains that we are slow;
And Scipio's ghost walks unrevenged amongst us.

OUTLINES OF GESTURE.

GESTURE, considered as a just and elegant adaptation of every part of the body, to the nature and import of the subject we are pronouncing, has always been considered as one of the most essential parts of oratory. Its power, as Cicero observes, is much greater than that of words. It is the language of nature in the strictest sense, and makes its way to the heart, without the utterance of a single sound. Ancient and modern orators are full of the power of action; and action, as with the illustrious Grecian orator, seems to form the beginning, the middle, and end of orato

ry.

The extent and variety of gesture has a wider range than many are aware of; for it comprehends the action and position of all the parts of the body; of the head, the shoulders, the trunk; of the arms, hands, and fingers; of the lower limbs, and of the feet: it may not improperly include the expressions of the face. Gesture has one great advantage over the voice, viz, that it affects the eye, which is the quickest of all our senses, and consequently must convey the impressions more speedily to the mind, than that of

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the voice, which affects the ear only. Nature has given to every sentiment, emotion and passion, its proper outward expression. Hence what we frequently mean, does not so much depend upon the words which we use, as on the manner of expressing them. Thus nature fixes the outward expression of every sentiment of the mind. Art only adds gracefulness to what nature leads to. As nature has deter

mined that man should walk on his feet, not on his hands, it is the business of art to teach him to walk gracefully. Every part of the human frame contributes to express the passions and emotions of the mind, and to show in general its present state.

A cast of the eye shall express desire in as moving a manner, as the softest language; and a different motion of it resentment. To wring the hands, tear the hair, or strike the breast, are strong indications of sorrow. And he who claps his hand to his sword, throws us into a greater panic, than he who threatens to kill us. This language of nature is so expressive,. that Cicero informs us, that he frequently amused himself by trying this with Rocius the comedian, who could express a sentence as many ways by his tures as he could by his words.

ges

It is not necessary, as some late writers have asserted, that the hands should never be idle. Nature does not so direct. On the stage where the action is more diversified, and where a greater profusion of gesture is allowable, than in Oratory, we find that the most celebrated actors and actresses do not follow this. rule. In many parts of an oration little gesture should be used, in some the speaker may be almost unmoved, and in others the tone of voice and expression of countenance is sufficient. It is not necessary always to saw the air, far from it. But it is highly necessary to consider and judge when the air should be divided by the arm, the weapon of the orator when he is to move his head, his body, and his limbs; and how he is to do all this with propriety and effect. The art of gesture however cultivated,

is not to be used for incessant flourishing: this would be like introducing the steps and bounds of dancing into the simple movements of walking.

5.

The variety of gestures of which the kuman figure is capable, is almost infinite. In this great variety there is, however, a similarity and relation among many of them. The parts of the human figure which are brought into action, cannot in truth be considered separate; for every muscle, every nerve, over which we can exercise voluntary action, contributes in some measure to the perfection of gesture. The most distinguished parts of the body, however, which affect the principal gestures may be considered the following, viz. 1. The Head. 2. The shoulders. 3. The trunk or body. 4. The arms. The hands and fingers. 6. The lower limbs and knees. 7. The feet. The orator should pay great attention to his whole outward appearance. Every position should be manly, graceful, and dignified: every thing that is awkward and rustic should be carefully avoided.The gracefulness of motion in the human form, or perhaps in any other, consists in the facility and security with which it can be executed. And the gracefulness of any position, consists in the apparent facility with which they can be varied. Hence in standing, the position is graceful, when the weight of the body is principally supported on one leg; whilst the other is so placed, as to be ready to relieve it promptly and without effort. And as the legs are formed for a mutual share of labour and of honour, so their alternation in position and in motion is agreeable and graceful.-The foot which sustains the weight of the body must be so placed, that a perpendicular line let fall from the hole of the neck, shall pass through the heal of that foot. The other foot is merely for the purpose of keeping the body properly balanced in this position.The orator is to adopt such attitudes and positions only, as consist with manly and simple grace. The toes are to be moderately turned outwards, but not constrained; the limbs

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are to be disposed so as to support the body with ease, and to change with facility. The sustaining foot is to be planted firmly; the leg and thigh braced, but not contracted, and the knee straightened: the other foot must press lightly; and generally at the distance at which it would fall, if lifted up and allowed to drop. by its own gravity. The trunk of the body is to be well balanced, and sustained erect upon the supporting limb; except in such attitudes, as particularly require its inclination; as veneration, supplication, fear, &c.

In changing the positions of the feet, the motions are to be made with the utmost simplicity, and free from the parade and sweep of dancing. The speaker must advance, retire or change, almost imperceptibly, except only when particular energy requires. that he should stamp with his foot, that he should start back, or advance with marked precision.The general rule for changing in the position of the feet, is, that it should take place after the first gesture or preparation of the changing hand, and coincide with the finishing gesture and it is to be particularly observed, that the changes should not be too frequent.

The positions and motions of the hands are so numerous, and may be so exceedingly varied by minute changes, that it would perhaps be impossible, and certainly would be a useless labour, to attempt to describe them all. I shall only mention some of the most prominent, and such as are of most common use in public speaking. Quintilian considers the gestures of the hands of such importance for illustration and enforcement, that he even attributes to them the faculty of universal language.

Without the aid of the hand, says he, action would be mutilated, and void of energy; but it is hardly possible, since they are almost as copious as words themselves, to enumerate the variety of motions of which they are capable. The action of the other parts of the body assists the speaker, but the

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