in doing this, the idea of awkwardness, so far as they are concerned, will occur only to himself. At the close of the last gesture, likewise, prior to the termination of a piece or paragraph, the hands should fall to rest by the side.—Thus it appears that the rest of the hand, after it has once been raised in gesture, has a meaning, not less than any other action.

SECTION III.

OF THE MOVEMENTS OF THE HANDS AND ARMS.

Fig. 47.

1. Of the hand to be employed.-A full development of this subject will involve a brief reference to a variety of circumstances connected with delivery.-When the speaker is reading the sentiments of another from the page of a book, the book should be held in the left hand, directly in front of the breast, and some six inches from the body; and should be so far depressed as not to conceal from the audiFig. 46. ence the face of the reader. Any gesture made by the reader thus embarrassed, must be made with the right hand; and even this hand, when not needed for purposes of gesture, may gently touch the margin or corner of the book, to assist in turning over the leaves. (See Fig. 46.) In reading an original composition, more gesture is ex

pected, but yet it must be confined to the right hand. (See Fig. 47.) In either case the eyes should be taken from the book as often as possible without producing

embarrassment; and this should be done particularly at the close of the periods.-Any paper which the orator may choose to hold should be held in the left hand; and except in cases of marked energy, this hand thus employed should not be used in gesture; and then, never except in connection with the other.-In reading from a manuscript, as in the pulpit, the left hand should rarely be used.

Even in ordinary delivery, when both hands are free, the right hand takes the decided precedence in gesture. It will be sufficient, therefore, to enumerate some of the occasions on which the left hand may be employed.—The matter of the oration may furnish occasion for the use of the left hand. When, in narrative or descriptive pieces, different persons or things are represented as variously disposed, or as occupying different positions, the hands may be alternately employed; also when there is antithesis in the sentiment, or even in the structure of the sentences. On introducing a new argument, or on presenting some new point of discussion, after one in which the right hand has been for considerable time employed, the left hand may even take the principal gesture. Such alternation of the hands, however, should not be frequent; nor should the gestures of the left hand be long continued.

The situation of the speaker may also lead to the employment of the left hand, as when the persons addressed are on his left side. This may occur on the stage; and will often occur both at the bar and in halls of legislation, where the judges and the jury, in the one case, and the chair and the house, in the other, are to be addressed. The one or the other of these will often be at the speaker's left hand. So with the preacher, who wishes to address himself particularly to that portion of his hearers who are on his left.Variety may occasionally though rarely lead to the use of

the left hand; as may also the attitude of the speaker. Thus, when in earnest gesture, the left foot is projected forward, as it must be, if in such case it is found to be the free foot; or when, in starting back, the right foot has left the other far in advance, it would be improper to use the right hand for the principal gesture

Fig. 48.

Fig. 49.

Fig. 50.

Both hands may be employed at the same time, in earnest appeal, in expressing the ideas of extent or vastness, and often in animated poetic recitation. In such cases, if the persons addressed are precisely in front of the speaker, the gestures of the two hands will correspond, and will be exactly similar, (see Figs. 48, 49;) but if the body of the speaker is presented a little obliquely, which is deemed more graceful, then the right hand is usually more elevated or more advanced than the left, (see Figs. 34, 50,)—that of the one being called the principal, that of the other the subordinate gesture.

2. Of Gesture as Principal and Subordinate.-When both hands are employed in gesture, as just intimated, the one is usually more advanced or more elevated than the

other. Either hand may take the precedence, though this honor is more generally conferred upon the right hand. The hand which performs the principal gesture is called the advanced, and the other the retired hand. The subordinate gesture frequently imitates that of the other hand, and is always in the same direction with it; but is more moderate and reserved. The employment of both hands thus is peculiarly graceful, and is more forcible and expressive than the use of either hand alone. From the part which this subordinate gesture performs, it is not inaptly compared, by Austin, to the accompaniment in music.

3. Of the Accompaniments of Gesture.-The subordinate gesture is one of the accompaniments of the principal. But there are other accompaniments to be attended to. The movements of the lower limbs, of the body, and of the head must all join in harmony with the principal gesture of the hand; otherwise the movement will be but a mere imitation of nature. And even though the body and limbs should move in perfect concert, while the countenance should remain unmoved and unexcited, the entire action would be but that of a well-contrived automaton. With all of these at perfect command, and employed in harmony with the diversified melodies of the voice, nothing can be wanting for the enforcement of either thought or feeling.

4. Of Gesture as Preparatory and Terminating.—Every act of gesture consists of two parts-the preparatory and the terminating movement. The last is that for which the gesture is made; and the former is but the preliminary movement, which of necessity precedes it. The collected state of the hand, for example, belongs exclusively to the preparatory part of gesture. Again, the hand cannot be brought downward in emphatic expression, till it has been

elevated. The elevation of the arm and hand, then, is the preparatory part of such a gesture. Though, in one sense, this is entirely a subordinate part of gesture, yet on it depend essentially the force as well as the grace of its termi nation. It must be executed, neither too early, so as to leave the arm too long suspended; nor too late, so as to make the gesture short and hurried. It should appear easy and natural, be made in curved rather than in straight lines, and should seem to be prompted, as indeed it ought to be, by the rising thought.—The terminating part of most gestures furnishes an example of what is called the stroke of the gesture.

5. Of the Emphatic Stroke and Time of Gesture.—When speaking of the voice in the first part of this work, Emphasis was defined,-The expressive but occasional distinction of syllables, and consequently of the words of which they form a part. It is perfectly obvious, that every mode of giving emphasis by the voice should be susceptible of being accompanied by gesture. Such is the case; but not every form of emphasis can receive enforcement by the same gesture. For example, in those forms of emphasis of which quantity is the chief element, the hand moves in the horizontal curves, or rises towards the zenith; whereas in all the forms in which short quantity prevails, the movement is downward, and in the vertical circles. Even in those forms of emphasis which require long quantity, the accompanying movement varies with the point at which the stress is laid. In the Median emphasis, the gesture may have no abrupt termination; while in the Vanishing emphasis, the gesture terminates abruptly, though with a full extension of the arm outward or upward; and not, as in the Radical emphasis, with a descent to one of the points designated.