nunciation, or Delivery, by the moft eloquent of all orators, Demofthenes, appears from a noted faying of his, related both by Cicero and Quinctilian; when being asked, What was the first point in oratory? he answered, Delivery; and being afked, What was the fecond? and afterwards, What was the third? he fill an fwered, Delivery. There is no wonder, that he should have rated this fo high, and that for improving himself in it, he fhould have employed thofe affiduous and painful labours, which all the Ancients take fo much notice of; for, beyond doubt, nothing is of more importance. To fuperficial thinkers, the management of the voice and gefture, in public speaking, may appear to relate to decoration only, and to be one of the inferior arts of catching an audience. But this is far from being the cafe. It is intimately connected with what is, or ought to be, the end of all public fpeaking, Perfuafion; and therefore deferves the ftudy of the most grave and ferious fpeakers, as much as of those, whofe only aim it is to please.

For, let it be confidered, whenever we addrefs ourselves to others by words, our intention certainly is to make fome impreffion on thofe to whom we speak; it is to convey to them our own ideas and emotions. Now the tone of our voice, our looks and gestures, interpret our ideas and emotions no less than words do; nay, the impreffion they make on others, is frequently much stronger than any that words can make. We often fee that an expref

five look, or a paffionate cry, unaccom

forcible ideas, and roufes within them ftronger paffions, than can be communicat ed by the most eloquent difcourfe. The fignification of our fentiments, made by tones and geftures, has this advantage above that made by words, that it is the language of nature. It is that method of interpreting our mind, which nature has dictated to all, and which is underflood by all; whereas words are only arbitrary, conventional fymbols of our ideas; and, by confequence, muft make a more feeble impreffion. So true is this, that, to render words fully fignificant, they muft, almost in every cafe, receive fome aid from the manner of Pronunciation and Delivery, and he who, in fpeaking, fhould employ bare words, without enforcing them by proper tones and accents, would leave us with a faint and indistinct impreffion, often with a doubtful and ambiguous conception of what he had delivered. Nay, fo clofe is the connection between certain fentiments, and the proper manner of pronouncing them, that he who does not pronounce them after that manner, can never perfuade us, that he believes, or feels, the fentiments themselves. His delivery may be fuch, as to give the lye to all that he afferts. When Marcus Callidius accused one of an attempt to poison him, but enforced his accufation in a languid manner, and without any warmth or earnestness of delivery, Cicero, who pleaded for the accufed perfon, improved this into an argument of the falfity of the charge, " An "tu, M. Callidi nifi fingeres, fic ageres?"

In Shakespear's Richard II. the Dutchefs of York thus impeaches the fincerity of her husband:

Pleads he in earneft-Look upon his face,
H's eyes do drop no tears; his prayers are jeft;
His words come from his mouth; ours, from
our bealt:

He prays but faintly, and would be denied;
We pray with heart and foul.

But, I believe it is needlefs to fay any more, in order to fhew the high importance of a good Delivery. I proceed, therefore, to fuch obfervations as appear to me most useful to be made on this h ad.

The great objects which every public fpeaker will naturally have in his eye in forming his Delivery, are, firft, to fpeak fo as to be fully and eafily understood by al who hear him; and next, to speak with grace and force, fo as to please and to move his audience. Let us confider what is most important with respect to each of thefe.

In order to be fully and eafily underficod, the four chief requifites are, A due degree of loudness of voice; Diftin&tnefs; Slownels; and, Propriety of Pronuncia.

tion.

The first attention of every public fpeaker, doubtless, muft be, to make himfelf be heard by all thofe to whom he fpeaks. lie muit endeavour to fill with his voice the fpace occupied by the affembly. This power of voice, it may be thought, is wholly a natural talent. It is to in a good meature; but, however, may receive confiderable affittance from art. Much depends for this purpofe on the proper pitch, and management of the voice. Every man has three pitches in his voice; the high, the middle, and the low one. The high, is that which he ufes in calling aloud to fome one at a distance. The low is, when hs approaches to a whisper. The middle is, that which he employs in common converfation, and which he should generally uie in public difcourfe. For it is a great mitake, to imagine that one muft take the highest pitch of his voice, in order to be well heard by a great affembly. This is confounding two things which are different, loudness, or strength of found, with the key, or note on which we speak. A

On this whole fubject, Mr. Sheridan's Lectures on Elocution are very worthy of being confulted; and feveral hints are here taken tiom them

fpeaker may render his voice louder, without altering the key; and we shall always be able to give moft body, moit perfevering force of found, to that pitch of voice, to which in converfation we are accuftomed. Whereas, by fetting out on our high eft pitch or key, we certainly allow our felves lefs compafs, and are likely to strain our voice before we have doue. We ihall fatigue ourselves, and speak with pain; and whenever a man fpeaks with pain to himfelf, he is always heard with pain by his audience. Give the voice therefore full ftrength and fwell of found; but always pitch it on your ordinary fpeaking key. Make it a conftant rule never to utter a greater quantity of voice, than you can afford without pain to yourselves, and without any extraordinary effort. As long as you keep within thefe bounds, the other organs of speech will be at liberty to difcharge their feveral offices with eafe; and you will always have your voice under command. Bat whenever you tranfgrefs these bounds, you give up the reins, and have no longer any management of it. It is an ufetul rule too, in order to be well heard, to fix our eye on fome of the most distant perfons in the affembly, and to confider ourfelves as fpeaking to them. We naturally and mechanically utter our words with fuch a degree of ftrength, as to make ourselves be heard by one to whom we addrefs our felves, provided he be within the reach of our voice. As this is the cafe in common converfation, it will hold alfo in public fpeaking. But remember, that in, public as well as in converfation, it is poffible to offend by speaking too loud. This extreme hurts the ear, by making the voice come upon it in rumbling indiftinct maffes; befides its giving the speaker the difagreeable appearance of one who endeavours to compel affent, by mere vehemence and force of found.

In the next place, to being well heard, and clearly understood, diftinctness of articulation contributes more, than mere loudnefs of found. The quantity of found ne- • ceffary to fill even a large space, is fmaller than is commonly imagined; and with diftinct articulation, a man of a weak voice will make it reach farther, than the strongeft voice can reach without it. To this, therefore, every public fpeaker ought to pay great attention. He muft give every and make every fyllable, aud even every found which he utters its due proportion, letter in the word which he pronounces,

In the third place, in order to articulate diftinctly, moderation is requifite with regard to the speed of pronouncing. Precipitancy of fpeech confounds all articulation, and all meaning. I'need fcarcely observe, that there may be alfo an extreme on the oppofite fide. It is obvious, that a lifeless, drawling pronunciation, which allows the minds of the hearers to be always outrunning the fpeaker, must render every difcourfe infipid and fatiguing. But the extreme of fpeaking too faft is much more common, and requires the more to be guarded against, because, when it has grown up into a habit, few errors are more difficult to be corrected. To pronounce with a proper degree of flownefs, and with full and clear articulation, is the first thing to be studied by all who begin to speak in public; and cannot be too much recommended to them. Such a pronunciation gives weight and dignity to their difcourfe. It is a great affiftance to the voice, by the paufes and refts which it allows it more eafily to make; and it enables the speaker to fwell all his founds, both with more force and more mufic. It affifts him alfo in preserving a due command of himself; whereas a rapid and hurried manner, is apt to excite that flutter of fpirits, which is the greatest enemy to all right execution in the way of oratory. " Promptum fit os," fays Quinctilian," non præceps, moderatum, non lentum."

After thefe fundamental attentions to the pitch and management of the voice, to diftinct articulation, and to a proper degree of flowness of fpeech, what a public fpeaker muft, in the fourth place, ftudy, is Propriety of Pronunciation; or the giving to every word, which he utters, that found, which the most polite ufage of the language appropriates to it; in oppofition to broad, vulgar, or provincial pronunciation. This is requifite, both for speaking intelligibly, and for fpeaking with grace or beauty. Inftructions concerning this article, can be given by the living voice only. But there is one obfervation, which it may not be improper here to make. In the English language, every word which confifts of more fyllables than one, has one accented fyllable. The accent refts fometimes on the vowel, fometimes on the confonant. Seldom, or never, is there more than one accented fyllable in any English word, how

ever long; and the genius of the language requires the voice to mark that fyllable by a ftronger percuffion, and to pass more flightly over the reft. Now, after we have learned the proper feats of these accents, it is an important rule, to give every word juft the fame accent in public speaking, as in common difcourfe. Many perfons err in this refpect. When they speak in public, and with folemnity, they pronounce the fyllables in a different manner from what they do at other times. They dwell upon them, and protract them; they multiply accents on the fame word; from a mistaken notion, that it gives gravity and force to their difcourfe, and adds to the pomp of public declamation. Whereas, this is one of the greatest faults that can be committed in pronunciation; it makes what is called a theatrical or mouthing manner; and gives an artificial affected air to speech, which detracts greatly both from its agreeableness, and its impreffion.

I proceed to treat next of thofe higher parts of Delivery, by ftudying which, a fpeaker has fomething farther in view than merely to render himself intelligible, and seeks to give grace and force to what he utters. Thefe may be comprised under four heads, Emphafis, Paufes, Tones, and Geftures. Let me only premise in general, to what I am to fay concerning them, that attention to these articles of Delivery, is by no means to be confined, as fome might be apt to imagine, to the more elaborate and pathetic parts of a discourse; there is, perhaps, as great attention requifite, and as much skill difplayed, in adapting emphafes, paufes, tones, and geftures, properly, to calm and plain fpeaking: and the effect of a juft and graceful delivery will, in every part of a fubject, be found of high importance for commanding attention, and enforcing what is spoken.

is

First, let us confider Emphafis; by this meant a ftronger and fuller found of voice, by which we diftinguish the accented fyllable of fome word, on which we defign to lay particular ftrefs, and to show how it affects the rest of the fentence. Sometimes the emphatic word must be diftinguifhed by a particular tone of voice, as well as by a stronger accent. On the right management of the emphafis, depends the whole life and spirit of every discourse. If no emphafis be placed on any words, not only is difcourfe rendered heavy and lifelefs, but the meaning left often ambiguous. If the emphafis be placed wrong,

we

we pervert and confound the meaning wholly. To give a common inftance; fuch a fimple question as this: "Do you ride to town to-day?" is capable of no fewer than four different acceptations, according as the emphafis is differently placed on the words. If it be pronounced thus: Do you ride to town to-day? the answer may naturally be, No; I send my fervant in my ftead. If thus; Do you ride to town to-day? Answer, No: I intend to walk. Do you ride to town to-day? No; I ride out into the fields. Do you ride to town to-day? No; but I shall to-morrow. In like manner, in folemn discourse, the whole force and beauty of an expreflion often depend on the accented word; and we may prefent to the hearers quite different views of the fame fentiment, by placing the emphafis differently, In the following words of our Saviour, obferve in what different lights the thought is placed, according as the words are pronounced. "Judas, betrayeft thou the Son of Man with a kifs?" Betrayeft thou-makes the reproach turn, on the infamy of treachery. -Betrayeft thou-makes it reft, upon Judas's connection with his master. Betrayeft thou the Son of Man-refts it, upon our Saviour's perfonal character and eminence. Betrayeft thou the Son of man with a kis turns it upon his proftituting the fignal of peace and friendship, to the purpofe of a mark of destruction.

In order to acquire the proper management of the emphafis, the great rule, and indeed the only rule poffible to be given, is, that the speaker study to attain a juft conception of the force and fpirit of thofe fentiments which he is to pronounce. For to lay the emphafis with exact propriety, is a conftant exercise of good fenfe and attention. It is far from being an inconfiderable attainment. It is one of the greatest trials of a true and just tafte; and muit arife from feeling delicately ourfelves, and from judging accurately of what is fitteft to ftrike the feelings of others. There is as a great difference between a chapter of the Bible, or any other piece of plain profe, read by one who places the feveral emphafes every where with tafte and judgment, and by one who neglects or mistakes them, as there is between the fame tune played by the moft mafterly hand, or by the moft bungling performer.

In all prepared difcourfes, it would be of great ufe, if they were read over or

rehearfed in private, with this particular view, to fearch for the proper emphases before they were pronounced in public; marking at the fame time, with a pen, the emphatical words in every sentence, or at least the most weighty and affecting parts of the discourse, and fixing them well in memory. Were this attention oftener bestowed, were this part of pronunciation ftudied with more exactness, and not left to the moment of delivery, as is commonly done, public speakers would find their care abundantly repaid, by the remarkable effects which it would produce upon their audience. Let me caution, at the fame time, against one error, that of multiplying emphatical words too much. It is only by a prudent referve in the use of them, that we can give them any weight. If they recur too often; if a speaker attempts to render every thing which he fays of high importance, by a multitude of ftrong emphases, we foon learn to pay little regard to them. To crowd every fentence with emphatical words, is like crowding all the pages of a book with italic characters, which, as to the effect, is just the fame with ufing no fuch diftinctions at all.

Next to emphafis, the Paufes in fpeaking demand attention. These are of two kinds; firft, emphatical pauses; and next, fuch as mark the diftinctions of sense. An emphatical pause is made, after fomething has been faid of peculiar moment, and on which we want to fix the hearer's attention. Sometimes, before fuch a thing is faid, we usher it in with a paufe of this nature. Such paufes have the fame effect as a strong emphasis, and are subject to the fame rules; efpecially to the caution juft now given, of not repeating them too frequently. For, as they excite uncommon attention, and of courfe raise expectation, if the importance of the matter be not fully anfwerable to fuch expectation, they occafion disappointment and difguft.

But the most frequent and the principal ufe of paufes, is to mark the divifions of the fenfe, and at the fame time to allow the speaker to draw his breath; and the proper and graceful adjustment of fuch paufes, is one of the most nice and difficult articles in delivery. In all public fpeaking, the management of the breath requires a good deal of care, fo as not to be obliged to divide words from one another, which have fo intimate a connection, that they ought to be pronounced with the