HOW TO SPEAK. 7 ming in tears-rose en masse, giving a cheer that was a tribute alike to the poet and the speaker. The untutored plasterer had won the volume, indeed; and I closed the exercises, thinking how little of all that splendid triumph was due to my "art." The secret of that success lay, not in the orator's grace and skill, but in the simple fact that he possessed the poet's own conception and feeling. And this I have learned, that the true orator is one who feels what he utters, and who, abandoning all art and artifice, gives unrestrained expression to what he feels. SELF-AIDS. Acting upon this understanding of the teacher's office, I have directed my efforts, in this volume, toward the single point of giving the pupil a correct conception of each example offered as an exercise and study--to eliminate not only the author's meaning or thought, but also the significance there may be in the outward form or style of the composition. Each example, therefore, is preceded with a study, or exposition, designed to impart the information requisite for a full and clear comprehension of the author's idea, or the emotion involved. These dissertations, I trust, will prove of interest in themselves, since I have endeavored to give, through them, much incidental information in reference to writers and composition. In this effort to elucidate the author's ideas, I labored under one serious difficulty, namely: that an emotion is not easily expressible or indicated. The remedy for this, of course, is in a clear understanding of nature, in her emotional utterances. The feelings (or passions) of terror, anger, fear, hate, astonishment, joy, humor, &c., &c., all are pronounced, as it were, by instinct; the untutored child and the untamed Indian being masters-adept in their delivery or expression. Each has a certain and defined form, which, if closely observed, may be reproduced or imitated; a fact which the most noted masters of the stage have applied to their own profit. We have in the wonderfully gifted Brinsley Sheridan's "Analysis of the Passions," a singularly correct or appreciable exposition of passional forms. A great orator and actor, he also possessed the keenest of intellects and the sensibilities of a poet-a combination of faculties which admirably qualified him for the office of Interpreter to the Emotions. He enumerates seventy-five "passions, humors, vices, virtues, or feelings "-all of which are so defined that, as type-forms, they may be reproduced. These seventy-five passions, in truth, are not all type-forms; many of them are mere variations-as Persuasion is but another expression for Tempting; but he discriminates with an exquisite minuteness, which the careful student will not fail to appreciate. Commanding, Forbidding, Affirming, Denying, Differing, Agree ing, Exhorting, Judging, Reproving, Acquitting, Condemning, Teaching, Pardoning, Arguing, Dismissing, Refusing and Granting each is treated as a distinct mental emotion, having its individualism marked by facial expression, tone, attitude, and spirit definably its own. This is almost microscopic; but, as each is a quality, it is better to attempt to indicate their slight shades of difference than to fall into the great error of regarding them as nearly analogous, so far as their delivery or utterance is concerned. His distinctions are subtle, as for instance: Complaining is not classed in the above category or association; it certainly is closely allied to Forbidding, Differing, Reproving, and Condemning; but, the great orator and rhetorician properly classifies the emotion under that of Anger, to which it is passionally correlated, thus: Anger, Peevishness, Malice, Envy, Cruelty, Complaining. To render this portraiture of the Passions available, we have annotated our examples with numbers, which refer to the corre sponding figures in Sheridan's list. Thus, in the "Laus Deo" of Whittier are these stanzas : By referring to the List and Exposition, as given in Part III. of this volume, it will be perceived that these numbers are a running comment on, and criticism of, the text, serving the double good purpose of directing the student into the proper mode-forms of delivery, and imparting an understanding of the author. Unquestionable aids as these definitions and directions are, the student will not find in them all the requisites to good delivery. He must, even with their valuable assistance, be largely dependent on his own emotions and feeling for his utterance and action. Like the ignorant plasterer, he must not only comprehend but sympathize with his author, or, if the speech be his own composition, he must so enter into the spirit of his subject as to let it lead and sway him. A cold, methodic diction--an unemotional utterance—are alike weary and fruitless: if the speaker cannot take a lively interest in his discourse, he had far better not open his lips. OFF-HAND SPEAKING. OFF-HAND SPEAKING. Upon this point of self-interest in discourse the Reverend Dr. Osgood-one of the most excellent of orators--thus speaks, "Off-Hand Speaking: in his papers on "To speak well you must be in rapport not only with your own mind, but with your subject and your audience. It is really wonderful that this connection is so rarely complete, and that such mishaps come from its absence. Sometimes you are out of joint with yourself, and your mind seems no more to jump with your tongue than the mind of the man in the moon, and you feel that you have no hold of yourself. Again your thought, although quite active in a certain way, does not enter into the subject, and you are very much like an eager horseman who wants to ride, but finds the horse refusing to be mounted, or, when mounted, insisting upon standing still or pitching the luckless rider over his head. Sometimes, moreover, when you and your subject get on very well together, you fail to connect with the audience, and without having any positive quarrel with them, you find yourselves as far apart as if they were a thousand miles off. You will use every means to establish the true relation, to keep your own mind ready at your call; to make it dwell faithfully upon such leading principles as are fundamental to all important subjects; and to take vital interest in men, not such as belong to your clique only, but in men as men, in all the various tempers and conditions of the common lot. He is happy who masters this connection thoroughly, and agrees with his own soul, his subject, and his audience. He is the good rider who is master of himself, his good steed, and the road, and he goes forth conquering and to conquer." STUDY WORDS. But, as Horace in his "Art of Poetry" says "Cui lecta potentur erit res, Nec facundia deseret hunc, nec lucidus ordo" "neither expression nor perspicuous arrangement shall fail the writer whose subject is judiciously chosen "- -so the speaker will not fail who chooses a subject wholly within his knowledge and control. If it is a recitation of another's composition, seek fully to master its word-meaning and spirit intent. Don't imagine that a cursory perusal of it will suffice. There is, as the admirable Dean Trench has shown, exceeding significance covered_up in the outward form of words. The student must study wordspenetrate beneath the orthographical form to the spirit of that form, when a flood of before hidden beauties or qualities will burst upon the mind, and arouse the enthusiasm of the speaker. Take Shakspeare's entire works, and how little of his wondrous heart and soul do we see in a mere cursory reading, or rapid recitation of his sentences! His words, indeed, are but veils which thinly disguise strange and beautiful thoughts, emotions, and acts. He says One hour's study of this brief sentence will not be too much to give it. Chase down the general or lexicographical definition of the words, first; then seek for the deeper, wider, richer significance of thought and intent which the words lead to, and you have taken that step which every public reader and speaker must take ere they can hope for success as interpreters of the utterances of others. Apply this rule to every example or lesson herein given, and you will obtain results which are a rich compensation for time spent in reflection and inquiry over words, sentences, and paragraphs. The reader or the orator who hopes for the honors of the platform and stage can attain these honors only through the avenues of meditation and study. Edwin Booth says he studied "Hamlet" ten years—a statement which we can well believe in view of his success in its interpretation. FEEL WHAT YOU SAY. The good Bishop Burnet, in his injunctions to young ministers, wrote: "The great rule which the masters of rhetoric so much press can never enough be 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 inwardly persuaded of the truth of what he says, and that hath a concern about it in his mind, will pronounce with a natural vehemence that is far more lovely than all the strains that art can lead him to. An orator must endeavor to feel what he says, and then he will speak so as to make others feel it." And says Herrick: "A speaker will affect his audience according to the degree in which he is affected himself. There is a congenial sympathy, which darts like electrical spirit from heart to heart! It will strike others more or less forcibly, according to the impulse it receives from the speaker. He is the master-spring RULES FOR GOOD DELIVERY. 11 which puts them all in motion. But how can that man transfuse the very life of the passions into the soul of others, while he himself remains unmoved, or but moderately agitated? No; he must feel, in the most exquisite degree, every tender, every bold, every animated emotion. Then, and then only, will he be able to excite kindred feelings in the hearts of his audience. Many of our public addresses have a kind of freezing and benumbing influence, which is an antidote to animation." RULES FOR GOOD DELIVERY. There are rules which must be observed by all who attempt public speaking. As in good chirography each person writes a hand which is peculiarly his own, so in speaking each person may and ought to preserve an individualism clearly marked; but, as in writing all are bound to observe certain general forms, and to conform to certain essentials in letter and sentence-construction, so in address there are rules which are necessarily to be enforced; among which are- Ist. Perfect precision in pronunciation. 2d. Perfect command of the voice in tone, time, and inflection. 3d. Obedience to the time and force of pausation marks. 4th. Absence of stiffness and restraint of manners. 5th. Absence of egotism, pompous pride, or dogmatism. 6th. Absence of buffoonery, and of ridiculous or vulgar action. To which may be added, suggestively: 1st. Pronounce every letter-not usually silent-as distinctly, though not so lengthily, as you would in repeating the alphabet. 2d. Utter the vowels, whether singly or in combination, clearly and ringingly: it is in the vowels that provincialism generally lurks. 3d. Sound the terminal letters of each word with particular care. 4th. Avoid all haste in utterance; speak as if you meant to be heard and understood. 5th. Open the mouth widely, and hold the head up. 6th. Understand what you speak, and express yourself as if you did understand it; give the SENSE; if you deliver thoughts, words will most frequently take care of themselves. To give written instructions in intonation is peculiarly difficult; but the succeeding rules may be submitted: 1. Every person's voice has a natural pitch or key-note-a tone in which the spontaneous expression of his thoughts is always enunciated; from this tone the voice may be inflected with ease either up or down; but on using any other tone constraint and effort are requisite to raise or lower the voice; hence, the natural pitch of vocalization should be carefully preserved in reading and speaking.* * "Nothing can be more absurd than to imagine that, as soon as one mounts a pulpit, |