tions of the vulgar,-in the gesticulations of mirth in their dances, and of anger in their quarrels. These, though they may be perfectly intelligible, and strongly energetic, degrade the person who uses them from all pretensions to the character of liberality of mind, or of enlightened eloquence; and are more likely to excite in the cultivated spectator laughter or disgust, than the kindred passion of the gesticulator."

The first stage of gesture, then, as it may be called, corresponds with the natural tones of the voice, and consists of the involuntary visible symbols of expression which connect themselves with the stronger passions of the mind, such as the motion of some of the muscles of the face, the change of the color of the countenance, and certain sudden gesticulations which sometimes extend to the whole body. These are the offspring of the natural sympathy which exists between the action of the mind and the material frame. But the effects of this sympathy do not stop here. It prompts to a variety of movements which are much more under the control of the will than those to which we have referred. These constitute gesture in its second stage, and by way of distinction may be called voluntary. Being to a certain extent under the control of the will, they may be influenced by the force of example, and may become awkward by the imitation of some bad model, or by being put forth under the constraints of natural diffidence, or by the employment of a manuscript in delivery. From the same causes, gesture may be altogether suppressed.-Excess of natural excitement too, may lead to too great rigidity of muscle, and to a total inattention to the gestures; and this can scarcely fail to result in the entire absence of every thing like grace in the action of the speaker. Ges

ture, then, as an art, requires to be studied not less than Grammar or Logic.

The voluntary gestures may well therefore become the subject of instruction. The muscles by which they are made are all voluntary muscles, not less than are those employed in penmanship, or in playing upon a musical instrument; and thus, by a course of private training similar to that to which in these other cases they are subjected, they may be brought perfectly under the control of the will, so as to produce with all the precision of a natural habit such action as shall please instead of offending the eye. Such action, considered merely as a matter of taste, has the same advantage over the awkward movements of the untutored speaker, as a neat and elegant dress has over the slovenly apparel of a clown: it bespeaks the favor and attention of the hearer. But as the language of sentiment and feeling, it performs the higher office of arousing the mind of the speaker and inspiring him with feelings suitable to the subject and the occasion, of giving force and impressiveness to the sentiments he utters, and thus of exciting and keeping alive an interest on the part of his auditory. By this feeling of interest alone, is the popular mind roused up to a full appreciation of the importance of the matter in hand. Yet all this is to be done, not by the employment of any artificial means, but by the use of the cultivated natural powers. No affectation can equal the simple dignity of nature, which however rarely becomes visible till freed from the rubbish of artificial defects and polished by art.

It may not appear perfectly obvious, that a neglect of the principles of gesture may affect injuriously the character even of written composition. Yet who, if wanting in an effective elocution, would attempt rhetorical expression

or eloquent arrangement, in a sermon or discourse intended to be delivered by himself? So far from this, to adopt the language of a distinguished writer on this subject, "If even a figure or brilliant thought should occur to him, he rejects it as not of a piece, or in the language of Sterne, as 'intended for another man ;' and if in his researches on his subject, he meets with any thing beautiful as well as illustrative, he strips it of its ornaments, and clothes it in he plain garb of household labor. He blushes to introduce a figure too elegant to be reckoned of his society, and which he knows not how to present as he ought. To be able to write with spirit a rhetorical composition which a man is to pronounce himself, he must also feel his own ability to deliver it with spirit. And therefore the ignorance or neglect of rhetorical delivery must be considered as one great impediment to the progress even of written eloquence."

It should be remarked in passing, that feeling cannot be expressed by words alone, or even by the tones of the voice: it finds its best, and ofttimes its only expression in the flash of passion on the cheek, in the speaking eye, the contracted brow, the compressed lip, the heaving breast, the trembling frame,-in the rigid muscle and the general bearing of the entire body. And when emotion or passion thus speaks, its language is often confined to no particular part of the body, but the living frame as a whole sympathizes in the action. Still, in treating of this part of our general subject, to facilitate the imparting of instruction, as well as to furnish the materials for giving an intelligent description of the action of a speaker, an analysis of the elements of gesture, as arising from different parts of the body, will be first given. Such an analysis,-having a

reference however to the action of the orator rather than the actor,-will be presented in the several sections of this chapter; while the attention of the learner is successively called to the Feet and Lower Limbs, the Head and Trunk, the Eyes and Countenance, the Hand, and the Arm.-Some of the elements appropriated only to epic or dramatic action, will be noticed in the Appendix.

This will lead to a somewhat minute detail of particulars, with all of which however the learner should be made acquainted, that he may have a full knowledge of all the means which nature and the best usage have placed at his command, not only for the purpose of enforcing sentiment, but also for enabling him to give interesting variety to the action by which this is to be effected. And he may here be reminded, that oratory is no new art of mere modern invention; but that the principles which we present are the same with those which have come down over the lapse of more than two thousand years; and that the best models of excellence of our own time are those which approach nearest to the great masters of antiquity, whose writings and opinions have fortunately survived the wreck of much other matter. These principles then come to us with all the authority which time and experience can impart to them. Had we competent teachers in this department, and perfect models for the imitation of the young, the learner might aim directly at the acquisition of great excellence in oratory. As it is, his first object should be to free himself from bad habits, and from all artificial constraints, then to avoid faults, and thus indirectly by frequent and continued practice to acquire the beauties and the graces which will naturally engraff themselves on his delivery. To the accomplishment of this end, this Part of our work is directed.

SECTION II.

OF THE FEET AND LOWER LIMBS.

THE propriety of commencing this part of our subject with a consideration of the Feet and Lower Limbs will become obvious to the learner as we pass along. To the orator nothing is unimportant which contributes to the general impression he makes upon his audience; and this depends very materially on the dignity and grace of his movements. And what particularly concerns us to remark at this point is, that dignity and grace in the standing figure are known to depend on the positions of the lower limbs, which should be such as to give to the body both firmness of support and facility of movement. Mere firmness or stability can be secured, when combined with every degree of awkwardness; and rude strength most frequently perhaps supports the weight of the body equally on both feet. Firmness and grace however are combined, when the weight of the body is principally supported on one leg, and the other so placed as to preserve the balance of the body and keep it from tottering, at the same time that it is left free to move at will. Austin has remarked, that this is the position adopted in the Apollo, the Antinous, and in other beautiful and well-executed statues. In this position, the foot which supports the body is to be firmly planted, and the body so erect that a perpendicular line let fall from the centre of the neck should pass through the heel of that foot. Either foot may thus support the body, and may be more or less advanced than the free foot; thus giving four positions which are the only ones suited to oratory. The conditions of all these are, first, that the feet are to be separated from each other only three or four inches;