ence, when it gives us a just and animating representation of what we know to be true? How agreeable it is both to nature and reason, that a warmth of expression, and vehemency of motion, should rise in proportion to the importance of the subject and anxiety of the speaker, will more forcibly appear, by look ing back a little into the more early and simple ages of the world; for, the higher we go, the more we shall find of both. The Romans exhibited a great share of talent this way, and the Greeks a greater still. Indeed, all the nations of the east excelled in it; and particularly, that divinely favoured nation, the Hebrews. Nothing, in modern days, has equalled the strength and vivacity of the figures employed in their discourse, and the actions which they used to express their sentiments; such as throwing ashes upon their heads; tearing their garments, and covering themselves with sackcloth, under any deep distress or sorrow of mind : and hence, no doubt, those surprising effects of eloquence appeared, which we never witness now.And what is here declared of the eastern nations, with respect to action, was, in a great measure, prevalent with the Greeks and Romans: if it were not precisely of the same kind, it was no less vehement and expressive. They did not think language of itself suf ficient to express the height of their passions, unless enforced by uncommon motions and gestures. Thus, when Achilles had driven the Trojans into their city with the greatest precipitation and terror, and only Hector ventured to tarry without the gates to engage him, Homer represents both, King Priam and his Queen, in the highest state of consternation for the

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danger of their son; and, therefore, in order to prévail with him to enter the city, and not fight with Achilles, they not only entreat him from the walls, in the most tender and moving language imaginable, but they violently tear off their grey locks with their hands, and adjure him to comply with their request. The poet well knew, that no words of themselves sould represent those agonies of mind he endeavoured to convey, unless heightened by the idea of such aefions as were expressive of the deepest sorrow. one of Cicero's orations, he proceeds to argue in this manner with one of his adversaries: "Would you talk thus if you were serious? Would Would you, who are wont to display your eloquence so warmly in the danger of others, act so coldly in your own? Where is that concern, that ardour which used to extort pity even from children? Here is no emotion, either of mind or body; neither the forehead struck, nor the thigh, nor so much as a stamp of the foot; therefore, you have been so far from inflaming our minds, that you have scarcely kept us awake."

The ancients had persons whose proper business it was, to teach them how to regulate and manage their voice; and others who instructed them in the whole art of pronunciation, both as to their voice and gestures. The latter were selected from the most celebrated and experienced actors of the stage-But though they sometimes made use of actors to instruct their youth in forming their speech and gestures, yet they always, very correctly, considered the action of a real orator to be necessarily very different from that: of the theatre. Cicero very forcibly represents this

distinction, when speaking of orators, in the words of Crassus, he says, "the motions of the body ought to be suited to the expressions, not in a theatrical way, mimicking the words by particular gestulation, but in a manner expressive of the general sense, with a sedate and manly inflection of the sides, not taken from the stage and actors, but from the exercise of arms and the palestra."-And Quintilian observes to the same purpose-"The gestures and motions of comedians are not to be imitated by an orator." These distinguished men, thought the action of the theatre too light and extravagant to be imitated by an orator, and, therefore, when they employed an actor to instruct young children in the first rudiments, they were always sent after this to schools of a higher grade, designed on purpose to teach them a decent and graceful management of their bodies. Being thus prepared, they were afterwards sent to the schools of the rhetoricians; and here, as their business was to cultivate their style, and acquire the whole art of eloquence-so particularly to acquire a just and accurate pronunciation, by those exercises, in which, for that important end, they were constantly employed. Nor after all this pains and industry, did they yet think themselves qualified to take upon them the character of orators; but it was their constant custom to collect together some of their friends and acquaintance, who were competent to judge of such performances, and declaim privately before them. The business of these persons was to make observations upon their performances, both with respect to the language which they used, and the manner of pronunciation; and they were

expected to use the greatest freedom, to take notice of any and every thing conceived to be imperfect, either as to inaccuracy of method, impropriety of style, or ungracefulness in voice or gesture. This course gave them an opportunity to correct all such defects, at first, before they became habitual. Here we see parents, in earlier times, exhibiting more sense than to send their children to such schools as profess to teach all branches at once, and in the same bustling and confused room, and where, in fact, no branch is taught in such a manner as it ought to be done.

The characteristic difference between the accomplishments of the youth, trained up and introduced to the world after the manner of the ancients, and those who are now trained up in the confusion and noise which universally attend schools, where all branches are taught at the same time and place, is great, and humiliating indeed; and the course pursued by the ancients, as to its utility, dignity, and beauty, is as much to be preferred as the established, regular and splendid book-store is to the contemptible streetbook-stall. And here it is proper to ask, what splendid effects might we not expect in the present day, in the midst of this dearth of real oratory, from the establishment of such an institution? Persons trained up in this manner, with all those advantages, combined with good natural genius, could rarely fail of becoming accomplished orators; for even after they had made their appearance before the public, like the ancient youth, they would not then discontinue the practice of declaiming.

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The influence of sounds, either to raise or allay our passions, is evident from music; and, unquestionably, the harmony of a fine essay, or discourse, on being either read or recited well and gracefully, is as capable of moving us, if not with such violence and ecstacy, yet with no less power, and certainly more agreeable to our rational faculties. As persons are differently affected when they speak, so they naturally alter the tone of their voice, though they do not appear to attend to it. Now, it rises,--now, it sinks, and has various inflexions given it, according to the state or disposition of the mind. When the mind is calm and sedate, the voice is moderate and even; when the former is pressed down by sorrow, the latter is tremulous and languid, and when that is roused by passion, this is at once elevated. It is the orator's business therefore, to follow nature, and to endeavour that the tone of his voice appear natural and unaffected-and, for this end, he must take care to suit it to the nature of the subject; but yet so as to be grave and always decent. Some persons continue their discourse in such a low and drawling manner, that they can scarcely be heard by their audience. Others again, let the nature of the subject be what it may, hurry on, in so loud and boisterous a manner, that it would seem they imagined their hearers to be deaf. Now, all the music and harmony of voice, lies between these two extremes.