manner a boldness, an energy and grace, which are at once most becoming to the truth, and the most persuasive characters of eloquence. For the maintenance of grace in rhetorical action, variety is also indispensable. The iteration of the same gesture or set of gestures, however graceful in themselves, betrays a poverty of resources, which is altogether prejudicial to the speaker. They have an effect even worse than monotony of tones, which may be pardoned as arising from natural deficiency, but a fine gesture or two can be assumed only for ornament, and may be repeated to disgust. But simplicity and truth of manner, if not constituting grace in themselves, are inseparable from it. The gesture must appear to be used only for the better supporting the sentiments of the mind, and for no other purpose. Gestures which are manifestly contrived for the mere display of the person, or for the exhibition of some foppery, as a fine ring, instantly offend. Fine gestures are to be used only, when the mind is elevated and the sentiments magnificent, and energetic gestures, when it is ardent and earnest. Attitudes are not permitted to the orator, and rarely even to the actor, except in the extremes of passion, as when he is petrified with horror. But as all his subject is known to the orator beforehand, so he cannot be surprised into any thing of this kind. To simplicity of gesture is opposed affectation, that falsehood of action, which destroys every pretension to genuine grace. The more shewy and fine the gestures are, unless they belong indispensably to the subject, to the affection of the mind, and to the character of the speaker, the more do they offend the judicious by their manifest affectation. When the profligate speaks of piety, the miser of generosity, and the coward of valour, and the corrupt of integrity, they are only the more despised by those who know them. To these faults of character, the faults of manner are analogous and almost equally disgusting. If dignity be assumed where none is found in the sentiment, pathos without any thing interesting, vehemence in trifles, and solemnity upon common place; such affectation may impose on the ignorant, but makes "the judicious grieve." Simplicity, which constitutes the true grace in manners and in dress, should equally be observed in the action of an orator. Early good instructions with constant practice and imitation of the best models will establish habits of graceful action: in the same manner as the personal accomplishments, however, at first, the cause of constraint, become, after sufficient exercise, easy and agreeable; and distinguish, in all their motions and manners, those who have been cultivated, from the awkward and affected vulgar. It is an observation founded in fact, that the action of young children is never deficient in grace; for which two reasons may be assigned: first, because they are under no restraint from diffidence or from any other cause, and therefore use their gestures with all sincerity of heart only to aid the expression of their thoughts: and next, because they have as yet few ideas of imitation, and so are not deprived of the graces of nature by affectation, nor perverted by bad models. The grace of action, according to Hogarth, in his ingenious Analysis of Beauty, consists in moving the body and limbs in that curve which he names the line of beauty. When action is considered independant of language and sentiment, his observation will perhaps be found generally correct. But rhetorical action, which is intimately concerned in these circumstances, derives its grace not only from the actual motions of the speaker, but also very much from the congruity of his motions with the sentiments which he delivers. They must accord with them in every character, and vary according to all the different situations as well as sentiments, not only of the same person, but of different persons. The dignity and sobriety of deportment, which is becoming grace in a judge, would be quaint affectation in a young barrister. And the graceful, but colloquial familiarity of action, even of the court, would be highly indecorous in the pulpit. So that it will be allowed, according to the very just maxim of Cicero and Quintilian, that decorum constitutes true oratorical grace. And accordingly this decorum admits great variety, and allows great scope for the action of the orator under different circumstances. Vehement action is sometimes both decorous and graceful, but outrageous extravagance can never be allowable. Abrupt and short and dry action, if it bear the impression of truth, will so far be decorous, and have a grace of suitableness. Such are the gestures of an old man when he is irritated. But the most flowing and beautiful motions, the grandest preparations, and the finest transitions of gesture ill applied and out of time, lose their natural character of grace, and become indecorous, ridiculous, or offensive. The observations of Quintilian, conceived in such good taste, and delivered with such correct judgment at the conclusion of his discourse on gesture, will properly close this subject. 66 66 "One observation more is to be added; that as decorum is principally to be attended to in gesture, so a different style will "often become different speakers. There is some latent and inexplicable reason for this: and as it has been truly observed "that the summit of art consists in this, that your action should "become your character; so neither can that decorum be "acquired without the assistance of art, nor yet be altogether "delivered by the rules of art. In some persons, absolute perfections are void of grace, whilst in others their very "faults afford delight.. Let every one therefore make "himself acquainted with his own talents, and adopt the plan "of forming his action, rather according to the nature of his "own peculiar powers, than merely according to the usual precepts. It is not indeed impossible that every kind of "action, or at least a great variety may be gracefully performed by some persons: but let the conclusion on this subject be "the same as it should be on others, that above all the most necessary rule is moderation. For it is not an actor whom "I wish to form, but an orator. Therefore in gesture, let us "not pursue every affectation; nor in speaking use too many "discriminations, pauses, or emphasis, as if we were acting a part in a play like this: What then shall I do? shall I go? or "shall I even refuse her, now when she invites me herself? or "shall I not rather so govern my passion, that I may no longer "suffer the insolence of a wanton?-For here the actor will 66 express the delays of doubt, the inflexions of the voice, "and variety of gestures, and different motions of the head. "An oration has another character, it must not be too highly "seasoned. For this reason the delivery is justly condemned as "vicious, which is deformed by grimace, which offends by gesticulations, and breaks unequally by affected changes "of the voice. We must regulate our gesture, in 66 "this manner; lest, whilst we aim at the graces of the player, "we should lose the dignity of the grave and respectable " Unum jam his adjiciendum est, cum præcipue in actione spectetur decorum, spe aliud alios decere. Est enim latens quædam in hoc ratio et inenarrabilis: et ut vere hoc dictum est, caput esse artis, decere quod facias: ita id neque sine arte esse, neque totum arte tradi potest. In quibusdam virtutes non habent gratiam, in quibusdam vitia ipsa delectant. . . Quare norit se quisque, nec tantum ex communibus præceptis, sed etiam ex natura sua capiat consilium formandæ actionis. Neque illud tamen est nefas, ut aliquem vel omnia vel plura deccant. Hujus quoque loci clausula sit eadem, necesse est, quæ cæterorum est, regnare maxime modum. Non enim comadum esse, sed oratorem volo. Quare neque in gestu persequemur omnes argutias, nec in loquendo distinctionibus, temporibus, affectionibus moleste utemur: ut si sit in scena dicendum, Quid igitur faciam? non eam, ne nunc quidem Cum accersor ultro? an potius ita me comparem, Non perpeti meretricium contumelias? Hic enim dubitationis moras, vocis flexus, varias manus, diversos nutus actor adhibebit. Aliud oratio sapit, nec vult nimium esse condita. Quare non immerito reprehenditur pronunciatio vultuosa et gesticulationibus molesta et vocis mutationibus resultans. ... ita tamen temperanda (est actio) ne, dum actoris captamus elegantiam, perdamus viri boni et gravis auctoritatem. Quint. l. xi. ad finem, |